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Excerpt from Valdosta State University Graduate Bulletin, 1998-1999 pp.95-99
Description of Each of the Areas of Specialization

DEPARTMENT OF SPECIAL EDUCATION AND

COMMUNICATION DISORDERS

Dr. Philip Gunter, Head

Room 175, Education Center

The Department of Special Education and Communication Disorders is a multidis ciplinary department with a program that leads to the Educational Specialist Degree witha major in Special Education with options for concentration in General Special Education and Communication Disorders and the Masters of Education (M.Ed.) de gree with a major in Special Education or Communication Disorders.

The Education Specialist (Ed.S.) program in the Special Education was developed for practicing special educators and speech/language pathologists who wish to upgrade their professional skills, primarily focusing on those who wish to pursue leadership positions. Information and skills acquired and developed at the undergraduate and masters level are specifically designed for and focused on the provision of services. The Ed.S. program focuses on information and skills required of professionals in be coming effective leaders and problem-solvers within a variety of settings.

The M.Ed. degrees with majors in Special Education and Communication Disor ders are designed to allow students to practice use of knowledge from preprofessional degrees while continuing to gain information regarding effective interventions for dis ordered behaviors. Students also concentrate on self-reflection regarding intervention effectiveness using available research to guide practice. Within the Special Education area students have three options: mild disabilities, severe disabilities, or early interven tion/special education. The degrees in these three areas and in communication disorders allow graduates to be awarded certification for public school instruction or licensure for private practice.

EDUCATION SPECIALIST DEGREE WITH A

MAJOR IN SPECIAL EDUCATION

Selected Educational Outcomes

Think systematically about practices and learn from experience through

1. Expanding abilities and experiences which lead to making appropriate in formed judgments.
2. Performing and use educational research that provides information required for effective problem solving.
3. Collaborating with professionals, families and members of the learning com munity in order to solve problems and taking advantage of national, state, and local resources available to enhance services.

Requirements for the EdS. Degree with a

Major in Special Education

Core Courses 11 hours

RSCH 8000 Advanced Research Methodology 3 hours

SPEC 8050 Advanced Application of Technology 3 hours

SPEC 8060 Single Subject Designs for ... Research 2 hours

SPEC 8030 Admin. of Special Education Programs 3 hours

Courses in the Concentration 16 hours

General Special Education (Option I)

SPEC 8010 Readings in Issues of Education of Children

and Youth with Disabilities 2 hours

SPEC 8020 Characteristics of Effective School Structure

for Children and Youth with Disabilities 3 hours

SPEC 8040 Development of Professional Training

Programs in Special Education 2 hours

PSYC 5500 Statistical Methods in Psychology 3 hours

SPEC 8999 Thesis 6 hours

or

Communication Disorders (Option II)

COMD 8010 Contemporary Issues in

Communication Disorders 3 hours

COMD 8020 Seminar in Theory & Applied Intervention 4 hours

(completed in 4 one-hour seminars)

COMD 8030 Professional Communication/Collaboration 3 hours

COMD 8080 Thesis 6 hours

Total Required for the Degree 27 hours

Examples of Outcome Assessments

Student outcomes for the Education Specialist degree in the area of Special Edu cation are assessed by multiple instruments and methods. Content knowledge is summatively assessed through objective and narrative written examinations and oral presentations. Application of content knowledge for both formative and summative purposes is assessed through review and critiques of projects com pleted. Students' skills in answering a research question and sharing that information professionally is assessed through analysis of the completed thesis and evaluation of their presentations.

MASTER OF EDUCATION WITH A

MAJOR IN SPECIAL EDUCATION

MASTER OF EDUCATION WITH A

MAJOR IN COMMUNICATION DISORDERS

Selected Educational Outcomes

1. Central concepts of inquiry:

2.the graduate will use the basic tenets of asking/answering questions rel evant to special education and communication disorders; and

3. the graduate will implement intervention strategies that make tools of in quiry meaningful for consumers.

4. Knowledge of learning and development:

5.the graduate will use knowledge of how both individuals and groups learn and develop; and

6.the graduate will create learning opportunities that support intellectual, com munication, academic, social, motor, vocational, alternative and/or adaptive development.

Requirements for the M. Ed. Degree with a

Major in Special Education Mild Disabilities

College of Education Core Courses 16 hours

RSCH 7100 Research Methodology in Education 3 hours

LEAD 7210 Ethics and Law 1 hour

SPEC 5010 Student Teaching 10 hours

SPEC 5020 Student Teaching Seminar 2 hours

Concentration for Mild Disabilities 6 hours

SPEC 5040 Applied Research Project 2 hours

SPEC 5120 Issues and Trends in Special Ed 2 hours

SPEC 5140 Collaborative Roles in Educ, 2 hours

Guided Electives for Mild Disabilities 14 hours

Total Required for the Degree 36 hours

Requirements for the M. Ed. Degree with a

Major in Special Education Severe Disabilities

College of Education Core Courses 16 hours:

RSCH 7100 Research Methodology in Education 3 hours

LEAD 7210 Ethics and Law 1 hour

SPEC 5010 Student Teaching 10 hours

SPEC 5020 Student Teaching Seminar 2 hours

Major Area of Concentration 13 hours:

SPEC 5030 Single Subject Research in Special Educ. 3 hours

SPEC 5050 Integrating Technology 3 hours

SPEC 5090 Community-based Instruction 2 hours

SPEC 5100 Nonaversive Behavior Mangement 3 hours

SPEC 5120 Issues and Trends in Special Education 2 hours

Guided Electives for Severe Disabilities 7 hours

Total Required for the Degree 36 hours

Requirements for the M. Ed. Degree with a

Major in Special Education Early Intervention

College of Education Core Courses 15 hours

RSCH 7100 Research Methodology in Education 3 hours

SPEC 5010 Student Teaching 10 hours

SPEC 5020 Student Teaching Seminar 2 hours

Area of Concentration 18 hours

COMD 5060 Language Disorders of School Age Children 3 hours

SPEC 5140 Collaborative Roles in Education 2 hours

SPEC 5150 Introduction to Early Intervention 3 hours

SPEC 5160 Serving the Young Child with Low

Incidence Disabilities 3 hours

SPEC 5170 Linking Assessment to Service Delivery 4 hours

PSYC 7300 Human Development: Conception to 8 Yrs 3 hours

Guided Elective for Early Intervention/Special Education 3 hours

Total Required for the Degree 36 hours

Requirements for the M. Ed. Degree with a

Major in Communication Disorders

College of Education Core 6 hours

RSCH 7100 Research Methodology in Education 3 hours

LEAD 7210 Ethics and Law 1 hour

COMD 5170 Issues/Trends in Communication Disorders 2 hours

Major Curriculum 54 hours

COMD 5010 Language Disorders in Young Children 3 hours

COMD 5020 Diagnostics 3 hours

COMD 5030 Phonological Disorders 3 hours

COMD 5040 Fluency Disorders 3 hours

COMD 5050 Beginning Practicum 1 hour

COMD 5060 Language Disorders/School Age Children 3 hours

COMD 5070 Traumatic Brain Injury, Dementia and

Progressive Neurological Disorders 3 hours

COMD 5080 Dysphagia and Dysarthria 3 hours

COMD 5090 Aural Rehabilitation 3 hours

COMD 5100 Intermediate Practicum 1 hour

COMD 5110 Science in Communication Disorders 3 hours

COMD 5120 Aphasia 3 hours

COMD 5130 Oro-Facial/Syndrome Disorders 2 hours

COMD 5140 Advanced Practicum 1 hour

COMD 5150 Advanced Audiology 3 hours

COMD 5160 Voice Disorders 3 hours

COMD 5180 Cultural and Dialectial Issues in

Communication Disorders 1 hour

COMD 5210 Externship in Communication Disorders 6 hours

COMD 5190 Applied Practicum in the Public Schools 3 hours

COMD 5200 Augmentative/Alternative Communication

or COMD 5230 Thesis 3 hours

Total Required for the Degree 60 hours

Examples of Outcome Assessments

1. The graduate will demonstrate an acceptable level of skill in asking and an swering questions by using the tools of inquiry to determine the effectiveness of their intervention procedures to measure student or client improvement.

2. Students will design and implement interventions for students and clients with various disabilities and disorders. Interventions will be directly or indirectly (videotaped) observed by qualified university personnel and public and pri vate organization professionals.

ENDORSEMENT FOR DIRECTOR OF SPECIAL EDUCATION

This endorsement prepares individuals to direct administer, or supervise special education programs. Students must possess a master's degree or higher with profes sional certification within any teaching field in special education (except gifted). This includes those students in the service fields of audiology, school psychology, and speech and language pathology.

Required Courses 14 hours

LEAD 7100 Leadership in Educational Organizations 2 hours

LEAD 7400 Legal Issues for Educational Leaders 3 hours

LEAD 8660 Business and Finance 3 hours

SPEC 8030 Administration of Special Ed. Programs 3 hours

LEAD 7640 System Level Leadership or

LEAD 8650 Personnel Issues and Consideration 3 hours

ENDORSEMENT FOR TALENTED AND GIFTED

Required Courses 12 hours

SPEC 7610 Assessment of ... Talented and Gifted 3 hours

SPEC 5610 Nature and Needs of ...Talented and Gifted 3 hours

SPEC 6600 Methods/Materials for ...Talented and Gifted 3 hours

SPEC 6620 Curriculum for ...Talented and Gifted 3 hours

ENDORSEMENT FOR PRE-SCHOOL

Required Courses 9 hours

COMD 5811 Language Disorders in Young Children 3 hours

SPEC 5170 Linking Assessment to Service Delivery 3 hours

SPEC 5150 Introduction to Early Intervention 3 hours

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  Description of Each of the Areas of Specialization

  Mild Disabilities

  Students completing the initial program in special education in mild disabilities will complete the Masters of Science in Education degree. This program provides the student with foundations in special education as well as guided teaching practice in the junior and senior years. During the "fifth" year the students complete a year long student teaching experience while completing course work designed to allow them to become evaluators of educational practice and materials as well as evaluators of their own teaching. The masterÕs program follows a natural progression of information acquisition, skill development and experience. Students are qiven information and develop skills to conduct action research based on the needs discovered in application settings. Therefore, the progression from a consumer and utilizer of content and research develops to that of a beginning producer. Students completing the program will be recommended to the Professional Standard Commission, GeorgiaÕs certification body, for certification in the Interrelated area allowing them to teach children with learning disabilities, behavior disorders, and mild mental retardation.

  Severe Disabilities

  Students completing the initial program in special education in severe disabilities will complete the Masters of Science in Education degree. This program provides the student with foundations in special education as well as guided teaching practice in the junior and senior years. During the "fifth" year the students complete a year long student teaching experience while completing course work designed to allow them to become evaluators of educational practice and materials as well as evaluators of their own teaching. The master's program follows a natural progression of information acquisition, skill development and experience. Students are qiven information and develop skills to conduct action research based on the needs discovered in application settings. Therefore, the progression from a consumer and utilizer of content and research develops to that of a beginning producer. Students completing the program will be recommended to the Professional Standard Commission, Georgia's certification body, for certification in the Intellectual Disabilities area allowing them to teach children with mental retardation.

  Early Intervention

  Students completing the initial program in special education in early childhood special education will complete the Masters of Science in Education degree. This program provides the student with foundations in special education as well as guided teaching practice in the junior and senior years. During the "fifth" year the students complete a year long student teaching experience while completing course work designed to allow them to become evaluators of educational practice and materials as well as evaluators of their own teaching. The master's program follows a natural progression of information acquisition, skill development and experience. Students are qiven information and develop skills to conduct action research based on the needs discovered in application settings. Therefore, the progression from a consumer and utilizer of content and research develops to that of a beginning producer. Students completing the program will be recommended to the Professional Standard Commission, Georgia's certification body, for certification in either the Interrelated or the Intellectual Disabilities area depending on the concentration track followed. Additionally, endorsement certification is recommended in pre-school special education.