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Program Change:
P01270
Program Title: Special Educator Program
Graduate
Describe the proposed degree program change(s) in terms of how the changes differ from the program as currently approved and published in the latest WOU catalog (specify the latest catalog date).
Please see attached file for additional information
There are two proposed changes to the WOU Special Educator Program that will impact both Special Educator I and Special Educator II pathways for licensure.
1. We are proposing that students can take either SpEd 586 Autism: Issues & Strategies or SpEd 620 Content Reading & Instructional Planning in the Special Educator Program.
¿ Currently the approved course for all students in the Special Educator Program is SpEd 620 Content Reading & Instructional Planning.
¿ As the research and media have noted, over the past three decades there has been a significant and consistent increase in the number of students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) being identified and the vast majority of these students are enrolled in public schools. All special educators need to know more about ASD and how best to meet the educational needs of students with ASD.
¿ Allowing Special Educator candidates a choice about which of the two course to take seems like an appropriate course of action at this time and may well lead to more students completing the Autism Certificate Program and the Autism Specialist Program.
2. Faculty in the Special Educator Program feel that combining SpEd 632 Medical Aspects of Low Incidence Disabilities and SpEd 633 Low Incidence Disabilities Methods into SpEd 634 Medical Aspects & Low Incidence Methods will be a positive change for all Special Educator students. The content of the two existing courses can be combined into one course with minimal loss of significant, essential content from both courses.
3. The Psychology 600-level course required for both the M.S. degree and a TSPC requirement for a Special Educator II Initial license, must be changed because the Department of Psychology no longer offers the following courses:
¿ PSY 620 Learning and Memory for Instruction (3) and
¿ PSY 621 Development Psychology: Concepts and Applications (3)
In place of PSY 620 and PSY 621, Special Educator and EI/ECSE students will be taking the following course to meet TSPC licensure and M.S. degree requirements:
¿ ED 611 Theories of Teaching & Learning
Proposed Changes to the WOU Special Educator I Program ONLY
The proposed redesign of the WOU Special Educator I Program is being made in compliance with OAR 584-060-0062 Adding Endorsements to Initial or Continuing Teaching Licenses
(4) Practicum Requirements: In addition to the requirements in subsection (3)(a) and (b) of this rule, one of the following practical experiences must be completed:
(a) A program-supervised practicum of two semester hours or three quarter hours, which except as specified below may or may not be part of a longer preparation that includes content or methods courses in the subject area, in an institution approved to prepare teachers for that endorsement;
(b) Verification of 60 hours or more of experience teaching the new subject-area at least one hour each day or the equivalent on either an optional assignment of ten hours or less or an approved conditional assignment permit (CAP) as allowed by OAR 584-036-0181; or
(c) Completion of an approved program in the new subject-matter endorsement area.
The reduction in credit requirements for the Special Educator I Endorsement-Only Program is being proposed because competitor institutions (Willamette University, George Fox University, Pacific University, Southern Oregon University) are offering comparable programs for certified teachers with significantly reduced credit requirements. The proposed revisions to the WOU Special Educator I Program are:
Describe the reasons for making this change:
Please see attached file for additional information
WOU Catalog 2012-13, pp. 88-89
Special Educator I & II Program
Mission
To prepare teachers to work with students with mild or severe disabilities. Candidates who successfully complete this program fulfill the requirements of the Teacher Standards and Practices Commission (TSPC) and are eligible for initial teacher licensure or the addition of a special education endorsement in Oregon.
Learning outcomes
1. Effectively teach students who have a wide range of cognitive, physical, emotional and learning disabilities.
2. Understand current, credible research findings on disability, instruction, assessment and behavior management.
3. Provide enriched learning opportunities for students with disabilities in self-contained classrooms, resource rooms or general education classrooms.
The special educator program prepares teachers to work with students with mild, moderate and/or severe disabilities. The Oregon TSPC requires each candidate to be authorized to teach at one of three age-level authorizations: (1) early childhood/elementary (2) middle school/high school, (3) K-12. Six quarters of full-time training are required to complete the program.
Although some course work may be completed at the undergraduate level, it requires graduate study for completion. The graduate program content may be incorporated into a Master¿s degree program that requires 9-12 additional credits. Only 50 percent of 500 level coursework can be used in a master¿s degree.
The Special Educator I endorsement program is designed for teachers who hold or are eligible to hold a valid initial teaching license.
The Special Educator II license program is designed for students who do not hold a teaching license.
Common core (Special Educator I and II) (33 credits)
SPED 518 Survey of Special Education (3)
SPED 620 Content Reading and Instructional Planning (3)
SPED 622 Reading Remediation (3)
SPED 623 Behavior Support (3)
SPED 625 Assessment for Instruction (3)
SPED 628 Mathematics Remediation (3)
SPED 632 Medical Aspects of Low Incidence Disabilities (3)
SPED 633 Low Incidence Disabilities Methods (3)
SPED 636 Managing Communication Systems (3)
SPED 642 Standardized Assessment (3)
SPED 646 Law and Special Education (3)
Special Educator I Endorsement
Credit summary: Special Educator I (for those who hold a valid Oregon teaching license)
Common core curriculum (30)
Authorization for Early Childhood/ Elementary and Middle/High School (4 credits)
Optional continuation for Master¿s Degree (12)
Total Endorsement for Special Educator I without Master¿s Degree (34)
Total Endorsement with Master¿s Degree (63)
Early childhood/elementary authorization (18 credits)
SPED 607 Seminar: Academic (1)
SPED 609 Practicum: Academic or SPED 610 Internship (3)
SPED 607 Seminar: Low Incidence (1)
SPED 609 Practicum: Low Incidence or SPED 610 Internship (3)
SPED 639 Student Teaching: EC/Elementary Special Educator or SPED 610 Internship (3)
SPED 607 Seminar: FSFE (1)
SPED 671 Intro to Early Intervention/Early Childhood Special Education (3)
SPED 677 Assessment, Curriculum and Intervention Strategies in EI/ECSE (3)
Middle school/high school authorization (18 credits)
SPED 547 Partnerships in Special Education (3)
SPED 607 Seminar: Academic (1)
SPED 609 Practicum: Academic or SPED 610 Internship (3)
SPED 607 Seminar: Low Incidence (1)
SPED 609 Practicum: Low Incidence or SPED 610 Internship (3)
SPED 639 FSFE: Middle/High School Special Educator or SPED 610 Internship (3)
SPED 607 Seminar: FSFE (1)
SPED 672 Transition and Self-Determination (3)
Special Educator II License
For Dean Review only:
How and when will the effectiveness of these changes be determined?
The effectiveness of these changes will be determined within two years. Once the proposed changes have been fully implemented with the 2014-16 cohort and subsequent cohorts, we will be able to determine if we are more competitive in attracting licensed teachers to the WOU Special Educator Program.
Approval Queue
| Step |
Approver |
Decision |
Timestamp |
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1 - Department |
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Approved | May 15 2013 |
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2 - Division |
Cheryl Davis |
Approved | May 17 2013 |
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3 - Division Curriculum |
Mickey Pardew |
Approved | May 17 2013 |
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4 - Library Dean |
----------------- |
Approved | May 17 2013 |
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5 - Graduate Committee |
Kimberly Jensen |
Approved | October 15 2013 |
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6 - Faculty Senate |
Thaddeus Shannon |
Approved | October 24 2013 |
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7 - Dean |
Mark Girod |
Approved | October 25 2013 |
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8 - Provost |
Stephen Scheck |
Approved | October 28 2013 |
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9 - President |
LouAnn Vickers |
Approved | October 29 2013 |
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Attached Files:
