Each candidate demonstrates knowledge of the ethical standards, professional practices, and laws and regulations related to the provision of services to individuals with disabilities and their families. Each candidate applies the highest standards to his or her professional conduct.

Standard 11: Educational Policy and Perspectives

Each candidate develops a professional perspective by examining educational policies and existing and emergent practices in relation to fundamental issues, theories, and research in education. The program includes instruction in the philosophy and history of education, relevant legal requirements, and the status of special education services within society.

Standard 12: Educating Diverse Learners with Disabilities

Each candidate demonstrates an understanding and acceptance of differences in culture, ethnicity, gender, age, religion, socio-economic status, lifestyle orientation, language, abilities, disabilities and aspirations of individual learners. The candidate demonstrates understanding of communication development and communication differences, and uses strategies and techniques that are age appropriate to develop communication skills. Each candidate applies principles of equity and analyzes the implementation of those principles in curricular content, instructional practices, collaborative activities, and interactions with families when working with diverse populations of learners with disabilities.

Standard 13: Special Education Field Experiences with Diverse Populations

The program provides a sequence of field experiences involving a broad spectrum of interactions with diverse populations. These experiences are age and /or grade appropriate to the areas of services authorized by the credential. Each candidate participates in and reflects on a variety of activities representing different roles of special educators, including interactions with parents. Each candidate assumes other responsibilities of full-time teachers and service providers, and has at least one extended field experience, including student teaching, in a public school.

Standard 14:Qualifications and Responsibilities of Supervisors and Selection of Field Sites

The institution collaborates with school administrators and teachers in the selection of field sites and supervisors for the placement of candidates in the program. Throughout the course of field experience, each candidate is guided, assisted, and evaluated in relationship to each performance standard by at least one field supervisor and at least one institutional supervisor. Each field-based supervisor is (a) certified and experienced in the area of the credential; (b) trained in supervision; (c) oriented to the supervisory role; (d) appropriately evaluated and recognized by the institution; and (e) provides a model consistent with best practice. Supervisors provide complete, accurate, and timely feedback to each candidate.

Standard 15: Managing Learning Environments

Each candidate demonstrates knowledge and skills in managing learning environments for diverse learners that are safe and effective and that facilitate positive self-esteem and self-advocacy. The candidate demonstrates knowledge of behavior management strategies, varying communication styles that impact learning, and laws and regulations for promoting behavior that is positive and self-regulatory.

Standard 16: Effective Communication and Collaborative Partnerships

Each candidate demonstrates the ability to collaborate and communicate effectively with: (1) individuals with disabilities and their parents, other family members and primary caregivers, (2) school administrators, general and special education teachers, specialists, paraprofessionals, and (3) community agency and related service personnel. The candidate works in partnership to design, implement, and evaluate integrated services that reflect transitional stages across the life span for all learners.

Standard 17: Assessment, Curriculum and Instruction

Each candidate demonstrates knowledge of basic principles and strategies of assessment, curriculum, and instruction that are appropriate for individuals with diverse backgrounds, varying language and cognitive abilities, and special needs. Each candidate demonstrates appropriate use of principles and strategies for planning, recommending services, and implementing instruction, including the use of supplementary aids, services, and technology for individuals with disabilities.

Standard 18: Determination of Candidate Competence

Each program designs and implements a process for determining candidate competence which includes a system for determining each candidate's ability to demonstrate knowledge and perform skills in field experience as reflected in Categories I, II, and III. Prior to recommending each candidate for a Specialist or Services Credential, one or more persons who are responsible for the program determine that the candidate has satisfied each professional standard. The recommendation is based on thorough documentation and written verification by at least one field supervisor or site administrator and one institutional supervisor. An institutional representative assists the candidate in establishing direction for the individual Level II professional credential induction plan.

Category II: Core Standards for Specialist Teaching Credentials and the Clinical Rehabilitative Services Credential Special Class Authorization

Standard 19: Knowledge and Skills of Assessment in General Education

Each candidate demonstrates knowledge and skills necessary to assess general education students in a comprehensive manner. Each candidate understands and uses multiple sources of information regarding students' prior knowledge of curriculum, linguistic abilities, cultural characteristics, and learning styles. Each candidate uses this information to evaluate students' needs and achievements, and for the purpose of making ongoing program improvements.

Standard 20: Curricular and Instructional Skills in General Education

Each candidate demonstrates the ability to develop, implement, and evaluate a variety of pedagogical approaches to teaching basic academic skills and content areas, including unit and lesson plans that provide equitable access to subjects that are commonly taught in the public school curriculum. The candidate uses instructional strategies that are appropriate for individuals with diverse needs, interests and learning styles in a variety of educational environments.

Standard 21: General Education Field Experiences

Each candidate has a variety of supervised field experiences in general education that relate to the candidate's professional goals and intended credential authorization, and that provide multiple opportunities to interrelate theories and practices in general education settings.

Category III: Credential Specific Standards for Preliminary Level 1 Education Specialist Credential Programs

Education Specialist Credential: Mild/Moderate and Moderate/Severe Disabilities

Standard 22: Assessment and Evaluation of Students

Each candidate demonstrates knowledge and skills related to using and communicating the results of a variety of individualized assessment and evaluation approaches appropriate for students with mild/moderate/severe disabilities. Each candidate is able to make appropriate educational decisions on the basis of a variety of non-biased standardized and non-standardized techniques, instruments and processes that are functional, curriculum-referenced, performance-based, and appropriate to the diverse needs of individual students. Candidates utilize these approaches to assess the developmental, academic, behavioral, social, communication, vocational and community life skill needs of students, and the outcomes of instruction.

Standard 23: Planning and Implementing Curriculum and Instruction

Each candidate demonstrates knowledge and skills in selecting curricula and in using instructional strategies to meet the diverse learning characteristics of students with mild/moderate/severe disabilities across an array of environments and activities. Each candidate utilizes assessment data to collaboratively develop IEP goals, objectives, adaptations and instructional plans. The instructional plans are responsive to the unique needs of the student, general education settings and the core curriculum, and are implemented and adjusted systematically to promote maximum learning and generalization.

Standard 24: Positive Behavior Support

Each candidate demonstrates competence in establishing and maintaining an educational environment that is free from coercion and punishment and where interventions are positive, proactive, and respectful of students. Each candidate demonstrates the ability to design and implement positive behavioral support plans and interventions based on functional analysis assessments.

Standard 25: Characteristics and Needs of Individuals with Mild to Moderate Disabilities

The program provides opportunities for each candidate to identify the characteristics of students with mild to moderate disabilities, including students identified as severely emotionally disturbed or behavior disordered, and to determine the implications of these characteristics for service delivery.

Standard 25: Communication and Social Networks

Each candidate collaborates with others to facilitate each student's ability to effectively communicate and increase the extent and variety of social interactions to achieve meaningful social relationships. This includes assessment of verbal and non-verbal communication abilities and needs, identification of effective intervention techniques, development of needed augmentative systems, social skill instruction and creating opportunities for interaction.

Standard 26: Moderate/Severe Curriculum

Each candidate demonstrates the ability to work with IEP teams to develop Individualized Education Plans and to teach, adapt, modify and integrate the curriculum within natural environments such as general education classrooms and schools, community, work and recreation settings, to meet the specific needs of students with moderate to severe disabilities.

Standard 27: Movement, Mobility, Sensory and Specialized Health Care

Each candidate demonstrates knowledge of and ability to support the movement, mobility, sensory and specialized health care needs required for a learner to participate fully in classrooms, schools and the community. The candidate uses appropriate and safe techniques, procedures, materials and adaptive equipment, including the use of technology. Each candidate demonstrates knowledge of federal, state, and local policies related to specialized health care in educational settings.