Special Education (SPED)

SPED 301 INTRODUCTION TO SPECIAL EDUCATION (3)

Historical, philosophical, legal foundations of special education as related to current issues and practices in educational settings.

SPED 350 LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT AND DISORDERS IN EDUCATIONAL SETTINGS (3)

Review of neurological, structural, cognitive, and perceptual bases of normal and disordered language and their relationship to language, literacy, and learning in children. Prerequisites: PSYC 101; major standing (not open to SPPA majors).

SPED 391 CLINICAL EXPERIENCE I (1)

Supervised clinical experience. Experience is aligned with program curricula that encompass the curricula of the intended licensure area. Clinical experience fee will be assessed. Prerequisite: consent of department.

SPED 392 CLINICAL EXPERIENCE II (1)

Supervised clinical experience working with students with disabilities. Experience is aligned with program curricula that encompass the curricula of the intended licensure area. Clinical experience fee will be assessed. Prerequisite: consent of department.

SPED 401 CURRICULUM/METHODS OF INCLUSION (3)

Designing and implementing inclusive programs. Prerequisite: SPED 301.

SPED 413 USING EVIDENCE BASED PRACTICES TO ADDRESS STUDENT VARIABILITY (3)

Practical application of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and the use of instructional and assistive technologies to support learners with disabilities; evidence-based strategies that increase access to the general education curriculum for students with disabilities, multilingual learners, and gifted students. Lab/Class fee will be assessed. Prerequisites: major status, consent of department.

SPED 425 FORMAL TESTS AND MEASUREMENTS FOR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES (PREK-12) (3)

Assessment techniques; philosophical rationale; current research; intervention strategies. Prerequisites: 6 units PSYC; 9 units SPED or consent of instructor.

SPED 427 CURRICULUM/METHODS OF SOCIAL EMOTIONAL AND MOTOR DEVELOPMENT FOR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES PREK-12 (3)

Curriculum theory, research, instructional techniques for students with disabilities. Prerequisites: 6 units SPED or consent of instructor.

SPED 428 WORKING WITH FAMILIES OF STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES (3)

Communication skills, human relations; parent counseling and conferencing. Prerequisites: SPED 301 and consent of SPED instructor.

SPED 429 CURRICULUM/METHODS OF CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT FOR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES (3)

Theoretical foundations, development or practical interventions. Prerequisites: SPED 301 and consent of SPED instructor.

SPED 430 INFORMAL TESTS AND MEASUREMENTS FOR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES (PREK-12) (3)

Assessment, diagnosis, prescriptive techniques; procedures, administration, interpretation, programming. Prerequisites: SPED 301 and consent of SPED instructor.

SPED 441 CURRICULUM/METHODS OF INSTRUCTION FOR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES (PREK-12) (3)

Characteristics affecting learning, designing educational programs. Observations in appropriate settings and guest lecturers in specialty area. Prerequisites: 6 units in PSYC and 6 units in education.

SPED 445 MATHEMATICAL METHODS FOR SPECIAL EDUCATORS (3)

Prepares future special education teachers to teach mathematics to K–12 students with diverse learning needs. Grounded in evidence-based practices for teaching math, the course emphasizes research-based instructional methods, cognitive learning principles, and assessment-driven differentiation. Focus areas include explicit instruction, number sense development, conceptual understanding, procedural fluency, and accommodations/modifications for IEP-aligned instruction across elementary and secondary grades. Prerequisites: major standing; consent of department.

SPED 447 LITERACY INSTRUCTION AND ASSESSMENT FOR SPECIAL EDUCATORS I (3)

Evidence-based reading and writing instruction aligned with the science of reading to develop fluency, vocabulary, comprehension, and written expression. Teacher candidates will assess literacy using formal and informal tools, analyze student data, and differentiate instruction for students with and without disabilities within a multi-tiered system of support (MTSS). Emphasis is placed on responsive practices for diverse and multilingual learners, ethical data use, and collaboration with stakeholders to support literacy development in diverse classrooms. Prerequisites: EESE, ECSE or SPED major standing; consent of department.

SPED 448 LITERACY INSTRUCTION AND ASSESSMENT FOR SPECIAL EDUCATORS II (3)

Evidence-based reading and writing instruction aligned with the science of reading to develop fluency, vocabulary, comprehension, and written expression. Teacher candidates will assess literacy using formal and informal tools, analyze student data, and differentiate instruction for students with and without disabilities within a multi-tiered system of support (MTSS). Emphasis is placed on responsive practices for diverse and multilingual learners, ethical data use, and collaboration with stakeholders to support literacy development in diverse classrooms. Prerequisites: SPED 447; EESE, ECSE and SPED major standing; consent of department.

SPED 453 TRANSITION ACROSS THE LIFESPAN (3)

Practical application of legal requirements and examination of issues and trends for preparing students with disabilities for the transition across the lifespan, transition-related instruction, postsecondary programs and adaptability into employment, post-secondary, and adult settings, including prevocational and vocational methodologies, student-centered planning and interagency linkages. Prerequisite: major standing or consent of department.

SPED 468 COLLABORATION IN SPEC EDUCATION (3)

Provides teacher candidates with the knowledge and dispositions necessary for successful collaborative teaching. Prerequisite: consent of department.

SPED 469 COLLABORATIVE TEACHING IN THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL (3)

Provides general education and special education teacher candidates with the knowledge and dispositions necessary for successful collaborative teaching. Prerequisite: 9 units in SPED.

SPED 470 SPECIAL TOPICS IN SPECIAL EDUCATION (1-3)

In-depth study of a selected topic in Elementary Education. The specific requirements and prerequisites will vary with each topic and will be designated by the department each time a topic is scheduled. May be repeated for a maximum of 6 units provided a different topic is covered.

SPED 491 CLINICAL EXPERIENCE III (3)

Supervised clinical experience working with students with disabilities. Experience is aligned with program curricula that encompass the curricula of the intended licensure area. Prerequisite: consent of department. Clinical experience fee will be assessed.

SPED 493 SEMINAR IN INTERNSHIP (3)

Readings, action research and discussion on school environments, instructional delivery, diagnosis/evaluation, classroom management policies. Corequisite: SPED 498.

SPED 496 INTERNSHIP: STUDENTS WITH DIABILITIES (SECONDARY/ADULT PROGRAMS) (3)

Supervised clinical field experience with students with disabilities at the middle and high school level prior to internship. Prerequisites: 12 units of SPED and consent of coordinator of secondary special education. Clinical experience fee will be assessed.

SPED 497 INTERNSHIP: STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES IN INFANT/PRIMARY PROGRAMS (3)

Supervised clinical field experience with young children with disabilities. Prerequisites: 12 units SPED and consent of the program director. Clinical experience fee will be assessed.

SPED 498 CLINICAL EXPERIENCE IV (12)

Clinical experience in a Maryland school classroom under the on-site supervision of a master teacher and with support from a university supervisor. Experience is aligned with program curricula that encompass the curricula of the intended licensure area and includes documented observations and feedback. Graded S/U. Prerequisite: consent of department. Clinical experience fee will be assessed.