.. ..Julia Scherba de Valenzuela, Ph.D.
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SPCED 493: Teaching and Working with the Special Needs Population
Fall Semester, 1998
Section 002, Mondays 1:00-3:00
Student Services Center B20

Instructor: Julia Scherba de Valenzuela
devalenz@unm.edu
Education Office Building rm. 203
277-1406 (office) 277-6929 (fax) 277-5018 (appointments)
Office Hours: Mondays 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. or by appointment

Purpose of the Course:
The purpose of this course is to acquaint general education preservice teachers with some of the fundamental concepts and controversies in Special Education, so that they can interact and collaborate effectively with Special Education personnel in the school environment. Additionally, this course is designed to foster a sense of responsibility for all students that enter a teacher’s classroom and provide sufficient information on instruction and assessment so that the students in this course finish the semester with a feeling of competency in addressing the needs of a diverse student population, including students with disabilities.

Course Objectives:
To fulfill the general purpose stated above, students in this course will interact with material in the following areas:

 Course Design:
This course is designed so that students will interact actively with the course material -- small group projects, discussion of readings, and in-class activities, rather than instructor lecture, will make up the bulk of in-class sessions. Therefore, it is imperative that students arrive at each class having read all assigned readings. Graded assignments are designed to be instructional as well as providing as means of arriving at a final grade for each student. Therefore, less emphasis will be placed on quizzes and exams and more will rest on graded out-of-class assignments that rely on interpretation of course materials and application to teaching scenarios. Students’ ability to participate appropriately during in-class discussions and small group work will also factor into their final grade. Students who require special accommodations or instructional modifications need to notify the instructor by the beginning of the semester with appropriate documentation from the Learning Support Services Center (277-6670).

Attendance:
Attendance to class sessions is mandatory. Students who are absent more than three times will be dropped from the course. The first two absences will need to be made up with extra work at the discretion of the instructor. Tardy arrivals to class are not acceptable. Therefore, every two tardies will count as one absence.

Grading:
Final grades will be determined by a point system (X out of 100 total possible points). Fractionated grading will be used, with the following break down:

A+ = 98-100 C = 74-77
A = 94-97 C- = 70-73
A- = 90-93 D+ = 68-69
B+ = 88-89 D = 64-67
B = 84-87 D- = 60-63
B- = 80-83 F+ = 58-59
C+ = 78-79 F = below 57

  Assignments:
A wide variety of assignments will be provided, with the goal that they have an instructional, in addition to evaluative, function. An additional purpose will be to model alternative assessment techniques. These include:             100 total points possible Written directions for all assignments will be provided, along with the criteria for determining point values. All students will start off with the maximum total points possible (5) for class participation. Points will be deducted for conduct that is not conducive to learning and/or interferes with the learning of other students. Behaviors that are considered to interfere with learning (of the student him/herself or others) include: arriving to class unprepared, sleeping during class, lack of attention to instructor and/or other students when they are talking, use of inappropriate language during class or in written class assignments, and lack of cooperation and respect for instructor and peers during class discussions. Late assignments will receive a one (1) point deduction for every day late, with a limit of 7 days allowed. If assignments are not turned in within 1 week of the assigned date, they will not be accepted. If you will not be able to be in class, please arrange ahead of time for a friend to turn in your work either during class or before, during office hours. The only exception to this are the two written article summaries, which will not be accepted under any circumstances after the beginning of class on the last day due, as indicated on the course schedule.   Readings:
All assigned readings, other than the course text (which is **optional**), will be available on reserve in Zimmerman Library for 2 hour check-out. The course text is available at the campus bookstore. The readings referred to in this syllabus include the following list and all are required reading, although the instructor reserves the right to add or delete readings at any time during the semester. Additionally, please note that students will NOT be required to read all of the below readings -- some will be assigned to groups of students for the purposes of jigsaw activities or for comparative purposes (i.e. debates/discussions). The readings that will be assigned to alternative groups of students have an A, B, or C after the citation. Students will be assigned to a reading group during the first class session.

Course Text: OPTIONAL
Bos, C., Vaughn, S., & Schumin (1997). Teaching mainstreamed diverse and at-risk students in the general education classroom. Needham Heights, Mass: Allyn & Bacon.

  Readings on Reserve in Zimmerman: REQUIRED
Adelman, H. S. (1992). The classification problem. In W. Stainback & S. Stainback (Eds.), Controversial issues confronting special education: Divergent perspectives (pp. 97-108). Needham Heights, Mass: Allyn and Bacon. (A)

Baca, L. & de Valenzuela, J. S. (1994). Reconstructing the bilingual special education interface. Program Information Guide, No. 20. Washington, DC: National Clearinghouse for Bilingual Education.

Baca, L., & de Valenzuela, J. S. (1996). Practical and theoretical considerations for the assessment of culturally and linguistically diverse students. Albuquerque, NM: Alliance 2000.

Baca, L., de Valenzuela, J. S., & García, S. B. (1996). A new approach to prereferral intervention: The PEP model. Albuquerque, NM: Alliance 2000.

Graden, J. L., & Bauer, A. M. (1992). Using a collaborative approach to support students and teachers in inclusive classrooms. In S. Stainback & W. Stainback (Eds.), Curriculum considerations in inclusive classrooms: Facilitating learning for all students (pp. 85-100). Baltimore, MD: Paul H. Brookes.

Hill, R., de Valenzuela, J. S., Cervantes, H., & Baca, L. (1998). The education of children with exceptional needs. In L. Baca & H. Cervantes (Eds.), The bilingual special education interface (3rd ed., pp. 46-74). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Merrill. (B)

Lieberman, L. M. (1992). Preserving special education... For those who need it. In W. Stainback & S. Stainback (Eds.), Controversial issues confronting special education: Divergent perspectives (pp. 13-25). Needham Heights, Mass: Allyn and Bacon. (A)

Lipsky, D. K., & Gartner, A. (1992). Achieving full inclusion: Placing the student at the center of educational reform. In W. Stainback & S. Stainback (Eds.), Controversial issues confronting special education: Divergent perspectives (pp. 3-12). Needham Heights, Mass: Allyn and Bacon.

Lovitt, T. C. (1993). Recurring issues in special and general education. In J. I. Goodlad & T. C. Lovitt (Eds.), Integrating general and special education (pp. 49-71). New York: Merrill.

Rothstein, L. F. (1995). Special education law. (2nd ed.). White Plains, NY: Longman. (chapter 2 -- History of special education law)

Ruiz, N., Rueda, R., Figueroa, R. A., & Boothroyd, M. (1996). Bilingual special education teachers' shifting paradigms: Complex responses to educational reform. In M. S. Poplin & P. T. Cousin (Eds.), Alternative views of learning disabilities: Issues for the 21st century (pp. 371-395). Austin, TX: pro-ed.

Sleeter, C. E. (1986). Learning disabilities: The social construction of a special education category. Exceptional Children, 53(1), 46-54. (C)

Stainback, W., & Stainback, S. (1984). A rationale for the merger of special and regular education. Exceptional Children, 51(2), 102. (B)

Stainback, W., Stainback, S., & Moravec, J. (1992). Using curriculum to build inclusive classrooms. In S. Stainback & W. Stainback (Eds.), Curriculum considerations in inclusive classrooms: Facilitating learning for all students (pp. 65-84). Baltimore, MD: Paul H. Brookes.

Vergason, G. A., & Anderegg, M. L. (1992). Preserving the least restrictive environment. In W. Stainback & S. Stainback (Eds.), Controversial issues confronting special education: Divergent perspectives (pp. 45-54). Needham Heights, Mass: Allyn and Bacon. (C)

York, J., Giangreco, M. F., Vandercook, T., & Macdonald, C. (1992). Integrating support personnel in the inclusive classroom. In S. Stainback & W. Stainback (Eds.), Curriculum considerations in inclusive classrooms: Facilitating learning for all students (pp. 101-116). Baltimore, MD: Paul H. Brookes.
 
Class Schedule:
August - Introduction
8/24     Introduction     No Readings or Assignments Due
8/31     Introduction     Read: #9
September - Interactions in the Classroom
9/7      NO CLASS (Labor Day)     No Readings or Assignments Due
9/14     Hx of Sp Ed and Laws     Read: #10
9/21     Service Models     Read: #2
9/28     Service Models     Read: #7 (A), #13 (B), #15 (C)
            Conflicting Views Written Assignment Due
October - Environment
10/5     Labeling and Identification     Read: #1 (A), #6 (B), #12 (C)
10/12   Labeling and Identification Read:  #11
            Conflicting Views Group Assignment Due
            Last Day to Turn in 1st Article Summary
10/19   Assessment     Read: #3
10/26   Assessment     Read: #8
November - Style and Strategies
11/2     Prereferral Intervention     Read: #4
11/9     Curricular Modification     Read: #14
            Mock Inservices Due
11/16   Assessment     Read: #17
            Language Arts Lesson Adaptation Due
11/23   Disability Prevention     Read: #TBA
            Last Day to Turn in Late Assignments for Feedback (but no grade) and
            2nd Article Summary for Feedback prior to Portfolio Construction
11/30   TBA     TBA
December - Professionalism
12/7     Collaboration     Read: #5
12/14   Final Exam     Portfolio Due & Last Day to Turn in 2nd Written Article Summary for Grade
 
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Last updated: August 9, 1999