Minnesota Administrative Rules

8710.5600 TEACHERS OF SPECIAL EDUCATION: EMOTIONAL OR BEHAVIORAL DISORDERS.

Subpart 1.

Scope of practice.

A teacher of special education: emotional or behavioral disorders is authorized to provide evaluation and specially designed instruction to eligible students from kindergarten through age 21 who have emotional or behavioral disorders or related behavioral difficulties. 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 emotional or behavioral disorders 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 in part 8710.2000;

C.

demonstrate core skill requirements in part 8710.5000; and

D.

show verification of completing a Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board preparation program approved under chapter 8705 leading to the licensure as a teacher of special education: emotional behavioral disorders in subpart 3.

Subp. 3.

Program requirements.

A candidate for licensure as a teacher of special education: emotional or behavioral disorders 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: emotional or behavioral disorders understands the foundations of special education services for students with emotional or behavioral disorders on which to base practice. The teacher demonstrates knowledge of the:

(1)

historical and philosophical foundations, legal bases, and contemporary issues pertaining to services to the education of students with emotional or behavioral disorders;

(2)

differing perspectives and terminology of emotional behavioral disorders within mental health, legal, social welfare, and education systems;

(3)

educational definitions, issues related to identification, and eligibility criteria pertaining to students with emotional or behavioral disorders, including those from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds;

(4)

etiology, characteristics, and classifications of emotional behavioral disorders;

(5)

research-based theories of social, emotional, and behavioral development;

(6)

impact of gender, familial background, socioeconomic status, cultural, and linguistic factors on perceptions of student behavior;

(7)

impact of coexisting conditions or multiple disabilities on behaviors and the similarities, differences, and interactions between emotional or behavioral disorders and other disability areas and their effects on learning;

(8)

impact of abuse and chemical dependency on students and their families;

(9)

factors that build and support student resiliency;

(10)

impact of attributions, anxiety, withdrawal, and thought disorder on behavior;

(11)

major mental health disorders manifested at different points across the life span and the implications for education;

(12)

connection of functional behavioral assessments and behavior intervention plans to principles of individual positive behavior interventions and supports;

(13)

legal provisions related to the juvenile justice, mental health, and educational systems including understanding reporting mandates and confidentiality regulations; and

(14)

impact of school personnel and environments on maintaining or changing student behavior.

B.

Referral, evaluation, planning, and programming. A teacher of special education: emotional or behavioral disorders 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 emotional or behavioral disorders. 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 process;

(2)

select, administer, and interpret formal and informal assessments for students with emotional or behavioral disorders, accounting for technical adequacy and ethical concerns and communicate the results to students, families, teachers, and other professionals;

(3)

adapt and modify assessment tools and methods to determine the skills, abilities, and needs of students with emotional or behavioral disorders;

(4)

interview, conduct structured observations, and document behavior in school and nonschool settings for the purposes of evaluating for eligibility and planning, developing, and implementing individualized education programs;

(5)

complete, as a member of a team, a systematic, functional behavior assessment including consideration of the forms and functions of behaviors, context in which behaviors occur, and antecedents and consequences of behaviors for the purpose of developing an individual positive behavior support plan;

(6)

integrate multiple sources of data, including information available from students, families, school personnel, the community, and mental health, legal, and social welfare systems in developing individualized education program plans;

(7)

address factors such as gender, socioeconomic status, familial background, and cultural and linguistic diversity that influence the disproportional identification of students with emotional or behavioral disorders; and

(8)

design individualized 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.

C.

Instructional design, teaching, and ongoing evaluation. A teacher of special education: emotional behavioral disorders understands how to use individualized education program plans to design, implement, monitor, and adjust instruction for students with emotional or behavioral disorders. 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 emotional or behavioral disorders in order to design, implement, monitor, and adjust instruction aligned with grade-level content standards;

(2)

access information from functional behavioral assessments in order to develop, implement, monitor, evaluate, and revise as needed an individual positive behavior support plan across settings and personnel;

(3)

collect and use data to monitor the effectiveness of replacement behaviors, prompts, routines, and reinforcers in changing and maintaining positive behaviors;

(4)

provide access to grade level content standards by applying principles of universal design for learning and assistive technologies and selecting, developing, monitoring, modifying, and adjusting materials and instruction for students with emotional or behavioral disorders;

(5)

select, implement, evaluate, and modify evidence-based instructional strategies for social and emotional skills development for students with emotional or behavioral disorders;

(6)

apply ethical and legal considerations in the selection and use of behavioral interventions that are generally available;

(7)

apply individual positive behavioral interventions and support practices for managing behavior and meeting specific educational and social needs, design a functional and safe classroom, and establish consistent classroom routines for students with emotional or behavioral disorders; and

(8)

construct instructional sequences to teach transition and generalization skills based on the cognitive, social, emotional, and academic strengths of each student and plans for transition from school to postsecondary training and employment.

D.

Collaboration and communication. A teacher of special education: emotional or behavioral disorders 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 children and youth and their families in making choices and accessing community-based services and advocacy organizations that support positive outcomes for students across the life span;

(2)

identify and coordinate interagency services, networks, agencies, and organizations for students with emotional or behavioral disorders to support their educational programs;

(3)

understand issues involved and apply supportive strategies needed when transitioning students with emotional or behavioral disorders into and out of alternative environments, including psychiatric hospitals, juvenile justice system, correctional facilities, and residential treatment centers;

(4)

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

(5)

recognize the roles and responsibilities of mental health professionals in providing services to students with emotional or behavioral disorders and how these roles differ from that of the special education teachers;

(6)

consult and collaborate with early childhood educators to address the challenging behaviors of students in a prekindergarten setting;

(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 individual and family culture and values relative to the impact that emotional or behavioral disorders 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 emotional or behavioral disorders through consumer and professional organizations, peer-reviewed journals, and other publications; and

(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.

E.

Clinical experiences. A teacher of special education: emotional or behavioral disorders applies the standards of effective practice through a variety of early and ongoing clinical experiences in teaching students who have emotional or behavioral disorders in primary (kindergarten through grade 4), middle level (grades 5 through 8), and high school students (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 Professional Educator Licensing and Standards Board governing continuing licenses.

Subp. 5.

Effective date.

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

Statutory Authority:

MS s 122A.09; 122A.18

History:

23 SR 1928; 36 SR 1243; L 2017 1Sp5 art 12 s 22

Published Electronically:

August 21, 2017