Graduate Catalog 2010-12
Special Education
Faculty
Mitchell Beck (Chair, Barnard 22001),
John Foshay, William Nelson, Joan Nicoll-Senft, Ernest
Pancsofar (Dept. phone: 860-832-2400)
Department Overview
The quality of educational services for
children and youth with exceptionalities resides in the abilities,
qualifications, and competences of the personnel who provide the
services (CEC, 1988). Consistent with the mission of the School of
Education and Professional Studies (SEPS) of preparing leaders for
service in our communities, it is the mission of the Department of
Special Education to:
- prepare current and future
educators to effectively meet the academic and social needs of
individuals with disabilities;
- promote effective and equitable
access to the general education curriculum for individuals with
disabilities; and
- empower teachers to be leaders in
their schools by way of planning, implementing, and evaluating
research-based practices for ongoing school improvement.
Programs
Master of Science in Special Education for Students Already Certified (Strands A and B)
Program Rationale:
The Master of Science in Special
Education is designed to prepare general education
teachers to possess the knowledge, skills, and professional
dispositions to develop effective teaching and learning environments
for individuals with disabilities. This program track is designed for
students who already hold teaching credentials in Connecticut. In
this specialization students take course work designed to broaden
and/or deepen their knowledge of the field. The curriculum for this
program is aligned with the standards of the Council for Exceptional
Children (CEC).
Program Learning Outcomes:
Students in this program will be
expected to:
demonstrate knowledge of
historical foundations, classic studies, major contributors, and
current issues related to special education;
demonstrate knowledge of laws and
policies that affect individuals with disabilities, their families,
and their educational programming;
promote practices that reduce the
over-representation of culturally/linguistically diverse students in
programs for individuals with disabilities;
broaden and/or deepen their
knowledge of individual learning differences, instructional
strategies, and collaboration in special education;
implement action research
processes to contribute to improved special education services to
individuals with disabilities; and
promote professional and ethical
practices in the field of special education.
Master of Science in Special
Education for Students Already Certified in Special Education (Strand
C)
Strand C (30 credits)
Professional Education (6 credits):
SPED 566 Legal and Administrative Issues in Special Education 3
SPED 532 Contemporary Issues in Special Education 3
Strand C (15 credits):
Electives
–students usually take 15 credits of advanced-level course work in
special education. Up to 6 credits of related course work from other
departments may be included at the advisor's discretion.
Research (9 credits):
SPED 598 Research in Special Education 3
SPED 596 Designing Action Research in Special Education (Plan E) 3
SPED 597 Implementing and Documenting Action Research in Special Education
(Plan E) 3
Master of Science in Special Education
for Students Already Certified in Other Areas (Strand A)
Strand A (30 credits)
Completion of Planned
Program does not lead to cross endorsement in special education
Professional Education (6 credits):
SPED 566 Legal and Administrative Issues in Special Education 3
SPED 532 Contemporary Issues in Special Education 3
Strand A (15 credits):
Choose 6 credits from:
SPED 511 Behavioral/Emotional Disorders 3
SPED 512 Learning Disabilities 3
SPED 513 Developmental Disabilities 3
Choose at least 9 credits from:
SPED 506 Foundations of Language for the Exceptional Child 3
SPED 510 Inclusive Education 3
SPED 536 Autism Spectrum Disorder 3
SPED 560 Positive Classroom Management for Students Receiving Special
Education Services 3
SPED 578 The Juvenile Offender with Special Education Needs 3
SPED 580 Collaborative Process in Special Education 3
SPED 581 Assistive Technology in Special Education 3
SPED 595 Topics in Special Education 1-3
Note: Other courses offered in the Department of Special Education may be
substituted as they become available; i.e., special topics.
Research (9 credits):
SPED 598 Research in Special Education 3
SPED 596 Designing Action Research in Special Education (Plan E) 3
SPED 597 Implementing and Documenting Action Research in Special Education
(Plan E) 3
Master of Science in Special Education for Students with Certification in Other Areas of Education Seeking Cross Endorsement in Special Education (Strand B)
Program Rationale:
The Master of Science in Special
Education is designed to prepare general education
teachers to possess the knowledge, skills and professional
dispositions to develop effective teaching and learning environments
for individuals with disabilities. This program track is designed for
students who have certification in elementary education or a 7-12
secondary subject certificate in biology, business, chemistry, earth
science, English, history/social studies, mathematics, or physics.
Strand B both leads to a master's degree and provides coursework
that may lead to a cross endorsement for either elementary or
secondary (including middle school) education. Students in Strand B
must have a current Connecticut certification. The curriculum for
this program is aligned with the standards of the Council for
Exceptional Children (CEC). Courses required in Strand B are aligned
with the certification requirements of the Connecticut State
Department of Education.
Program Learning Outcomes:
Students in this program will be
expected to:
demonstrate knowledge of
foundational issues in special education and their impact on the
field;
demonstrate knowledge of the
development and characteristics of learners, individual learning
differences, and appropriate instructional strategies;
promote effective learning
environments and social interactions for individuals with
disabilities;
demonstrate knowledge of typical
and atypical language development, cultural implications of language
development, and alternative approaches to communication;
further their knowledge of
instructional planning, assessment, and collaboration to address the
learning differences of individuals with a wider variety of academic
problems;
implement action research
processes to contribute to improved special education services to
individuals with disabilities; and
promote professional and ethical
practices in the field of special education.
Strand B (36-39 credits)
Completion of Planned Program leads to an endorsement in special education.
Professional Education (3 credits):
SPED 532 Contemporary Issues in Special Education 3
Strand B (24 credits):
SPED 511 Behavioral/Emotional Disorders 3
SPED 512 Learning Disabilities 3
SPED 513 Developmental Disabilities 3
SPED 514 Cognitive Behavior Management and Social Skills Strategies 3
SPED 515 Assessment in Special Education 3
SPED 516 Instructional Programming for Students with Exceptionalities 3
SPED 517 Instructional Methods for Students with Special Needs–Elementary 3
or
SPED 518 Instructional Methods for Students with Special Needs–Secondary 3
and one of the following:
SPED 521 Student Teaching in Special Education–Elementary 3
SPED 522 Student Teaching in Special Education–Secondary 3
SPED 523 Practicum in Special Education–Elementary 3
SPED 524 Practicum in Special Education–Secondary 3
Research (9 credits):
SPED 598 Research in Special Education 3
SPED 596 Designing Action Research in Special Education (Plan E) 3
SPED 597 Implementing and Documenting Action Research in Special Education
(Plan E) 3
Post-Baccalaureate Certification in
Special Education
Program Rationale:
This non-degree program is designed for
students who, after receiving an undergraduate degree that did not
lead to teacher certification (i.e., psychology, sociology, general
sciences, human services, mathematics, business, liberal arts, etc.),
want to pursue coursework leading to teacher certification in special
education. The curriculum for this program is aligned with the
standards of the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) and the
certification requirements of the Connecticut State Department of
Education.
Program Learning Outcomes:
Students in the program are expected
to:
demonstrate knowledge of
foundational issues in special education and their impact on the
field;
demonstrate knowledge of the
development and characteristics of learners, individual learning
differences, and appropriate instructional strategies;
promote effective learning
environments and social interactions for individuals with
disabilities;
demonstrate knowledge of typical
and atypical language development, cultural implications of language
development, and alternative approaches to communication;
demonstrate knowledge of
instructional planning, assessment, and collaboration to address the
learning differences of individuals with disabilities; and
promote professional and ethical
practices in the field of special education.
Course and Capstone Requirements:
Professional Requirements (13 credits)
30 hours of verified field experience
with regular education students; 10 hours of verified field
experience with exceptional learners.
EDTE 315 Principles of Learning:
Elementary 4
SPED 501 Education of the Exceptional
Learner 3
RDG 315 Comprehensive Reading
Instruction I 3
MATH 113 Structure of Mathematics I:
Number Systems 3
Specialization Requirements (31
credits)
SPED 511 Behavioral/Emotional Disorders
3
SPED 512 Learning Disabilities 3
SPED 513 Developmental Disabilities 3
SPED
514 Cognitive Behavior Management and Social Skills Strategies 3
SPED 515 Assessment in Special
Education 3
SPED
516 Instructional Programming for Students with Exceptionalities
3
SPED 517 Instructional Methods for
Students with Special Needs- Elementary 3
SPED 518 Instructional Methods for
Students with Special Needs- Secondary 3
SPED 520 Student Teaching Seminar 1
SPED 521 Student Teaching in Special
Education-Elementary (eight weeks) 3
SPED 522 Student Teaching in Special
Education-Secondary (eight weeks) 3
Note: It is the student's
responsibility to consult the advisor on a regular basis since
program policies and procedures are subject to change.
Students must be sure to consider
prerequisite requirements before registering for courses. Numerical
listing does not necessarily indicate correct sequence.
In addition to maintaining a 3.00
overall average, students must maintain a B- (2.70) average in
special education courses to be recommended for certification.
The School of Education and
Professional Studies requires students to complete a departmental
performance assessment in order to qualify for student teaching and
to complete the Professional Program. In addition, students are
expected to abide by the standards outlined in the current
Undergraduate Catalog for maintaining good standing in the
Professional Program.
Admission to the Professional Program
is a prerequisite for SPED 515-522, EDTE 315, and RDG 315.
SPED 516, 517, and 518 may be counted
toward a master's degree in special education.
