SED

This course introduces the structural levels of language, theories, principles, and processes of language acquisition. The course also focuses on reading of complex informational and literary texts, responding to text-based questions, writing from sources, and building academic vocabulary and background knowledge through discussion, reading, and writing. Graduate students will explore and examine various effective instructional approaches and pedagogical implications with critical appreciation for a full range of English language learners (PreK-8 and 5-12), including those with special needs.

This supervised pre-practicum experience I is conducted in accordance with Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education Guidelines for Pre-Practicum for Teachers. “The purpose of the pre-practicum is to provide candidates with multiple opportunities to apply learning from coursework into practice through increasingly authentic teaching experiences in preparation to successfully demonstrate readiness during the capstone preparation experience known as the practicum.” It provides teacher candidates with opportunities to practice and gain first-hand experiences through guided observations, teaching demos, and direct engagement with students with moderate disabilities (PreK-8 or 5-12). Seminars are held as assigned by program supervisor. Seminar topics include professional standards for teachers, evidence-based practices in special education, and individual issues related to pre-practicum placements. Teacher candidates will be observed by program supervise at least once in PreK-8 or 5-12 setting. Pre- and post-observation conferences are required.

This introductory course focuses on the overview of special education, various categories of disabilities, and educational issues and strategies for teaching and accommodating pupils with special needs. This course serves to familiarize graduate students with the historical, theoretical, and philosophical bases underlying special education including educational terminology for pupils with mild/moderate to severe/profound disabilities, Individualized Education Programs (IEPs), the current laws, landmark decisions, and educational mandates (e.g., IDEA) that govern the education for all children and adolescents with disabilities. It also encourages proper understanding of critical issues with regard to individuals with disabilities. Services provided by other agencies are also discussed. This course provides an essential foundation for further study in special education.

Responding to IDEA 2004, professional standards, theory, and contemporary research, this course frames the special education process as a collaborative, tiered problem solving approach to individualized educational planning. Through evidence-based tools, best practices, application, and interactive discussions, students investigate learning and behavior struggles to construct quality IEPs and documents. The course concludes with formulating a proactive action plan to promote a culture of professional support and cooperation in school settings.

This course provides a comprehensive examination of human growth and development of children and adolescents in the physical, cognitive, language, social, and emotional domains with an emphasis on both typical and atypical development. This course assists graduate students to better understand the relationships between developmental challenges and their effects on learning, thereby enabling them to examine and implement effective instructional approaches and interventions with critical appreciation for children and adolescents with special needs.

This supervised pre-practicum experience II is conducted in accordance with Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education Guidelines for Pre-Practicum for Teachers. “The purpose of the pre-practicum is to provide candidates with multiple opportunities to apply learning from coursework into practice through increasingly authentic teaching experiences in preparation to successfully demonstrate readiness during the capstone preparation experience known as the practicum.” It provides teacher candidates with opportunities to practice and gain first-hand experiences through guided observations, teaching demos, and direct engagement with students with moderate disabilities (PreK-8 or 5-12). Seminars are held as assigned by program supervisor. Seminar topics include subject matter knowledge (SMK), professional standards for teachers (PST), evidence-based practices in special education, and individual issues related to pre-practicum placements. Teacher candidates will submit a video/technology streamed lesson (which was delivered in PreK-8 or 5-12 setting) with lesson plan and reflection to program supervise at least once. The pre-and post-observation conferences are required.

This advanced studies graduate seminar focuses on promoting the advanced graduate students’ knowledge of and mastery in administrating educational diagnostic assessments for students with diverse moderate learning needs. Seminar participants learn advanced principles of accurate assessment of children and adolescents’ learning needs, to aid decision making and instructional planning for these students. Select representative diagnostic tools, which are frequently used in PreK12 schools, are discussed, demonstrated, practiced and administered to develop skill proficiency. Seminar participants are expected to engage in independent research, including, but not limited to, current best practices.

Students in this course will learn the effective use of behavioral assessment and intervention in a culturally and linguistically appropriate manner in inclusive and special education classrooms. Students will learn to administer and interpret the results of a functional behavioral assessment. They will also learn to use these results to identify, design, implement, and evaluate interventions (i.e. behavior support plans), including monitoring progress and ensuring maintenance and generalization across settings. Emphasis will be placed on individualized behavior support systems and the use of behavior management principles through the frameworks of applied behavior analysis (ABA), positive behavior supports (PBS), and practices with an evidence-base from peer-reviewed research. Additionally, students will understand the supporting roles of other disciplines and professionals, including the importance of collaboration with parents to meet the unique needs of the student in the least restrictive environment.

This course is designed to enable students to practice inclusive education for children and adolescents with special learning needs. Students will learn ways to design and modify curriculum, instructional materials, and teaching strategies for children and adolescents with moderate disabilities in general education settings. Emphasis is placed on the teacher’s role in the preparation, implementation, and ongoing evaluation of the Individualized Education Program (IEP), consultation and collaboration skills, and on the Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks that govern content and instruction in the state’s public schools.

This course is designed to enable teachers to provide high-quality education for their elementary, middle and high school (PreK-8; 5-12) students with disabilities. This course focuses on appropriate teaching strategies, tactics, and suggestions for students with various disabilities. It also emphasize the implementation of research-based instruction that ensures effective teaching and learning of students with diverse learning needs. In addition, comprehensive transition planning and implementation from school to young adulthood life for secondary school students with special needs are addressed. It therefore helps beginning teachers to achieve initial classroom success and to provide experienced teachers with an opportunity to extend and refine their knowledge and skills.

This advanced course serves to deepen students’ understanding of developmental variation and learning disabilities. Students examine basic neurodevelopmental functions that affect how children and adolescents learn and the disorders that cause or contribute to academic difficulties. Focus is placed upon receptive and expressive oral language, reading, written language, mathematics, and social and emotional behavior. Students review the federal and state definitions of specific learning disabilities, eligibility criteria for support services, the regulations that govern such service, and the instructional responsibilities of the teacher of students with mild to moderate learning disorders. Current issues such as cultural and linguistic diversity of students, inclusion, and the standards-based education reform movement are broadly addressed. Case studies serve to assist the student to bridge theory to practice, as well as to develop problem solving skills within the context of assessment and instructional planning for students with particular profiles.

This course provides students with an in-depth understanding of available evidence-based interventions for students with emotional and behavioral disorders. Students will be able to design effective classroom management systems that maximize social success for all students, including those with challenging behavior. In addition, the course will address the behavioral assessment and evaluation options available to special education practitioners.

This course focuses on principles and foundations of teaching students with severe disabilities. Concepts related to history, definitions, identification, etiology, and assessment of students with severe intellectual and developmental disabilities are addressed. Other focus areas include education issues and evidence-based instructional strategies, adaptations, and multidisciplinary teaming for students with severe disabilities. Graduate students learn ways to provide individualized interventions and to include students with severe disabilities in least restrictive environments and/or general education settings.

This course focuses on school application of positive behavior supports (PBS), beginning with the logic and research supporting the three-tiered school-wide positive behavior supports (SWPBS) model. Students will learn about the training process for schools implementing SWPBS, including the development, teaching, and reinforcing of school-wide expectations (i.e., primary level supports). Students will also learn about implementing secondary-level, targeted behavior supports at the school-wide level. In addition, students will know how planning individualized (i.e., tertiary level) interventions fit into the SWPBS model. This course also focuses on working in teams to promote behavior support, on training staff to implement behavior supports with fidelity, and in school-wide data collection systems.

As part of this course, students will work in a school setting that utilizes the multi-tiered school-wide positive behavior supports (SWPBS) model. Depending on the schools’ needs and the students’ interest, students may be (a) working with individual students, conducting functional behavioral assessments and designing behavior intervention plans, or (b) working with a school’s behavior support team to plan and assist with SWPBS implementation at the primary and/or secondary-level(s). In addition, the student may complete on-site evaluations of SWPBS and conduct training sessions with staff. Weekly seminars will focus on the successful implementation of evidence-based practices in behavior support, problem-solving techniques, and evaluation and modification of existing behavior supports.

This practicum is conducted in accordance with Massachusetts educator licensure regulations. It will provide opportunities for teacher candidates to practice knowledge in the classroom setting under the direction of a supervising practitioner and a program supervisor. In coordination with field placement, weekly seminars are held during which teacher candidates will learn about and discuss the role of the special education teacher, service delivery models, evidence-based practices in special education, consultation, and individual issues related to field placements. Practicum experience and weekly seminars will give teacher candidates an opportunity to systematically integrate theory and practice in all facets of the role of the teacher of students with moderate disabilities (PreK-8; 5-12). At least 75 hours for the PreK-8 license or 150 hours for the 5-12 license, if not all, of the practicum is completed in an inclusive classroom setting.

The performance assessment provides the opportunity for the student seeking Professional License to integrate content area knowledge, pedagogical theory, and practical experience. The duration of the clinical experience will be no less than 400 clock hours. The college program supervisor will evaluate the candidate in Massachusetts educator license regulations.

This course introduces the context for special education and examines current and controversial issues such as inclusion, special education law, educational reform, and accountability. Graduate students are provided with opportunities to explore, to research and to debate these issues from multiple perspectives. In addition, this course emphasizes current and critical issues that affect educators and their students.

This thesis is an independent study in using a recognized research method. The thesis should examine the effectiveness of evidence-based practice. The student may develop an instructional strategy or choose a research based instructional strategy for (a) student(s) with special needs, conduct a relevant literature review, implement strategy, and investigate its effectiveness. The subject of the study should be from PreK-12. The thesis may be used for the final exit examination of master’s degree program.

The student, in conjunction with a faculty advisor, designs and conducts a critical study of a topic of interest, a curriculum-based project, a research study, a field experience, a practicum, or an internship.

This course focuses on the core characteristics of autism spectrum disorders (ASD) as related to communication, social/emotional skills, challenging and functional behavior, sensory processing, and cognition/learning, across the lifespan. Using an interdisciplinary lens, it provides a foundational understanding of the origins, historical trends, and current diagnostic and special educational criteria for ASD. It also covers federal and state legislation relating to ASD supports and services, with a focus on the school-age years.

This course focuses on the design and use of research-based educational programs and individualized supports for students with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) in the least restrictive environment. This includes assessment of the unique strengths, skills (including academic, social, behavioral, and adaptive), and learning styles of students with ASD, ages 3-22. This includes the ability to identify, administer, and interpret a range of formal and informal tools in a culturally appropriate manner. Additionally, students will gain knowledge of the range of specialized and individualized instructional strategies and supports to address the development of: verbal and nonverbal communication skills (including assistive technology); social interactions skills, including those needed to avoid and respond to bullying, harassment, or teasing; skills to address needs associated with unusual responses to sensory experiences; skills to address behavioral challenges resulting from resistance to environmental change or change in routines; skills to address needs resulting from engagement in repetitive activities and stereotyped movements; positive behavioral interventions, strategies, and supports to address any behavioral difficulties; and any other needs resulting from the student’s disability that impact progress in the general curriculum and the development of social and emotional skills. Additionally, this course covers the use of ongoing assessment and data collection to monitor progress and skill acquisition, inform instruction, and ensure maintenance and generalization of skills across settings.

This course focuses on building collaborative services for students with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). This includes developing an understanding of the roles of other disciplines and professionals involved in the education of students with ASD. Students will develop skills to facilitate coordination and collaboration of these professionals working with students within and outside of the school setting, such as related service providers (e.g., speech language pathologists, occupational therapist, etc.) and medical professionals. The course will also highlight the importance of successful partnership with parents and caregivers to meet the unique needs of students with ASD in a culturally and linguistically sensitive manner.

Disorders This minimum of 100 hour supervised field experience I is conducted in accordance with Massachusetts Autism Endorsement Guideline. It provides autism endorsement candidates with opportunities to practice and gain first-hand experiences in evidence-based practices for exceptional learners with autism spectrum disorders. In coordination with field placement, weekly seminars are held during which autism endorsement candidates will learn about and discuss the service delivery models, evidence-based practices in special education, consultation, and individual issues related to field placements. The field experience and weekly seminars will give autism endorsement candidates an opportunity to systematically integrate theory and practice, especially focusing on the content covered in SED/ASD 600 and PSY/SED 568 or ABA 600 in all facets of the role of the teacher of students with autism spectrum disorders.

Disorders This supervised field experience II is conducted in accordance with Massachusetts Autism Endorsement Guideline. It provides autism endorsement candidates with opportunities to practice and gain first-hand experiences in evidence-based practices for exceptional learners with autism spectrum disorders. In coordination with field placement, weekly seminars are held during which autism endorsement candidates will learn about and discuss the service delivery models, evidence-based practices in special education, consultation, and individual issues related to field placements. The field experience and weekly seminars will give autism endorsement candidates an opportunity to systematically integrate theory and practice, especially focusing on the content covered in SED/ASD 620 and SED/ASD 640 in all facets of the role of the teacher of students with autism spectrum disorders.

In this course, students gain knowledge of both formal and informal assessment of students with special learning needs using a systematic and comprehensive approach. They examine frequently used diagnostic assessment tools in areas of physical, cognitive, language, social, and emotional development. Emphasis is placed on those assessment strategies that yield objective data regarding individual skill repertoires and learning characteristics, thereby providing a basis for educational decision making and the preparation and evaluation of IEPs. Topics such as portfolio assessment, alternative assessment, interpretation of results of assessment, report writing, IEP preparation, and communication with families and other professionals are also included.

Students in this course will learn the effective use of behavioral assessment and intervention in a culturally and linguistically appropriate manner in inclusive and special education classrooms. Students will learn to administer and interpret the results of a functional behavioral assessment. They will also learn to use these results to identify, design, implement, and evaluate interventions (i.e. behavior support plans), including monitoring progress and ensuring maintenance and generalization across settings. Emphasis will be placed on individualized behavior support systems and the use of behavior management principles through the frameworks of applied behavior analysis (ABA), positive behavior supports (PBS), and practices with an evidence-base from peer-reviewed research. Additionally, students will understand the supporting roles of other disciplines and professionals, including the importance of collaboration with parents to meet the unique needs of the student in the least restrictive environment.