Special Education (Pre-K-12)

Shimada Resource Center
College of Education and Human Development
150 Ritter Annex
1301 Cecil B. Moore Ave.
Philadelphia, PA 19122
215-204-8011 (phone)
215-204-4383 (fax)

The Special Education (PreK-12) program in the College of Education and Human Development equips teachers with deep understandings of the sociocultural context of education, high-impact instructional practices, and empirically-supported, preventative approaches to provide equitable education to children with disabilities.

The program features uphold and further both the College’s and the University's mission in the following ways:

  • Promoting evidence-based practice and effective implementation in the classroom
  • Recognizing and ameliorating the impact of socio-cultural factors on the education of children with disabilities
  • Advocating inclusive practices both within schools and within society as a whole
  • Emphasizing preventative approaches to support improved teaching and learning

Programs

Courses

SPED 2128. Assistive Technology and Universal Design for Learning. 3 Credit Hours.

This course will provide students with an extensive background regarding the various types and uses of assistive and accessible technology and how the principles of Universal Design for Learning apply to the inherent flexibility of technology as a pathway toward attainment of educational goals.

Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Undergraduate.
College Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Colleges: Education & Human Development.

Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.

SPED 2201. Language Development and Communication Strategies. 3 Credit Hours.

With an emphasis on the connection between language and literacy, we will explore language development and language disorders within the context of specific disabilities. The course is designed to help pre-service teachers to acquire knowledge about language, language development, language disorders, and evidence-based practices for enhancing language skills that will enable them to become more effective teachers. Student vignettes, teacher perspectives, activities, and literacy sections foster the application of concepts to real classroom situations. The Response to Intervention (RtI) model is used as the framework for classroom-based language assessment and instructional methods related to language development and instructional strategies to support communication development. Expanded discussions of emerging teaching technologies and the latest research literature are included.

College Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Colleges: Education & Human Development.

Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.

SPED 2231. Introduction to Special Education. 3 Credit Hours.

This course examines Special Education practices in relation to both the history of the field and current laws governing the education and employment of individuals with disabilities. A focus on the categories of disabilities will include an examination of teaching strategies and accommodations that are used in meeting the needs of diverse learners.

Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.

SPED 3187. Integrated Literacy and Special Education Practicum. 3 Credit Hours.

This integrated practicum experience will provide opportunities for students to apply theoretical models and research-based instructional strategies in the area of literacy to middle grades students in inclusive classrooms. Focus will be placed on developmental, cognitive, physical, social, behavioral, processing and learning needs of students and how these needs relate to comprehending written text, specifically for students having disabilities. Particular emphasis will be focused on ways to connect information from the co-requisite literacy methods course and apply this knowledge to students with disabilities in the middle grades classroom. Differentiated instruction, response to intervention, appropriate curricular modification, and authentic assessment related to appropriate instructional decision-making are themes that run throughout this learning experience. NOTE: Background clearances required.

College Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Colleges: Education & Human Development.
Student Attribute Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Student Attributes: Clearance for Education.
Cohort Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Cohorts: EDCNDCY.

Co-requisites: MGRE 3196, MGRE 3296.

Repeatability: This course may be repeated for additional credit.

Pre-requisites: Minimum grade of C- in MGRE 4108, MAES 3145, and SPED 4109.

SPED 3201. Effective Instructional Strategies for Students with Moderate to Significant Disabilities. 3 Credit Hours.

This course is an introduction to effective instruction and strategies for teaching students with moderate to significant disabilities from pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade. The purpose of this course is to identify and understand specific evidence-based strategies that will positively impact student success particularly in the inclusive setting and across additional educational settings.

Field of Study Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Concentrations: Special Education.
Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Undergraduate.
College Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Colleges: Education & Human Development.
Student Attribute Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Student Attributes: Clearance for Education.
Cohort Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Cohorts: EDCNDCY.

Co-requisites: SPED 3287.

Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.

Pre-requisites: Minimum grade of C- in SPED 2231.

SPED 3211. Effective Instructional Strategies for Students with Disabilities. 3 Credit Hours.

This course is an introduction to effective instruction and strategies for teaching young students with disabilities from pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade. The purpose of this course is to identify and understand specific evidence-based strategies that will positively impact student success in the inclusive setting. Emphasis will be placed on strategies and activities specific to young learners, collaboration and communication strategies among professionals, technology in the classroom, and ways to address family participation and diversity in today's classroom.

College Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Colleges: Education & Human Development.
Student Attribute Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Student Attributes: Clearance for Education.
Cohort Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Cohorts: EDCNDCY.

Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.

Pre-requisites: Minimum grade of C- in SPED 2231.

SPED 3287. Practicum for Diverse Learners. 3 Credit Hours.

Practicum experience that provides opportunities for students to apply theories of learning and development.

Field of Study Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Concentrations: Special Education.
Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Undergraduate.
College Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Colleges: Education & Human Development.
Student Attribute Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Student Attributes: Clearance for Education.
Cohort Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Cohorts: EDCNDCY.

Co-requisites: SPED 3201.

Repeatability: This course may be repeated for additional credit.

Pre-requisites: Minimum grade of C- in SPED 2231.

SPED 3304. Effective Teaching Strategies and Academic Interventions. 3 Credit Hours.

This course overviews assessment and intervention strategies for learners with skill deficits. Learners with a diverse set of needs will be discussed in the course (e.g., neurotypical, autism, intellectual disability, emotional and behavioral disturbance, among others). The link between assessment and intervention will be emphasized throughout the course, with attention to effective practices for learners with diverse needs. Students enrolled in the course will learn how to select, administer, score, interpret, and report results for a variety of behavioral assessment methods that will be related to selecting interventions, monitoring student progress, and making decisions based upon data.

College Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Colleges: Education & Human Development.

Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.

SPED 3312. Methods and Curriculum for Students with Moderate to Severe Disabilities. 3 Credit Hours.

An examination of the assessment and remediation processes required in the education of individuals with moderate to severe disabilities. A special focus is the developmental and ecological assessment of this population and how this information can be used to develop instructional programs. NOTE: Students must register concurrently for SPED 3312, 3332, and 3487.

College Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Colleges: Education & Human Development.
Student Attribute Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Student Attributes: Clearance for Education.
Cohort Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Cohorts: EDCNDCY.

Co-requisites: SPED 3332, SPED 3487.

Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.

SPED 3332. Assessing and Teaching Students with Mild Disabilities. 3 Credit Hours.

This course will examine the assessment and intervention in the academic subject areas of students with mild learning problems. An emphasis will be on the understanding of learning differences and how to teach learning strategies that can accommodate those with learning differences. NOTE: Students must register concurrently for SPED 3312, 3332, and 3487.

College Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Colleges: Education & Human Development.
Student Attribute Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Student Attributes: Clearance for Education.
Cohort Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Cohorts: EDCNDCY.

Co-requisites: SPED 3312, SPED 3487.

Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.

SPED 3487. Practicum in Special Education. 3 Credit Hours.

Prerequisite for Special Education students with no background in education. Practicum meets half days during the regular semesters and full days in the summer. Must be admitted to the Certification program. NOTE: Students must register concurrently for SPED 3312, 3332, and 3487.

College Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Colleges: Education & Human Development.
Student Attribute Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Student Attributes: Clearance for Education.
Cohort Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Cohorts: EDCNDCY.

Co-requisites: SPED 3312, SPED 3332.

Repeatability: This course may be repeated for additional credit.

SPED 4103. Classroom Management and Positive Behavior Support. 3 Credit Hours.

This course provides an in-depth presentation of Positive Behavior Support (PBS) and its application in classroom systems to prevent challenging behavior and academic failure. Infused throughout the course will be intervention strategies that will allow for the accommodation of all children in the general-education system. The emphasis of the course will be proactive, constructive strategies that prevent, rather than react to, classroom difficulties.

Level Registration Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Levels: Undergraduate.
College Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Colleges: Education & Human Development.
Cohort Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Cohorts: EDCNDCY.

Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.

Pre-requisites: Minimum grade of C- in SPED 2231.

SPED 4105. Assessment in Special Education. 3 Credit Hours.

This course is designed to provide students with an understanding of assessment theory, the purposes of assessment and specific assessment techniques as they relate to the education of struggling students and students with disabilities. Emphasis is placed both on how assessment is used to identify students with disabilities and how assessment can be used to plan and monitor the effectiveness of instructional practices related to student learning and development in the classroom. We use a problem-solving approach in this course.

College Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Colleges: Education & Human Development.
Cohort Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Cohorts: EDCNDCY.

Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.

SPED 4106. Literacy Instruction for Young Children with Disabilities. 3 Credit Hours.

The focus of this course is to provide an understanding of how to identify and provide interventions for children who are having difficulty learning to read. This course begins with focusing on problems that may arise with the development of foundational literacy skills that include oral language development, phonological sensitivity, recognition and discrimination of print, and knowledge of letters. The course then focuses on problems that arise as children begin to learn to crack the code and begin identifying words. Finally issues regarding fluency and comprehension are addressed. The goal of the class is provide classroom teachers with strategies to understand a) the types of reading difficulties that children with special needs may experience and b) the various research-based intervention strategies that could be used to facilitate children's learning to read. Emphasis will be placed on understanding theories and interventions that surround literacy development for children in Pre-Kindergarten to grade 4 settings, with an additional exploration of how language and literacy are impacted by diversity, various disabilities and atypical behaviors. An equally important theme will be how to actually implement this knowledge in inclusive classrooms through appropriate assessment practices, research validated literacy interventions, developmental reading programs, evidence-based instructional practices, and content area materials. Other integral parts of literacy and language development, and writing, such as text production, spelling, and composition, co-teaching, collaboration with paraprofessionals and other related support staff, spoken language, communication skill development through assistive technology, and universal design in inclusive classrooms will be examined at the instructor's discretion. NOTE: Background clearances required.

College Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Colleges: Education & Human Development.
Student Attribute Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Student Attributes: Clearance for Education.
Cohort Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Cohorts: EDCNDCY.

Co-requisites: SPED 4105.

Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.

SPED 4109. Educating Students with Disabilities in Inclusive Settings. 3 Credit Hours.

This course is an introduction to effective strategies for teaching students with disabilities across age levels and content areas. Additional skills (e.g, study skills and self-determination) will be thoroughly discussed to demonstrate how these critical skills could be taught across content areas. The purpose of this course is to identify specific strategies that will aid in student success in the inclusive setting. Emphasis will be placed on evidence-based strategies and activities specific to elementary students, technology in the classroom, and ways in which to address diversity in today's classroom. This course has a field-based component which is designed to provide students with an understanding of assessment theory, the purposes of assessment and specific assessment techniques as they relate to the education of children with special needs. Emphasis will be placed both on how assessment is used to identify children with disabilities as well as how assessment can be used to plan and monitor the effectiveness of instructional practices as they relate to student learning and development in the classroom. A problem-solving approach will be employed. Students will be provided with the opportunity to apply the knowledge learned in the course in the classroom. NOTE: Background clearances required.

College Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Colleges: Education & Human Development.
Student Attribute Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Student Attributes: Clearance for Education.
Cohort Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Cohorts: EDCNDCY.

Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.

SPED 4196. Literacy Instruction for Students with Disabilities. 3 Credit Hours.

The focus of this course is to provide knowledge of a developmental language framework for pre-service early childhood, elementary grade, and special education teachers that will be the foundation for effective literacy instruction for struggling readers in inclusive settings including students with a wide range of abilities and disabilities. Emphasis is placed on understanding theories and interventions that surround language acquisition and literacy development for students in pre-kindergarten to grade 8 settings, with an additional exploration of how language and literacy are impacted by diversity and various disabilities.

College Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Colleges: Education & Human Development.
Student Attribute Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Student Attributes: Clearance for Education.
Cohort Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Cohorts: EDCNDCY.

Co-requisites: SPED 4105.

Course Attributes: WI

Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.

SPED 4198. Literacy Instruction and Assessment in Special Education. 3 Credit Hours.

This course is designed to provide students with an understanding of reading and assessment theory and skills. The skills and techniques from this class will help students develop the foundation for assessment of effective literacy instruction for struggling readers in inclusive settings including students with a wide range of abilities and disabilities. Emphasis is placed both on how assessment is used to identify students with disabilities in reading and other areas and how assessment can be used to plan and monitor the effectiveness of instructional practices related to student learning and development in the classroom. Moreover, students will learn how to use effective reading techniques and strategies to help struggling readers and students with other disabilities. In addition, this course has been designated as a writing intensive course. This means that the course has a specific instructional focus on professional writing related to teaching and assessing literacy of students with disabilities. Specifically, in this course students will learn how to (a) organize their writing for clear and professional communication; (b) incorporate technical terminology into their writing to describe students' current levels of performance, assessment results, and recommendations for instruction; and (c) write for varying audiences, including teachers, related services providers, administrators, and parents of children with disabilities. The writing assignments in the course are designed to teach students writing skills they will need to be successful as teachers who support students with disabilities in their development of literacy skills.

College Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Colleges: Education & Human Development.
Student Attribute Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Student Attributes: Clearance for Education.
Cohort Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Cohorts: EDCNDCY.

Co-requisites: ECED 4187, ECED 4802, SPED 4103.

Course Attributes: WI

Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.

SPED 4201. Effective Transition for Students with Disabilities. 3 Credit Hours.

The focus of this course is to provide knowledge and skill development in the areas of transition planning, self-determination, and collaboration among professionals, families, and students with disabilities in academic, vocational, and community settings. Emphasis will be placed on evidence-based practices in transition to enhance post-school outcomes, including assessment, instructional strategies, and identified predictors of post-school outcomes. Special attention will be given to knowledge about pre-K, elementary, middle school, and secondary transition to postsecondary education and employment, along with information on such important topics as transition-related legislation; local, state, and national resources; inclusive secondary education; self-determination, family involvement, interagency collaboration, and transition Individualized Education Programs (IEPs).

College Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Colleges: Education & Human Development.
Cohort Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Cohorts: EDCNDCY.

Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.

SPED 4331. Family and Interdisciplinary Collaborative/Consultation Skills. 3 Credit Hours.

This course will focus on the context, processes, and content for collaboration and consultation. The course will focus on the roles and responsibilities of special educators in collaborative and inclusion settings. The main theme of "teacher as decision maker" serves as the framework for teachers as they learn new skills/content to become effective collaborators and consultants. The core of the course will focus on building communication and partnerships skills so that educators can become better collaborators, team-teachers, and consultants. This includes serving as an advocate for students with disabilities and culturally diverse students in educational settings. Various components will also focus on how teachers can become more effective in their communication with parents/legal guardians.

College Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Colleges: Education & Human Development.
Student Attribute Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Student Attributes: Clearance for Education.
Cohort Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Cohorts: EDCNDCY.

Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.

SPED 4801. Senior Seminar and Performance Assessment in Special Education. 3 Credit Hours.

Students will be involved in experiences that prepare them for making the transition from college to the practice setting, and engage in activities that foster professionalism in school and community settings. The senior performance assessment, a requirement for teacher certification students, is also a part of the course. NOTE: This is a required course for all teacher certification candidates, which is taken during the student teaching semester.

College Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Colleges: Education & Human Development.
Student Attribute Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Student Attributes: Clearance for Education.
Cohort Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Cohorts: EDCNDCY.

Co-requisites: SPED 4888.

Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.

SPED 4888. Student Teaching in Special Education. 9 Credit Hours.

The special education student teaching experience is taken during the final semester of study before completion of the special education teacher preparation program requirements. Eligibility for graduation and recommendation for PreK-12 Special Education certification is contingent on the successful completion of this practicum. Students are provided with an opportunity to be in a classroom for 12 weeks full time and to put into practice what they have learned in their special education courses. Over the course of the semester, students will experience, in depth, the full role and meaning of teaching in special education and/or an inclusive classroom. Experiences include planning and organizing for instruction, developing classroom teaching competencies and skills, evaluating pupil progress, participating in extra-class activities, participating in the development of IEPs, working collaboratively with other school personnel, and utilizing school and community resources in the instructional program.

College Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Colleges: Education & Human Development.
Student Attribute Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Student Attributes: Clearance for Education.
Cohort Restrictions: Must be enrolled in one of the following Cohorts: EDCNDCY.

Co-requisites: SPED 4801.

Repeatability: This course may not be repeated for additional credits.

Pre-requisites: minimum GPA of 3 in: courses numbered 0700 to 4999.