UNC Charlotte Special Education Adapted Curriculum – Undergraduate
UNC Charlotte Program Proposal for
Special Education – Adapted Curriculum – UNDERGRADUATE
*NOTE: this document was originally submitted in 2009 and references decisions made during the initial state-mandated revisioning process which occurred in 2009-10. Readers may need to refer to the original November 2009 NC DPI blueprint submission as needed. Updated areas of this document are noted.
Description and Rationale (original NCDPI blueprint, November 2009)
The UNC Charlotte Special Education Adapted Curriculum Licensure Program for undergraduate candidates has undergone notable structural and curricular changes as well as revisions to candidate performance measures as a result of the 2008-2009 revisioning process. Beginning in October 2008, the UNC Charlotte Special Education faculty began the process of revisioning all initial licensure programs, undergraduate and graduate. To date, the special education faculty concur that the revisioned program will better prepare undergraduate candidates to: engage as knowledgeable and skilled professionals in the field of special education, and to serve as special education teachers who thoughtfully plan and implement effective, research-validated instruction that is responsive to the diverse and multi-faceted needs of their K-12 students.
The revisioned special education adapted curriculum proposed program is a result of faculty responding to the following questions: What do we like about our current program? What needs to be improved about our existing program? Faculty responses were then integrated with responses to similar questions from graduates of our program, part-time instructors, community partners, and existing candidates currently in their student teaching experiences.
Common themes noted among faculty and community partner responses specific to gaps in our current preparation program included:
· practical use of K-12 student data in determining interventions
· knowledge of co-teaching models and best practices
· knowledge and skills in working with culturally and linguistically diverse students
· increased emphasis on content knowledge in middle and high school reading, math, and writing
· knowledge of Universal Design for Learning strategies.
From the information gathered from faculty and community partners, a ‘vision’ for the renewed special education undergraduate program was identified. From January to February 2009, the Special Education faculty devoted considerable time in developing understanding of the North Carolina Standards for Teachers, the Special Education Adapted Curriculum Specialty Standards, the Teacher Candidate Evaluation Rubric, and 21st Century knowledge, skills, and dispositions for career teachers. The following provides highlights of the proposed undergraduate program with more detailed description to follow in section 1.2 of this report.
· The proposed program maintains a healthy 57 hours within the special education major, with 45 university general core requirements toward completion of the undergraduate degree. Additionally, special education candidates will have 12 elective hours in completion of the cumulative 120 required for degree completion. From the 15 elective hours candidates will have multiple options they can choose to enhance their initial special education license (e.g., Minor in Secondary Education, Minor in Teaching English Second Language Learners).
· In contrast to the current undergraduate special education plan of study, the proposed program includes notable attention to the teaching of English Second Language learners through the inclusion of a TESOL course (TESOL 4204 Inclusive Classrooms for Immigrant Students), to be taught by faculty from the Teaching English to Second Language Learners program. Candidates will also build knowledge and skill in working with second language learners within the content area courses (reading, math, and writing). In the revisioned program, candidates will take courses building their knowledge and skills in teaching in urban and rural learning environments, with specific focus on cultural, racial, and linguistically diverse K-12 students and their families.
· Best practices for use of technology have also been purposely embedded throughout the revisioned program with specific attention to utilization of technologies for instructional planning and implementation of lessons for a variety of K-12 learners (e.g. web 2.0 technologies, SMARTER Planning Routines – University of Kansas Center for Research and Learning). Candidates will take a course specifically focused on the integration of content and technology in effective lesson and unit planning (SPED 4279 Content Area Instruction for Students with Special Needs). Candidates will practice use of K-12 student data throughout the program, affording them ample opportunities to develop and strengthen skills in monitoring the impact of instruction and assessment on K-12 student learning prior to, and during their student teaching experience.
· In the revisioned program candidates will also learn to examine school improvement efforts through analysis of school data and follow-up professional development planning and school-wide interventions such as Positive Behavior Intervention Support (PBIS) systems.
· In addition four courses from the special education general curriculum have been added to the adapted curriculum sequence (SPED 3173 Special Education Assessment, SPED 4275 Teaching Reading to Elementary Learners with Special Needs, SPED 4272 Teaching Mathematics to Learners with Special Needs Elementary, SPED 4277 Teaching Writing to Learners with Special Needs) to provide students earning an adapted license opportunities to expand their teaching skills and have the knowledge to pass Praxis II for the general curriculum. Therefore, these candidates will be prepared with both licenses in special education within our state.
· A final change to the adapted program was the condensing of two courses that were identified by both students and part-time instructors as overlapping in content into one course and adding a course (SPED 4280 Multiple Disabilities) to address a gap in the content related to communication systems, assistive technology, health impairments, and therapies and related services for students with moderate to severe disabilities.
· In late April, the College learned that the Longview Foundation has funded a project to develop instructional modules on 21st century global perspectives that will be integrated into two required undergraduate teacher education courses – introduction to education and instructional design/technology. Additionally, field experience requirements will be modified to include school experiences in a P-12 school with an international focus, such as magnet schools for world language immersion, the International Baccalaureate program, and global studies. Thus, candidates will have at least three points of required curriculum which will focus on global perspectives to enhance understanding of the interconnected world. The instructional modules will be developed by faculty teams and piloted during 2009-2010.
Through the process of revisioning has emerged a renewed and stronger undergraduate initial licensure special education adapted curriculum program. The following includes a detailed description of the revisioned undergraduate special education adapted curriculum proposed plan of study in comparison to our current program.
Rationale for Changes:
The proposed program contains structural and curricular changes in comparison to the current undergraduate adapted curriculum special education program. Proposed structural changes include:
· Earlier admission to Teacher Education and the Special Education major (second semester sophomore year). Currently candidates have typically completed 45 General Education Core requirements prior to admission to Teacher Education and the Special Education Program. In the proposed program, candidates may apply for admission to Teacher Education and the Special Education Program during the second semester of their sophomore year. This change to early admission was made to allow candidates ample time for completion of the special education program, as well as successful completion of requirements (evidences) at the proficiency level.
· Deletion of courses currently in the plan of study that no longer meet NCDPI Specialty Standards and the North Carolina Standards for Teachers, thus yielding an increase of elective hours. Courses such as EIST 4100 Computer Applications in Education, EXER 3228 Elementary Physical Activity, and EXER 3229 Elementary Health Education were deleted from the proposed undergraduate plan of study allowing for greater emphasis on teaching second language learners, utilization of technology for instruction, urban education, and addressing elementary and secondary content instruction for students with disabilities. By replacing the above mentioned courses from the course requirements, the proposed special education adapted curriculum program clearly reflects the NCDPI North Carolina Standards for Teachers and specialty standards.
Curricular changes to the special education undergraduate program are more extensive. In addition to the changes outlined below, significant curricular alignment of special education adapted curriculum courses is planned to begin involving all special education faculty in August 2009. Specifically, faculty will work to align course content with new standards, ensuring judicial placement of candidate assessment measures and evidences, integration of prerequisite skills (e.g., use of search engines for Topical Paper (E2) necessary for successful completion of proposed program requirements, as well as elimination of multiple duplications of standards across course outlines. The following highlights more specific curricular changes to be made once the proposed program has been approved:
· SPED 3100 Introduction to Students with Special Needs: content and candidate assignments will be revised to include the introduction of all 6 evidences and Tk20 Electronic Portfolio in addition to introducing the technology competencies necessary for successful completion of evidence 2.
· SPED 3173 (new course to the Adapted Curriculum program) Special Education Assessment: content will be added related to assessing students in the adapted curriculum (Specialty Standard 2) and evidence 2 will become a major candidate assessment artifact for this course.
· TESOL 4204 (new course) Inclusive Classrooms for Immigrants: content and candidate assessments to meet the North Carolina Standards for Teachers in working with second language learners, and culturally and linguistically diverse families.
· SPED 4280 (new course) Multiple Disabilities: content related to the Specialty Standards for the Adapted Curriculum specifically Standard 2 (conduct assistive technology assessments), Standard 5 (demonstrate appropriate/safe procedures for movement/positioning), Standard 6 (Use assistive technology if appropriate), and Standard 7 (collaborate and consult with interpreters, transliterators, and other related/adult service providers).
· SPED 4270 Classroom Management: content and candidate assignment to include the school improvement project (evidence 6) and alignment with revisions to the Positive Behavior Support Project completed by candidates.
· SPED 4275 (new course to the Adapted Curriculum program) Teaching Reading to Elementary Learners with Special Needs: content will be addressed related to the teaching of beginning reading skills (Specialty Standard 2).
· SPED 4272 (new course to the Adapted Curriculum program) Teaching Mathematics to Learners with Special Needs: content will be addressed related to the teaching of mathematical skills (Specialty Standard 2).
· SPED 4277 (new course to the Adapted Curriculum program) Teaching Writing to Learners with Special Needs: content will be addressed related to the teaching of writing skills (Specialty Standard 2).
· SPED 4279 (new course) Content Area Instruction for Students With Special Needs: content and candidate assignments will be written as a culminating course to be taken at the end of the sequence of content methods courses resulting in integrating technology for lesson and unit planning and implementation.
In the process of revisioning the special education adapted curriculum undergraduate program, considerable attention was given to: a) alignment of the existing program to the North Carolina Standards for Teachers, the NCDPI Specialty Standards for Special Education Adapted Curriculum, and 21st Century knowledge, skills and dispositions, b) the identification of notable gaps between the above mentioned standards, knowledge, skills and dispositions and the current program resulting in the identification of apparent needs to be included in the proposed program, and c) alignment of the recommendations for improvement of our program from current candidates, past graduates, part-time instructors and community partners with the standards. The NCDPI Specialty Standards for Adapted Curriculum Special Education will be thoroughly addressed in the proposed plan of courses for our undergraduate candidates. In addition, the North Carolina Standards for Teachers will be embedded and thoroughly addressed within the courses outlined in the proposed program. The following offer illustrations of which will be expanded upon in more detail in our work in spring 2009:
· Standard 1, Teacher Leadership: Students will be introduced to the COED’s Conceptual Framework at their acceptance into the program, as this document emphasizes leadership. Additionally, candidates will begin their participation in leadership activities (Evidence 6) such as acquiring membership in professional organization (SCEC), and registration to a professional conference. Candidates’ professional development as leaders will then flow across several courses (e.g. SPED 4270 Classroom Management where they will analyze School Improvement data), and during their student teaching semester. SPED 4275 Teaching Reading, 4277 Teaching Writing, and 4272 Teaching Math will be included in the program to provide students opportunities to use data to understand instructional decision-making, responsive classroom environments, and instructional accommodations in the teaching of reading, math, and writing for students with disabilities.
· Standard 2, Diversity: Like leadership, this is also an emphasis area in the COE Conceptual Framework and will be introduced early to candidates. As a program there is general consensus that diversity must be infused in all courses throughout the undergraduate program. Additionally, candidates will acquire knowledge and skills in working with culturally and linguistically diverse students and families with the addition of the TESOL 4204 Inclusive Classrooms for Immigrants and the SPED 4170 Special Education Consultation and Collaboration course.
· Standard 3, Content Knowledge: Content knowledge and the use of that knowledge will be verified through such things as IEP projects, lesson and unit plans developed in methods courses, demonstration of content mastery within student teaching, as well as collaboration and classroom management knowledge and skills. Revisions to methods courses will focus on incorporating technology skills, NCDPI Specialty Standards for the Adapted Curriculum, and 21st Century Learning Standards.
· Standard 4, Instructional Skills: Course content will be reviewed and revised throughout the program as necessary to ensure a developmental progression for each candidate, with an emphasis on such things as the use of contemporary technology, assessment, IEP development, instructional planning and the use of the K-12 student data, in addition to the development of leadership skills required of Special Educators in the 21st Century Learning (e.g., advocacy, collaboration).
· Standard 5, Reflective Practice: The undergraduate special education program already relies heavily on the development of candidates as reflective practitioners through our COED’s Conceptual Framework so we anticipate no major revisions in this area. Instead, all major candidate assessment artifacts will include a reflection component.