College of Education and Human Services
Department of Special Education and Rehabilitative Sciences
SPECIAL EDUCATION BLOCK
The first semester of the senior year consists of “Special Education Block”. This block of courses includes 16
semester hours of courses including SPED 415 “Instructional Development and Strategies/Mild and Moderate”,
SPED 420 “Instructional Development and Strategies/ Severe and Profound”, SPED 411 “Educational Assessment
Practicum,” and SPED 425 “Behavior Management”. Most of the first seven weeks of the semester are spent on
campus. During this time, preservice teachers analyze case studies and develop IEPS, lesson plans, and training
plans for the students spotlighted in the case studies. On selected Fridays, the preservice teachers visit classrooms.
During the final eight weeks of the semester, preservice teachers are placed in two four-week placements. Four
weeks are spent in a class for students with mild/moderate disabilities (learning support or emotional support) and
three weeks are spent in a class for students with severe/profound/multiple disabilities (life skills support, multiple
disabilities support, some emotional support). Students do not have block partners during special education block.
Responsibilities
During these pre-student teaching experiences, the preservice teachers work with a cooperating professional
and assume instructional responsibility for a limited number or students or a limited number of classes. It is
expected that at the end of each four week placement, the preservice teacher will be able to teach all of the students
for at least half of the day or half of the students for all of the day. While doing so, the preservice teachers:
• plan and implement at least 30 lessons;
• complete assessments on a student with disabilities culminating in a comprehensive written
Individual Assessment Results Interpretation Summary which includes a table of test score
results, overall summary of tests results, interpretation of composite scores, identification of
relative strengths and needs, identification of specific content areas and skills in need of
remediation, and an instructional goals sheet identifying long term goals,
• develop a matrix of the students in the class and their IEP goals/objectives,
• plan and implement a short unit,
• design an interactive bulletin board,
• develop IEPs for two students with disabilities,
• plan and implement training plans and group activities with embedded instruction,
• complete an ecological inventory,
• participate in any support or inclusion activities occurring in the classroom
• plan and implement a behavior management program which must consist of baseline data and data
from the intervention as well as a review of the literature that supports the intervention. The
plan must be approved by the university supervisor and the cooperating professional. Plans to
develop new skills or to decrease inappropriate behaviors are accepted.
Evaluation
Each preservice teacher is supervised at least once weekly by a university supervisor during this field
placement. Preservice teachers are evaluated on their performance in the field placement and also on portfolios
submitted at the semester’s end. Preservice teachers who do not successfully complete the field component of
block do not pass the course.
Placements
All Special Education Block placements are made by the special education faculty teaching block.
In the rural area in which Clarion is located, the number of special education placements is limited. Therefore,
preservice teachers may be placed in programs in Butler, Greenville, or other sites typically thought of "outside the
service area." When this occurs, all efforts will be made to send two preservice teachers to the same building to
facilitate ride sharing.
Preservice teachers are not placed in districts where they went to school or in which relatives are enrolled or
employed.

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