Special Education, Certifying to Teach, B.A.

Program Chair: Tracy West, Ph.D.

Available in the Day College

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The Columbia College Special Education program is a multi-categorical program that prepares educators with the knowledge, skills and dispositions needed to be successful in a variety of Pre-K-grade 12 classroom settings that serve students with mild to moderate disabilities. This includes working with students with learning disabilities, mild intellectual disabilities, emotional disabilities, autism and other categories of learners identified in the state of South Carolina. Graduates will be prepared to work in general education classrooms, resource and separate settings across elementary, middle or high schools to best meet the individual needs of the students in their classrooms. As a graduate of a nationally accredited (CAEP) program aligned with the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) professional standards for Special Education, completers will be “learner ready” as they enter the classroom.

Mission: The mission of the Special Education program area is to prepare special education teacher candidates who demonstrate the knowledge, skills and professional behaviors needed to maximize instructional effectiveness and be leaner ready. The Special Education program mission is aligned with the missions of the Division of Education and Columbia College.

Student Learning Outcomes:

1. The Special Education TC will demonstrate knowledge of content required in Special Education including learner development and individual learning differences to create safe, inclusive and culturally responsive learning environments. (CEC Standard 1 and 2: Learner and Learning)
2. The Special Education TC will demonstrate knowledge of general and specialized curricula to plan and effectively implement instruction to meet the needs of diverse learners. (CEC Standard 3: Curricular Content Knowledge)
3. The Special Education TC will effectively use multiple methods of assessment to plan and make data driven instruction. (CEC Standard 4 and 5: Assessment and Instructional Planning and Strategies)