300
Methods for Teaching Students with Disabilities. The purpose of this course is to explore and develop skills for effectively teaching students with learning and behavior disorders.
Emphasis is placed on the development, implementation, and evaluation of curricula for students with disabilities through the secondary level. Students will explore strategies for modifying teaching methods and materials to support diverse learning needs across content areas. A 35 hour field experience with students with disabilities is required.
Students must successfully complete the field experience in order to pass the course.
This course introduces teacher candidates to assessment practices for evaluating academic and social-emotional functioning in school settings, with a focus on students with disabilities. Emphasis is placed on using assessment data to inform instruction and support student growth within Response to Intervention (RTI) and Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) frameworks. Students will learn to select, administer, interpret, and communicate results from both formal and informal assessment tools. Course components include lecture, discussion, practicum-based activities, and direct instruction in assessment administration. Students will be assigned to a local classroom to practice assessment techniques in an applied setting. A 15-hour field experience is required.
This course addresses four key components of assessment-driven literacy instruction: (1) formal and informal assessments of students’ reading interests, attitudes, and abilities; (2) research-based reading strategies, methods, and techniques; (3) instructional planning based on diagnostic data; and (4) reporting students’ literacy strengths and growth areas with recommendations for continued development. Course content and outcomes align with the International Literacy Association (ILA) standards and the Montana Reading Specialist K–12 standards (ARM 10.58.521). Students complete a supervised clinical field experience consisting of ten one-on-one sessions with an assigned K–5 student.