Current through Register Vol. 48, No. 52, December 27, 2024
By October 1, 2025, no initial teacher preparation program or
course of study leading to the issuance of any teaching endorsement in the
field of special education shall be approved unless it includes content that
will enable candidates to meet the standards set forth in this Section. By
October 1, 2025, any examination required for issuance of a teaching
endorsement in special education shall assess candidates' competence in
relation to these standards. By October 1, 2025, all candidates for an
endorsement in special education will be required to complete a program aligned
to the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) Initial Practice-Based
Professional Preparation Standards for Special Educators (2020), published by
the Council for Exceptional Children, 2900 Crystal Drive, Suite 1000, Arlington
VA 22202-3557, and available at
https://exceptionalchildren.org/standards/initial-practice-based-professional-preparation-standards-special-educators.
(No later amendments to or editions of these guidelines are incorporated.) The
standards effective until September 30, 2025 are as follows:
a) Foundations - The competent special
education teacher understands the philosophical, historical, and legal
foundations of special education.
1) Knowledge
- The competent special education teacher understands:
A) historical perspectives, legislative and
judicial history, models, theories, and philosophies that provide the basis for
special education practice;
B)
current legislation, regulations, policies, litigation, and ethical issues
related to the provision of educational services, including least restrictive
environment, due process, assessment, discipline, transition, supplemental
services and supports, specialized health care and assistive technology, to
individuals with all types of disabilities across the age range;
C) variations in beliefs, traditions, and
values across cultures within society and the effects of the relationship among
child, family and schooling;
D)
issues and trends in special education across the life span, early childhood
through adult services;
E) issues
in definition and identification procedures for individuals with disabilities,
including those associated with individuals from culturally or linguistically
diverse backgrounds; and
F) the
rights and responsibilities of parents, students, teachers, and other
professionals and schools as they relate to an individual's learning needs and
educational programs.
2)
Performance - The competent special education teacher:
A) articulates a personal philosophy of
special education, including its relationship to the general curriculum and the
concepts of least restrictive environment;
B) conducts the professional activities of
assessment, diagnosis, and instruction consistent with the requirements of law,
rules, and regulations, and local district policies and procedures;
and
C) considers the continuum of
placement and services within the context of least restrictive environment when
making educational recommendations for students.
b) Characteristics of Learners - The
competent special education teacher understands the impact that disabilities
have on the cognitive, physical, emotional, social, and communication
development of an individual and provides opportunities that support the
intellectual, social, and personal development of all students.
1) Knowledge - The competent special
education teacher understands:
A) the
cognitive processes associated with various kinds of learning and how these
processes can be stimulated and developed;
B) the similarities and differences among the
cognitive, physical, sensory, cultural, social, and emotional development and
needs of individuals with and without disabilities;
C) communication theory, language
development, and the role of language in learning as well as communication
modes and patterns of individuals with and without disabilities;
D) the social, intellectual, and political
influences on language;
E) typical
and atypical motor development;
F)
major genetic and environmental etiologies of cognitive, sensory, emotional,
and physical disabilities;
G)
medical conditions affecting individuals with disabilities and the effects of
various medications on their educational, cognitive, physical, sensory, social,
and emotional behaviors;
H) basic
functions of the body's systems in relation to common medical conditions and
health impairments;
I) specialized
health care needs at school (e.g., gastrostomies, colostomies, urinary
catheterization, tracheotomies, ventilator-assisted breathing, blood glucose
testing, seizure management);
J)
differential characteristics of individuals with disabilities across the age
range, including levels of severity and multiple disabilities and their
influence on development, behavior, and learning;
K) the effects of dysfunctional behavior on
learning and the differences between behavioral and emotional
disorders;
L) effects of the
cultural and environmental milieu of the child and the family on behavior and
learning;
M) the effects of second
language acquisition on communication patterns;
N) the impact of sensory disabilities on
development, learning, and behavior; and
O) effects of sensory input on the
development of language and cognition of students with sensory impairments,
including the impact on cultural development and familial structures.
2) Performance - The competent
special education teacher:
A) accesses
information on exceptional conditions when planning educational or transitional
programs;
B) uses knowledge of a
student's cognitive, communication, physical, cultural, social, and emotional
characteristics in planning and delivering instruction and in transition
planning; and
C) recommends
referrals to appropriate specialists when more in-depth information about a
child's needs is required for making educational decisions.
c) Assessment - The
competent special education teacher understands the educational assessment
process and uses various assessment strategies to support the continuous
development of all students (ages 3-22).
1)
Knowledge - The competent special education teacher understands:
A) assessment as an educational
process;
B) terminology used in
assessments;
C) legal provisions,
regulations, and guidelines regarding assessment of individuals with
disabilities;
D) how to interpret
information obtained from standardized tests, including age and grade scores,
standard scores, percentile ranks, stanines, measures of central tendency,
standard deviations, and standard error of measurement;
E) strategies for modifying and adapting
formal tests;
F) strengths and
limitations of various assessment tools;
G) influences of disabilities, culture, and
language on the assessment process;
H) a variety of procedures for identifying
students' learning characteristics and needs, monitoring student progress, and
evaluating learning strategies and instructional approaches; and
I) accommodations and modification of
national, State, and local assessments and the Illinois Alternative
Assessment.
2)
Performance - The competent special education teacher:
A) matches appropriate assessment procedures
to purposes of assessment;
B)
gathers background information regarding academic history;
C) collaborates with families and other
professionals in conducting individual assessment and reporting of assessment
results;
D) interprets information
from formal and informal assessment instruments and procedures;
E) develops individualized assessment
strategies for instruction and uses appropriate procedures for evaluating
results of that instruction;
F)
uses performance data and information from teachers, other professionals,
individuals with disabilities, and parents collaboratively to make or suggest
appropriate modifications in learning environments, curriculum, or
instructional strategies;
G)
evaluates learning environments and matches necessary supports to individual
learners' needs; and
H) creates and
maintains accurate records.
d) Planning for Instruction - The competent
special education teacher understands how students differ in their approaches
to learning and creates instructional opportunities that are adapted to diverse
learners. The teacher understands instructional planning and designs
instruction based on knowledge of the discipline, students, community, and
curriculum goals.
1) Knowledge - The competent
special education teacher understands:
A) the
scope and sequence of the general curriculum;
B) the concepts of language arts;
C) the concepts of math, including
numeration, geometry, measurement, statistics/probability, and
algebra;
D) general curriculum
practices and materials;
E) the
components of an effective social skills curriculum;
F) the components of an effective
transitional and vocational curriculum;
G) strategies for facilitating maintenance
and generalization of skills across learning environments;
H) sources of specialized materials,
equipment, and assistive technology for individuals with
disabilities;
I) the principle of
partial participation as it applies to students with disabilities;
J) the use of adaptive equipment for students
with disabilities;
K) the concept
of longitudinal transition plans;
L) short-range and long-range plans
consistent with curriculum goals, learner diversity, and learning
theory;
M) the process for
inventorying instructional environments to meet a student's individual
needs;
N) cultural perspectives
related to effective instruction for students with disabilities;
O) physical adaptations to the environment to
meet individual needs; and
P)
integration of assistive and instructional technology to meet a student's
individual needs.
2)
Performance - The competent special education teacher:
A) develops or selects relevant instructional
content, materials, resources, and strategies that respond to cultural,
linguistic, gender, and learning style differences;
B) selects and uses appropriate technologies
to accomplish instructional objectives;
C) develops appropriate lesson plans that
incorporate curriculum and instructional strategies with individualized
education goals and benchmarks;
D)
utilizes strategies for facilitating maintenance and generalization of skills
across learning environments;
E)
integrates related services into the instructional program;
F) evaluates general curricula and determines
the scope and sequence of the academic content areas of language arts and
math;
G) analyzes individual and
group performance in order to design instruction that meets learners' current
needs in the cognitive, social, emotional, and physical domains at the
appropriate level of development in the least restrictive
environment;
H) designs learning
experiences to promote students' skills in the use of technologies;
I) evaluates teaching resources and
curricular materials for comprehensiveness, accuracy, and usefulness;
J) utilizes resources and materials that are
developmentally and functionally valid;
K) uses the principle of partial
participation in planning for all students;
L) develops curricula relevant to life skills
domains: domestic, recreation/leisure, vocational, and community; and
M) plans and implements transition programs
appropriate to the age and skill level of the student.
e) Learning Environment - The
competent special education teacher uses an understanding of individual and
group motivation and behavior to create a learning environment that encourages
positive social interaction, active engagement in learning, and
self-motivation.
1) Knowledge - The competent
special education teacher understands:
A)
strategies for preparing individuals to live harmoniously and productively in a
multi-class, multiethnic, multicultural, and multinational world;
B) basic classroom management theories and
methods;
C) aspects of the physical
setting, schedule, routines, and transitions that promote development and
learning;
D) the effects of teacher
attitudes and behaviors on all students;
E) laws, rules and regulations, procedural
safeguards, and ethical considerations regarding management of behaviors of
individuals with disabilities;
F)
strategies for individual behavior management, crisis prevention, and
intervention;
G) functional
assessment of behavior and the components of behavior intervention
plans;
H) approaches to adapting
environments to meet the specific learning and developmental needs of
individuals;
I) strategies for
conflict resolution;
J) effective
instructional strategies for social skills development;
K) issues, resources, and techniques related
to the integration of students with disabilities into and out of special
centers, psychiatric hospitals, and residential treatment centers;
L) how to identify realistic expectations for
student behavior in various settings;
M) the characteristics of environments,
including materials, equipment, and spatial arrangements, that facilitate
development, learning, and interaction between and among students;
N) ways in which technology can assist with
creating and managing the learning environment;
O) common environmental barriers that hinder
accessibility;
P) personal
attitudes and biases that affect acceptance of individuals with disabilities;
and
Q) supervision of
paraprofessional educators.
2) Performance - The competent special
education teacher:
A) identifies, uses and
evaluates appropriate reinforcers to enhance learning and motivation;
B) uses strategies and techniques to arrange
and modify the learning environment to facilitate learning according to an
individual's physical, sensory, or behavioral needs;
C) designs, structures, and manages daily
routines effectively, including transition time for groups and
individuals;
D) uses assistive
technology, when applicable, to create, arrange, and maintain a positive
environment that facilitates learning and interaction;
E) monitors and analyzes changes in
individual and group behavior and performance across settings, curricular
areas, and activities;
F) designs,
implements, and evaluates instructional programs that enhance an individual's
social participation in family, school, and community activities;
G) develops, implements, and evaluates the
effects of positive behavior intervention techniques and individual behavior
intervention plans for individuals with disabilities;
H) applies appropriate, non-aversive, least
intrusive management procedures when presented with spontaneous behavioral
problems;
I) elects target
behaviors to be changed and conducts a functional assessment of the target
behavior;
J) plans and directs the
activities of classroom paraprofessionals, volunteers, or peer
tutors;
K) coordinates activities
with related services personnel to maximize instruction and time;
L) uses procedures to help individuals
develop self-awareness, self-control, self-reliance, self-esteem, and
self-determination and manage their own behavior;
M) uses transfers (floor to sitting, sitting
to floor, chair to chair) correctly and identifies incorrect procedures for
handling and positioning; and
N)
facilitates mobility, including head and trunk control, sitting, crawling,
standing, walking, and wheelchair use.
f) Instructional Delivery - The competent
special education teacher understands the central concepts and methods of
inquiry; uses a variety of instructional strategies to encourage students'
development of critical thinking, problem-solving, and performance skills; and
creates learning experiences that make content meaningful to all students (ages
3-22).
1) Knowledge - The competent special
education teacher understands:
A) techniques
for modifying instructional methods, curricular materials and the environment
to meet learners' needs that are appropriate to those learners' ages and skill
levels; and
B) how cultural and
gender differences affect communication.
2) Performance - The competent special
education teacher:
A) uses a variety of
explanations and multiple representations of concepts that capture key ideas to
help students develop conceptual understandings;
B) stimulates student reflection on prior
knowledge and links new ideas to already familiar ideas and
experiences;
C) facilitates
learning experiences that develop social skills;
D) uses instructional time effectively and
efficiently;
E) chooses and
implements instructional techniques and strategies that promote successful
transitions for individuals with disabilities;
F) adapts materials according to the needs of
individuals with disabilities;
G)
facilitates a learning community in which individual differences are
respected;
H) creates varied
opportunities for all students to use effective written, verbal, nonverbal, and
visual communication;
I) uses
research-supported instructional strategies and practices;
J) identifies ways to enhance a reinforcer's
effectiveness in instruction;
K)
uses chronologically age-appropriate instruction and materials; and
L) facilitates the integration of related
services into the instructional program.
g) Collaborative Relationships - The
competent special education teacher uses knowledge of effective written,
verbal, and visual communication techniques to foster active inquiry,
collaboration, and supportive interaction among professionals, parents,
paraprofessionals, and students.
1) Knowledge
- The competent special education teacher understands:
A) factors that promote effective
communication and collaboration with individuals, parents, families, and school
and community personnel in a culturally responsive program;
B) roles of individuals with disabilities,
parents, teachers, and other school and community personnel in planning an
individualized program;
C) ethical
practices for confidential communication to others about individuals with
disabilities;
D) typical concerns
of families of individuals with disabilities and appropriate strategies for
collaborating with families in addressing these concerns (including families
transitioning into and out of the special education system);
E) the effects of family and community on
development, behavior, and learning;
F) family systems theory and dynamics and
differences in family structures and beliefs;
G) roles and responsibilities of school-based
medical and related services personnel, professional groups, and community
organizations in identifying, assessing, and providing services to individuals
with disabilities;
H) information
generally available from family, school officials, the legal system, and
community service agencies;
I)
early childhood settings and other agencies related to young children and
families as organizations within the larger community context; and
J) resources, strategies, networks,
organizations, and unique services that work with individuals with disabilities
and their families (including career, vocational, and transition support),
including possible funding agencies and financial sources for secondary aged
students (local, State, and federal).
2) Performance - The competent special
education teacher:
A) collaborates with a
team, including families, to develop and implement individual student programs
(Individualized Education Programs (IEPs), Individualized Family Service Plans
(IFSPs), transition plans, etc.);
B) encourages and supports families in their
student's programs and in becoming active participants in the educational
team;
C) plans and conducts
collaborative conferences with families or primary caregivers;
D) collaborates with parents and educators in
the use of specific academic or behavior management strategies and counseling
techniques;
E) initiates
collaboration with others and creates situations where that collaboration will
enhance student learning;
F)
collaborates with classroom teachers, parents, paraprofessional educators, and
other school and community personnel in integrating individuals with
disabilities into various social and learning environments;
G) communicates with general educators,
administrators, paraprofessional educators, and other school personnel about
characteristics and needs of individuals with disabilities;
H) assists students, in collaboration with
parents and other professionals, in planning for transition to adulthood,
including employment and community and daily life, with maximum opportunities
for decision-making and full participation in the community;
I) demonstrates the ability to train,
monitor, evaluate, and provide feedback to paraprofessional educators;
and
J) works with colleagues to
develop an effective learning climate within the school.
h) Professional Conduct and
Leadership - The competent special education teacher understands teaching as a
profession, maintains standards of professional conduct, and provides
leadership to improve students' learning and well-being.
1) Knowledge - The competent special
education teacher understands:
A) personal and
cultural biases and differences that affect one's teaching and interactions
with others;
B) the importance of
the teacher serving as a role model and advocate for all students;
C) schools as organizations within the larger
community context;
D) consumer and
professional organizations, publications, and journals relevant to individuals
with disabilities; and
E) rights to
privacy, confidentiality, and respect for differences among all persons
interacting with individuals with disabilities.
2) Performance - The competent special
education teacher:
A) demonstrates commitment
to developing the highest educational and quality-of-life potential of
individuals with disabilities;
B)
demonstrates positive regard for the culture, religion, gender, and sexual
orientation of individual students and their families;
C) promotes and maintains a high level of
integrity in the practice of the profession in accordance with the professional
ethical standards set forth in "What Every Special Educator Must Know: Ethics,
Standards, and Guidelines" (2015) published by the Council for Exceptional
Children, 2900 Crystal Drive, Suite 1000, Arlington, Virginia 22202 and
available at
https://www.cec.sped.org/Standards.
(No later amendments to or editions of these standards are incorporated by this
rule.);
D) exercises objective
professional judgment in the practice of the profession;
E) engages in professional activities that
benefit individuals with disabilities, their families, or colleagues, including
participation in the activities of professional organizations relevant to
individuals with disabilities;
F)
recognizes signs of emotional distress, child abuse, and neglect and follows
procedures for reporting known or suspected abuse or neglect to appropriate
authorities;
G) maintains
confidentiality of medical and academic records and respect for privacy of
individuals with disabilities; and
H) maintains ethical responsibility to
advocate for the least restrictive environment and appropriate
services.
i)
Reflection and Professional Growth - The competent special education teacher is
a reflective practitioner who continually evaluates how choices and actions
affect students, parents, and other professionals in the learning community and
actively seeks opportunities to grow professionally.
1) Knowledge - The competent special
education teacher understands:
A) benefits and
strategies of mentorship;
B) the
continuum of lifelong professional development; and
C) central concepts and methods of inquiry
for reflecting on practice and problem-solving.
2) Performance - Competent special education
teachers:
A) reflect on their practice to
improve instruction and guide professional growth; and
B) ensure that their professional development
plan includes activities to remain current regarding research-validated
practice.