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Contacts

Dr. Eileen Council / ecouncil@uarts.edu / 215.717.6432
Program Director

Description

One of the major features that characterize classrooms today is student diversity. Intellectual, social, emotional, developmental and learning style differences exist among all students, including those with disabilities. In the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, approximately fifteen percent of all students are classified as having one or more disabilities. Thus, it is likely that every teacher can expect to find one or more students with a disability included in his/her classroom.

Federal law protects the educational rights of students with disabilities. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (or IDEA) specifies that all children are entitled to a free, appropriate, public education. Ensuring that all students receive an appropriate education in both the regular and inclusive classroom environment is the responsibility of all teachers. However, not all teachers feel fully prepared to teach the diverse population of students found in most of today’s classrooms.

This graduate certificate program in Inclusion will provide educators with the knowledge, skills, practices, and tools they need to help all students perform at their highest potential, successfully manage the inclusive classroom environment, and to view diversity as a challenge they can successfully meet.

This certificate is for in-service teachers. Courses within this certificate may also fulfill requirements of the Inclusion concentration in the MEd in Educational Program Design program.

Program Objectives

Students will:

• Learn why educators are required to make adjustments in their educational strategies to meet the needs of diverse learners including an examination of the historical foundations in special education, as well as related litigation and legislation.
• Develop an understanding of the roles and responsibilities of teachers in the identification, evaluation, teaching and progress monitoring of all learners within their inclusive educational community.
• Learn practical and proven strategies for successfully including students with disabilities in general education classrooms.
• Learn how to implement classroom specific strategies to address a very wide range of grade levels, skill levels and academic content areas.
• Learn how to optimize instruction for students with diverse learning and developmental backgrounds in the inclusive classroom.
• Learn specific strategies for identifying the needs, evaluating, instructing, problem-solving and monitoring the progress of all students within the inclusion classroom.
• Examine the definition, identification process, characteristics, incidence and specific needs of various disabilities and diverse learning populations found within the inclusive classroom.
  Learn how to minimize mismatches between how a teacher instructs and the variety of ways students learn.

Program Requirements (15 Credits)