Bachelor of Education in Special Education

Special Education means specially designed instruction to meet the unique needs of individuals with special needs. The B.A. in Special Education is designed for students interested in providing services to individuals with special needs. This program provides students with the knowledge, skills, and dispositions to become highly qualified special educators who can help students with special needs achieve a higher level of personal self-sufficiency and success in school and in the community. The study plan includes a combination of academic and professional coursework with field experience in the classroom that prepares graduates for teaching in the real world. The program gives the students the opportunity to select a concentration track within two areas of Special Education. These concentration tracks include mild/moderate disabilities and gifted and talented.

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Program Objectives

• Acquire thorough knowledge of the philosophical, historical, and legal foundation of Special Education.
• Understand the diverse educational strengths and needs of all students with special needs.
• Acquire knowledge of the unique strategies, instructional approaches, and assessment which will promote maximum learning and social and emotional growth in all students with special needs.
• Establish a learning environment that supports the learning of all students.
• Understand the cultural and social contexts in which students with special needs live and learn.
• Gain communication skills needed to manage the complexities of teaching for learning in all educational settings.
• Have a commitment to high standards of ethical practices and professionalism.
• Understand collaborative relationships and their value in fostering communication among schools, homes, and communities.

Program Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this program, students will be able to:

• Acquire thorough knowledge of the philosophical, historical, and legal foundation of the education of exceptional children.
• Use multiple assessment data in making educational decisions for students with Mild/Moderate disabilities and Gifts and Talents.
• Locate and critically use relevant, meaningful, and evidence-based instructional and assistive technologies that will promote maximum learning and social and emotional growth in students with Mild/Moderate disabilities and Gifts and Talents.
• Establish a research-based responsive learning environment for students with Mild/Moderate disabilities and Gifts and Talents.
• Examine the cultural and social contexts in which students with exceptionalities live and learn.
• Assess the language development and communication skills of children with exceptionalities using research-based practices.
• Use effective communication skills (oral and writing) and diverse collaborative models to promote the well-being of individuals with exceptionalities across a wide range of settings.
• Manage consistently and sensitively ethical practices and professionalism in the area of Special Education.
• Design research-based and appropriate learning experiences for students with Mild/Moderate disabilities and Gifts and Talents in the academic subject matter content of the general curriculum.