Graduate Special Education
Graduate Special Education
2024 Fall Term
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ADVANCED BEHAVIOR INTERVENTION STRATEGIES
SPECED 640
The purpose of this course is to provide special educators with the knowledge and skills to intervene with children with intense patterns of behavior that prevent the student from accessing the general education classroom. Techniques for conducting functional behavior assessments and designing behavior intervention plans will be provided. In addition, legal aspects regarding behavior intervention will be provided. Students fulfill independent field experiences.
STUDENT TEACHING SEMINAR AND CAREER PREPARATION
SPECED 680
This culminating student teaching seminar supports teacher candidates as they reflect on how, when, and why specific evidence-based practices are implemented in public school and alternative school settings. Teacher candidates will explore respective roles and responsibilities of all school personnel. Attention is given to the recognition and application of skills and activities fundamental to the development of effective teachers. Teacher candidates will complete all special education department summative signature assessments including unit plans, an IEP, FBA, and BIP along with reflection journal submissions.
SPECIAL ED ALTERNATIVE WISCONSIN FOUNDATIONS OF READING TEST
SPECED 685
This capstone course is designed to meet the professional licensing requirement of passing the Wisconsin Foundations of Reading Test in an alternative portfolio format required for Wisconsin Cross Categorical Special Education teachers. Participants will complete the required portfolio content to pass the Alternative WIFORT including documentation of required course grades, intensive intervention planning (phonological awareness, phonics, and fluency), integrative thematic unit instruction plans (vocabulary, comprehension, and fluency), and completion of a minimum of two instructional observations and coaching sessions by a Wisconsin certified Reading Specialist addressing phonological (phonemic) awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and reading comprehension.
LEGAL FOUNDATIONS OF SPECIAL EDUCATION
SPECED 700
The purpose of this course is to provide an in-depth graduate level theoretical foundation of the field of special education. Historical trends and current issues in the field of special education will be explored with an emphasis upon the impact these issues have on current practice. Current special education law and its interaction with practice will also be explored.
REFLECTIVE PRACTICE AND ACTION RESEARCH
SPECED 702
The course assists teachers in planning, organizing, implementing, and assessing inquiry-related strategies appropriate for their classrooms. Participants will investigate current issues by way of Action Research, ethnographic, symbolic interaction, and qualitative inquiry techniques. Projects will be conducted that relate to individual classroom needs and situations.
METHODS FOR TEACHING CHILDREN WITH AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDERS
SPECED 708
This course provides students with methods of instructing children with autism spectrum disorders. The focus will be on developing functional skills based upon individual children's needs. Methods of instruction will include applied behavior analysis, sensory integration, TEACCH, and functional and ecological assessment procedures.
ADVANCED PRINCIPLES OF APPLIED BEHAVIOR ANALYSIS
SPECED 709
The purpose of this course is to provide students with specialized training in applied behavior analysis. This course will provide in-depth training in advanced concepts related to changing behavior, maintaining behavior change, teaching skills and making data-based intervention decisions. In addition, this course will discuss the ethical issues related to behavior change.
BEHAVIOR ASSESSMENT
SPECED 741
In this course, students will learn how to assess behavior. Using a functional behavior approach, students will learn how to identify challenging behavior, define it, and assess it through indirect and direct methods. Assessment methods will include record reviews, interviews, direct observation, ABC assessment, preference assessment, and skill assessment.
NEUROLOGY OF DYSLEXIA & LANGUAGE BASED LEARNING DISABILITIES
SPECED 750
This course focuses on the neurobiological origins of dyslexia and language based learning disabilities by examining characteristics and traits through history, theory, culture and social factors, law, and brain-based research. The course address introduces linguistic structures of and historical influences on the English language. Dispositions of professional practice are also addressed.
SCIENCE OF READING I: PHONICS, LINGUISTICS, & INTERVENTIONS
SPECED 752
The course addresses phonemic awareness, phonics, advanced word reading, and reading fluency for students who struggle to read, have a learning disability, or have dyslexia. Through use of research validated strategies in phonemic awareness, decoding, fluency, and spelling, the processes and skills children and adolescents use to read fluently are examined as well as similarities and differences in reading instruction for students with LD and dyslexia and typical readers. The difficulties encountered by students with dyslexia and language and learning differences are reviewed and best practices in teaching phonemic awareness, decoding/phonics, and spelling are emphasized through discussion, modelling, and demonstrating.
SCIENCE OF READING II: VOCABULARY, COMPREHENSION, & WRITING INST
SPECED 754
This course addresses reading and writing instruction across the curriculum and interventions for students for students who struggle to read, have a learning disability, or have dyslexia. The processes and skills children and adolescents engage in to develop reading/writing vocabulary, comprehend text, and compose quality written work are examined. Specifically, the difficulties encountered by students with language and learning disabilities and dyslexia are reviewed and evidence-based practices for teaching fluency, vocabulary, comprehension, and writing as tools for literacy development are emphasized. Student will develop methodology and strategies for teaching reading/writing vocabulary, reading comprehension and fluency, and writing process/products.
DISABILITIES: CHARACTERISTICS & ELIGIBILITY FOR SPECIAL EDUCATION
SPECED 760
This course addresses the characteristics of students who qualify for special education services. Students examine eligibility, service delivery models, and teaching methods. Students understand historical and current special education issues and trends that impact service delivery. Students who are not currently teaching must complete a special education related field experience. Students employed as a teacher or paraprofessional must complete field hours in a developmental level different from the developmental level of their current position.
INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES FOR THE INCLUSIVE CLASSROOM
SPECED 761
This course focuses on instructional principles and strategies for teaching students with mild to moderate disabilities. Lesson planning, unit planning, and understanding of cooperative teaching arrangements are mastered. Students apply universal design for learning and differentiation for learning within instructional plans. Students who are not currently teaching fulfill independent field experiences.
GRADUATE PRE STUDENT TEACHING SEMINAR AND FIELD EXPERIENCE
SPECED 783
This course assists graduate teacher candidates to develop their gateway portfolio. This portfolio includes signature assessments from characteristics, methods, and a performance component. The signature assessments should demonstrate competencies on the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) and INTASC Standards. The performance component will be comprised of completing 25 hours in an assigned field placement and a written project. Teacher candidates must earn a passing grade on this portfolio and passing scores on all clinical evaluations and field projects for entrance into the Student Teaching Block.