Education Specialist Credential in Mild/Moderate Disabilities
ITEP (Integrated Teacher Education Program)
ITEP student teachers participate in a two-semester student teaching experience under the supervision of a credentialed, experiences special educator. In the first semester, students are part of a cohort that works collaboratively with students in the elementary teaching option.
Student Teaching Requirements
- First semester ITEP student teaching is an 8-week, half-day experience. Student teachers are paired with another candidate, and concentrate on teaching math and language arts.
- Second semester ITEP student teaching is a 9-week, full-day experience. Student teachers are not paired, and concentrate on teaching all subject areas.
Preparatory Coursework
ITEP students are undergraduates. They do their student teaching while concurrently taking all of the coursework to receive a special education credential and a Bachelor’s Degree in Liberal Studies. They are expected to develop their understanding of the skills and competencies of the special education professional while participating in their 2-semester experience.
Assessment of Student Teachers
Observation Requirements
Each semester, the ITEP student teachers will be observed a minimum of 5 times by their University Supervisor and 6 times by their Cooperating Teacher. The observer will fill out an Education Specialist Feedback Form, and discuss it with the student teacher before distributing the copies as indicated on the form. Informal observations and feedback should be conducted throughout both semesters as appropriate.
Expected Competencies
- At the end of the first semester, ITEP students are expected to have begun to develop skills in teaching and classroom management. They should be skilled at running small groups and working with students one-on-one, and have begun to master whole group classroom skills for teaching language arts and math.
- At the end of the second semester, special education ITEP student teachers are expected to have attained competency in all 6 of the California Standards for the Teaching Profession. They should be able to plan and implement all of the instructional, assessment and management responsibilities of a special education teacher.
Evaluations
ITEP student teachers will be evaluated on-line twice during each semester, by both their University Supervisor and their Cooperating Teacher.
- Passwords and links for on-line evaluations are send out to Supervisors and Cooperating Teachers by email twice each semester, near at mid-term and at the end of the semester. For information about passwords, please contact Keisha Douglas, the Teacher Education Assistant, at 818 677-2596.
- By the end of their second semester, ITEP students must receive an average score of 3 on the final evaluation, completed by their University Supervisor in collaboration with the Cooperating Teacher, with no scores of 1.
Inclusive Experiences
The first semester ITEP student teaching experience must take place in an inclusive classroom.
Other Expectations
ITEP student teachers are expected to observe and/or participate in assessment of students with disabilities, writing of IEPs, IEP meetings, SST meetings, and other responsibilities of the special educator during their second semester student teaching experience.