Resources for the Statewide Special Education Task Force. Preparation to Teach

Transcription

1 Resources for the Statewide Special Education Task Force Preparation to Teach March 9, 2014 Narrative Overview of Teaching Credentials in California (pages 1-3) Describes the basic requirements for teacher preparation for General Education, Special Education and Career Technical Education Teaching Credentials. Standards Overview (pages 4-5) Provides the titles of the Commission-adopted program standards for General Education, Special Education, and Career Technical Education and identifies, through color shading, similar topics across the three types of teacher preparation programs. Authorizations to Teach Students with Disabilities (pages 6-7) Provides information on the Federal disability categories and which of California s Education Specialist teaching credentials authorize an individual to teach a student with the identified disability (Table 1). In addition Table 1 identifies the grade levels and ages that each of the specialty content area credentials authorizes an individual to teach. Table 2 identifies the six Added Authorizations in Special Education (AASE) that in individual may add to an Education Specialist (or prior Special Education) teaching credential. Table 3 identifies which of the six AASEs may be added to which of the Education Specialist specialty content area teaching credentials. Table 4 provides information on three additional authorizations that an individual authorized to teach students with disabilities might elect to earn.

2 Preparation to Teach in California There are three types of teaching credentials in California General Education, Special Education and Career Technical Education. All teaching credentials are required to include preparation for and an authorization to teach English learners. General Education credentials are the Multiple Subject (MS) and Single Subject (SS) Teaching credentials and authorize teaching students in self-contained classrooms (MS) or departmentalized classrooms (SS). General Education credentials authorize the individual to teacher in preschool, grades K-12, and in classes organized primarily for adults. The Special Education credential is the Education Specialist teaching credential, which may be earned in any one of 7 specialty content areas: Mild/Moderate Disabilities (MM), Moderate/Severe Disabilities (MS), Early Childhood (ECSE), Deaf and Hard of Hearing (), Visual Impairments (), Physical and other Health Impairments (PHI), and Language and Academic Development (). The Education Specialist teaching credentials authorize the individual to teach students with the identified disabilities in specified grades or age ranges: MM and MS (K-12 to age 22); (Pre K to age 22);,, PHI (Birth to age 22); and ECSE (Birth to Pre-K) Career Technical Education teaching credentials may be earned in one or more of the Industry Sectors (see back) and authorize the individual to teach one or more courses in the identified industry sector. All individuals earning a teaching credential in California must first complete the fingerprint/character review process. The first two types of credentials, General Education and Education Specialist, also require that the individual seeking the credential hold a bachelor s degree from a regionally accredited college or university, satisfy the basic skills requirement, and demonstrate knowledge of the subject matter that he or she will teach. An individual who earns a Preliminary Career Technical Education (CTE) credential is not required to hold a college degree; instead, eligibility is based on three or more years of work experience in a profession within one or more of the Industry Sectors. Prior to 1996, all individuals who earned an Education Specialist teaching credential were required to complete the preparation for and hold a California General Education teaching credential. The standards that were adopted in 1996 made the Education Specialist teaching credential an initial teaching credential and removed the requirement that an individual must hold a General Education teaching credential before earning the Education Specialist teaching credential. General Education and Special Education Teaching Credentials Each individual must complete a Commission-approved teacher preparation program to earn a Preliminary teaching credential in General Education or Special Education. The program must include both coursework and fieldwork. The majority of candidates earning a General Education or Special Education teaching credential complete the teacher preparation program after earning a bachelor s degree. It is possible to blend the teacher preparation coursework with the work toward a bachelor s degree if the candidate knows that he or she wants to be a teacher from the beginning of college. Both the General Education and Special Education credentials may be earned through a student teaching or an intern program. Coursework: All General Education or Special Education candidates must complete coursework on understanding and respecting diversity, maintaining a healthy learning environment; and using technology in the classroom. All General and Special Education teacher preparation programs must include subject matter or specialty area pedagogy as outlined in the Commission s Standards for Program Quality and Effectiveness and in the Teaching Performance Expectations (TPEs). February

3 Preparation to Teach in California Both General Education and Special Education teacher preparation include coursework and fieldwork supporting an authorization to teach English learners in the content, grades or specialty content areas of the teaching credential. Candidates seeking either a Multiple Subject or an Education Specialist teaching credential (not for the ECSE specialty) must also complete coursework and fieldwork on teaching reading and pass the Reading Instruction Competency Assessment (RICA). All prospective General Education teachers must learn about and demonstrate the ability to plan lessons and units, teach a lesson, plan and give a student assessment relative to the lesson or the unit, analyze assessment results and student work, and reflect on the teaching experience. Fieldwork: Within the Preliminary preparation program, Special Education and General Education candidates must complete fieldwork in the K-12 schools, which requires a variety of field experiences at different grade levels and/or different settings and includes work with English learners and other special populations. Candidates must be provided opportunities to practice applying the theories taught in the program in P-12 classrooms through fieldwork as a student teacher or as an intern. Additional support and supervision is required for candidates serving on intern credentials. Each intern must be supervised by the preparation program and by a district employed supervisor either a master/mentor teacher or an intern mentor. General Education candidates must complete field experiences in two of the following grade bands for the Multiple Subject teaching credential K-2, 3-5, 6-9 while Single Subject candidates must complete field experiences in two or more subject-specific teaching assignments that differ in content and/or level of advancement. (Program Standard 14) Special Education candidates must complete field experiences in the full diversity of grades/ages, federal disability categories and the continuum of special education services outlines in the specific credential authorization. (Program Standard 15) Additional Requirements Specific to Education Specialist Credentials All prospective Special Education teachers must learn about the legal mandates of IFSP/IEPs and how to effectively participate in IEP conferences, how to provide the needed accommodations or modifications to assist each student to be successful, how to collaborate with outside agencies while advocating for their students, how to effectively use assistive technology to facilitate communication and curriculum accessibility, how to create augmentative and alternate communication systems, how to create impactful transition plans for students. Candidates must know how to accurately assess students with normreferenced tests and be able to interpret the results, how to gain and apply knowledge of special health needs of their students, and provide academic and social skill instruction to support positive behavior in all students. Candidate Competency Candidates for both the General and Special Education credentials must demonstrate competency before being recommended for a Preliminary Credential. General Education candidates must take and pass a Commission Approved Teaching Performance Assessment. Special Education candidate competencies are specified in the Commission Standards and programs determine how these competencies are assessed. February

4 Preparation to Teach in California Earning the Clear Teaching Credential (MS, SS and Ed Sp) For both General Education and Special Education teachers, once the Preliminary teaching credential has been earned, the path to the Clear teaching credential is by completing a Commission-approved Induction program. There are currently 156 Commission-approved General Education Induction programs and 90 Commission-approved Clear Education Specialist Induction programs. Career Technical Education Teaching Credentials Designated Subjects Career Technical Education (CTE) Teaching Credentials are held by individuals who may teach both general and special education students. An individual earns a Preliminary Career Technical Education (CTE) credential based on three or more years of experience in a profession. Each profession is organized into one of the Industry Sectors and the individual earns a teaching credential for the applicable Industry Sector. Industry Sectors Agriculture and Natural Resources Health Science and Medical Technology Arts, Media, and Entertainment Hospitality, Tourism, and Recreation Education, Child Development, and Family Information Technology Services Energy and Utilities Manufacturing and Product Development Engineering and Design Marketing, Sales, and Service Fashion and Interior Design Public Service Finance and Business Transportation The candidate who earns a Preliminary CTE Credential is required to complete an Early Orientation in the first months of school and then complete the Preliminary Preparation program within the three years that the Preliminary teaching credential is valid, which then results in a Clear CTE teaching Credential. The program consists of 135 hours of coursework which includes content focusing on Specially Designed Academic Instruction in English (SDAIE) in order to work effectively with English learners. Candidates also participate in fieldwork in which they are observed and coached. February

5 Overview Program Standards for Multiple/Single Subject, Education Specialist and Career Technical Education Teacher Preparation Multiple and Single Subject Education Specialist: MM Designated Subjects: CTE I: Program Design Standards I: Program Design, 1. Program Design, Rationale and Governance, and Coordination Qualities 2. Professional, Legal and Ethical 1. Program Design and Practices Rationale 3. Educating Diverse Learners 2. Equity, Diversity and 4. Effective Communication and Access to the Curriculum Collaborative Partnerships for All Students 5. Assessment of Students 3. Early Orientation 6. Using Educational and Assistive 4. Collaboration with Local Technology Educators 7. Transition and Transitional Planning 5. Beginning Teacher 8. Participating in ISFP/IEPs and Post- Support and Advisement Secondary Transition Planning 6. Determination of CTE Teacher Competence 7. Advanced Programs of Preparation Category A: Program Design, Governance, and Qualities 1. Program Design 2. Communication and Collaboration 3. Foundational Educational Ideas and Research 4. Relationships Between Theory and Practice 5. Professional Perspectives Toward Student Learning and the Teaching Profession Category B: Preparation to Teach Curriculum to All Students in California Schools 6. Pedagogy and Reflective Practice 7. Preparation to Teach Reading-Language Arts 8. Pedagogical Preparation for Subject-Specific Content Instruction Category C: Preparation to Teach All Students in California Schools 9. Equity, Diversity and Access to the Curriculum for All Children 10. Preparation for Learning to Create a Supportive, Healthy Environment for Student Learning 11. Using Technology in the Classroom 12. Preparation to Teach English Learners 13. Preparation to Teach Special Populations Students with Special Needs in the General Education Classroom II: Preliminary Education Specialist Teaching Program Standards 9: Preparation to Teach Reading/Language Arts 10: Preparation to Teach English Language Learners 11: Typical and Atypical Development 12: Behavioral, Social, and Environmental Supports for Learning 13: Curriculum and Instruction of Students with Disabilities II: Preparation to Teach Curriculum to All Students in California Schools 8: Curriculum 9: Learning and Instruction 10: Assessing Student Learning 11: Using Education An analysis of all three sets of program standards is available in the document titled: SpEd TF Standards Comparison

6 Multiple and Single Subject Education Specialist: MM Designated Subjects: CTE 14: Creating Healthy Learning Environments 15: Field Experience in a Broad Range of Service Delivery Options 16: Assessment of Candidate Performance Category D: Supervised Fieldwork in the Program 14: Learning to Teach through Supervised Fieldwork 15: Qualifications of Individuals who Provide School Site Support Category E: Teaching Performance Expectations and the Teaching Performance Assessment 16: Learning, Applying, and Reflecting on the Teaching Performance Expectations 17: Program Administration Processes 18: Candidate Preparation and Support 19: Assessor Qualifications, Training, and Scoring Reliability III. Mild/Moderate Disabilities (M/M) 1. Characteristics of Students with Mild/Moderate Disabilities 2. Assessment and Evaluation of Students with Mild/Moderate Disabilities 3. Planning and Implementing Mild/Moderate Curriculum and Instruction 4. Positive Behavior Support 5. Specific Instructional Strategies for Students with Mild/Moderate Disabilities 6. Case Management Technology in the Classroom 12: Classroom and Laboratory Management 13: Foundations 14: Professional, Legal, and Ethical Responsibility 15: Teaching English Learners 16: Teaching Students with Special Needs An analysis of all three sets of program standards is available in the document titled: SpEd TF Standards Comparison

7 Education Specialist Teaching Credential Authorizations The Education Specialist teaching credential authorizes the individual holding such a credential to teach any student who has been identified as having a disability that is in the federal disability categories that the credential authorizes (see Table 1). An individual holding an Education Specialist teaching credential is not authorized to teach General Education students. If the individual also holds either a Multiple Subject or Single Subject credential, then the individual may teach General Education students. Table 1. Education Specialist Teaching Credential and Federal Disability Areas MM MS ECSE PHI Teaching Credentials Birth Pre-K Authorized ages and grades K-12 to age 22 to Birth to age 22 to age Federal Disability Categories Pre K 22 Specific Learning Disability Intellectual Disability Emotional Disturbance Multiple Disabilities Autism Speech or Language Impairment Deafness or Hard of Hearing Deaf-Blindness Visual Impairments Orthopedic Impairment Other Health Impairment Traumatic Brain Injury Table 2. Added Authorizations in Special Education (AASE) \2 Federal Disability Categories ASD \3 DB ED OHI OI TBI Specific Learning Disability (Mild/Moderate) Intellectual Disability (Moderate/Severe) Emotional Disturbance Multiple Disabilities Autism Speech or Language Impairment Deafness or Hard of Hearing Deaf-Blindness Visual Impairments Orthopedic Impairment Other Health Impairment Traumatic Brain Injury \1 The Language and Academic Development Education Specialist Teaching Credential authorizes services for ages preschool to age 22 across disability areas limited to students identified with academic communication and language needs in the following areas: language development, school readiness and social skills, and literacy development addressing competencies across the curriculum in listening, speaking, reading, writing, and academic areas. \2 Authorizes the holder to teacher students with disabilities in additional Federal disability category (ies) within the ages and grade levels the Education Specialist teaching credential authorizes. \3 AASE in ASD may only be earned by an individual who holds a special education teaching credential based on the 1996 standards or prior standards. All Education Specialist teaching credentials based on the 2009 standards already include an authorization to teach students on the Autism Spectrum. 6 March 2014

8 Education Specialist Teaching Credential Authorizations Table 3. Added Authorizations in Special Education and the Specialty Content Credentials to which the AASE may be added Added Authorizations in Special Education ASD \3 DB ED OHI OI TBI To which Education Specialist teaching credential may the identified AASE be added MM PHI MM PHI PHI MS ECSE MM MS MM MS Table 4. Other Added Authorizations that a Special Education Teacher might wish to earn MM MS ECSE PHI Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE) authorizes the individual to teach children with disabilities from Birth to Pre-K Adapted Physical Education (APE) authorizes the individual to teach students who need to participate in Adapted Physical Education Resource Specialist (RS) authorizes the individual holding an Learning Handicapped (LH) or Severely Handicapped (SH) credential to teach in a resource setting No Education Specialist teaching credential in these Specialty Content areas already authorize teaching children with disabilities who are Birth- Pre-K May be added to any of these credentials in addition to Single Subject Physical Education or a Multiple Subject teaching credentials May be added to any non-education Specialist special education teaching credential-pre 1996 Standards. All Education Specialist teaching credentials include an authorization to teach in a Resource setting. \3 \4 AASE in ASD may only be earned by an individual who holds a special education credential based on the 1996 standards or prior standards. All Education Specialist teaching credentials based on the 2009 standards already include an authorization to teach students on the Autism Spectrum. Expands the authorization to Birth to Pre-K added only to MM, MS, and. 7