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2011-2012 Undergraduate Catalog

Special Education B.A. – K-12 Teaching Emphasis Special Education Generalist (K-Grade 12)

College of Education and Behavioral Sciences

Contact: David Stewart, Administrative Assistant III

Location: McKee 29

Telephone: 970.351.1667

Fax: 970.351.1061

Website: www.unco.edu/cebs/sped

Advising Information:

Students must consult with their assigned major advisor each semester prior to registering.

Assigned advisor is available through the Ursa login; ursa.unco.edu; under Student tab Academic Profile channel and is term specific. If no advisor is listed, contact the major program for advisor information.

The program consists of three parts:

  1. Liberal Arts Core (LAC) Credits
  2. Required Major Credits
  3. Professional Teacher Education Program (PTEP) Credits

Program Description:

The curriculum consists of recommended Liberal Arts core requirements, courses in professional teacher preparation, courses in special education theory, practice, and pedagogy and courses in Liberal Arts Core content to ensure teachers have the breadth of knowledge needed to be a special education teacher. Strong emphasis is placed on literacy and mathematics in both Liberal Arts Core requirements and content area coursework. Students are required to take technology courses; and the use of technology is incorporated into the special education coursework. The program is organized around nine themes including individual differences (disabilities, culture, and language), interpersonal/collaborative skills, direct instruction, legal responsibilities/processes, organizational/systemic processes, behavioral management, knowledge and access of resources, inquiry skills, and implementation of special educator roles. Topics emphasized within these themes include normal developmental learning, general assessment concepts, foundational characteristics of disabilities, service delivery models, and technology.

Program Admission Requirements:

Academic Good Standing

Degree Requirements — 126-128 Credits

Degree Requirements

1. Required Specified LAC — 18-19 credits

LAC area 2 — Mathematics

MATH 181Fundamentals of Mathematics I: Number and Operations

3

MATH 182Fundamental Mathematics II: Algebra, Probability and Data Analysis

3

LAC area 4 — History

Choose one of the following courses:

HIST 100Survey of American History from Its Beginnings to 1877

3

HIST 101Survey of American History from 1877 to the Present

3

LAC area 5 — Social and Behavioral Sciences

Choose one 3-credit course with one of the following prefixes (see list of courses in Area 5):

ECON (Economics) [5a]

GEOG (Geography) [5b]

PSCI (Political Science) [5a]

LAC area 5.c. — Human Behavior and Social Systems

PSY 230Human Growth and Development

3

LAC area 6 — Physical and Life Sciences

Choose one of the following courses:

BIO 265Life Science Concepts

3

ESCI 265Earth Science Concepts for Elementary Teachers

3

SCI 265Physical Science Concepts

4

Remaining LAC — 21-22 credits

See “Liberal Arts Core”.

2. Required Major — 60-62 credits

Take all of the following courses:

EDSE 201Culture of Special Education

3

EDSE 203The Individualized Education Program and the Collaborative Process

3

EDSE 320Assessment in Special Education

3

EDSE 321Advanced Assessment in Special Education

3

EDSE 322K-12 Methods in Special Education

3

EDSE 325Behavioral Dimensions of Students with Exceptionalities I

3

EDSE 326Behavioral Dimensions of Students with Exceptionalities II

3

EDSE 327Methods for Teaching Mathematics: Students with Special Needs

3

EDSE 328Field Experience in Special Education: Elementary

3

EDSE 329Field Experience in Special Education: Secondary

3

EDSE 442Language and Literacy for Students with Severe Delays

3

EDSE 443Support Systems in Special Education

3

EDSE 460Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Students with Disabilities

3

ASL 101American Sign Language I

3

ASLS 266Normal Speech and Language Development

3

ASLS 365Language Disorders in Children

3

EDRD 410Achieving Effective Instruction in Developmental Reading

3

EDRD 411Elementary Reading Diagnosis and Individualization

3

MATH 283Fundamental Mathematics III: Geometry and Measurement

3

ASL 101: or any other foreign language

Choose one of the following courses:

EED 341Methods for Teaching Composition in Secondary Schools

3

EED 342Methods and Materials for Teaching Language and Composition in the Elementary School

3

1. Required PTEP — 26 credits

EDFE 110Initial PTEP Application

0

EDFE 120Full Admission to PTEP Application

0

EDFE 130Student Teaching Application

0

EDFE 270Field Based Experience

2

COMM 100Basics of Public Speaking

1

COMM 101Speaking Evaluation

2

EDSE 444Student Teaching in Special Education

1 - 15

Take the following courses:

ET 247Technology in Education for Elementary Teaching

1

and

ET 347Educational Technology Applications for Elementary Teaching

1

Choose one of the following courses

PSY 347Educational Psychology for Elementary Teachers

3

PSY 349Educational Psychology for Secondary Teachers

3

Center for Urban Education

The Center for Urban Education offers the full comprehensive four-year Special Education Program. The course of study includes a classroom apprenticeship component beginning in the first year and continuing through the fourth. Students take EDSE 170 (4 credits), EDSE 370 (3 credits) and EDSE 444 (6 credits) for the apprenticeship and student teaching experiences.

Social foundations of Education (EDF 370) is offered at CUE in lieu of EDF 366.

All other courses listed in the areas of LAC, Major Credits, and PTEP apply to Center for Urban Education students.

Students must have a 2.75 GPA at UNC by the time 30 semester hours are completed. First semester transfer students’ GPA will be reviewed at the end of the first semester on campus. Student must have a 3.0 GPA to enroll in EDSE 444.

Special Education majors do not take EDRD 340, EDSE 433, and EDFE 444; required major courses will meet these requirements (EDSE 201, EDRD 410 and EDSE 444).

This major allows K-12 special education teachers to learn and apply the roles and responsibilities they must perform on a daily basis:

  • assess and identify students with disabilities;
  • plan an Individualized Education program in collaboration with other professionals and parents under the rules and regulations of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and the Colorado Exceptional Children Education Act;
  • provide direct individualized instruction and interventions in learning and behavior to meet the unique needs of students with disabilities; provide support to students with disabilities in the Liberal Arts Core (LAC) curriculum through consultation and collaboration with Liberal Arts Core teachers; and provide adaptations and support systems in collaboration and consultation with LAC teachers; thereby providing an advantage to the student attaining this degree over those preparing to teach with a Liberal Arts Degree.