Mar 28, 2024  
2009-2010 School of Graduate and Professional Studies Catalog with Addendum 
    
2009-2010 School of Graduate and Professional Studies Catalog with Addendum [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Special Needs: Initial Licensure in Severe Disabilities (All)


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The curriculum for the Special Needs programs leading to licensure in Severe Disabilities addresses theories of language development, including the differences between first and second language acquisition and the effects of disabilities on learning and vocabulary development. The program explores diagnosis and assessment of that development, innovative instructional practices for students with handicapping conditions, functional curriculum development and educational planning, and the availability and operation of assistive technologies that support the learning needs of the severely disabled child. This preparation program for Initial licensure requires a pre-practicum and practicum experiences as described below.

Student Outcomes
At the completion of the program the student will:
1. Have knowledge of the cognitive development of children
and adolescents, learning theory, for all learners, the
philosophical implications for the regular education integration
model (REI), and the utilization of behavioral
management principles.
2. Know the educational terminology for students with
moderate or severe disabilities and of services provided
by other agencies as well as knowledge of federal and
state regulations pertaining to special education.
3. Have assessment skills in reporting informal information,
sensory motor checklists, pre-school screening, and receptive
and expressive language development.
4. Know how to adapt curriculum goals; create materials;
select technologically appropriate tools; and prepare,
implement, and evaluate individual education programs
(IEPs).
5. Gain experience and information about the role of families
and the community-at-large in dealing with various
mild-to-moderate and severe disabilities of all learners.


Admission Criteria for Master of Education in Severe Special Needs
• Application form and a $50 application fee
• Statement of professional goals
• Official transcripts of all academic work
• Two letters of recommendation
• Official score report of either the Miller Analogies Test or
Graduate Record Examination
• An admission interview with the program director or
associate dean of the program
• TOEFL required for all students for whom English is not
a first language; 79 is minimum score for iBT and 550 for
the pen and pencil test.

Curriculum Requirements - Total Credits Required: 36


Completion Requirements


To exit from the Special Needs program for Initial Licensure in Severe Disabilities, students must successfully complete all of the required courses and fieldwork. In addition, prior to entering the practicum, teachers seeking a license as a teacher of students with severe disabilities for Pre-K–8 must pass the General Curriculum test in addition to passing the Communication and Literacy and the Foundations of Readings tests. Those seeking this license for 5–12 must pass either the General Curriculum test or a subject matter test in one of the core academic subjects taught in 5–8 or 8–12 (such as History) in addition to passing the Communication and Literacy and the Foundations of Reading Tests. Students may be advised to take additional subject matter courses for meeting the above Department of Elementary and Secondary Education requirements.

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