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 that support student engagement, authentic learning, and general accessibility supports.

This course surveys current literacy curricula, methods, and materials for grades K-12 and is designed to bring teachers and administrators up-to-date in the field of evidence-based literacy instruction. A major goal of this course is to identify the instructional contexts and practices most likely to support literacy development, particularly vocabulary development and comprehension among all school-age students.

This practicum course examines a wide range of evidence-based assessment and instructional methods to support the literacy development of PreK-12 learners experiencing difficulty with reading including dyslexia. Foundational skills of phonemic awareness, phonics, and fluency are particularly emphasized. Additionally, this course focuses on the administration and interpretation of assessment tools, instruction within the context of individual differences and development, and methods of communicating results. Tutoring is required.

This practicum course examines a wide range of evidence-based practices to support the literacy development of PreK-12 learners with attention to literacy elements such as word recognition (including phonics), comprehension, academic language (including the functions of language, semantics, and vocabulary), and text structure. Additionally, this course focuses on instruction within the context of individual differences and development, and methods of communicating results. Tutoring is required.

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 that support student engagement, authentic learning, and general accessibility supports.

This course includes an overview of augmentative communication systems - candidates, symbol & vocabulary systems, devices, and funding. Additionally,strategies for assessment and intervention will be addressed.

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 or moderate educational needs.

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

This course addresses a wide range of issues and approaches related to planning, implementing, and supervising literacy programs in K-12 settings. Itis designed to provide students with the knowledge, skills, and resources needed to take a leadership role in designing effective instruction, developing and evaluating curriculum materials, creating a literate environment, and facilitating teacher professional development to meet the literacy needs of students across the grades.

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.