Students with Disabilities
Requirements
During student teaching within a single placement, each teacher candidate is required to obtain experience in both content/general education and students with disabilities. While the candidate’s edTPA will be completed in content/general education as a means of providing documentation of that experience, students with disability’s experiences will be verified via documentation similar to the time log used in field experiences. During the first weeks of student teaching, a plan for obtaining experience with students with disabilities should be established among the teacher candidate, School-based Teacher Educator (SBTE), and college supervisor. This experience must occur for at least 20 days during the semester.
Possible Classroom Settings
- In an inclusive classroom setting, the student teaching candidate can collaborate with the SBTE and special educator to offer individualized or small group instruction for students with IEPs or 504 plans on a regular basis throughout the placement.
- If no students with disabilities are in the assigned placement, the student teaching candidate can work with the SBTE to identify a special education teacher(s) (i.e. consultant teacher, co-teacher, resource room, or self-contained classroom teacher) who will work with the candidate to obtain this experience. The candidate and special educator can then develop an alternative plan to teach students with disabilities in a different setting (e.g. using an open period to teach in a special education classroom or a resource room on a regular basis over the course of the semester).
- In consultation with the SBTE, develop a unique plan that will involve teaching students with disabilities on a regular basis throughout the semester.
Documentation & Assessment of Experience
- The college supervisor will complete at least one observation of the candidate teaching students with disabilities.
- Teacher candidates can complete the Students with Disabilities Documentation form electronically or on paper. It then must be signed by the student teaching candidate, the SBTE, the special educator, and college supervisor with an original (not electronic) signature. Once complete, teacher candidates will upload the form to Tk20.
Suggestions for Meeting the Requirement
- Provide a safe and positive learning environment for students with disabilities.
- Develop, select, adapt, and/or use a repertoire of evidence-based instructional strategies to advance student learning.
- Conduct formal and/or informal assessments of student knowledge and/or skills.
- Conduct regular and ongoing assessment of student progress on specified knowledge and/or skills.
- Analyze assessment data to document student progress.
- Develop an individualized student intervention plan (academic or behavioral).
- Participate in developing or revising a student’s Individualized Education Plan (IEP) or 504 Plan, including use of any specified technology (e.g. IEP Direct).
- Participate in the implementation of a Response to Intervention (RTI) including developing interventions and ongoing assessments.
- Participate in (a) Committee on Special Education (CSE) IEP meeting(s).
- Participate in other meetings as appropriate (e.g. Instruction Support Team).
- Participate in any afterschool programs specifically geared toward helping students with special needs.
- Other specified teaching tasks as determined by the SBTE and special educator
Students with Disabilities Documentation Form (word document)