Curriculum: Master of Education in Special Education

This course is designed for masters students enrolled in the online special education masters program. This course covers (a) advanced instructional strategies and curricular planning for children and youth with exceptionalities and (b) advanced methods in providing instructional best practices to the heterogeneous groups of students found in general education contexts.

Legal and ethical foundation knowledge for the Ohio transition to work specialist endorsement.

Students establish a foundational understanding ofleadership practices within special education. Students gain understanding by studying how the field of special education leadership has evolved over time. Information presented in this course iscontextualized through various topics including: -special education history, - special education/general education federal law, regulations, and policy, - leadership foundations and theory, and - professional and ethical leadership practices. From this course, students gain a foundational understanding of special educational leadership practices, professional andethical leadership roles, and responsibilities within the field of special education. Students will demonstrate a knowledge base in historical perspectives in special education, leadership, andprofessional ethics, critical analysis and synthesis of information acquired through researchand data. Themes for this course are hinged aroundthe foundations and advocacy of leadership for thesocial and educational betterment for learners, families, and professionals.

The Master's Project is an online seminar course completed during a candidate's final year of the program. This seminar facilitates participants' development of skills related to critical self-reflection as individuals and as professional educators. The purpose of Project Guidance is to support candidates in generating a research validated (evidence-based) project that supports the academic, life-skill, occupational, and/or social/emotional development of students. The design of the master's project is to produce a well organized literature review reporting on the current status of literature-based knowledge about a topic. Candidates implement and collect data on the evidence-based practices in a classroom or a service-delivery context. The teacher candidates build the necessary skills to conduct an applied evidence-based master's project. The purpose of this seminar is to support candidates in completing a research validated (evidence based) project that supports the academic, life-skill, occupational, and/or social/emotional development of students. The master's project is a culminating work of the master's program.

This course provides an overview of how the principles of Universal Design for Learning can be used to design online and blended learning experiences that meet the needs of diverse learners including those who are accelerated and those who are struggling for a variety of reasons. Special attention will be given to integrating technologies, such as Generative AI, multimedia, and other digital tools, that support student engagement, authentic learning, and general accessibility supports.

This course examines the cognitive and neurological processes involved in oral language and literacy development. It explores theoretical models that inform reading acquisition and development. This course also helps educators to identify explicit and systematic instruction built on the interrelatedness between language and literacy. Recognition of characteristics, strengths, and needs of diverse reader profiles (i.e., students with dyslexia and other reading disabilities, English learners, and emergent bilinguals) and how to address their unique learning needs through effective instruction is considered and discussed.

This course is designed to improve student’s understanding and practical application of various reading and writing assessments (i.e., screening, diagnostic, progress monitoring, classroom assessments). The students will learn how to select, administer, interpret, and share the results of assessment tools, they will also explore how to use assessment results to differentiate core instruction and plan for intervention. This course requires students to work in the field with an individual student and/or small groups of students with reading and writing difficulties.

This course is designed to improve student’s understanding and practical application of evidence-based instruction in the domains of word recognition, language comprehension, and writing. Students will explore the relationships between oral language, phonology, advanced word study, fluency, and comprehension to word recognition and language comprehension instruction. Students will also explore the relationship between foundational writing skills instruction and composition skills instruction in writing. This course requires students to work in the field with an individual student and/or small groups of students with reading and writing difficulties.

The primary purpose of this course is to help teacher candidates acquire the understanding and skills related to increasing, decreasing, maintaining, and generalizing behaviors. Teacher candidates enrolled in this course will gain an understanding of applied behavior analysis, and how to create a positive and safe learning environment in schools by carefully assessing socially significant students' needs and the context in which (both desired and problem) behavior occur. Teachers can prevent or decrease problem behavior by: (1) applying effective primary prevention and early intervention strategies in the classroom, and (2) identifying students, with and without disabilities, who need additional behavioral support. Teachers can apply an understanding of individual and group motivation and behavior to create a safe learning environment that encourages positive social interaction, active participation, academic engagement, and independence.

This course provides foundational understanding of curriculum development and instructional planning for individuals with mild to moderate disabilities. Course content covers service delivery, service delivery roles of the special educators, Individual Education Plan (IEP) development, instructional planning and transition preparation and programming. Teacher candidates will develop knowledge and skills in supporting various learning environments, providing for transition, and IEP development.

This course provides an overview of how the principles of Universal Design for Learning can be used to design online and blended learning experiences that meet the needs of diverse learners including those who are accelerated and those who are struggling for a variety of reasons. Special attention will be given to integrating technologies, such as Generative AI, multimedia, and other digital tools, that support student engagement, authentic learning, and general accessibility supports.

This course provides a comprehensive overview of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) supports, assessment, and intervention. Students will learn about the principles and practices of AAC, including the selection and implementation of appropriate AAC strategies for individuals with complex communication needs. This course will prepare students to provide collaborative and culturally humble AAC services to individuals with diverse communication needs.

This course examines the psychological models and behavioral characteristics of autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Participants examine and develop an in-depth understanding of the underpinnings of autism, how autism manifests in an individual's life, and the influence of autism on daily functioning at home, school, and in the community.Course content includes the characteristics of autism spectrum disorders (triad), the historical context, the brain-behavior connection, and the three major psychological models (i.e., Theory of Mind, Executive Function, and Central Coherence). The purpose of the course is for participants to understand the cognitive underpinnings of ASD and how these influence everyday life.

Education professionals gain insights in the theories of Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). Based on theoretical understanding, professionals learn evidence based practices for students with ASD and implement these practices in their educational settings with support from instructors.

The primary purpose of this course is to help teacher candidates acquire the understanding and skills related to increasing, decreasing, maintaining, and generalizing behaviors. Teacher candidates enrolled in this course will gain an understanding of applied behavior analysis, and how to create a positive and safe learning environment in schools by carefully assessing socially significant students' needs and the context in which (both desired and problem) behavior occur. Teachers can prevent or decrease problem behavior by: (1) applying effective primary prevention and early intervention strategies in the classroom, and (2) identifying students, with and without disabilities, who need additional behavioral support. Teachers can apply an understanding of individual and group motivation and behavior to create a safe learning environment that encourages positive social interaction, active participation, academic engagement, and independence.

This course, the first in a sequence of courses inapplied behavior analysis, provides an in-depth introduction to the philosophy, concepts, and principles of behavior analysis in general, and toapplied behavior analysis in particular. The conceptual foundations developed in this course will be the basis for understanding academic and behavior problems in applied settings and in the development and implementation of: behavioral assessments, functional behavioral hypotheses, intervention procedures directly related to problem function, and data-based decisions about intervention effectiveness.

This course examines the psychological models and behavioral characteristics of autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Participants examine and develop an in-depth understanding of the underpinnings of autism, how autism manifests in an individual's life, and the influence of autism on daily functioning at home, school, and in the community.Course content includes the characteristics of autism spectrum disorders (triad), the historical context, the brain-behavior connection, and the three major psychological models (i.e., Theory of Mind, Executive Function, and Central Coherence). The purpose of the course is for participants to understand the cognitive underpinnings of ASD and how these influence everyday life.

This course provides information on appropriate assessment and the application of this assessment to planning, implementing, and evaluating learningenvironments and supports in the transition to work.

This course explores the role of the transition towork specialist in collaboration and serving effectively as a member of a team on behalf of students with disabilities.

This clinical experience engages students in the role of transition to work specialist, putting content knowledge into practice.

This course is designed to introduce the student to the theories and practices of educational leadership and organizational behaviors in school systems. Through a series of individual and collaborative activities, participants will begin to understand and appreciate the challenges faced by modern school leaders.

This course provides students a foundational understanding of the modern practices within special education. Students gain understanding by studying how the field has evolved throughout time. Information presented in this course is contextualized through various means including: understanding of human need, law/policy, and current research. From this course, students gain an initial understanding of the legal and ethical roles and responsibilities of a professional within the field of special education.

A full time, supervised, mentored, clinical experience with students who have mild, moderate or intensive educational needs. This experience is designed for students who are seeking intervention specialist licensure as a second license area.

Seminar to provide a professional learning community to support student teachers during their clinical experience.

This course equips students to critically analyze, synthesize, and apply scientific literacy research findings to comprehensive reading and writing instruction that meets the needs of diverse learners. Topics include the evidence-based practices for teaching foundational writing skills (handwriting and spelling), language concepts, reading comprehension strategies, and composition skills needed by learners across the grade bands to become proficient readers and writers. This course also focuses on the professional skills needed to design, implement, and assess instructional effectiveness in collaborative multi-disciplinary MTSS teams.

This course examines the social, cultural, and community aspects of literacies, the linguistic and cultural aspects of learning English as a additional language, and the ways in which schoolsmight recognize, maintain, develop, and build uponthe "ways with words" that contemporary students acquire and learn in out-of-school contexts. The course is based on a sociocultural view of literacy, encompassing multidisciplinary approaches and focuses on key sociocultural arguments, influential studies, and their classroom implications.