Special Education 675

I. Course Title: Teaching Students with Exceptional Learning Needs in the Elementary General Curriculum

II. Course Number: EDSP 675

III. Credit Hours: 3 credits

IV. Prerequisites: Acceptance into the Post-Professional Certificate in Special Education, General Curriculum for Licensed General Educators or EDSP 651 or department chair approval.

V. Course Description: 

The course addresses current issues and needs in instructional programming for students with disabilities at the elementary level including Individualized Education Program (IEP) development and evidence-based teaching practices. The course emphasizes teaching methods that promote student participation and  academic progress in the general education curriculum and standardized assessments. The course prepares teachers to teach and remediate academic skills, study skills,  and learning strategies, and to adapt course content and assignments to meet individual needs of students with disabilities who are engaged in the general education curriculum at the elementary level.

VI. Detailed Description of Content of the Course:

This course is designed to provide professional educators with the knowledge and skills necessary to implement an optimal teaching-learning environment for students with disabilities representing diverse backgrounds in the general education curriculum at the elementary level. Topics in this area include:

  • Principles of learning, curriculum development, and the scope and sequence of the general education curriculum
  • Development of Individualized Education Programs (IEP) that address the academic and functional needs of the student with disabilities in the general education curriculum and meets regulatory requirements
  • Identification and application of differentiated instructional methodologies and evidence-based practices, such as systematic instruction, multisensory approaches, cognitive strategies, and study skills
  • Lesson planning that encompasses alternative ways to teach content material including curriculum adaptations and modifications and including the selection and use of appropriate materials, including instructional and assistive technologies to promote student learning
  • Evaluation of student performance and impact of instructional practices through a variety of standardized and non-standardized data collection techniques such as task analysis, observation, portfolio assessment, and other curriculum-based measures
  • Classroom organization and routines that promote learning and participation

VI. Detailed Description of Conduct of Course:

Lecture, demonstration, class discussion, audio and/or visual presentations, assigned readings, case studies, and applied projects with K-5 learners.

VII. Goals and Objectives of the Course:

Goals, objectives, and assignments address the Virginia Department of Education regulations for preparing educators and the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) Initial Preparation Standards and Specialty Set Knowledge and Skill Items. Specialty sets included in this course cover competencies for the Individualized General Curriculum and Individualized Independence Curriculum.

Upon completion of this course, participants will:

  1. Plan curriculum and implement instruction based on an understanding of theoretical approaches, state standards, the scope and sequence of the general and special curricula, and classroom organization principles
  2. Identify instructional and assistive technologies that support access to the general education curriculum for elementary level students with disabilities
  3. Apply knowledge of the eligibility process, legal, and regulatory requirements to develop and implement comprehensive Individualized Educational Programs in collaboration with team members, including varying professionals, the individual student as a self-advocate and the family
  4. Make decisions about individual student progress, instruction, program, accommodations, placement, and teaching methodology based upon an understanding of the student’s characteristics, (including age, ability, cultural, and language factors) individual needs and the general education curriculum and standards
  5. Demonstrate the use of assessment, evaluation, and other information to develop and implement individual educational planning and group instruction with students with disabilities accessing the general curriculum at the elementary level
  6. Evaluate, select, and use research-supported methods and specialized instructional strategies for academic instruction for students with disabilities at the elementary level
  7. Plan explicit instruction, teach skills, and remediate deficits in reading skills, math calculations and applications, and written expression
  8. Identify evidence-based practices to teach students with disabilities to use effective thinking processes, problem-solving skills, study skills, test-taking strategies, and other cognitive learning strategies to meet their needs
  9. Identify and teach essential concepts, vocabulary, structures, relationships, and content across the general curriculum at the elementary level
  10. Plan lessons that encompass alternative ways to teach content material including curriculum adaptations and modifications, and including the selection and use of appropriate materials
  11. Evaluate student performance and impact of instructional practices through a variety of standardized and non-standardized data collection techniques such as task analysis, observation, portfolio assessment, and other curriculum-based measures
  12. Analyze classroom organization, routines, and instructional delivery skills for effective participation and learning for students with disabilities in the general education curriculum.

VIII. Assessment Measures:

Assessment measures may include, but are not limited to reading responses, case studies, and instructional planning/implementation projects with K-5 students.

Other Course Information: None

 

Review and Approval

10/3/2008 New Course Debora Bays/Leslie Daniel

March 2019 Course Revision Debora Bays Wilbon