Introduction

Program Design:    Licensure and Graduate Program

Program Description and Requirements

Overview of Delivery Systems

Requirements for the Demonstration of Mastery

Cross-categorical License

Introduction

The Program design will also allow for expansion of a current special education categorical license to include a cross categorical license or license in another categorical area.

The graduate level special education courses can be applied a master's degree in special education.

The program is based on the Demonstration of Mastery in the knowledge, skills and dispositions required for licensing as special education teachers in the state of Wisconsin.  The focus is on the demonstration and application of these requirements in authentic classroom teaching/learning environments.   Survey courses may require objective evaluation of knowledge.   

It is not possible to equate this process of learning to the credit requirements in a traditional undergraduate program.  Completion of the program is not contingent upon the accumulation of credits but rather on the demonstration of competencies. The learning process is developmental, builds on prior knowledge and therefore must follow a sequence in the mastery of knowledge, skills and dispositions.

Program Design

Licensure Program for:

Licensed teachers

Non licensed teachers

Graduate Program

Licensure Program

Master Degree Program

  Licensed Teachers

The program is primarily designed for licensed teachers who need specific competencies for Wisconsin special education licensure.  This may be an initial special education license or the addition of another special education license.   

Students, upon acceptance into the program, will receive a program plan that outlines the sequence of coursework needed to complete the licensure.   This program requires sequential course work that supports the acquisition of concepts and skills needed to demonstrate mastery. Traditional courses may be taken at the graduate or undergraduate level. SLC Licensure modules are graduate level courses only.

   Non-licensed Teachers

Students without a teaching license must meet all of the Wisconsin Department of Instruction required competencies for Special Education in the state of Wisconsin.  This will require course work in the education core, the general special education core and the licensure area.   The course requirements will be individually designed.

 Graduate Program

  Licensure Program

The Special Education licensure sequences is available for licensed teachers at the graduate level in Cross categorical and the categorical areas of  ECSE, CD, EBD, LD or VI .

Course of study for first licensed teachers will required both undergraduate and graduate level courses.

   Master Degree Program

The Silver Lake College Master of Arts in Special Education  is designed for experienced classroom teachers who wish to remain in the classroom while developing the knowledge and skills which will allow them to take a more active professional leadership role. 

The degree program consists of a total of 33 credits.  The curriculum consists of a core of four three-credit core courses,  a minimum of 3 Project/These credits, and   course work in a licensure or concentration area to meet the required 33 credits.

Teachers in the special education licensure areas may apply up to18 graduate level credits from their licensure program to the required 33 credits required for the degree.   The remaining credits are the required core course and Thesis/project courses.

Master of Art in Special Education, 33 Credits
Master Degree Core       15 credits       Four required core courses and a minimum of 3 Project/Thesis credits	Concentration Area    18 graduate credits from the Special Education licensure sequence or an area of concentration
Licensure may require additional credits to meet the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction Licensure requirements

See Special Education Graduate Program  

Program Description

and Requirements

General Special Education courses are available to any one with a baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited college or university with an undergraduate grade point average of 3.0 on a four-point scale; or Silver Lake College students who have reached senior status.  Students may enter the Silver Lake College Special Education Licensure program or the Silver Lake College Master of Special Education Program and licensure program which will give them a license in one of the categorical areas of CC, CD, ECSE, EBD, LD, or VI, or an expansion of their current license for a Cross categorical license.

Students do not need to be accepted into the Silver Lake College Licensure Program to take courses.  They can be accepted to the college as a Special Student and may take the general special education courses and specified introductory courses.  The remaining specific special education courses leading to licensure are only available for students accepted into the Silver Lake College licensure program or at the request of the student's advisor accompanied by evidence of prerequisite skills.

There is no guarantee that course work taken at Silver Lake College will be accepted by another institution.  If students are accepted into a licensure program at another teacher training institution they should gain their advisor's approval before enrolling for a module or a course in the Silver Lake College program.

The majority of courses are available on campus, evenings, weekends, and in the summers.  At this time only the general special education and the specific special education courses in CD, EBD, LD, and VI are offered in a flexible delivery system.

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Program Requirements

General Education licensed teachers adding a special education license:

This program consists of:

1. general special education core courses  (10 -17 credits)
2. specific special education courses for licensure in Early Childhood Special Education, Emotional Behavioral Disabilities, Learning Disabilities and Cognitive Disabilities, and Visual Impairment  (approximately 7-22 credits)
3. application of knowledge, skills and dispositions (2-6 credits)

Special Education licensed teachers adding another license

This program consists of:

1. review of past general special education core courses with course work contingent upon requirements for new license  (10-17 credits)
2. specific special education courses for licensure in Early Childhood Special Education, Emotional Behavioral Disabilities, Learning Disabilities and Cognitive Disabilities, and Visual Impairment   (7-22 credits)
3. application of knowledge, skills and dispositions (2-6 credits)

Non-licensed teachers

This program consists of:

1. general education core courses   (approximately 30 credits)
2. general special education core courses   (10-17 credits)
3. specific special education courses for licensure in Early Childhood Special Education, Emotional Behavioral Disabilities, Learning Disabilities and Cognitive Disabilities, and Visual Impairment    (7-22 credits)
4. application of knowledge, skills and dispositions (6-12 credits)
   

Overview of Delivery Systems

Traditional

Non Traditional
Modules

Visual Impairment Program

    Traditional course sequence

Traditional courses are the typical courses, which may be required to complete the licensure sequence.  These courses are in the general education core and the advanced assessment, advanced management, advanced life skills, curriculum and instruction methodology areas associated with the specific licensure in Emotional Behavioral Disabilities, Learning Disabilities and Cognitive Disabilities.

    Non traditional course sequence - Licensure Modules

One or two credit on line module courses provide instruction in the general special education core requirements and the introductory requirements in the licensure areas of Emotional Behavioral Disabilities, Learning Disabilities and Cognitive Disabilities.

-The modules are primarily for:

licensed special education teachers who have teaching experience and are adding a second special education license or  knowledge and skills for teaching in cross categorical programming environment in CD, EBD and LD.

licensed regular education teachers who have teaching experience and are adding a second license in special education

- The modules are concise presentation of the knowledge, skills and dispositions addressed in traditional two or three credit college courses.  A one or two credit module does not equate to traditional one credit traditional college course or a workshop or seminar.  Teachers who enroll in the modules must have prior knowledge and experience.  If teachers do not have the prior knowledge and experience which would reduce the amount of study or research, it is recommended that they take traditional courses.

-These modules do not address all of the competencies required for licensure in the state of Wisconsin.  There are traditional curses and application components needed to complete the licensure requirements.

  Visual Impairment Program:

-  Silver Lake College and the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction have combined to offer a sequence of courses which leads to licensure in Visual Impairment in the State of Wisconsin.  The licensure sequence consists of 7 courses, student teaching and a field experience. 

-  Each course will have a minimum of two onsite meetings.   The locations will vary depending on the course needs and location of participants.   The remainder of the course will be completed via home study, videotapes, seminars, and internet access.  Distance learning centers in local areas may also be utilized for class participation.

See the Home Page for the Visual Impairment program for details.

Requirements for the Demonstration of Mastery

Clinical Requirement

Residential Requirement

Portfolio Requirement

a.   Clinical requirement

Teachers will be required to demonstrate knowledge, skills and dispositions presented in each module or traditional course.  The environment for this demonstration will be individually determined.  Options to be considered:

        Silver Lake College Clinic
        Teachers' own classroom
        Teacher's home school
        Teacher's home school district
        Another school district

   b.  Residential requirement

Teachers will be required to attend specific special education courses, curriculum and instruction methodology courses offered on the Silver Lake College campus.  These courses will be offered evenings, weekends, or summer.

Supervised application requirements:

Teachers will be supervised in the application of the concepts and skills.  This supervision may be conducted in the Silver Lake College Clinic, the teacher's own school district or in the teacher's own classroom.   These supervisions will be both during the clinical and student teaching requirements. There will be an additional cost for supervisions outside the Silver Lake College geographical area to cover mileage and other incurred expenses.

  c.  Portfolio requirement

1.  Portfolio for Prior Learning

All students will complete a self-assessment to indicate mastery of the preskills or entry level skills on the competencies for licensure.

Evidence of application, evaluation and synthesis will support mastery level.

2.  Portfolio of Competence

Evidence of mastery and authentic application of knowledge, concepts and skills from all course information, discussions, learning activities, clinical experiences and research:

videos of the application in the classroom

hard copy evidence of authentic application

classroom demonstration with supervisor, peer and self evaluation of the application

prestudent teaching portfolio presentation

3.  Portfolio for Licensure

Portfolio completion which documents mastery level of all concepts, skills and dispositions required for licensure in the State of Wisconsin

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Cross-categorical

Licensed Teachers

Non Licensed Teachers

   Licensed Teachers

License special education teachers who wish to acquire a Cross Categorical license or expand their current categorical license to a Cross categorical license will require a transcript evaluation and a portfolio presentation to give evidence of their current level of mastery in the competencies required for a Cross-categorical license.

For example: a teacher with a license in Learning Disabilities will need to give evidence of competencies in knowledge, skills and dispositions required for the education of students with emotional behavioral disabilities or cognitive disabilities such as: managing and changing behavior, or curriculum and instruction in functional and life skills. 

Each teacher will be evaluated individually and an individualized program design will be developed.

   Non-licensed Teachers

Non-licensed teachers will follow the undergraduate sequence of courses required for a special education license.  The undergraduate licensure program at Silver Lake College leads to a Cross categorical license with a concentration in CD, ECSE,  LD .

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