3.00 Credits
This course is designed to provide opportunities to participate as school-based practitioner in a detailed study of curriculum planning / implementation with a specific focus on basic concepts in Special Education, and inclusion practices. The course is designed to inform and sensitize pre-service and in-service administrators to the needs, nature and function of the management of Special Education, with emphasis on the coordination of the education of exceptional children with that of all other children. Focus will be on the special education competencies for school leaders. Each course participant is expected to articulate in a professional manner an informed research - based educational perspective on various readings, concepts, economic principles and practical situations associated with the delivery of services in the creation and implementation of a school's inclusive curriculum. Course participants will fulfill all assigned projects, readings, and activities relating to the planning and execution of a carefully designed curriculum unit of study that utilizes a range of assessments associated with the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) SAS - Standards Aligned System( http://www.pdesas.org/), to address students' academic achievement (at the field-based school site). This course of study is embedded in the Framework and Guidelines for Principal Preparation Programs, i.e., PILS- Pennsylvania Instructional Leadership Standards. The PDE PILS core standards and corollary standards, along with a focus on special needs students and issues of diversity, e.g., Over-Representation of Diverse Students in Special Education, serve as the underpinnings of the course. Course participants will also be required to do a minimum of 36 hours in a school-based FIELD EXPERIENCE. As a special feature of the current teaching of this course, there will be a focus on practical application of curriculum theory & practice relative to the topic of "Obesity and America's School-age Students." As a result of a formerly awarded National Institute of Health (NIH) grant involving The University of Pennsylvania and Cheyney University-"THE CHEYNEY-PENN EXPORT PROJECT" --- this course will include a curriculum focus that seeks to address one of the nation's emerging 21st century health issues; in addition to basic concepts in special education from an administrative perspective. Pre-Requisite: None (NOTE: Students in need of special accommodations, please see the professor for assistance.) (Formerly: XEL626 - Principles and Practices of Curriculum Development in Educational Leadership - 3 crd and XEL643 - Basic Concepts in Special Education - 3 crd hours)