ECSE506: Observation and Assessment of Young Children with Disabilities: Birth to Age 8

Focus on observation, screening and assessment of young children with special needs from birth to age five. Students explore commonly used techniques, instruments, examine administration procedures, and learn to interpret findings related to children's development. An emphasis is placed on family partnerships, using observation as a tool in natural settings, and creating appropriate assessment plans for young children.. 3 sh.

ECSE508: Strengthening Partnerships with Families of Children with Disabilities

Addresses family-professional partnerships in early childhood special education. Students gain knowledge, skills and dispositions to work collaboratively with diverse families to support the development and education of young children with special needs. Various models including family-focused practice and family systems theory are discussed. 3 sh.

ECSE509: Principles and Practices in Inclusive Early Childhood Education

Provides an overview of curricular approaches in Early Childhood Education (birth to 8), specific intervention strategies, and curriculum planning issues. Emphasis is placed upon the development of knowledge, skills and dispositions needed to address outcomes identified in individual IFSPs or IEPs within the context of activity-based programs for young children in naturalistic environments. 3 sh.

Prerequisites: ECSE 506.

READ500: The Nature of Reading

Examines the foundations of reading: the nature of the reading process, readiness, beginning instruction, current practices in the teaching of reading in early childhood and elementary education, a reappraisal of the role of reading in a technological society. 3 sh.

READ501: Techniques of Reading Improvement in the Secondary School

Studies the improvement of nonclinical reading difficulties in the content subjects. For the subject area teacher and the beginning reading specialist. Secondary school reading needs and specific suggestions for guiding the slow, average, and gifted student in a classroom situation. 3 sh.

SPED566: Language-Based Learning Strategies for Use in Inclusive Settings

This course presents an overall view of language development and language disorders as the basis for implementing instruction that attends to language-based learning difficulties. A major focus will be the development of instructional strategies that can be employed in inclusive classroom settings to promote learning across the curriculum. The use of metalinguistic and metacognitive strategies will be stressed. 3 sh.

Prerequisites: SPED 579.

SPED567: Instructional Planning for Students with Disabilities in Inclusive Settings I

This course is designed to provide educators with the skills necessary to meet the needs of students with disabilities in K-5 inclusive classrooms. Educators will learn how to use developmentally appropriate practice and universal design curriculum to enhance the learning of students who display competencies across a wide range. The major focus will be on practical techniques and strategies that can be used to provide quality instruction in inclusive settings. 3 sh.

Prerequisites: SPED 579.

SPED568: Instructional Planning for Students with Disabilities in Inclusive Settings II

This course will enhance the ability of future educators to provide effective planning and instruction for students with disabilities in 6-12 inclusive classrooms. Educators will learn how to apply developmentally appropriate practice and curriculum design to improve the learning of students who exhibit competencies across a wide range. The emphasis will be on practical techniques and strategies that can be utilized in an inclusive setting. 3 sh.

Prerequisites: SPED 579.

SPED579: Special Education for Students with Disabilities

An overview of instruction for students with special needs; characteristics of special populations, federal and state legislation, educational implications of disabling conditions, principles for instruction and planning for inclusion are presented; community resources and special issues related to the education of students with disabilities are discussed. 3 sh.

SPED584: Assessment and Evaluation in the Inclusive Classroom

This course is designed to be an introduction for pre-service teachers in the field of Special Education assessment and accountability. The course will introduce students to elements of traditional assessment, including record keeping, grading, objective and essay testing, theories of validity as well as authentic, performance, and portfolio assessment. The keeping of anecdotal records, inclusion, heterogeneous groups, and accommodations will also be components of this course. 2 - 3 sh.

Prerequisites: SPED 579 and SPED 567 or 568.

SPED585: Technology for Inclusive Classrooms

The course is designed to provide educators with an understanding of how to use technology as a seamless part of the teaching and learning experience for students with disabilities in inclusive settings. Two main purposes for students with disabilities will be emphasized. Teachers will learn how to provide access to the curriculum for students with disabilities by using the principles of Universal Design for Learning as a framework for curriculum design. They will learn how to utilize technology to meet the unique needs of students with disabilities in order for them to attain maximum independence and participation in all environments. 2 - 3 sh.

Prerequisites: SPED 567, SPED 568.

SPED586: Transition Services for Students with Disabilities

This course will focus on a Research-Based and Teacher-Tested Support Model for planning and implementing transition services for students with disabilities. Successful transition services will allow students to build the bridges toward becoming independent self advocates with the insights, skills, knowledge, and learning techniques for successful transition from school to adult life. 3 sh.

Prerequisites: SPED 567, SPED 568, SPED 579.

SPED587: Advanced Instructional Techniques for Students with Learning Problems

The Learning Strategies Model for assisting students with learning problems to become independent will be used as framework; techniques for inclusion in regular educational settings, collaboration, strategies for planning instruction to meet diverse needs of students with mild disabilities, and special issues related to instruction will be presented. 3 sh.

Prerequisites: SPED 567, SPED 568 and SPED 581.

SPED588: Promoting Prosocial Behaviors in Inclusive Settings

This course is designed to provide future teachers with theory and practice related to the development of appropriate prosocial behaviors within inclusive classroom settings for students with disabilities. This course will focus on behavior and the developmental and environmental factors that influence its expression. Emphasis will be placed on functional analysis of behavior, how to promote appropriate behavior, and how to develop a classroom setting that fosters prosocial behaviors. Principles of social/emotional learning, social skills development as well as data collection, schedules of reinforcement monitoring progress, social problem solving, and promotion of positive behavior plans will be explored. 2 - 3 sh.

Prerequisites: SPED 579.

SPED595: Medical and Physical Bases of Disabilities

Critical dimensions of the neurological and biological growth in the context of developmental disabilities are discussed. The relevance of the pediatric and neurological examinations for understanding disabilities is provided. The medical treatment of disabilities is presented. 3 sh.

SPED597: Practicum and Seminar in Teaching Students with Disabilities

This course provides students with direct experience in teaching children and adolescents with special education needs in a controlled internship program. Students learn to analyze and carry out individualized education programs developed by child study teams that will help children and adolescents with learning difficulties be successful in regular and special education settings. The emphasis is on instruction of children and adolescents with mild to moderate disabilities. In addition to 90 hours of direct instruction of children and adolescents with special needs in an approved placement, each practicum student must participate in class seminars, conferences and planning sessions. 3 sh.

Prerequisites: SPED 566, SPED 584, SPED 585, SPED 588, and permission of graduate advisor.

SPED668: Consultation Methods in Psychoeducational Settings

This course is designed to provide students with theory and practice about the consultation process. The course will identify a collaborative, problem-solving model of consultation in psychoeducational settings and define the intrapersonal, interpersonal and systemic factors associated with successful consultation. Students will locate consultation cases and function under direct supervision and monitoring. Cross listed with Psychology, PSYC 668. 3 sh.

Prerequisites: SPED 587.

SPED690: Action Research Inclusive Settin

This course represents a capstone course for graduate students in the process of theory, conceptualization, research methods, operationalization, and analysis in the completion of an action research project. This course will link all of the practical aspects of conducting action research with the scholarly tools that support the cycle of reflective practice, thereby showing prospective and practicing teachers how to make action research a natural part of their teaching and to utilize action research to enhance inclusive education for students with disabilities. The course will help define action research and clarify its nature, providing a clear description of the relationship between qualitative and quantitative research. Students will then be offered step-by-step procedures for planning, implementing, and evaluating the kind of research projects that help pre-service teachers use their own understanding and expertise to work systematically through finding a solution to the problem they are investigating. Students will make an oral presentation of their project results through a departmentally approved review process or an approved graduate symposium. 3 sh.

Prerequisites: SPED 589.