(b) To receive approval,
a GaPSC-approved educator preparation provider shall offer a preparation
program described in program planning forms, catalogs, and syllabi addressing
the following standards adapted from the standards published by the Council for
Exceptional Children (2020):
1.
Engaging in Professional Learning and Practice within Ethical
Guidelines. Candidates practice within ethical and
legal guidelines; advocate for improved outcomes for individuals with
exceptionalities and their families while considering their social, cultural,
and linguistic differences; and engage in ongoing self-reflection to design and
implement professional learning activities.
(i) Candidates practice within ethical
guidelines and legal policies and procedures;
(ii) Candidates advocate for improved
outcomes for individuals with exceptionalities and their families while
addressing the unique needs of those with varying social, cultural, and
linguistic backgrounds; and
(iii)
Candidates design and implement professional learning activities based on
ongoing analysis of student learning; self-reflection; and professional
standards, research, and contemporary practices.
2.
Understanding and Addressing
Each Individual's Developmental and Learning Needs. Candidates use
their understanding of human growth and development, the multiple influences on
development, individual differences, unique characteristics, including
exceptionalities, and families and communities to plan and implement supportive
and welcoming learning environments and experiences that provide individuals
with exceptionalities high quality learning experiences reflective of each
individual's strengths and needs.
(i)
Candidates apply understanding of human growth and development to create
developmentally appropriate and meaningful learning experiences that address
individualized strengths and needs of students with exceptionalities;
and
(ii) Candidates use their
knowledge and understanding of various factors that influence development and
learning, including differences related to families, languages, cultures, and
communities, and individual differences, including exceptionalities, to plan
and implement learning experiences and environments.
3.
Demonstrating Subject Matter
Content and Specialized Curricular Knowledge.
Candidates apply their understanding of the academic subject matter content of
the general curriculum and specialized curricula to inform their programmatic
and instructional decisions for learners with exceptionalities.
(i) Candidates apply their understanding of
academic subject matter content of the general curriculum to inform their
programmatic and instructional decisions for individuals with exceptionalities;
and
(ii) Candidates augment the
general education curriculum to address skills and strategies that students
with disabilities need to access the core curriculum and function successfully
within a variety of contexts as well as the continuum of placement options to
assure specially designed instruction is developed and implemented to achieve
mastery of curricular standards and individualized goals and
objectives.
4.
Using Assessment to Understand the Learner and the Learning
Environment for Databased Decision Making. Candidates
assess students' learning, behavior, and the classroom environment in order to
evaluate and support classroom and school-based problem-solving systems of
intervention and instruction. Candidates evaluate students to determine their
strengths and needs, contribute to students' eligibility determination,
communicate students' progress, inform short and long-term instructional
planning, and make ongoing adjustments to instruction using technology as
appropriate.
(i) Candidates collaboratively
develop, select, administer, analyze, and interpret multiple measures of
student learning, behavior, and the classroom environment to evaluate and
support classroom and school-based systems of intervention for students with
and without exceptionalities;
(ii)
Candidates develop, select, administer, and interpret multiple, formal and
informal, culturally and linguistically appropriate measures and procedures
that are valid and reliable to contribute to eligibility determination for
special education services; and
(iii) Candidates assess, collaboratively
analyze, interpret, and communicate students' progress toward measurable
outcomes using technology as appropriate, to inform both short- and long-term
planning, and make ongoing adjustments to instruction.
5.
Supporting Learning Using
Effective Instruction. Candidates use knowledge of
individuals' development, learning needs, and assessment data to inform
decisions about effective instruction. Candidates use explicit instructional
strategies and employ strategies to promote active engagement and increased
motivation to individualize instruction to support each individual. Candidates
use whole group instruction, flexible grouping, small group instruction, and
individual instruction. Candidates teach individuals to use meta-/cognitive
strategies to support and self-regulate learning.
(i) Candidates use findings from multiple
assessments, including student self-assessment, that are responsive to cultural
and linguistic differences and specialized as needed, to identify what students
know and are able to do. They then interpret the assessment data to
appropriately plan and guide instruction to meet rigorous academic and
non-academic content and goals for each individual;
(ii) Candidates use effective strategies to
promote active student engagement, increase student motivation, increase
opportunities to respond, and enhance self-regulation of student
learning;
(iii) Candidates use
explicit, systematic instruction to teach content, strategies, and skills to
make clear what a learner needs to do or think about while learning. Candidates
use flexible grouping to support the use of instruction that is adapted to meet
the needs of each individual and group; and
(iv) Candidates organize and manage focused,
intensive small group instruction to meet the learning needs of each
individual. Candidates plan and deliver specialized, individualized instruction
that is used to meet the learning needs of each individual.
6.
Supporting Social,
Emotional, and Behavioral Growth. Candidates create
and contribute to safe, respectful, and productive learning environments for
individuals with exceptionalities through the use of effective routines and
procedures and use a range of preventive and responsive practices to support
social, emotional and educational well-being. They follow ethical and legal
guidelines and work collaboratively with families and other professionals to
conduct behavioral assessments for intervention and program development.
(i) Candidates use effective routines and
procedures to create safe, caring, respectful, and productive learning
environments for individuals with exceptionalities;
(ii) Candidates use a range of preventive and
responsive practices documented as effective to support individuals' social,
emotional, and educational well-being; and
(iii) Candidates systematically use data from
a variety of sources to identify the purpose or function served by problem
behavior to plan, implement, and evaluate behavioral interventions and social
skills programs, including generalization to other environments.
7.
Collaborating with
Team Members. Candidates apply team processes and
communication strategies to collaborate in a culturally responsive manner with
families, paraprofessionals, and other professionals within the school, other
educational settings, and the community to plan programs and access services
for individuals with exceptionalities and their families.
(i) Candidates utilize communication, group
facilitation, and problem-solving strategies in a culturally responsive manner
to lead effective meetings and share expertise and knowledge to build team
capacity and jointly address students' instructional and behavioral
needs;
(ii) Candidates collaborate,
communicate, and coordinate with families, paraprofessionals, and other
professionals within the educational setting to assess, plan, and implement
effective programs and services that promote progress toward measurable
outcomes for individuals with and without exceptionalities and their
families;
(iii) Candidates
collaborate, communicate, and coordinate with professionals and agencies within
the community to identify and access services, resources, and supports to meet
the identified needs of individuals with exceptionalities and their families;
and
(iv) Candidates work with and
mentor paraprofessionals in the paraprofessionals' role of supporting the
education of individuals with exceptionalities and their families.
8. Candidates are prepared to
demonstrate understanding of the Specialty Standards for Deaf and Hard of
Hearing (D/HH) published by the Council for Exception Children (2018).
(i)
Learner Development and
Individual Learning Differences.
(I) Candidates are prepared to demonstrate
understanding of the effects of the interrelationship among age of
identification, type and etiology, level of hearing, auditory development, and
provision of services on the development of individuals who are D/HH;
(II) Candidates are prepared to demonstrate
understanding of auditory development of individuals who are D/HH;
(III) Candidates are prepared to demonstrate
understanding of visual and spoken languages and communication modes;
(IV) Candidates are prepared to demonstrate
understanding of the impact of exceptionalities on the development of language
and learning for individuals who are D/HH, including the ways in which
exceptionalities may interact with varying hearing levels resulting in more
complex needs;
(V) Candidates are
prepared to demonstrate understanding of the importance of advocating for equal
access to language and communication in the individual's preferred mode across
all educational settings;
(VI)
Candidates are prepared to incorporate current theories of spoken and signed
language development of individuals who are D/HH and components of
communication competence into programming and planning for students;
(VII) Candidates are prepared to develop
individualized programming and instruction in light of various aspects of
hearing status;
(VIII) Candidates
are prepared to incorporate auditory development of individuals who are D/HH
into programming and planning for students;
(IX) Candidates are prepared to implement
evidence-based practices in early intervention services specifically related to
overall development of children who are D/HH and family outcomes;
(X) Candidates are prepared to identify and
support communication modes that provide equal access, based on the needs and
preferences of individuals and their families;
(XI) Candidates are prepared to deliver
individualized programming and planning informed by the presence of identified
exceptionalities; and
(XII)
Candidates are prepared to identify and support all Least Restricted
Environment (LRE) options to facilitate Individualized Education Program (IEP)
team decisions taking communication into account.
(ii)
Learning
Environments.
(I) Candidates are
prepared to demonstrate understanding of the influence of educational
placement, family communication, language, cultural identity, socioeconomic
status, home and community environment, and child maltreatment on development
and learning;
(II) Candidates are
prepared to demonstrate the value of peers and role models who are D/HH on
family perceptions, decision making, and student outcomes;
(III) Candidates are prepared to demonstrate
factors impacting visual and/or auditory learning;
(IV) Candidates are prepared to promote
ongoing opportunities for interactions between individuals who are D/HH and
their families with peers and role models who are D/HH;
(V) Candidates are prepared to assist with
routines related to assistive technology used by individuals who are D/HH to
enhance access to the environment;
(VI) Candidates are prepared to design or
modify a language-rich learning environment that maximizes opportunities for
visual and/or auditory learning and meets developmental and learning needs;
and
(VII) Candidates are prepared
to structure the learning environments to encourage developmentally appropriate
self-advocacy and self-determination skills.
(iii)
Curricular Content
Knowledge.
(I) Candidates are
prepared to demonstrate understanding of the interrelationship between services
and curricular sequencing and progressions;
(II) Candidates are prepared to integrate
evidence based language and literacy instruction across all academic areas;
and
(III) Candidates are prepared
to differentiate and adapt curricula in response to the variety of populations
across multiple educational settings.
(iv)
Assessment.
(I) Candidates are prepared to demonstrate
understanding of the range of assessment types, from informal to
standardized;
(II) Candidates are
prepared to demonstrate understanding of the appropriate formative, summative,
and diagnostic assessment of expanded core curriculum, auditory skills, visual
language skills, self-advocacy, self determination, functional listening,
self-care skills, and student safety;
(III) Candidates are prepared to demonstrate
understanding of the relationship between assessment data, reporting, and
programming and planning;
(IV)
Candidates are prepared to utilize appropriate terminology and interpret
results across assessments;
(V)
Candidates are prepared to ensure equal access to communication and minimized
partiality in assessment with regard to laws, policies, and ethical
principles;
(VI) Candidates are
prepared to use and interpret technically sound assessments for individuals
with D/HH;
(VII) Candidates are
prepared to administer appropriate formative, summative, and diagnostic
assessments;
(VIII) Candidates are
prepared to identify or develop appropriate specialized assessments that allow
for alternative forms of expression, and select appropriate accommodations and
modifications;
(IX) Candidates are
prepared to collect and analyze a range of spoken, signed, written, or other
language and communication samples; and
(X) Candidates are prepared to utilize
assessment data to develop reports and to inform programming and
planning.
(v)
Instructional Planning and Strategies.
(I) Candidates are prepared to demonstrate
language/modes of communication used by individuals who are D/HH;
(II) Candidates are prepared to demonstrate
understanding of the strategies that promote curricular programming that is
responsive to the variety of populations across multiple educational
settings;
(III) Candidates are
prepared to tailor evidence-based instructional strategies and specialized
technologies across a variety of service delivery models and instructional
setting;
(IV) Candidates are
prepared to coordinate and collaborate to ensure appropriate instruction and
planning;
(V) Candidates are
prepared to implement strategies for supporting audition;
(VI) Candidates are prepared to implement
strategies for conserving vision and hearing;
(VII) Candidates are prepared to implement
evidence-based strategies for developing language in individuals' preferred
communication mode(s);
(VIII)
Candidates are prepared to promote optimal access to communication to
facilitate supportive and welcoming experiences;
(IX) Candidates are prepared to develop
proficiency in the languages/modes of communication used by individuals who are
D/HH;
(X) Candidates are prepared
to promote literacy and content area reading and writing through the
individual's preferred communication mode(s);
(XI) Candidates are prepared to apply first
and second language teaching strategies;
(XII) Candidates are prepared to ensure use
of visual tools, organizers, and current assistive technology that enhances
communication access that support programming and planning across a variety of
service delivery models and instructional settings; and
(XIII) Candidates are prepared to plan and
implement transitions across service continua.
(vi)
Professional Learning and
Ethical Practice.
(I) Candidates
are prepared to demonstrate understanding of laws, policies, and ethical
principles guiding equal access to communication in individuals' preferred
communication mode(s);
(II)
Candidates are prepared to demonstrate understanding of the awareness of the
educator's language competence in supporting individual outcomes;
(III) Candidates are prepared to demonstrate
understanding of the sociocultural, historical, and political considerations
unique to Deaf culture and the field of education of individuals who are
D/HH;
(IV) Candidates are prepared
to advocate, using impartial ethical practices, based on the needs of the
individual or family;
(V)
Candidates are prepared to apply ethical decision making related to optimal
access to communication in individuals' preferred communication mode(s) for all
programming and planning;
(VI)
Candidates are prepared to increase educator's competence in the individual's
preferred communication mode(s);
(VII) Candidates are prepared to advocate for
and implement programming and planning to provide equal communication access to
individuals across all educational settings; and
(VIII) Candidates are prepared to use
historical foundations and research evidence to inform educational programming
and planning;
(vii)
Collaboration.
(I)
Candidates are prepared to demonstrate understanding of the services,
organizations, and networks that are relevant to individuals who are
D/HH;
(II) Candidates are prepared
to demonstrate understanding of the policies, procedures, and resources for
universal newborn hearing screening and early intervention;
(III) Candidates are prepared to demonstrate
understanding of the roles and responsibilities of support staff in programming
and planning;
(IV) Candidates are
prepared to demonstrate collaborative behaviors within the boundaries of the
professionals' scope of practice;
(V) Candidates are prepared to interpret
relevant data and statistics related to hearing levels and their potential
impact on outcomes;
(VI) Candidates
are prepared to participate in professional networks relevant to the education
of individuals who are D/HH;
(VII)
Candidates are prepared to provide families with information in an impartial
manner to make informed choices regarding communication modes, philosophies,
and educational options; and
(VIII)
Candidates are prepared to prepare and assist team members to work with D/HH
team members across a variety of service delivery models and instructional
environments.