Faculty: Professors V. Gershner, C. Keefe, L. Kinnison, R. Rodriguez, C. Thomas, D. Whitmore, M. Wiebe; Associate Professors P, Dam, R. Davis, D. Cunningham, R. Fritsch, E.J. Irons, C. Keefe; Assistant Professors B. Lerner, L. Moore, S. Snider.

The Department of Teacher Education is organized into four program areas: Professional Studies, Early Childhood Education and Special Education and Bilingual Education. Programs in early childhood education and special education are designed as academic specializations within an interdisciplinary Bachelor of Science leading to teacher certification.

Graduate Degrees are offered in both program areas of the department. Master of Science, Master of Arts, Master of Education, Doctor of Education, and Doctor of Philosophy degrees are offered in early childhood education and in special education.

Admission Requirements

Please see Admission section of this catalog.

Undergraduate Degree

B.S. in Interdisciplinary Studies

Bachelor of Science— Interdisciplinary Studies

General Description

A minimum of 132 semester hours is required to obtain both the bachelor degree and teacher certification. The interdisciplinary major allows for up to 18 semester hours in either early childhood or special education as an academic specialization. An additional 30 semester hours must be completed in no more than three disciplines specified under provisions of Senate Bill 994 and Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board rules.

Early childhood education represents a delivery system for elementary teacher certification. Generic special education represents a delivery system for both elementary and/or secondary teacher certification. Each program contains six semester hours beyond the interdisciplinary major, prescribed course work in professional education, and six semester hours of student teaching to complete both degree and certification requirements.

Early Childhood Education

Students who elect to specialize in early childhood education complete course work offered in this department and the Department of Family Sciences. Successful completion of the sequence of courses leads to a Bachelor of Science degree and elementary teacher certification with an Option IV specialization in Early Childhood Education.

Early Childhood Required Courses

ECSE 3623. Principles and Theory of Early Childhood Education

ECSE 3663. Foundations of Early Childhood Education

ECSE 3643. Learning Processes of Young Children

ECSE 3653. Early Childhood Psycholinguistics and Sociolinguistics

FS 2563. Childhood Guidance

FS 3403. Concept Development in Early Childhood, or

FS 3561-3562. Music, Literature, and Creative Arts

FS 3503. Early Childhood Development

FS 4583. Parenting Issues, or

FS Courses are discussed under the Department of Family Sciences

Early Childhood Education Undergraduate Courses

ECSE 3623. Principles and Theory of Early Childhood Education. Physical, mental, social, and emotional needs, interests, and experiences of young children as they relate to curriculum instruction and classroom management. Emphasis will be placed on learning theory and its relationship in determining implementation of curricular models: Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours.

ECSE 3643. Learning Processes of Young Children. Intellectual processes of children from infancy to age eight. Research on how young children form generalizations regarding phenomena will be studied. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours.

ECSE 3653. Early Childhood Psycholinguistics and Sociolinguistics. Young children's pattern of oral and written language growth and language use in the home, preschool, and primary school contexts. Three lecture and one and one-half laboratory hours a week. Credit: Three hours.

ECSE 3663. Foundations of Early Childhood Education. Theoretical and historical foundations of early childhood education programs; preschool and kindergarten goals, childcare, staffing, management, and evaluation; trends and issues including legal mandates, special needs, and teacher responsibilities. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours.

ECSE 4913. Independent Study. Independent study of specific problems. Prerequisite: Permission of the instructor. Credit: Three hours. May be repeated for up to 12 hours of credit.

Special Education

Students in special education complete a degree program that leads to elementary Option III or secondary Option II teacher certification in generic special education. The academic specialization sequence prepares teachers for a variety of instructional arrangements and to work effectively with exceptional students according to educational needs.

Secondary teacher certification includes generic special education as a second 24-semester-hour teaching field in addition to other requirements. Students may add generic special education to all-level teaching certificates.

Special Education Required Courses

ECSE 4203. Learners with Exceptionalities

ECSE 4213. Transitions of Individuals with Disabilities

ECSE 4223. Characteristics of Students with Learning and Emotional/Behavioral Disorders

ECSE 4233. Characteristics of Students with Mental Retardation and Multiple Disabilities

ECSE 4243. Assesment of Students with Learning and Behavioral Difficulties

ECSE 4253. Instructional Strategies for Students with Disabilities

ECSE 4263. Behavior Managment Strategies for Students with Disabilities

ECSE 4273. Changing Role of the General and Special Educator

Special Education Minor

Special education may be declared as a minor for the bachelor's degree. Eighteen semester hours are required, including ECSE 4203, 4213, 4223, 4233, 4243, 4253 or 4263.

Special Education Undergraduate Courses

*ECSE 4203. Learners with Exceptionalities. Overview of characteristics of exceptional learners and the history, terminology, legal issues, and service provision for students eligible for special education. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours.

*ECSE 4213. Transitions of Individuals with Disabilities. Overview of the transition needs of individuals with disabilities and their families throughout the life span. Focus on family system, social and cultural contexts, transition services and programs, and major developmental milestones. Prerequisite or corequisite: ECSE 4203. Three lecture hours and one laboratory hour a week. Credit: Three hours.

*ECSE 4223. Characteristics of Students with Learning and Emotional/Behavioral Disorders. Characteristics, identification, and etiology of students with learning and emotional/behavioral disorders focusing on social, emotional, cognitive, and academic development. Prerequisite: ECSE 4203. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours.

*ECSE 4233. Characteristics of Students with Mental Retardation and Multiple Disabilities. Characteristics, identification, and etiology of students with mental retardation and multiple disabilities. Focus on curriculum planning for the physical, social, cognitive, adaptive, behavioral, academic, and vocational needs throughout the life span. Prerequisite ECSE 4203. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours.

*ECSE 4243. Assessment of Students with Learning and Behavioral Difficulties. Theories, instruments, and procedures used in the assessment of students with learning and behavioral difficulties, including norm-referenced, criterion- referenced, and informal procedures. Prerequisite: Six hours of special education courses including ECSE 4203. Credit: Three hours.

*ECSE 4253. Instructional Strategies for Students with Disabilities. Instructional strategies and accommodations/modifications for curriculum in oral language, literacy, math, social skills for students with disabilities. Includes cognitive and compensatory strategies for content area curriculum. Field work required. Prerequisite: Six hours of special education courses including ECSE 4203. Corequisite: ECSE 4263 and EDUC 3006 or EDUC 4403. Three lecture hours and one and one-half laboratory hours a week. Credit: Three hours.

*ECSE 4263. Behavior Management Strategies for Students with Disabilities. Behavior management strategies, behavior interventions, and social skills development for students with disabilities. Field work required. Prerequisite ECSE 4203. Corequisites ECSE 4253 and EDUC 3006 or EDUC 4403. Three lecture hours and one and one-half laboratory hours a week. Credit: Three hours.

ECSE 4273. Changing Role of the General and Special Educator. Current trends and issues in the field of special education, focusing on the role of general and special educator in a variety of settings and service provision models. Includes collaboration/consultation with family and service providers, transition services, inclusion, literacy, community service programs, and alternative placements. Prerequisite: ECSE 4223. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours.

ECSE 4052. Practicum in Special Education. Supervised observation and participation in education settings for exceptional learners; application of teaching competencies. Prerequisites: ECSE 3032, 3042. One lecture hour and ten laboratory hours a week. Credit: Two semester hours.

ECSE 4053. Practicum in Special Education. Supervised observation and participation in education settings for exceptional learners; application of teaching competencies. Prerequisites: ECSE 3032, 3042. One lecture hour and twelve laboratory hours a week. Credit: Three semester hours.

ECSE 4913. Independent Study. Independent study of specific problems. Prerequisite: Permission of instructor. Credit: Three hours. May be repeated for up to 12 hours of credit.

Bilingual Education Undergraduate Courses

ERDB 3033. Multicultural Education. Examines the roles that culture, ethnicity, and language play in American society as related to learning and teaching in US public schools. Concentrates on African Americans, American Indians, Asian Americans, and Mexican Americans. Prerequisite: Junior standing. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours.

ERDB 3113. Bilingual Education: Instructional Applications and Materials. Subject matter centers on the teaching of limited English proficiency children with particular emphasis on language assessment techniques, curriculum design, program implementation and materials. Prerequisite: Junior standing, knowledge of Spanish preferred. Observation in classrooms. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours.

ERDB 3453. Developing Second Language Instructional Skills. Analysis of social and linguistic factors associated with second language learners and the acquisition of the English language. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours.

ERDB 3523. Teaching Music in Junior and Senior High Schools. Development of the skills and understanding for teaching and organizing the curriculum of the choral, instrumental, and general music classes in the secondary school. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours.

ERDB 3583. Physical Education for the Secondary School. Analysis of the teaching/learning process in physical education at the secondary school level; curriculum construction, teaching methods, instructional media and material, class management and control, and evaluation of curriculum and instruction. Must be taken concurrently with KINS 3573. Prerequisites: Intermediate skills in designated activities and completion of KINS 1772, KINS 3591, and KINS 3592. Three lecture hours and two laboratory hours a week. Credit: Three hours.

ERBD 3643. Foundations of Bilingual Education. A study of the historical, legal and theoretical foundations of bilingual education, including a review of programmatic designs. Prerequisite: Junior standing. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours.

ERDB 3903. Methods of Teaching English. Responsibilities and aims of an effective teacher; subject matter to be taught; and methods of teaching language, literature, and composition in the secondary school. Prerequisites: ENG 1013, 1023, 2013, 2023, and 3303 or the equivalent and the approval of the instructor. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours.

ERDB 4453. Bilingual Acquisition Processes. Theories and research in bilingualism and its influence on learning and instruction, including developmental characteristics of language acquisition, relationship between bilingualism and cognition, and issues in assessment of bilingual children. Prerequisite: Junior standing. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours.

ERDB 4723. Content Areas in the Bilingual Classroom. Analysis of Texas public school curriculum requirements as applied to a bilingual program. Language concepts and proficiencies needed to deliver effective mathematics, social skills, and sciences instruction. Primary delivery in Spanish. Prerequisites: Junior level Spanish courses or demonstrated proficiency in Spanish. Three lecture hours a week. Credit: Three hours.

Graduate Courses | Early Childhood Education

ECSE 5613. Language and Literacy in Early Childhood

ECSE 5623. Early Childhood Curriculum Development

ECSE 5643. Growth and Human Development

ECSE 5663. Reflections and Perspectives of Early Childhood

ECSE 5653. Observation and Assessment in Early Childhood

ECSE 5673. Home/School/Community Partnerships

ECSE 5683. Issues in Early Childhood Research and Evaluation

ECSE 5973. Professional Paper

ECSE 5983. Thesis

ECSE 5993. Thesis

ECSE 5913. Individual Study

ECSE 6623. Language in Early Childhood Classrooms

ECSE 6633. Advanced Kindergarten Curriculum Theory and Application: Early Childhood

ECSE 6653. Child Development of the Kindergarten-Primary Child: Advanced

ECSE 6663. Foundations of Early Childhood Education

ECSE 6673. Advanced Seminar in Early Childhood Education

ECSE 6723. Practicum

ECSE 6903. Special Topics

ECSE 6911. Individual Study

ECSE 6913. Individual Study

ECSE 6983. Dissertation

ECSE 6993. Dissertation

*Subject to approval by Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board

Graduate Courses | Special Education

ECSE 5003. Psychology of the Exceptional Child

ECSE 5013. Collaboration in the Schools and Community

ECSE 5023. Tests and Measurement of the Exceptional Child

ECSE 5033. Methods for Teaching Special Education

ECSE 5043. Clinical Instruction in Intellectual Assessment

ECSE 5053. Principles of Learning for Exceptional Children

ECSE 5083. Alternative Assessment Strategies

ECSE 5093. Trends and Issues in Special Education.

ECSE 5103. Developmental Disablities

ECSE 5123. Individuals with Mulitple and Severe Disabilities

ECSE 5133. Educational Procedures for Adolescents with Special Needs

ECSE 5143. Learning and Technology for Special Populations

ECSE 5153. Clinical Instruction in Psychoeducational Assessment

ECSE 5163. Inclusive Education Programming

ECSE 5203. Individuals with Physical Disabilities and Other Health Impairments

ECSE 5223. Neurological Disorders in Exceptional Children

ECSE 5233. Medical Disorders in Exceptional Children

ECSE 5303. Students with Emotional/Behavioral Disorders

ECSE 5313. School-Based Interventions for Students with Emotional/Behavioral Disorders

ECSE 5323. Models and Theories for the Education of Students with Emotional/Behavioral Disorders

ECSE 5413. Individuals with Learning Disabilities

ECSE 5433. Language Problems of Students with Disabilities

ECSE 5503. Survey on Giftedness and Creativity

ECSE 5523. Models and Theories for Gifted and Talented

ECSE 5543. Characteristics of Gifted/Talented/Creative Individuals

ECSE 5553. Methods, Materials, Curriculum Design for Gifted/Talented

ECSE 5603. Administration and Supervision of Special Education Programs

ECSE 5703. Special Education in Early Childhood

ECSE 5713. Assessment and Programming for Young Children with Disabilities

ECSE 5723. Issues and Trends in Education for Early Childhood Special Education

ECSE 5903. Special Topics

ECSE 5913. Individual Study

ECSE 5923. Practicum

ECSE 5973. Professional Paper

ECSE 5983. Thesis

ECSE 5993. Thesis

ECSE 6023. Practicum in the Assessment and Evaluation of Individuals with Disabilities

ECSE 6103. Social, Psychological, and Educational Aspects of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities

ECSE 6333. Seminar in Emotional and Behavioral Disorders

ECSE 6403. Seminar in Learning Disabilities

ECSE 6423. Seminar in Policies and Procedures of Special Education Adminstration

ECSE 6723. Practicum

ECSE 6903. Special Topics

ECSE 6911. Individual Study

ECSE 6913. Individual Study

ECSE 6983. Dissertation

ECSE 6993. Dissertation

Graduate Courses

ERDB 5113. Curriculum for Bilingual Education: Methods and Materials

ERDB 5413. Teaching Reading and Other Language Arts to Linguistically Different Learners

ERDB 5453. English as a Second Language: Methods

ERDB 5633. Education in Culturally Diverse Environments

ERDB 5653. Second Language Acquisition: Theories and Practices