Master of ArtsSpecial Education - Teacher Leader

Course Map

The online master's in special education teacher leader program includes 30 credit hours and takes approximately two years to complete.

Professional Core Courses (15 credit hours)

Take all of the following:

ED 655:Empowerment for Teacher Leadership

Candidates develop a Teacher Leader Professional Growth Plan, based on self-assessment of teacher leadership skills and input from principals. They will identify a topic for the
Action Research Project to be implemented in their classroom.

ED 665: Research Methods

Candidates will determine research method(s) for their action research projects and
identify the project participants (must be from their own classrooms).

ED 670 & 675: Action Research Practicum I/II

Candidates will continue refinement of action research projects and receive feedback on
project implementation (professor, peers, professional learning communities in schools). Teacher Leader Professional Growth Plan is monitored and progress reported through collegial discussions and in a reflection paper.

ED 690: Supervision of Instruction

Candidates will learn effective mentoring techniques and be trained as resource
teachers for the KY Teacher Internship Program. They will be prepared to serve in the role of supervising both student teachers and interns. They will present to their peers, professional learning communities in their schools, and SBDM Councils the results of from implementing the Action Research Projects. Teacher Leader Professional Growth Plans will be assessed.

ED 696: Effective Strategies for Improved Student's Classroom Behavior

Candidates will refine their knowledge and understanding of behavioral assessment and intervention strategies that have been effective for individuals with a wide range of disabilities. They will design and implement comprehensive behavior management plan.

Professional Proficiency Courses (15 credit hours)

Take all of the following:

SED 695: Advanced Assessment and Instructional Strategies for Diverse Learners

This course will provide appropriate pertinent experiences in test administration and interpretation applied to diverse learners and informed use of assessment data. The administrator of formal achievement testing and informal measures of assessment will
be discussed. Emphasis will be on making eligibility, program, and placement decisions for diverse learners. With student learning being at the core of the School of Education's conceptual framework, such advanced experiences related to assessment and using such assessments effectively to design appropriate responses to student work is crucial to classroom and student success.

SED 696: Effective Strategies for Improving Students' Classroom Behavior

This course is designed to provide students with knowledge and understanding of behavioral assessment and intervention strategies that have been effective for individuals with a wide range of disabilities including: EBD, LD, MMD, and ASD. Students will learn to (a)
identify and assess problem behavior, (b) design and implement behavioral interventions, (c) design learning environments that will prevent problem behaviors, (d) apply behavioral procedures in educational settings, and (e) understand interconnections between biological, cognitive, social, and emotional dimensions of behavior.

SED 697: Learning Disabilities: Foundations, Assessment and Strategies for Success for All Students

All learners possess unique characteristics, interests, and abilities. Educators are responsible for connecting instructional planning to individual strengths and needs of learners with disabilities. This advanced course serves to deepen students' understanding of all learners. Students will review the federal and state definitions of specific learning disabilities, eligibility criteria for support services, the regulations that govern such service, and the instructional responsibilities of all teachers of students with mild to moderate learning disorders. Theories, current issues such as cultural and linguistic diversity of students, inclusion, differentiating instruction for diverse learners, different assessment processes, early intervention strategies and the standards-based education reform movement are 108 broadly addressed. The course will provide strategies to make teaching and learning more effective in increasingly
diverse schools.

SED 698: Designing and Assessing Effective Instruction in Mathematics

The primary focus of this course is an in-depth examination of the teaching of mathematics to children with learning and behavioral disorders. The overall context in which these researched-based best practices are considered are the national curricular reforms in
mathematics. Clearly, this course primarily attends to domains of pedagogy, and its relationship to subject matter, curriculum, and pedagogical content knowledge. Specific attention is provided in this course to the teaching that responds to the reform recommendations identified by National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM).
Candidates will demonstrate their understanding of best practice mathematics instruction for exceptional children through a case-study project.

SED 699: Reading Theories and Practice

This course focuses on effective reading instruction, building on teacher knowledge, assessment, effective practice, differentiated instruction and family/home connections. Teachers will learn evidence-based reading strategies to become highly effective reading teachers who understand how to use Response to Intervention (RTI) with all students and students with special needs. Field experiences provide opportunities for teachers to collaborate with public school practitioners to help a struggling reader.