Undergraduate Catalog

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Special Education (SPED) Undergraduate Programs

A211 EDUCATION BUILDING/(320) 308-2041
www.stcloudstate.edu/sped

Also see School of Education description and requirements.

Chairperson: Mary Beth Noll
Faculty: K. Johnson, Kaffar, Markell, Noll, Pickle, Rogers, Salk, Seo, Wellik

The Department of Special Education offers an undergraduate, comprehensive major, which leads to licensure to teach students with learning disabilities (LD), emotional/behavioral disorders (E/BD), or developmental disabilities (DD). Students complete a common sequence of coursework that is paired with field experiences in elementary, secondary, and special education settings. During the student teaching semester students are placed in both an elementary and a secondary special education setting and complete specialized coursework during a weekly senior seminar and a methods class. After obtaining one license at the undergraduate level, students will have completed a majority of coursework for additional licenses and may elect to finish another license at the graduate level. (See handbook information online at http://www.stcloudstate.edu/sped.)

A non-teaching minor in special education is also available to students in majors other than special education. It has been designed to provide a strong background in knowledge and applications that will prepare students to work with pupils with special needs in inclusive settings. The minor will also allow students planning to do graduate work in special education to complete some of the coursework at an undergraduate level. Admission to the minor program is initiated in the office of the Department of Special Education. Application for the minor may be made concurrently with a student's application to major program or after acceptance into a major program in another field.

Teacher candidates are required to pass specific tests in order to be licensed as a teacher in Minnesota. Registration information about these tests may be obtained from the Office of Clinical Experiences (EB-B120).

• Candidates seeking Minnesota teacher licensure in special education must pass the Reading, Writing, and Mathematics components of the Minnesota Teacher Licensure Exam (MTLE): Basic Skills in order to be admitted to the Major and Junior Block and to be recommended for licensure. Students must pass the Reading and Math portions of the MTLE: Basic Skills exam to be admitted to the major and Junior Block, but if only the Writing portion is failed, the student can be admitted to the major and Junior Block upon completion of SPED 306, Academic Writing Skills, with a grade of C or higher (not C-)
• Candidates must have taken the Minnesota Teacher Licensure Exam: Basic Skills is required in order to register for most 300- and 400-level courses, including Junior Block
• One additional test is required to earn a special education teaching license: Minnesota Teacher Licensure Exam: Special Education

Students desiring to obtain a major in special education should be particularly aware of the admissions procedures, which are outlined in the Undergraduate Special Education Handbook online at http://www.stcloudstate.edu/sped. While progressing through the major, there are four points at which the student must follow the appropriate admission procedures: a) admission to ED/SPED/CFS 200 field experiences; b) admission to Junior Block and application to the Major; c) admission to Senior Block and admission to Teacher Education; and d) admission to Student Teaching.

Admission to ED/SPED/CFS 200 Field Experience is initiated in the Office of Clinical Experiences, EB-B120.

Admission to Junior Block and Application to the Major. Applications are available in the Department of Special Education Office. Students apply to the major at the same time they apply to Junior Block. Following successful completion of Junior Block, students are fully admitted to the Major. For the field experience components of Junior Block, applications are to be obtained from and submitted to the Department of Special Education by the specified deadlines. Application deadlines are March 1 (for fall semester) and October 1 (for spring semester). In order to be eligible for admission to Junior Block, the student must have an overall grade point average of 2.65 or higher in courses taken at St. Cloud State University at the time the application is made. Prior to admission all students must complete the pre-professional skills test (PPST).   All students must have satisfactorily completed CEEP 262, ED/SPED/CFS 200, SPED 203, 420 or 421, 431, MATH 301, and CSD 468 with a grade of "C" or higher (not C-).

Admission to Teacher Education and Senior Block. Applications are available in the Department of Special Education Office. For the field experience component of Senior Block, applications are to be obtained from the Office of Clinical Experiences, EB B120, and must be submitted to the Department of Special Education by the specified deadlines. Application deadlines are March 1 (for fall semester) and October 1 (for spring semester). In order to be eligible for admission to the SPED Major, the student must have an overall grade point average of 2.75 or higher in courses taken at St. Cloud State University at the time of the application is made. All students must have completed Junior Block, MATH 330, and CEEP 361 with a grade of "C" or higher (not C-).

Admission to Teacher Education is a function of the Office of the Dean of the School of Education (EB A110). The instructions for admission to teacher education are found in the introductory section of this catalog for the School of Education.

Admission to Student Teaching will occur according to the Office of Clinical Experiences timelines, typically one year prior to the semester in which the student teaching semester is anticipated. Separate applications must be filed both in the Department of Special Education Office and the Office of Clinical Experiences. Student teaching will be based upon the following: a) an overall grade point average of 2.75 or better, b) completion of all major coursework and selected special requirements for licensure in Minnesota with a grade of "C" or higher (not C-), c) admission to major program, and d) admission to Teacher Education.

Bachelor of Science

Special Education Major (60)
SPED Core (13): SPED 203 (Goal 5), 204, 431, 420 (DD license) or 421 (LD and EBD licenses), CSD 468

Junior Block (16): SPED 338, 339, 405, 415 (LD and EBD) or CSD 466 + SPED 414 (DD), 418, 445

Senior Block (15): SPED 411, 416, 419, 455, 440

Student Teaching Semester (16): SPED 490 (1 cr.) and 15 credits of

1. developmental disabilities: SPED 447, 460, 461; or
2. emotional/behavioral disorders: SPED 422, 470, 471; or
3. learning disabilities: SPED 446, 480, 481

Special licensure requirements: CPR Certificates (child and adult); First Aid Certificate; SPED/ED/CFS 200, HURL 497, 498; HLTH 301; CEEP 262, 361, IM 422 (competencies required - see IM section), and MATH 301

Special Education Non Teaching Minor (19)
SPED 203 (part of Elementary Education requirements), 405, 419, 421, Two SPED Electives: (SPED 411, 415, 416, 420, 431, 445); Minnesota Teacher Licensure Exam: Basic Skills required for 400-level classes.