Minnesota Administrative Rules

8710.5400 TEACHERS OF SPECIAL EDUCATION: DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES.

Subpart 1.

Scope of practice.

A teacher of special education: developmental disabilities is authorized to provide evaluation and specially designed instruction to eligible students from kindergarten through age 21 who have a broad range of cognitive disabilities and deficits in adaptive behavior. Teachers collaborate and consult with families, other classroom and special education teachers, and specialized service providers in designing and implementing individualized education program plans.

Subp. 2.

License requirements.

A candidate for licensure to teach students from kindergarten through age 21 who have a broad range of cognitive disabilities and deficits in adaptive behavior shall:

A.

hold a baccalaureate degree from a college or university that is regionally accredited by the association for the accreditation of colleges and secondary schools;

B.

demonstrate the standards of effective practice for licensing of beginning teachers enumerated in part 8710.2000;

C.

demonstrate core skill requirements in part 8710.5000; and

D.

show verification of completing a Board of Teaching preparation program approved under chapter 8705 leading to the licensure of teachers of special education: developmental disabilities enumerated in subpart 3.

Subp. 3.

Subject matter standard.

A candidate for licensure as a teacher of special education: developmental disabilities must complete a preparation program under subpart 2, item D, that must include the candidate's demonstration of the knowledge and skills in items A to E.

A.

Foundational knowledge. A teacher of special education: developmental disabilities understands the foundations of special education services for students with developmental disabilities on which to base practice. The teacher must demonstrate knowledge of the:

(1)

historical and philosophical foundations, legal bases, and contemporary issues pertaining to the education of students with a broad range of cognitive disabilities and deficits in adaptive behavior;

(2)

etiology, characteristics, and classifications of developmental disabilities;

(3)

educational definitions, issues related to identification, and eligibility criteria pertaining to students with developmental disabilities, including those from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds;

(4)

general developmental, academic, social and behavioral, and functional characteristics of individuals with developmental disabilities as they relate to levels of support needed;

(5)

impact of research-based theories of cognition, communication, and behavior on the education of students with developmental disabilities;

(6)

social-emotional aspects of developmental disabilities, including supports necessary to foster adaptive behavior, social competence, social participation, and self-determination;

(7)

impact of coexisting conditions and multiple disabilities; and

(8)

medical terminology and implications of medical conditions for students with developmental disabilities, including the role of other professionals in meeting educational needs.

B.

Referral, evaluation, planning, and programming. A teacher of special education: developmental disabilities understands and applies principles of prevention and intervening early and procedures for referral, assessment, evaluation, individualized planning, programming, and placement specific to teaching students with developmental disabilities. The teacher must be able to:

(1)

collect and interpret data and information specific to research-based interventions and supports provided prior to referral and integrate into the special education evaluation processes;

(2)

select, administer, and interpret assessments for students with developmental disabilities, accounting for technical adequacy, ethical concerns, expressive and receptive communication needs, use of necessary assistive technologies, and communicate the results to students, families, educators, and other professionals;

(3)

integrate multiple methods of collecting data from students, parents, families, teachers, and other professionals for the purpose of evaluation and planning, developing, implementing, and evaluating individualized education programs;

(4)

adapt and modify data collection procedures to accommodate the abilities and needs of students with developmental disabilities;

(5)

assess, accommodate, and modify the environmental conditions that impact academic achievement and functional performance;

(6)

support the use and maintenance of orthotic, prosthetic, assistive, and adaptive equipment in collaboration with parents and specialists;

(7)

support and manage student health needs and plan for emergency situations in collaboration with parents and medical professionals;

(8)

design individualized education program plans, considering a range of educational placement options and required levels of support in the least restrictive environment, that integrate student strengths, needs, assessment results, and student and family priorities, incorporating academic and nonacademic goals; and

(9)

address factors that influence the disproportional identification of culturally, linguistically, and socioeconomically diverse students as students with developmental disabilities.

C.

Instructional design, teaching, and ongoing evaluation. A teacher of special education: developmental disabilities understands how to use individualized education program plans to design, implement, monitor, and adjust instruction for students with developmental disabilities. The teacher must be able to:

(1)

integrate knowledge of evidence-based instruction, including scientifically based research interventions when available, in language development, reading, writing, and mathematics with characteristics of developmental disabilities in order to design, implement, monitor, and adjust instruction aligned with grade-level content standards;

(2)

apply evidence-based instructional strategies and practices, including functional, community-based instruction, task analysis, multisensory, and concrete or manipulative techniques, to facilitate acquisition of academic and functional skills in the least restrictive environment;

(3)

select, adapt, and implement developmentally appropriate classroom management strategies, including proactive and positive behavioral interventions and supports, for students with developmental disabilities to promote progress in the least restrictive environment;

(4)

provide instructional, curricular, and physical accommodations across environments to meet the physical, cognitive, sensory, cultural, and expressive and receptive communication needs of students with developmental disabilities;

(5)

implement positioning and movement techniques and reinforce and support instruction in orientation and mobility provided by certified specialists;

(6)

design, implement, monitor, and adjust use of assistive technologies, including communication systems, for students with developmental disabilities to promote language development, communication, literacy, and access to and progress in the general education curriculum;

(7)

address the transition needs of students to enhance participation in family, school, recreation or leisure, community, and work life, including personal self-care, independent living, safety, and prevocational and vocational skills, for students with increasingly complex needs;

(8)

make decisions about the participation of students with disabilities in the full range of state assessment options including necessary accommodations; and

(9)

provide sequential instruction on grade-level content standards, adjusting when necessary for breadth, depth, and complexity, for students participating in alternate assessments.

D.

Collaboration and communication. A teacher of special education: developmental disabilities cultivates and maintains positive, collaborative relationships with students, families, other professionals, and the community to support student development and educational progress. The teacher must be able to:

(1)

collaborate with students and their families in making choices that impact academic, occupational, and other domains across the life span;

(2)

make use of structures supporting interagency collaboration and coordinate interagency services and transition plans;

(3)

select and plan for the integration of related services personnel and other service providers into the instructional programs and setting for students utilizing a transdisciplinary team approach;

(4)

direct, structure, support, and monitor the activities of paraprofessionals regarding student instruction and intervention with an emphasis on supporting student independence and achievement;

(5)

understand and communicate the educational roles and shared responsibilities of educators, paraprofessionals, and other staff when collaborating for the consistent implementation of academic instruction, support for student independence, and individualized positive behavior supports across environments;

(6)

identify and access school, community and social services, networks, agencies, and organizations, including day habilitation and recreational leisure programs appropriate to students with developmental disabilities to enhance instruction and programming;

(7)

provide and receive consultation and collaborate in a variety of settings regarding development and implementation of the comprehensive evaluation process, individualized education program planning, delivery of instruction and accommodations, and transition with individuals and agencies;

(8)

promote collaborative practices that respect the individual's and family's culture and values relative to the impact that developmental disabilities may have on the individual and family across the life span;

(9)

access and evaluate information, research, and emerging practices relevant to the field of developmental disabilities through consumer and professional organizations, peer-reviewed journals, and other publications;

(10)

engage in continuing professional development and reflection to increase knowledge and skill as a special educator and inform instructional practices, decisions, and interactions with students and their families; and

(11)

promote peer acceptance, social participation, and achievement by training, coaching, supporting, structuring, and modeling evidence-based strategies for developmental disabilities to peers, parents, paraprofessionals, and other school staff.

E.

Clinical experiences. A teacher of special education: developmental disabilities applies the standards of effective practice through a variety of early and ongoing clinical experiences in teaching students who have a broad range of cognitive disabilities and deficits in adaptive behavior in primary (kindergarten through grade 4), middle level (grades 5 through 8), and high school (grades 9 through 12, including transition programs) settings across a range of service delivery models.

Subp. 4.

Continuing licensure.

A continuing license shall be issued and renewed according to rules of the Board of Teaching governing continuing licenses.

Subp. 5.

Effective date.

Requirements in this part for licensure as a teacher of special education: developmental disabilities are effective on January 1, 2013, and thereafter.

Statutory Authority:

MS s 122A.09; 122A.18

History:

23 SR 1928; 36 SR 1243

Published Electronically:

January 14, 2016