Special Education at SCSU:
Advising and Program Overview for Students
J. Michael Pickle, Ph.D.
Some basics
• The undergraduate SPED major prepares a student for working
with students who have mild to moderate disabilities
• The related license is the Academic and Behavioral
Strategist (ABS) license
– Link to rules associated with ABS license in MN
8710.5050 TEACHERS OF SPECIAL EDUCATION:
ACADEMIC AND BEHAVIORAL STRATEGIST.
• The training and the duties of teachers with an ABS license are
addressed in Minnesota Rule 8710.5050
The ABS License
• Addresses needs for students from Kindergarten to age 21 years
• The license is associated with skills for addressing needs in the
“areas of academics, behavior, social, emotional, communication,
and functional performance”
• A teacher holding an ABS license may work with students who
have primary disability areas of “autism spectrum disorders
(ASD), developmental cognitive disability (DCD), emotional or
behavioral disorders (EBD), other health disorders (OHD), and
specific learning disabilities (SLD).”
• Teachers with an ABS license are “not prepared to serve needs
beyond those that are moderate in these disability areas.”
Continuing Preparation
• A teacher holding an ABS license may add a “severe specialty”
• At SCSU, we offer such specialties at the graduate level in
• Emotional and Behavioral Disorders
– MN license in Emotional Behavioral Disorders
• Developmental Disabilities (intellectual disabilities)
– MN license in Developmental and Cognitive Disabilities (DCD)
• Specific Learning Disabilities
– MN License in Specific Learning Disabilities
• Autism Spectrum Disorders (coming soon)
• For such teachers trained at SCSU, a specialty license involves one
additional course and a supervised graduate practicum (in most
instances)
More on the ABS License
• The ABS license also allows a teacher to work in collaboration
with other special education teachers to address the needs of
students with other disabilities
• “The teacher with this license may work in collaboration with,
but not replace the expertise and services of those who serve
children and youth with a disability in the areas of: blind or
visually impaired, deaf or hard of hearing, deaf-blind, speech
and language impairment, physical impairments, traumatic
brain injury, and severely multiply impaired. For these
children and youth, a teacher with the academic and behavioral
strategist (ABS) licensure would need to refer to an
educational professional with expertise, certification, or
specific special education licensure.”
The Program Sequence
• Link to Undergraduate SPED Program Sequence
Liberal Education Program
• Students MUST fulfill the requirements of the Liberal
Education Program
• Link to SCSU Liberal Education program
– http://www.stcloudstate.edu/liberaleducation/
• Your status within the Liberal Education Program may be
determined through your DARS report
– Check it often
Standards
• Each course addresses specific standards
– Standards of Effective Practice
– Core/content standards
• To transfer or substitute a course from a different school, ALL
of the standards must be addressed
– The student must demonstrate that the standards are addressed
– Often involves producing a syllabus and supporting documents from
the course
– For courses that are housed in the Special Education Department, the
student must receive permission to substitute/transfer from the external
department
Prerequisite Major Courses
• These courses address both Standards of Effective Practice
(SEP) and Core/Content Standards
• Includes both SPED courses and courses from other
departments
Prerequisite Major Courses: SPED
•
•
•
•
•
•
SPED 200
SPED 203
SPED 204
SPED 420
SPED 421
SPED 431
Prerequisite Major Courses: SPED
• Field experience and service learning hours
• SPED 200
• A field experience is required and is completed outside of
hours scheduled for the course
• The Office of Clinical Experiences arranges placements for this
experience
• SPED 203
• 20 hours of service learning experience related to disabilities
and to rehabilitation services are required
• The experience is completed outside of hours scheduled for
the course
• Procedures and options for the experience are addressed in the
course
Prerequisite Major Courses: SPED
• SPED 420: Characteristics - Developmental Disabilities and
Physical/Health Disabilities
• SPED 421: Characteristics – Specific Learning Disabilities
and Emotional Behavioral Disorders
• Because the ABS license allows teachers to work with students
with of “autism spectrum disorders (ASD), developmental
cognitive disability (DCD), emotional or behavioral disorders
(EBD), other health disorders (OHD), and specific learning
disabilities (SLD)” BOTH characteristics are required.
Prerequisite Major Courses: SPED
• SPED 204: Program Overview and E-folio
– You will develop the macrostructure for your Pass-Port portfolio
– All SPED courses have portfolio artifacts
• Insert these artifacts in Pass-Port or save electronic versions for
later inclusion
• SPED 431: Collaboration Skills and Transition Planning
Prerequisite Major Courses: SPED
• 300-400 level courses
• To register for any 300-400 level course, students must have
submitted scores on MTLE Basic Skills subtests
Prerequisite Major Courses: External
departments
•
•
•
•
CEEP 262: Human Growth and Development
IM 422: Media, Materials, Methods
MAT 201: Mathematical Thinking
MAT 301: Math for Elementary Teacher
– MAT 201 and MAT 301 must be completed in sequence
– MAT 201 has prerequisites (MAT 201 is the prerequisite for MAT 301)
– You will need to contact the Math Department to determine if you have
fulfilled the requirements
– You may be required to complete the Mathematics Placement Test
(AccuPlacer test)
– Link to Mathematics Placement Test
http://www.stcloudstate.edu/mathplacement/
Prerequisite Major Courses
• During the semester in which the prerequisite major courses are
completed, students must apply for Junior Block
• A student must have successfully completed all sections of the
MTLE Basic Skills Tests to be admitted to Junior Block
• A student must also have a G.P.A. of 2.65 or higher to be
admitted to Junior Block
• Application Dates for Junior Block
– Applications are available in the SPED Office
– If enrolling in Junior Block courses during Fall semester, applications
are due March 1. If enrolling in Junior Block courses during Spring
semester, applications are due October 1
Junior Block
Junior Block
• In almost all cases, the following set of courses needs to be
completed during the same semester
– The courses are designed for functional integration with other courses in the block and
with the concomitant field experiences
• SPED 405: Behavior theories and practices (3 credits)
• SPED 415: Assistive technology for students with special
needs (3 credits)
• SPED 418: General Education Literacy Instruction for SPED
Teachers (3 credits)
• SPED 445: Social and Natural Science Instruction for SPED
Teachers (3 credits)
• SPED 338: Field experience – Elementary (2 credits)
• SPED 339: Field experience – Secondary (2 credits)
Junior Block: Field Experiences
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
SPED 338: Field experience – Elementary
SPED 339: Field experience – Secondary
The ABS is for ages/grades Kindergarten to age 21 years
Because of the scope and breadth of the license, each teacher candidate applying for
licensure must show experience at the levels of elementary school, middle school,
and secondary school.
– The junior block experiences are designed to address some of these grade
levels/age requirements.
The experiences are in regular education classrooms, not special education
classrooms.
Field experiences are arranged through the Office of Clinical Experiences.
Meetings related to the field experiences occur on campus during the Junior Block
semester.
Students must attend meetings related to the structure and the procedures used in
Junior Block during the semester prior to enrollment in Junior Block.
Follow the SoE monitors for information about these meetings.
Junior Block: Field Experiences
Criminal Background Check
• You must complete a criminal background check (CBC) to
participate in Junior Block.
• The CBC is arranged through the Office of Clinical Experiences.
• Certain violations may prohibit a candidate from participating in
field experiences.
• The scope of the CBC includes criminal violations, restraining orders
issued in family courts, and other.
• Different school districts apply different criteria for participation in
field experiences within schools.
• If you have questions about individual circumstances and effects on
field experiences/teacher licensure, contact the SoE Student Services
Office. Link http://www.stcloudstate.edu/soe/students/
Junior Block: Field Experiences
• Evaluation and supervision: Junior block field experiences are supervised
and graded experiences. Junior block candidates are supervised by both
SCSU personnel and practicing teachers. Skills, knowledge, and
dispositions are evaluated during these experiences. Candidates must
receive satisfactory evaluations to progress in the program.
• Teacher Performance Assessment (TPA): Initial opportunities to apply
concepts related to the TPA occur during Junior Block.
• The structure and timing of field experiences and courses during Junior
block prohibit employment during morning and afternoon hours.
Senior Block
Additional prerequisite courses that
must be completed prior to Senior
Block
• CEEP 361: Educational Psychology (3 credits)
• HLTH 301: Health Issues/Strategies (2 credits)
• HURL 497/498: Human Relations for Teachers I/II (4 credits)
Prerequisite courses: HLTH 301 and
HURL 497/498
• HLTH 301: Health Issues/Strategies (2 credits)
– A licensure course addressing specific standards
– To determine if a course or combination of courses will replace HLTH
301, contact the HLTH Department
• HURL 497/498: Human Relations for Teachers I/II (4 credits)
– A requirement for ALL Minnesota teaching licenses
– Includes both course requirements and a series of supporting lectures
scheduled outside of regular class hours
– For special education majors, both HURL 497 and HURL 498 are
required
– Standards covered in HURL 497/8 typically are not fully covered in
other HURL courses
Senior Block
• In almost all cases, the following set of courses needs to be
completed during the same semester
– The courses are designed for functional integration with other courses in the block and
with the concomitant field experiences
•
•
•
•
SPED 411: SPED Procedural Safeguards (3 credits)
SPED 416: Individualized Assessment (3 credits)
SPED 419: Literacy Instruction for SPED Teachers (4 credits)
SPED 440: Teaching English Learners with Special Needs (3
credits) – includes a field experience
• SPED 455: Field experience – Special Education (2 credits)
Senior Block: Field Experiences
• Evaluation and supervision: Senior block field experiences are supervised
and graded experiences. Senior block candidates are supervised by both
SCSU personnel and practicing teachers. Skills, knowledge, and
dispositions are evaluated during these experiences. Candidates must
receive satisfactory evaluations to progress in the program.
• Teacher Performance Assessment (TPA): A mini-TPA with concomitant
review occurs during Senior Block.
• The structure and timing of field experiences and courses during Senior
Block prohibit employment during morning and afternoon hours.
Senior Block: Field Experience
SPED 440
• In addition to the SPED 455 field experience, students complete an additional
field experience in conjunction with SPED 440.
• The field experience is completed on three (3) Fridays. (The schedule varies
across semesters.) The experience is full day, viz., morning and afternoon.
Student Teaching
• The capstone experience for the undergraduate major is
STUDENT TEACHING
• You will register for
– SPED 456/457
– SPED 452
– SPED 490
ABS Student Teaching (12 Credits)
ABS Methods (3 Credits)
Senior Seminar (1 credit)
Student Teaching
• Student teaching is a full day experience
– You CANNOT work during the day and participate in student teaching
• You will be required to attend class sessions on six (6)
Saturdays during the student teaching experience
– These sessions are from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.
– The schedule of Saturdays varies, but a typical schedule is every other
week
• To participate in student teaching, your G.P.A. must be 2.75 or
higher
Student Teaching: Summative
Evaluation of Portfolio
• The summative evaluation of the electronic portfolio (PassPort materials) occurs during student teaching
• The University Supervisor completes the summative
evaluation
Student Teaching: Evaluation
• Evaluation and supervision: Student teaching experiences are supervised
and graded experiences. Student teachers are supervised by both SCSU
personnel and practicing teachers. Skills, knowledge, and dispositions are
evaluated during these experiences. Candidates must receive satisfactory
evaluations to complete the requirements for a teaching license..
• Teacher Performance Assessment (TPA): All students must complete and
submit a formal TPA during student teaching.
Student Teaching: Requirements
• Student teaching requirements are a function of an agreement between
SCSU and the Minnesota Board of Teaching
• The agreement addresses the length, the content, and the location of the
student teaching experience
• Length: For initial licenses, 12 credits of student teaching are required
• Content: The candidate will deliver instruction, participate in assessment,
engage in activities related to procedural safeguards and due process, and
manage behavior. The candidate will submit an electronic portfolio. The
candidate will complete the requirements of the TPA.
• Location: In most cases, candidates cannot student teach in school districts
that they attended as students, where they have been employed, on where
relatives are students or employees.
Opportunities within field experiences
and student teaching
• MNSCU Consortium/Academic Common Market
• International experiences
• Aldine, TX
Program Requirements and Related
• MTLE
– Basic Skills
– Advanced
•
•
•
•
IM 260 Test-out: SOE Computer Competency Test
Pass-Port
TPA
Block structure
MTLE
MTLE
• Minnesota Teacher Licensure Examinations
• Basic Skills
– Reading
– Writing
– Mathematics
Test code: 001
Test code: 002
Test code: 003
• Advanced
– Pedagogy
– Content-Area
– In Special Education, take the Special Education Core Skills (Subtests
1 & 2)
• Test codes: 180 and 181
MTLE Scores: Basic Skills
• MTLE scores are scaled scores
– Scores range from 100 to 300
• The MN Board of Teaching determines/sets the passing score
for teaching candidates
• The current pass score is 240.
• The MN Board of Teaching projects increases in the pass score
in the future.
MTLE Scores: SCSU SoE Caution
• For advising purposes and to assist students with career
choices, the SCSU SoE provides the following caution and
data.
• The caution: “Notice that students scoring under 17 on the
ACT are very unlikely to pass the required set of
examinations for licensure in Minnesota.”
• Associated data: Students with ACT scores between 17-19
have less than a 25% chance of passing all sections of
MTLE Basic Skills Battery.
• Asscoiated data 2: Students with ACT scores between 2022 have less than a 50% chance of passing all sections of
MTLE Basic Skills Battery.
MTLE Principal Site
• http://www.mtle.nesinc.com/Home.aspx
• Registration for tests
School of Education: MTLE Office
• Test preparation materials are available at the SoE MTLE
Office
• Hours for the office vary but are posted outside of the office
• Link
– http://www.stcloudstate.edu/mtle/default.asp
• Test preparation classes tied to specific areas of the MTLE
Basic Skills subtests are offered periodically
• Check the monitors in the SoE for dates, times, and related
information
School of Education Computer
Competency Test
IM 260 Test-out
SOE Computer Competency Test
• IM 260: Exploring Information Technologies is a pre-requisite
for IM 422: Information Technology and Learning for K-12
– IM 422 is a pre-requisite for senior block
• Some students are able to test-out of IM 260
– The link to the SoE Computer Compentency Test: the IM 260 Test-Out
Option
Pass-Port
What does PASS-PORT do?
• Principal function is for the development of standards-based
electronic portfolios
• Think in terms of program accreditation, e.g., NCATE
– For NCATE package, PASS-PORT HE
• Other versions available for different disciplines/accrediting
agencies
• Each student (and conceivably faculty member) will hold a
PASS-PORT account/portfolio
• Data for accreditation reports can be downloaded from PASSPORT accounts
– e.g. What percentage of special education majors passed Disposition 1
on Standard 1 of the INTASC framework?
More Letters: ILAT
• Innovative Learning Assessment Technologies
• From the ILAT website
– ILAT has a close working relationship with the Center for
Innovative Learning and Assessment Technologies
(CILAT) - part of the University of Louisiana of Lafayette as well as Dr. Doug Williams, the center's director.
• Produces Pass-Port
• From the Pass-Port website
– Electronic data management is a central part of our services
and PASS-PORT is the tool we use to help you gather,
organize, and aggregate your data.
TPA
• Teacher Performance Assessment
– Aka – Teaching Performance Assessment (in some areas)
• Related to the California Teaching Performance Assessment
• Link to CTPA for teachers
• Also related to Performance Assessment for California
Teachers (PACT)
• Link to PACT
• Link to MACTE materials for TPA
TPA: Some basics
• Instrument used for assessing beginning teachers
– Portfolio assessment (description of components follows
later in presentation)
• Portfolio is review by trained, independent evaluators
• Paid extramural reviewers
– Calibrated reviewer
• Goal is to provide some uniformity across states for a)
teaching licensing and b)teacher preparation accreditation
– Initial implementation in MN is tied to goal b
• Tied to goal of expanding alternative approaches/tracks to
teaching licensure
• Above data are from the MACTE TPA page
Non-tuition Program Costs
• Students must pay a number of fees that are not related to
tuition nor SCSU fee structure
Non-tuition Costs
• MTLE Basic Skills Test
• Registration $50 (1x/academic yr)
– Areas: Reading, Math, Writing
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Pass-Port
Periodic
Professional Liability Insurance
Criminal Background Check
MTLE Pedagogy/Advanced
Teacher Performance Assessment
MN License Application
– $25 per area
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
$108 (7 year subscription)
$38 one year - $104 six years
$25/year
4 checks ($20-$60)
Registration $50 + test
$300
$91
Professional Topics
•
•
•
•
•
•
Course transfers and substitutions
Course credit based on work experience
Professional concerns
Unsuccessful student teaching experiences
Transportation
Accommodations and modifications during field experiences
and student teaching experiences for students with disabilities
Course transfers and substitutions
• Addressed earlier but as an additional reminder
• The SPED curriculum is standards based
– For course transfers and substitutions, a review of the
specific course is required to ensure that the standards are
addressed
• SPED courses …reviewed within the department
• Other courses …reviewed by the department that offers
the course
Course credit based on work experience
• The Department of Special Education does not allow for
course substitutions (other than field experience) based on
work experience
Professional Concerns
• “Any SCSU faculty or staff member(s) who has a concern
about a student should talk to the student to express the
concern and try to formulate an informal plan to remedy the
situation.”
• If the situation is not resolved, a written record of the concern
and concomitant remedial plan is created.
Professional Concerns: Categories
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Commitment to the Teaching Profession
Awareness of Personal Responsibilities
Personality Characteristics
Responsibility Characteristics
Communication Skills
Social Relationships
Physical Characteristics
• A description of the categories and associated
behaviors/practices is available in SPED Office
Unresolved Professional Concerns
• “Unsatisfactory completion of the contract may result in the
redoing or extending the contract, or removal from the
program.”
Unsuccessful student teaching experience
• In the event of an unsuccessful student teaching experience, a
candidate must wait one year before attempting a second
student teaching experience.
• For example…
– If a student teacher fails student teaching during Spring 2013, the
student cannot attempt a second experience until Spring 2014.
Transportation
• Students are responsible for transportation to and from field
experience and student teaching sites
• In some cases, the sites are not easily accessed through public
transportation
• In some cases, field experiences and student teaching
experiences begin earlier than start times for public
transportation routes
Accommodations and modifications during field
experiences and student teaching experiences for
students with disabilities
• The duties associated with field experiences and with student
teaching differ markedly from students’ responsibilities during
classroom instruction
• If a student requires accommodations or modifications during
field experiences or student teaching, the student must work
with the Office of Disability of Services at SCSU
• Consultations with field experience supervisors and student
teaching supervisors prior to these experiences are highly
recommended
– We also suggest that students with disabilities begin creating plans that
will allow them to meet the demands of teaching early in their
academic program and considering the potential of their disabilities on
their efficacy as an instructor
Co-curricular Activities
• Students may participate in the Student Council for
Exceptional Children (SCEC)
• http://www.stcloudstate.edu/sped/information/default.asp
• Activities include
–
–
–
–
–
Meetings
Service learning opportunities
Attending the MN CEC Conference
Advocacy
Social Activities
Co-curricular Activities
• Students may participate in the Future Educators Club
• Associated with the Teacher Preparation Initiative (TPI)
• A link to discussion about the Future Educators Club
– Recruit WG to participate in Future Educators Club conference
Future Educators Club
• Contact data
• Janice Courtney
–
–
–
–
St. Cloud State University
School of Education-Student Services
Phone: 320-308-5332
E-mail: jcourtney@stcloudstate.edu
Important Dates: Reminder
• You must apply for admission to junior block, senior block,
and student teaching
– For courses and placements in Fall semester, the application deadline is
MARCH 1
– For courses and placements in Spring semester, the application deadline
is October 1