Special Education

Roosevelt’s program in special education is a PreK–age 21 certification program leading to a Type 10 special education certificate with LBS1 endorsement. Completion of the program qualifies graduates to teach children with all areas of special education needs, with the exception of sensory impairments and communication disorders. The LBS1 classification includes the former categories of learning disabilities, mental retardation, severe emotional and behavior disorders, other health impairments, traumatic brain injury, autism, and physical disabilities. In addition to a well-rounded general education program of study, undergraduates are required to complete the sequence of professional courses below during their junior and senior years.

Prerequisites

Please note that EDUC 200, 210, and SPED 261 must be passed with grades of B or better as prerequisites for all other education courses.

Clinical experience

Field experiences in special education involve urban and suburban placements and must include culturally diverse student populations. Experiences consist of involvement in special education settings ranging from inclusion to self contained, and involve teacher candidates in individual, small group, and whole class instruction, observation, and participation in community based activities.

Placement in student teaching is planned with consideration for each student’s needs and interests. Each student is supervised by a College of Education faculty member as well as a resident, experienced teacher. Formal application is required approximately two semesters in advance of student teaching. It is open only to those students who have successfully completed all the appropriate general education, methods, and field experience courses as well as other certification requirements such as the content test required by Illinois state regulations. No other course may be taken during student teaching. Details of other College policies with respect to field placements can be found on the College of Education website.

Students are advised that school districts require transcripts for all placement applicants. School districts may deny a placement if the student’s academic record does not meet their standards. School districts may also require an interview before accepting a student for a placement. If a student's application for placement is rejected three times due to academic or interview concerns, the Office of Field Placements will no longer attempt to obtain a placement and the student will be notified of the need for a Student Performance Review, per the guidelines listed on the College of Education website.

Certification Requirements

The special education program area requires satisfactory scores on the ICTS Basic Skills Test prior to enrolling in education course work, the LBS1 content area test prior to enrolling in student teaching, and the Special Education General Curriculum test and the Assessment of Professional Teaching prior to certification. Students must consult a special education advisor to determine which courses (Roosevelt or transferred) are acceptable toward fulfillment of the Illinois requirements for certification. Students completing the program and applying for Type 10 certification must meet the general education requirements listed below.

Courses in history may be applied toward either the humanities or social science requirement, but not both. Students who intend to teach at the middle school level are strongly recommended to include an 18-semester-hour concentration in a teachable content area in addition to EDUC 313, Foundations of Middle School. Three of these courses must be taken at the 300-level. Students who intend to teach at the high school level are recommended to have a 32 semester hour major in a teachable subject at the high school level.