Standard 13: Preparation to Teach Special Populations
(Students with Special Needs) in the General Education Classroom
The Multiple Subject credential program at Fresno State assists each candidate in
developing the basic knowledge, skills, and strategies for teaching special populations
including students with disabilities, students on behavior plans, at-risk students,
and gifted and talented students in the general education classroom. Candidates learn
and experience the role of the general education teacher in the special education
process through courses and concurrent field experiences. Through professional coursework,
practice, and implementation they learn skills in the use of differentiated instructional
strategies that ensure that all students have access to the core curriculum.
Each candidate understands the importance of and demonstrates the ability to create
a positive, inclusive climate of instruction for all students in SPED 179: Differentiated Instruction and Classroom Management, taken concurrently with EHD 170: Final Student Teaching. Teacher candidates are required to work directly with
students who are receiving special education services, providing whole class, small
group and individual instruction across the curriculum.
Teacher candidates also observe and implement academic, classroom management, and
social skills building strategies. Particular attention is paid to the modifications
and accommodations being utilized by the classroom teacher. Participation in planning
meetings and/or professional learning communities to collaborate on the development
of lessons is required and completed through assignments and in conjunction with their
EHD 170 placement. They also analyze the inclusion process as well as the use of technology
in the classroom setting. Typically, they are involved in criterion-referenced assessments,
as well as assessing the match between teacher strategies and individual student preferred
learning modalities from a multiple intelligences perspective. Following their classroom
experience, teacher candidates are required to submit a reflective paper describing
their experiences, what they have learned, and how it will affect their future practice.
Early Childhood Education Program candidates focus on the instruction of children
with special needs in SPED120. While providing a K-6 view, the ECE section includes
a focus on children from birth through grade three. ECE candidates are able to identify
the needs of students, methods of curricular and environment adaptation, and collaborative
strategies to maximize children with special needs access to the core curriculum and
least restrictive environment. Taken concurrently with final student teaching, candidates
are expected to apply theory to practice in their field placement. [See SPED120ECE syllabus.]
Through planned prerequisites and/or professional preparation, the teacher preparation
program ensures the following:
Candidates demonstrate a basic level of knowledge and skills in: a) assessing the
learning and language abilities of students in order to identify those needing referral
for assessment, identification of disabilities and eligibility for special education,
Section 504 services, or gifted and talented education programs; b) providing appropriate
differentiated instruction that ensures all students access to the core curriculum;
c) selecting and using appropriate instructional materials and technologies, including
assistive technologies, to meet the needs of students with special needs in the general
education classroom; and d) identifying when and how to address social integration
needs of students with disabilities who are included in the general education classroom.
Candidates begin their work in assessment and identification of student knowledge
and skills in CI 171: Understanding the Learner, Instructional Design and Assessment. In CI 172: Cultural
and Language Contexts in the Classroom, student assessment is further explored specifically
as it relates to learning and language. Candidates have an additional exposure to
this information in LEE 173: Teaching Reading and Social Studies in Grades 4-8, and LEE 177: Teaching Reading and the Arts in Grades K-3, as the range of scores normal for particular
age groups are discussed in order to help candidates know when referrals are appropriate
and additional testing that would be required before a referral for special programs
would be made. In CI 175: Science Instruction and Applied Technology candidates are introduced to assistive
technologies for individuals with special needs.
Candidates enrolled in SPED 179: Differentiated Instruction and Classroom Management are required to demonstrate a basic understanding of the assessment of language and learning abilities of special population students in order to identify students for referral to special education program, gifted and talented education programs, and other required services (504). They are also involved in a series of readings and discussions related to formal and informal assessments and their use in identifying areas to be considered in the IEP. This is done through class demonstrations, readings, discussions, and assignments in both SPED 179 and EHD 170. [See SPED 179 and EHD 170 syllabi.]
Candidates enrolled in SPED 179: Differentiated Instruction and Classroom Management are introduced to a variety
of instructional materials and technologies, including assistive technologies available
to students with disabilities. Candidates are introduced to a variety of differentiated
teaching strategies to meet the needs of special populations as well as ways in which
teaching materials and strategies can be modified to meet the needs of students with
special needs in the general education classroom. Candidates work in groups to explore
these topics and report to the class on their findings and through the Differentiated
Instruction assignment and final. Candidates are also required to observe various
settings and meetings for the disabled where they will have an opportunity to see
assistive devices in use. [See SPED 179 syllabus.]
Candidates enrolled in SPED 179: Differentiated Instruction and Classroom Management explore the adaptation of teaching materials for special needs students, differentiated instruction, and the responsibilities of the general education teacher to provide these supports. In all the other content-specific courses in the Multiple Subject sequence, this responsibility is also covered and, in some cases, re-taught with specific regard to the content area. All candidates are required to plan for all students in their lesson designs and include adaptations for students with special needs in all of their lesson plans. [See SPED 179 syllabus.]
Candidates are expected to make these differentiations when teaching lessons in the field experiences ( EHD 170: Field Study C).
Candidates develop the basic knowledge, skills, strategies, and strengths-based approach
for teaching the full range of students in the general education classroom, including
all categories of special populations such as students with disabilities, students
on behavior plans, and gifted and talented students.
Candidates for the Multiple Subject Credential at Fresno State are required to take
SPED 179: Differentiated Instruction and Classroom Management as part of their required teacher
preparation program. Candidates entering as Liberal Studies majors will have taken
either SPED 120: Teaching Students with Special Needs in the General Education Classroom; PSYCH
169: Psychological Aspects of Physical Disability; or RA 125: Diversity and Inclusive
Practices in Recreation. SPED 120 may be taken concurrently with EHD 50: Introduction to Education, so that candidates
have an opportunity to interact with teachers and students in special education at
their field placements.
One of the objectives of SPED 179: Differentiated Instruction and Classroom Management is to acquaint and to develop
basic skills and strategies for all students in their classroom. Candidates are taught
to plan their lessons for all students from the start and from a strength-based approach.
Particular attention will be paid to students with the categories of disabilities
as they are defined in California, students with behavior plans, students at-risk,
and students who are identified as gifted and talented so they become aware of and
practice their responsibilities as general education teachers in the pre-interventions
and identification of students in their classes who may qualify for special education
services as well as the adaptations they will need to make to ensure the students’
successful participation in their classes. The instructors of SPED 179: Differentiated Instruction and Classroom Management have a number of guest speakers,
including those with disabilities and parents and teachers of students with disabilities,
who help to orient the new candidates to their responsibilities as classroom teachers.
Quizzes, the final, the Classroom Management Report and the Differentiated Instruction
assignment all require demonstration of this knowledge and practice. [See SPED 179 syllabi.]
Candidates enrolled in SPED 179: Differentiated Instruction and Classroom Management explore the adaptation of teaching
materials for special needs students, differentiated instruction, and the responsibilities
of the general education teacher to provide these supports. In all the other content-specific
courses in the Multiple Subject sequence, this responsibility is also covered and,
in some cases, re-taught with specific regard to the content area. All candidates
are required to include adaptations for students with special needs in all of their
lesson plans to ensure access to the core curriculum. Candidates are expected to make
these differentiations when teaching lessons in the field experiences. [See EHD 170 syllabi.]
In the Multiple Subject Credential Early Childhood Education Program (ECE) candidates enroll in SPED 120: Teaching Students with Special Needs in Mainstream Settings, concurrently with final student teaching (EHD170ECE: Field Work C-ECE). Through reading, videos, discussions, and guest speakers, including those with disabilities and parents and teachers of students with disabilities, candidates become familiar with the categories of disabilities as they are defined in California and aware of their responsibilities as general education teachers in the identification of students in their classes who may qualify for special education services as well as the adaptations they will need to make to ensure the students’ successful participation in their classes.
Candidates enrolled in the Multiple Subject Credential Early Childhood Education Program’s
(ECE) LEE 148, Integrated Curriculum class teach a ten lesson unit where they are required to document
differentiated instruction for special needs and gifted and talented groups, as well
as analyze the learning of students with special need or students who are gifted or
talented relative to the rest of the class and to reflect on their own skills as teachers
in meeting the instructional needs of this special population. This task is again
required of all candidates in final student teaching as part of a summative assessment,
the Teaching Sample Project. As noted above, the responsibility to differentiate
instruction to allow access for all students is covered in each methods class and
provides a focus for SPED 120, Teaching Children with Special Needs in Mainstream Settings.
Candidates learn about the role of the general education teacher in identifying and
teaching students with special needs, as well as relevant state and federal laws pertaining
to the education of exceptional populations and the general education teacher’s role
and responsibilities in developing and implementing tiered interventions.
Candidates in SPED 179: Differentiated Instruction and Classroom Management explore the current legislation pertaining to exceptional students and their families, as well as ethical standards related to professional practices in the field. They are required to demonstrate knowledge of the general education teacher’s, and special education teacher’s role and responsibilities in the Individual Education Program (IEP) process, including: intervention; collaboration; identification; referral; assessment; IEP planning and meeting; implementation; and evaluation, through class discussions and assessment. Specific lessons regarding RtI and tiered interventions are shared and students practice these both in their EHD 170 placement and SPED 179 on the final. [See SPED 179 syllabus.] This knowledge is gained through course activities, video presentations, guest speakers in class, and a field assignment in which the candidates are required to interview parents and teachers at their field site and report their findings in a written report and to attend an SST or IEP meeting. Candidates are also acquainted with current law and responsibilities in CI 171: Understanding the Learner, Instructional Design and Assessment, as school law and ethics are discussed. Candidates also conduct a school site demographics study in CI 171 and for the Teaching Sample Project in Phase 3. [See FAST Manual.]
In the Multiple Subject Credential Early Childhood Education Program (ECE), the major
psychological, cognitive and motivational principles, theories, and research strategies
related to child and adolescent development, both typical and atypical, and assessment
are introduced in CI 171ECE, Psychological Context of Teaching and Learning. Laws
and professional responsibilities pertaining to students with disabilities are concurrently
introduced in CI172ECE, Cultural Context of Teaching and Learning. In SPED120, Teaching
Children with Special Needs in Mainstream Settings, ECE candidates are required to
demonstrate knowledge of the general education teacher’s, and special education teacher’s
role and responsibilities in the Individual Education Program (IEP) process, including:
identification; referral; assessment; IEP planning and meeting; implementation; and
evaluation.
Candidates demonstrate skills in creating a positive, inclusive climate of instruction
for all students with special needs in the general classroom and demonstrates skill
in collaborative planning and instruction with education specialists and other school
professionals.
Candidates explore social integration in several of the credential classes. In CI 171: Understanding the Learner, Instructional Design and Assessment, strategies for implementing
cooperative learning in the classroom help candidates to understand the importance
of teaching social interaction skills in the classroom, as well as methods for bestowing
status on students not held in high esteem. [See CI 171 syllabus.]
Classroom management modules that are commonly taught through video with follow-up
discussion are rich with examples of special education students in the general education
classroom and ways in which teachers can create a supportive classroom community for
all students. Candidates have many opportunities through the program to learn to
interact positively with students with special needs as they progress through the
sequence of field experiences ( EHD 174: Field Study A: Grades 4-8, EHD 178: Field Study B: Grades K-3, and EHD 170: Field Study C). Teacher candidates create and teach lesson plans that include provisions
for students with special needs. (See Multiple Subject Field Work Handbook: Lesson Plan Format.)
Adaptations to support special needs students in the classroom are discussed and demonstrated
in all the content-specific courses ( CI 171: Understanding the Learner, Instructional Design and Assessment; CI 175: Science Instruction and Applied Technology; CI 176: Mathematics Instruction and Applied Assessment; LEE 173: Teaching Reading and Social Studies in Grades 4-8; and LEE 177: Teaching Reading and the Arts in K-3), and laws and ethics related to special needs
students in the classroom are explored in LEE 172: Cultural and Language Contexts of the Classroom, and studied in depth in SPED 179: Differentiated Instruction and Classroom Management. Each candidate learns and practices
their role in collaboratively creating an inclusive climate of instruction for all
students in their classrooms. They demonstrate these skills through their Classroom
Management Assignment and through observation in EHD 170. [See SPED 179 syllabus: Classroom Management Assignment.]
Candidates enrolled in parallel coursework in the Multiple Subject Credential Early
Childhood Education Program (ECE) are provided the same opportunities to develop inclusive
strategies and dispositions. In addition, inclusive classroom strategies are explored
in CI 150ECE, Managing Early Learning Environments and most certainly in SPED120, Teaching Children
with Special Needs in Mainstream Settings. Fieldwork in all phases includes mainstream
settings where ECE candidates see models of inclusion and have opportunities to practice
learned techniques. In EHD 178ECE, Field Work B-ECE candidates teach a unit of study in a preschool setting that includes
children with special needs. [See LEE 148 syllabus.] In finding out about the students in the class prior to designing the unit, candidates
must identify children with special needs and plan accommodations relative to their
unit of study.
Intern Program Delivery Model:
In preservice, teacher preparation programs provide candidates with a knowledge of
and ability to teach Special Populations (Students with Special Needs) in the general
education classroom.
Interns develop strategies and techniques for inclusive settings for Special Needs students through SPED 179 and field placements in EHD 174 and EHD 178.