Department Of Special Services and Leadership Studies
College of Education
Preparing Competent, Committed and Caring Educators
Fall 2008
Course Number:
SSLS 849
Title:
Partnerships with Families of Exceptional Children
Credit Hours:
3
Instructor:
Ann George, Ed.D.
Course Time Schedule:
5:00-7:50 pm, Tuesday
222 Hughes Hall
Office:
211 Hughes Hall
Office Hours:
M, T, W - 1:00-5:00
By Appointment
Office Phone:
(620) 235-6090
E-mail:
ageorge@pittstate.edu
Fax:
620-235-4520
Course Description
This course is designed to provide the student with theory, general principles, knowledge and
skills necessary to implement family-guided intervention approaches for professionals working
with exceptional children and youth. The emphasis is on relating these skills to the realities of
practice in schools and the classroom. Family-guided intervention suggests families are able to
determine their child’s and family’s strengths, needs, important outcomes and necessary services
by using information, support and resources provided by a variety of professionals.
Course Objectives
This course is aligned with the following KSDE Adaptive Special Education Teaching
Standards.
1. The teacher of students with adaptive learning needs demonstrates an
understanding of learner’s diversity and provides support for students’ cognitive,
physical, social, emotional, and career development.
2. The teacher of students with adaptive learning needs demonstrates effective
communication and collaboration skills and knowledge related to individuals with
adaptive learning needs.
3. The teacher of students with adaptive learning needs demonstrates professionalism
and ethical knowledge and skills related to students with adaptive learning needs.
Student Outcomes
This course prepares students to work with families in many settings: infant-toddler, preschool,
elementary, and secondary. Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to:
1. Describe key components of family systems theory and how it fits with a family-focused
approach to collaboration
2. Explore his/her own beliefs about families, school personnel and students who come
from cultures different from his/her own and how beliefs his/her practice
3. Examine factors that promote effective communication and collaboration with
individuals, parents, and school and community personnel in a culturally responsive
program
4. Examine the roles of individuals with disabilities, parents, teachers, and other school and
community personnel in planning and implementing an individualized program and
including transition planning
5. Describe ethical practices for confidential communication to others about individuals
with disabilities
6. Explore development of individual students’ programs working in collaboration with
team members
7. Locate and describe community resources available for individuals and families of
individuals with exceptionalities
8. Demonstrate the skills which foster respectful and beneficial relationships between
families and professionals
Course Content
The course is designed around four major components. The components include:
1. The family system and its application to the families of students with exceptionalities.
The four major perspectives of family systems theory include family characteristics,
interactions, functions, and life cycle. This includes multicultural factors.
2. Historical and organizational foundations related to family roles and school reform IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act) and NCLB (No Child Left
Behind). This can lead to opportunities to form family – professional partnerships
throughout the life cycles: from infancy through childhood and school years and into
adulthood.
3. How to identify and implement the seven partnership principles when collaborating
with families and other professionals. Partnership principles include:
communication, professional competence, respect, commitment, equality, advocacy
and the “keystone” of partnership, trust.
4. Utilization of the seven partnership principles to enhance family – professional
partnerships in both the student evaluation and development of the IFSP and IEP, and
for these partnerships to ultimately promote student learning, and development, and
to achieve positive student and family outcomes.
This is accomplished by focusing on:
1. Understanding history of parental roles in exceptionality,
2. Examining parameters affecting life of all families, including multicultural factors,
3. Applying knowledge of family-systems approach to understanding and meeting the
challenges of exceptionality.
In conjunction with focusing on the following knowledge base components affecting
professional education:
4. Gaining concepts and proficiency in attaining family-professional communication
skills and strategies
5. Further refining knowledge of the dominant legal framework within which families
and professionals must work,
6. Gaining information and skill in family support strategies and relationships, especially
those issues involving multicultural perspectives.
Instructional Resources
Text: Turnbull, A.P., Turnbull, H. R., Erwin, E. and Soodak, L. (2006). Families,
Professionals, and Exceptionality: Positive Outcomes through Partnerships and Trust
(5th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall Publishers
On-line articles assigned throughout the semester
Kansas Special Education Process Handbook: http://www.kansped.org/
Missouri Special Education Handbook:
http://dese.mo.gov/divspeced/compliance/index.html
Teaching Strategies
The instructional format of this course will be a combination of group sessions, guest speakers,
student presentations, handouts, on-line discussions, role-plays, and readings. A portion of the
student contact time may be online, utilizing Angel.
Written Communication Skills
All text submitted should represent the writer’s best writing skills. Spelling, punctuation,
grammar, and sentence structure will be evaluated in each assignment and graded accordingly.
Course Requirements
A.
Reading Requirements:
The student is to be prepared each day of class by using the assigned readings. Each
student will be required to complete individual and group assignments as outlined in the
schedule of class topics and readings.
B.
Personal Reflections
This assignment asks you to reflect on course content and discussions as they relate to
your own family experience and how that may impact your work with families of
children with exceptionalities.
C.
Outside Projects:
Assignment 1 Services Project
Assignment 2 Action Plan
Assignment 3 Parent Interview
Assignment 4 Parent Handbook
D.
Angel Assignments:
There will be on-line assignments that are to be completed and submitted using the Angel
system.
Course Evaluation
Assignment
Angel Assignments
Service Project
Action Plan
Parent Interview
Parent Handbook
Personal Reflections
Midterm Exam
Total
Points
50 points
100 points
100 points
50 points
100 points
50 points
50 points
500 points
Due Date
December 16
November 11
October 21
November 25
December 2
October 14
The above course evaluation will be converted into percentages based upon the following scale:
90-100% = A
80-89% = B
70-79% = C
60-69% = D
Attendance
This class will be a combination of on-line and on-site sessions. When class meetings are on-site,
attendance is mandatory since the majority of information will be presented through lectures,
class discussions, and class activities. In addition, professional reliability is one of the outcomes
of the teacher education program. Therefore, for each unexcused absence, habitual late arrival or
failure to remain for the entire course will result in a 5% deduction in your grade. Excessive
absences will negatively impact the student’s grade, and may result in the student being dropped
from the class. (See 2005-07 University Catalog, pg. 41)
If you must miss a class, arrive late, or leave early please contact me in advance or as soon as
possible if the absence is due to an emergency. You will be expected to make arrangements to
complete assignments for the class that you missed.
Inclement Weather
On rare occasions due to inclement weather, class may be cancelled. The SSLS office (620-2354484) will make every effort to contact you via email or a telephone message at your home or
place of employment to let you know that your class has been canceled. You should also check
the announcements button on the Angel site.
Grading
Assignments are to be submitted through ANGEL; feedback and grades are also posted using the
ANGEL system. Students may have an opportunity to re-work and re-submit an assignment one
time without grade penalty, however there must be an established time-line for completion. This
is to give the student an opportunity to demonstrate mastery at a level acceptable for course
completion.
Maximum points to be earned on an assignment will be reduced by 10% for each calendar day
the assignment is late. If a student must be absent from class on the day that an assignment is
due, it is the student’s obligation to make certain the assignment is submitted by email or
delivered by a classmate. Similarly, if a student must be absent from class on the day of an
assessment, it is imperative that the student make arrangements to take the assessment before the
established date.
Incompletes are discouraged for this course. Students who do request an Incomplete can not be
eligible for an A as a final grade. Taking an Incomplete will also require the student to submit a
plan of completion.
Academic Honesty
Students are reminded to be familiar with the ”Dishonesty in Academic Work” policy in the
2005-07 University Catalog. Students are expected to demonstrate academic integrity at all
times. Violations will be handled as indicated in the written policy.
Respect for the Academic Process
The rights and responsibilities that accompany academic freedom are at the heart of the
intellectual purposes of the University. Our conduct as community members should protect and
promote the University’s pursuit of its academic mission. We are all, therefore, expected to
conduct ourselves with integrity in our learning, teaching and research, and in ways in which we
support those endeavors.