EDUC 205 - Introduction to Special Education

(3 credits)

This course covers the history of the special education movement, the legal basis for special education and the relationship between special education and general education. The principles of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and No Child Left Behind (NCLB) are examined, with special focus on their relationship to each other and to the Response to Intervention (RtI) model. Emphasis is on understanding research based teaching practices required for both general and special education settings. Understanding and programming for diversity in the classroom to include students with language and cultural differences as well as cognitive differences is addressed through explicit instruction, assignments and clinical experiences. Students also explore the influence of technology on current teaching practices. This course fulfills all of the PDE Special Education candidate competencies for Professional and Ethical Practices. Prerequisite:

EDUC 150

Students will complete four hours of field experience in an area school or educational setting.