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DEPARTMENT OF SPECIAL EDUCATION
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| Chair: Terry
G. Cronis (251-380-2761) |
| Professor: Cronis |
| Associate Professors:
Ellis, Sachs, Shank, |
| Assistant Professor:
Baxter, Bullard |
| Instructor:
Power |
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| Department
of Special Education web site |
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| The Department
of Special Education prepares teachers who will
work with exceptional infants, toddlers, children
and youth. Persons who have a strong desire to
aid the personal and educational development of
students with special learning needs and capacities
would find the area of Special Education gratifying
and fulfilling. Assisting students who have the
greatest educational needs can provide much personal
and professional reward. |
| As a result
of many recently passed laws, standards, and educational
policies, there has developed a tremendous increase
in the demand for teachers trained to work with
students with mental retardation, emotional and
behavior disorders, learning disabilities, vision
or hearing impairments, communication disorders,
physical disabilities, or those who are gifted.
The special education teacher training programs
at the University of South Alabama are responding
to the acute needs for well-trained teachers that
school systems and agencies are currently experiencing. |
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| UNDERGRADUATE |
| The Department
of Special Education has two undergraduate specializations,
each leading toward a Bachelor of Science Degree:
Early Childhood Special
Education and Collaborative Teaching. |
| The programs
in Special Education are designed to prepare teachers
to function in a variety of settings with birth-through-high-school-level
students. |
| Students must
obtain a minimum grade of “C” in all
professional (block) courses in the area of Special
Education (i.e., 300-level or above courses which
carry the SPE prefix. |
| Non-majors seeking
enrollment in courses should obtain permission
from department chair in Special Education. Successful
completion of the program and eligibility for
the Bachelor of Science degree and/or teaching
certificate necessitates that requirements of
the Department of Special Education, the College
of Education, the University of South Alabama,
the Alabama State Department of Education, and
NCATE be met. |
| The Department
of Special Education places particular emphasis
upon the student-advisor relationship. Each advisor
has detailed information to aid the student’s
progress and to ensure that the many and various
requirements are met. Enrollments are limited
in some courses. Students should consult with
their advisors about the effect this may have
on their planned course of study. |
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| THE BACHELOR’S
DEGREE PROGRAM |
| All Special
Education undergraduate majors’ programs
include a minimum of 131 semester hours. Differences
in course work exist within the teaching areas
and advisors provide the specific course information
for each student. Professional courses are organized
into blocks all of which require both SPE 312
and 313 as prerequisites. The professional “block”
of courses begins once each year, in the fall. |
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| ADMISSION TO
CANDIDACY |
| Students must
apply at the Education Certification and Student
Services Office, College of Education, for admission
to teacher candidacy upon meeting candidacy requirements
and should have completed SPE 301 (or 400). All
previously listed requirements of the University
and College must have been met also. Student must
apply as early as possible preferably by the end
of the sophomore year. |
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| Minimum General
Studies (64 hours) |
| See College
of Education section or departmental advising
sheets for general
studies requirements. |
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| Professional
Studies (30 hours minimum) |
| To include:
SPE 301 or 400; EDF 315, 211; EPY 251 |
| Additional Professional
Studies: SPE 200, 205, 363, 410, 495; EDM 310. |
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Areas of Specialization
(34 hours)
Collaborative Teaching |
| SPE 200, 311,
312, 313, 342, 362, 373, 443, 454, 484; RED 330,
and SPA 290. Collaborative Teaching majors must
choose an Internship at K-6 or 6-12 level. |
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Areas of Specialization
(34 hours)
Early Childhood Special Education |
| SPE 200, 311,
312, 313, 342, 362, 373, 432, 433, 454; RED 330,
and SPA 290. |
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| GRADUATE |
| The graduate
program in Special Education prepares individuals
with or without
special education backgrounds to work with exceptional
children and youth. Students seeking Alabama Class
A Professional Certification may select programs
of study in the areas of Collaborative Teaching,
Early Childhood Special Education, and Gifted
and Talented provided they already have certification
in any area of
education. |
| Post-master’s
or Sixth-Year Graduate Programs which lead to
AA (State of Alabama) Professional Certification
and an Instructional Specialist Degree is available
for qualified individuals. On occasion, limited
resources may dictate that an online version of
the course will be the only offering in a given
academic year. |
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| ACADEMIC STANDARDS
AND STUDENT RESPONSIBILITY |
| Students should
be aware that the Department requires that certain
courses be taken in sequence. Advisors should
be consulted to obtain information about sequencing
and prerequisite course work. |
| A committee
consisting of graduate faculty members within
the Department will be selected by program advisors
to assist in planning students’ courses of
study. Such planned programs should be effected
before the completion of nine semester hours of
work. Planned programs will also indicate prerequisite
courses. Failure to follow the advised planned
program of study could result in the student being
blocked from registration. |
| The Special
Education Department requires that students who
receive a grade of “C” in their major
area (i.e., Early Childhood SPE, Collaborative
Teaching or Gifted) must repeat that course and
attain a grade of “B” or better. |
| Satisfactory
performance in all course work (an average of
“B” or better) is required of all graduate
Special Education majors; in the event of unsatisfactory
performance in a course not in their major area,
a students’ Graduate Program Committee selects
the option of repeating the course and demonstrating
satisfactory performance or demonstrating satisfactory
performance in an approved alternate course. |
| Students may
be permitted to do their internship during one
of their two final semesters in residence. This
is a joint decision between student and advisor. |
| Students are
assigned to advisors in their respective program
areas. No faculty member other than the assigned
advisor may advise Special Education students. |
| The student
has the sole responsibility for initiating applications
and meeting test and other deadline requirements. |
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| WRITTEN COMPREHENSIVE
EXAMINATION |
| Satisfactory
performance on a written comprehensive examination
is required of all graduate students prior to
the completion of their program. |
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| MASTER OF EDUCATION
DEGREE PROGRAM IN SPECIAL EDUCATION |
| The requirements
for the Master of Education include IDE 510, Educational
Research and Evaluation and a minimum of 33 semester
hours in the program specialization, as determined
by the student’s graduate faculty committee.
Students already certified in the same field of
special education as their graduate major (e.g.,
Collaborative Teaching) may qualify for a 36 semester
hour minimum program. Students changing fields
of study within special education qualify for
a 39 semester hour minimum program. Students with
no prior special education certification qualify
for a 45 semester hour minimum program. |
| Those students
seeking teacher certification must complete one
of the program areas detailed as follows: |
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| PROGRAM FOR
COLLABORATIVE TEACHING |
| The 36 semester
hour minimum program for the M.Ed. in the area
of Collaborative Teaching includes: |
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| Curriculum and
Teaching (six semester hours) |
| SPE 512, SPE
516 |
| Educational
Foundations (six-nine* semester hours) |
| *SPE 500 |
Select
One:
EDF 501, EDF 515 |
Select
One:
EPY 502, EPY 521 |
| Research and
Evaluation (three semester hours) |
| IDE 510 Educational
Research and Eval |
| Teaching Field
(21 semester hours) |
SPE 510, SPE
511, SPE 514, SPE 515,
SPE 517, SPE 591, SPE 592 |
| Electives (0-nine
semester hours) |
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Guided
electives to be selected with advisor approval. |
| *SPE 500 is
taken only if the student has not had a recent
undergraduate equivalent. It becomes an additional
part of the program. |
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| PROGRAM FOR
EARLY CHILDHOOD SPECIAL EDUCATION |
| The 36 semester
hour minimum program for the M.Ed. in the area
of Early Childhood SPE: |
| Curriculum and
Teaching (six semester hours) |
| SPE 512, SPE
516 |
| Educational
Foundations (six-nine semester hrs) |
| *SPE 500 |
| Select One: |
| EDF 501, EDF
515 |
| Select One: |
| EPY 502 |
| Research and
Evaluation (three semester hours) |
| IDE 510 |
| Teaching Field
(12 semester hours) |
SPE 432, SPE
433, SPE 510, SPE 515,
SPE 517, SPE 534, SPE 535 |
| Electives (0-nine
semester hours) |
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Guided electives to be selected
with advisor approval. |
| *SPE 500 is
taken only if the student has not had a recent
undergraduate equivalent. |
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| PROGRAM
FOR TEACHERS OF THE GIFTED AND TALENTED |
| The 36 semester
hour minimum program for the M.Ed. in the teaching
of the gifted and talented includes: |
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| Curriculum and
Teaching (six semester hours) |
| SPE 593, SPE
523 |
| Educational
Foundations (six-nine semester hrs) |
| *SPE 500 |
| Select One: |
| EDF 501, EDF
515 |
| Select One: |
| EPY 502, EPY
521, EPY 568 |
| Research and
Evaluation (three semester hours) |
| IDE 510 |
| Teaching Field
(9 semester hours) |
| SPE 521, SPE
522, SPE 590 |
| Electives (12
semester hours) |
| Guided electives
to be selected with advisor approval. |
| Suggested courses
include: SPE 514, SPE 515, SPE 592 |
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| *SPE 500 is
taken only if the student has not had a recent
undergraduate equivalent. The course then becomes
an added course to the program. |
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| ALTERNATIVE
M.Ed. IN COLLABORATIVE TEACHING |
| This is a special
alternative program for individuals with a baccalaureate
degree in non-teacher education fields. For specific
admission requirements see College of Education
general section of the Bulletin.
In general the program requires a minimum of 45
graduate hours. |
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| Prerequisites |
| SPE 443, SPE
311, SPE 489 |
| Curriculum and
Teaching (6 hours) |
| SPE 512, SPE
516 |
| Behavioral Studies/Foundations
(6 hours) |
| EPY 502, SPE
400 or 500 |
| Research and
Evaluation (3 hours) |
| EPY 455 or IDE
510 |
| Teaching Field
(21 hours) |
| SPE 510, SPE
511, SPE 515, SPE 517, SPE 518, SPE 589, SPE 591 |
| Technology (3
hours) |
| EDM 510 or ISD
585 |
| Internship (6
hours) |
| SPE 592, SPE
593 |
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| ***EPY 455,
SPE 443 and SPE 489 are restricted to graduate
students who have been fully admitted to the Alternative
Master’s Program or undergraduate students
who have met College of Education teacher education
candidacy requirements. |
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| NOTE: We require
all graduate students in Special Education (who
are not already certified in their field of study)
to observe a classroom or setting which is a model
of good teaching practice in their proposed field
of certification. Students are to observe one
full day twice each semester until they graduate. |
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| ADVANCED
GRADUATE STUDY: SIXTH-YEAR (POSTMASTER’S)
PROGRAMS IN SPECIAL EDUCATION |
| Postmaster’s
or Sixth-Year Graduate Programs which lead to
AA (State of Alabama) Professional Certification
and to an Instructional Specialist (Ed.S.) Degree
is available for qualified individuals. |
| In addition
to college requirements previously stated, students
seeking certification will have a graduate program
committee plan a program based upon the student’s
training, experience and needs. |
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| AA CERTIFICATE
IN SPECIAL EDUCATION |
| In addition
to the Core Courses required for the Instructional
Specialist program, the following courses are
required for the AA Certificate. |
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| COLLABORATIVE
TEACHING |
| Teaching
Field (18 semester hours) |
| SPE 699 Research
Project |
| Balance of course
work to be approved by student’s graduate
program committee. |
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| SPE 500 is taken
only if the student has not had a recent equivalent.
The course then becomes an added course to the
program. |
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| GIFTED AND TALENTED
EDUCATION |
| Teaching Field
(18 semester hours) |
| SPE 699 |
| Balance of course
work to be approved by student’s graduate
program committee. |
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| SPE 500 is taken
only if the student has not had a recent equivalent.
The course then becomes an added course to the
program. |
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