Special Education Certificate, Online
The School of Education at Biola University offers an online institution-sponsored 12-unit certificate in Special Education. This certificate assists regular classroom teachers who serve special needs students, teachers who plan to later earn their Special Education Credential, and administrators and curriculum specialists who desire to strengthen their special education expertise. The 12-unit Special Education Certificate can be taken as a stand-alone program or can be embedded as part of a 15-unit concentration in Biola’s MAT Personalized or MAEd Personalized Emphasis programs.
The four courses required in the Special Education certificate include:
SEED 561 Issues in Special Education (3 units) This course provides a basic introduction to the history and educational philosophy of special education. It includes study of mild/moderate disabilities (specific learning disabilities, cognitive impairments, and emotional and behavioral disturbances). The course examines legal issues and laws pertaining to special education giving attention to school compliance and student and parent rights.
SEED 562 Assessment and Evaluation of Exceptional Learners (3 units) This course introduces the types and uses of assessments to identify the strengths and needs of exceptional learners and evaluate results to develop meaningful educational practice. It provides knowledge and skills necessary for selecting, administering, interpreting and reporting results of tests related to cognitive, affective, psychomotor and social development. Emphasis will be given to translating assessment data into making informed, educational decisions. Field-based experience required. Prerequisite: SEED 561.
SEED 563 Teaching Students with Mild Disabilities in Inclusive Settings (3 units) The focus of this course is to provide teacher candidates with knowledge of learning disabilities including definitions, causes, and characteristics of learning disabilities in children. The course will provide students with the knowledge and skills to make accommodations and modifications (including adaptations with technology) for individuals with mild to moderate disabilities. Particular emphasis will be given to working on Student Study Teams to design instruction to meet the individual needs of underperforming students, to making referrals with appropriate documentation, and to writing Individual Education Plans for students with identified learning disabilities. Field-based experience required. Prerequisite: SEED 561.
SEED 564 Behavior and Classroom Management for Students with Special Needs (3 units) This course focuses on principles and procedures for modifying behavior in the classroom with emphasis given to the identification of factors that contribute to behavioral problems, systematic data collection, objective reporting, and implementation of various methods of reinforcement. Prerequisite: SEED 561.