Valparaiso University Undergraduate Advising Checklist for:
Special Education
AND
Adolescent/Young Adult (Secondary) Developmental Level
(Effective Fall, 2001 for freshman and sophomores entering program)

Name: ________________________________        Date ___________________
Advisor: _____________________________________

I.    Special Education Course Work

1. In order for it to be possible to complete all requirements for Secondary Education and the additional special Education content area, these two courses must be taken no later than the sophomore year (second year) of enrollment at Valparaiso University. If taken later than the sophomore year, the sequence of courses for this content area can not be completed in a four-year time span. These two courses can be taken before admission to teacher education with no special approvals required.

   Course                                                                            Semester     Grade
                                                                                              Taken        Earned
   SPED 347    Characteristics of Individuals
           with Mild Disabilities II (3 Cr.)                                _____        _____
               (Spring)
   
   SPED 348    Observation of Individuals with
           Mild Disabilities (1 cr.)                                            _____        _____
               (Spring)

   NOTES:

   1. SPED 347 is a prerequisite for SPED 441, SPED 444, SPED 450, SPED 451 and SPED 489. You will not be able to complete on-line registration for any of the higher level Special Education courses unless you have taken SPED 347.
   2. SPED 347 and SPED 348 (Spring Only)
      
      

2. Other required special education course work taken after Admission to Teacher Education.

   SPED 440     Learning Exceptionalities (3cr.)            _____        _____
           (Fall,Spring,&Summer)
   
   SPED 441    Assistive Technology (1 cr.)
           (Fall Only)                                                                   _____        _____
   
   
   SPED 444      Assessment is Special Education (3 cr.)   _____        _____
       Prerequisite for SPED 444: SPED 347
           (Fall Only)
   
   SPED 489    Teaching the Individual with
       Mild Disabilities (Grades 6-12) (3 cr.)                         _____        _____
       Prerequisite for SPED 489: SPED 347
       Prerequisite or Co-requisite for SPED 489: SPED 444
           (Fall Only)
   
   SPED 448    Teaching Practicum with Individuals
       with Mild Disabilities (Grades 9-12) (1 cr.)                 _____        _____
       SPED 448 must be taken in the same semester as SPED 489.
           (Fall Only)
   
   SPED 450    Models of Collaboration and
       Consultation in Special Education (3cr)                      _____        _____
       Prerequisite for SPED 450: SPED 347
           (Spring Only)
   
   SPED 451    Applied Behavior Analysis (3 cr.)              _____        _____
       Prerequisite for SPED 451:  SPED 347
           (Fall Only)
   
   SPED 449    Supervised Teaching in General and
       Special Education (12 cr.)                                             _____        _____
       Prerequisites for SPED 449: SPED 489 and SPED 446 C
           (Professional Semester)
   
   
3. Other Required Course Work
   
   SPED 466     Teaching Reading to Students with
           Disabilities (3 cr.)    (Fall Only)                               _____        ______
   
       NOTE: Prerequisite to ED 465 and 466 – 3 credits of reading coursework.
   
   
4. Developmental Level Course Work
   
   The following developmental level course work is also required. Consult your advisor for the checklist that addresses these courses. This list is provided here as a reminder that these courses must also be successfully completed in order to earn a teaching license.
   
   ED 203    ED 457       
   ED 204    ED 460       
   ED 305    ED 474     
   ED 370    ED 485
        
   
5. Sequence of Course Work
   
   
   1. Freshman or sophomores may take SPED 347 and SPED 348. Both courses are taught in only the Spring semester of every year. These courses must be completed by end of sophomore year to complete this content area in four years.
   2. Juniors take SPED 440. SPED 440 is taught every Fall and Spring semester. SPED 440 can not be taken until after admission to teacher education.
   3. Juniors or senior may take SPED 441, SPED 444, SPED 489, SPED 448, SPED 450, and SPED 451. SPED 444, SPED 489, SPED 448, and SPED 451 are taught fall semester of every year. SPED 450 is taught spring semester of every year.
   4. SPED 449 – Student teaching – is typically taken in the Spring semester of the student’s final year at Valparaiso University. If it is necessary to do SPED 449 during the fall semester, special permission from the Professional Development and Placement office is needed to arrange this.
      
      
6. Important Notes
   
   
   1. Special Education in now considered a content area like Math, English, Social Studies, etc. for licensing purposes (not for Valparaiso University degree purposes). There are no more reading or special education endorsements in the new licensing system. In the new licensing system, you will have Exceptional Needs Education: Mild Interventions as the special education content area on your license. In order to have this on your license, you will need to take the correct PRAXIS II Special Education Content Area tests and obtain the passing score on this test. (For rules 2002, take tests 0353 and 0542. For rules 46-47 take tests 0351 or 0353 and 0381.)
      
      
   2. Exceptional Needs Education: Mild Interventions includes the student categories of emotional/behavioral disabilities, learning disabilities, and mild mental retardation.
   3. The list of classes on this check sheet qualifies you to teach students with mild disabilities only in grades one through six. If you want to be qualified to teach special education in grades 1 through 12, you must also take the following course:
      
      SPED 445    Teaching the Individual with
          Mild Disabilities (Grades 1-6) (3 cr.)                 _____        _____
          Prerequisite or co-requisite to SPED 445: SPED 444.
          SPED 444 and SPED 445 are taught fall semester of every year.