N.H. Admin. Code § Ed 507.40

Current through Register No. 50, December 12, 2024

Section Ed 507.40 - Special Education Teacher

(a) To be licensed as a special education teacher the candidate shall have at least a bachelor's degree.

(b) A candidate for licensure as a special education teacher shall have skills, competencies, and knowledge in the following areas:

(1) In the area of foundations, the candidate shall have the ability to:

a. Describe the philosophies, historical perspectives, theories, models, federal law, state law, and case law related to knowledge and practice in general and special education;

b. Understand how philosophical and historical perspectives influence professional practice;

c. Understand the role of families in supporting the development of a student's ability to learn, interact socially, and live as a contributing member of the community;

d. Understand the functions of schools, school systems, and other agencies and their relationships to general and special education; and

e. Understand the components of a legally defensible education program;

(2) In the area of development and characteristics of learners, the candidate shall have the ability to:

a. Describe the similarities and differences in human growth and development of individuals with and without disabilities within and across cognitive, academic, developmental, social, language, sensory, diversity, physical, and emotional and behavioral areas;

b. Define the characteristics and their respective educational implications of all types of disabilities in federal statutes, federal regulations, and Ed 1100;

c. Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of diversity, families, communities, gender, and society that influence learning; and

d. Demonstrate understanding of the influences of environment and co-existing conditions, disabilities, or both, in individuals;

(3) In the area of learning differences, the candidate shall have the ability to:

a. Understand and utilize the results of individuals' evaluations, assessments, and other information from a variety of sources, including parents and students, to identify academic, developmental, social, emotional, behavioral, functional skills, and post-secondary transition educational needs;

b. Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the learning differences, preferences, and needs of students with disabilities including multiple influences of human growth and development in collaboration with team members in the development of individualized educational programs;

c. Understand how the learning differences, preferences, and needs of students with disabilities affect progress in the general curriculum, extracurricular activities, and other nonacademic areas;

d. Identify levels of special education services, supplementary aids and services, and support for school personnel to create inclusive instructional opportunities that accommodate diverse learning needs;

e. Understand and utilize the diverse range of a student's approach to learning and the range of modifications and accommodations that can be used to support learning;

f. Understand the concept of least restrictive environment and the continuum of educational environments; and

g. Recognize the relationships among a student's academic, social, emotional, behavioral and functional abilities, attitudes, and interests on instruction, transition planning, and career development;

(4) In the area of learning and social environments, the candidate shall have the ability to:

a. Incorporate research-based instructional frameworks to promote access, equity, and respect for all students in the general education environments;

b. Use effective routines, clear expectations and procedures to create safe, caring, respectful, and productive learning environments;

c. Use a range of preventive and responsive practices documented as effective to support an individual's social, emotional, and educational well-being;

d. Collaboratively select, administer, analyze, and interpret multiple measures of student's learning, behavior, and the classroom environment to evaluate and adapt classroom settings utilizing interventions and adapting instructions;

e. Structure learning environments and activities to develop and foster a student's self-awareness, self-management, self-regulation, self-reliance, and self-esteem; and

f. Provide positive and constructive feedback to guide a student's learning and behavior;

(5) In the area of assessment, the candidate shall have the ability to:

a. Understand federal law, state law, and administrative rules pertaining to students with disabilities for required assessments and qualified examiners by disability type for the evaluation of students with disabilities as part of assessment related to the special education process;

b. Understand procedures and timelines for the referral, evaluation, and determination of eligibility for special education and related services;

c. Understand the range of formal and informal assessments, instruments, and results and their purposes in the special education process form making educational decisions;

d. Collaboratively select, administer in native language, communication mode, or both, and interpret multiple formal and informal, culturally and linguistically appropriate measures and procedures that are valid and reliable, understand their limitations, and demonstrate the ability to write a formal report;

e. Systematically use data from a variety of sources to identify the function served by problem behavior to plan, implement, and evaluate behavioral interventions;

f. Assess, analyze, interpret, and communicate a student's progress towards measurable outcomes, using technology as appropriate, to inform both short- and long-term planning and make ongoing adjustments to instruction; and

g. Demonstrate an understanding of the manifestation determination process;

(6) In the area of instructional planning and strategies, the candidate shall have the ability to:

a. Collaboratively plan and participate in best practices in co-teaching to strengthen learning and achievement in the general curriculum for students with disabilities;

b. Incorporate supports, services, and supplementary aids, including equipment, materials, and assistive technology, across all environments;

c. Design and implement effective strategies that promote active student engagement, increase student motivation, and enhance self-regulation of a student's learning;

d. Utilize evidence-based interventions and strategies from multiple approaches validated for specific characteristics of learners based on formative and summative assessment, to create and implement lesson plans for academic, social, and behavioral content that are responsive to diverse backgrounds;

e. Support the implementation of annual measurable goals, with specially designed instruction, accommodations, and modifications;

f. Provide specially designed instruction for students with disabilities to increase accuracy and proficiency in the areas of:

1. Reading and writing including phonemic awareness;

2. Phonics;

3. Fluency;

4. Vocabulary;

5. Comprehension; and

6. Written expression;

g. Provide specially designed instruction for students with disabilities to increase accuracy and proficiency in the areas of:

1. Counting and cardinality;

2. Operations and algebraic thinking;

3. Numbers and operations base ten;

4. Numbers and operations with fractions;

5. Measurement and data;

6. Geometry;

7. Ratios and proportional relationships;

8. The number system;

9. Functions; and

10. Statistics, and probability;

h. Identify and explicitly teach executive functioning and social skills;

i. Identify and teach strategies for preparing individuals to live independently, cooperatively, and productively in society;

j. Use individualized strategies to enhance language development and communication skills; and

k. Use progress monitoring from ongoing assessment data to evaluate instruction and student performance, and make responsive adjustments to instruction or individual education plan;

(7) In the area of curricular content and knowledge, the candidate shall have the ability to:

a. Use theories and research that form the basis of curriculum development and instructional practices;

b. Use state, local, or both content standards for planning, teaching, accommodating, and assessing to individualized learning across all settings;

c. Use technology related to curriculum content for planning and managing teaching and learning environments; and

d. Integrate effective social and life skills within the academic curriculum;

(8) In the area of professional practice, the candidate shall have the ability to:

a. Identify organizations and publications relevant to students with disabilities;

b. Identify sources of unique services, networks, and organizations for students with disabilities;

c. Describe the rights and responsibilities of schools, students, families, teachers, and other professionals related to the identification, placement, and services of students with disabilities in accordance with procedural safeguards of Ed 1120 and 34 CFR 300.504, May 2017, as referenced in Appendix II; and

d. Understand how issues of human diversity can impact families, cultures, and schools, in the delivery of special education services; and

(9) In the area of collaboration, the candidate shall have the ability to:

a. 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;

b. 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 disabilities;

c. Collaborate, communicate, and coordinate with professionals and state and local agencies within the community to identify and access services, resources, and supports to meet the identified needs of individuals with disabilities and their families;

d. Advocate for and secure appropriate services for students with disabilities; and

e. Foster respectful and beneficial relationships between families and professionals through the use of meaningful parent engagement;

(c) Each candidate for licensure as a special education teacher for students age 5 up to age 21 shall have the following skills, competencies, and knowledge through a combination of academic and clinical field-based experiences:

(1) Skill in engaging students with and without disabilities from age 5 up to age 21; and

(2) Ability to engage in the full range of teaching activities, roles, and responsibilities encountered in the school and community settings of a student with disabilities.

(d) Special education licensure shall qualify a teacher to:

(1) Teach specially designed instruction to students with disabilities whose placement is along the continuum of alternative educational environments but do not require the specialized knowledge and skills of an educator with a categorical endorsement as defined in Ed 507.42 through Ed 507.47; and

(2) Teach curriculum, aligned to alternative academic standards, in consultation with certified content area teachers, to children with disabilities.

N.H. Admin. Code § Ed 507.40

#8229, eff 12-17-04; ss by #9157, eff 7-1-08

Amended by Volume XXXVI Number 36, Filed September 8, 2016, Proposed by #11153, Effective 8/16/2016, Expires 8/16/2026.

Amended by Volume XXXIX Number 46, November 14, 2019, Proposed by #12898, Effective 10/11/2019, Expires 4/8/2020.

Amended by Volume XL Number 19, Filed May 7, 2020, Proposed by #13023, Effective 4/9/2020, Expires 10/6/2020.

Amended by Volume XL Number 41, Filed October 8, 2020, Proposed by # 13099, Effective 9/11/2020, Expires 9/11/2030.