ESP 502: Legal and Parental Issues in Special Education. This course reviews pertinent legislation concerning human and constitutional right and parental issues related to special persons. Teachers' specific responsibilities and liabilities are described and related to current requirements for development of appropriate educational programs. Emphasis is given to how, through active parent participation, teachers can facilitate each student's developmental progress. The resources and methods for dealing with the problems confronted by parents of exceptional children are considered, field hours required. CREDIT: THREE SEMESTER HOURS.
ESP 504: Theories of Reading & Educational Practices P-12. This course will concentrate on the best practices for teaching reading to students with learning and behavioral difficulties. Candidates will conduct research on literacy problems in the United States and examine reading approaches for students with reading difficulties. Understanding of best practice strategies for teaching of reading will be applied through a research paper project, field hours required. CREDIT: THREE SEMESTER HOURS.
ESP 505: Teaching Mathematics to Children and Youth with Learning & Behavior Disorders. The primary focus of this course is on teaching of mathematics to children and youth with learning and behavior disorders. The overall context in which these teaching approaches are considered are the national curricular reforms in mathematics. Clearly, this course primarily attends to the domains of pedagogy, pedagogy and its relationship to subject matter, curriculum, and pedagogical content knowledge. Given that, the learner must always be considered and that the general context of instruction in the school, the domains of the learners and schools are emphasized, however to a lesser degree in this course. Specific attention is provided in this course to the teaching that responds to the reform recommendations identified by National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) and higher standards in mathematics education present in KERA, field hours required. CREDIT: THREE SEMESTER HOURS.
ESP 507: Introduction to Special Education. This course will provide information and knowledge on legislation and litigation in special education. A historical overview of the field of special education will be presented. Characteristics of children and youth with disabilities, especially learning disabilities and behavior disorders, will be presented, field hours required. CREDIT: THREE SEMESTER HOURS.