Our special education program provides you with an Education Specialist Instruction Credential, specializing in either mild to moderate support needs or extensive support needs. The Education Specialist Instruction Credential authorizes you to provide instruction and special education support to students with disabilities, as well as conduct educational assessments related to student’s access to the academic core curriculum and progress towards meeting instructional academic goals.
Which specialization should I get?
Mild to Moderate Support Needs
(Previously Mild/Moderate Disabilities)
Address the educational and social needs of students with specific learning disabilities, mild to moderate intellectual disabilities, and emotional and behavioral disorders. Learn more here.
Choose this specialty area if you want to:
- Foster academic success for students with specific learning needs
- Provide support and instruction in many academic areas
- Co-teach and collaborate with general education teachers on student supports
- Work closely with families and service providers on student-centered teams
Extensive Support Needs
(Previously Moderate/Severe Disabilities)
Address the educational and social needs of students with autism, developmental or intellectual disabilities, and emotional and behavioral disorders. Learn more here.
Choose this specialty area if you want to:
- Promote student independence by teaching daily living skills
- Provide instruction across skill areas, such as academic, social, and recreational skills
- Collaborate with general education teachers and a team of paraprofessionals
- Work closely with families and service providers on student-centered teams
Community
The ESC program works to provide our candidates with both the values and strategies they need to see themselves as change agents in today's schools. We strive for inclusive, meaningful life outcomes for students with disabilities and that value is at the center of all of our decision-making. Our mission is to prepare educators who will:
- Contribute to creating a more inclusive society so that individuals with disabilities can become contributing members of society.
- Promote inclusion of all students by fostering positive attitudes within schools towards students with disabilities.
- Provide best practices, support, and instruction for students with moderate/severe disabilities and to provide positive, non-aversive, effective behavioral interventions for students with challenging behaviors to maximize their potential
- Understand the most recent research practices for best teaching and value, understand, keep updated on new research and understand the value of action research to evaluate their own instruction.
- Work in collaborative teams with other professionals, families of students with disabilities to form positive partnerships.
- Work on interdisciplinary teams and manage classrooms with paraprofessionals and volunteers.
- Be advocates for their students.
- Have an understanding of broader issues of policy and organization related to individuals with disabilities and respond to the cultural and linguistic context of their students.
- Maximize their resources by utilizing available supports, such as peer tutoring, volunteer training, training families, assistive technology, self-management, in order to realize the goal of genuine self-individualization.
Placements
In your student teaching placements, you will be on local school campuses from the first day of school until the last. Our special education program has two placements throughout the academic year. The Teacher Education Program secures placements through our strong partnerships with local schools. You will be mentored and supported by a university supervisor and a cooperating teacher, many of whom are graduates of our program.
Placement 1
Your first placement takes place during the K-12 fall semester (August-January). You will be placed in a classroom ranging from Kindergarten to Postsecondary. Here is what a typical week looks like:
| Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Morning: K-12 schools | All day: K-12 schools | Morning: K-12 schools | Morning: K-12 schools | All day: UCSB |
| Afternoon/Evening: UCSB | Afternoon/Evening: UCSB | Afternoon/Evening: UCSB |
Placement 2
Your second placement occurs over the K-12 spring semester (February-June). During the last 10 weeks, you will be at your school site 4 days a week for the full school day. Here is what a typical week looks like when you are at the school site all day:
| Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All day: K-12 schools | All day: K-12 schools | All day: K-12 schools | All day: K-12 schools | Morning: UCSB |
| Evening: UCSB | Evening: UCSB | Evening: UCSB |