Compilation of Rules and Regulations of the State of Georgia › Department 505 - PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS COMMISSION › Chapter 505-3 - EDUCATOR PREPARATION RULES › Rule 505-3-.101 - Special Education Transition Specialist Endorsement

Current through Rules and Regulations filed through
			 June 27, 2024
(1)
Purpose.
This rule states field-specific content standards for
			 approving endorsement programs that prepare teachers to serve as transition
			 specialists in grades 9-12. This rule supplements requirements in GaPSC Rule
			 505-3-.01 REQUIREMENTS AND STANDARDS
			 FOR APPROVING EDUCATOR PREPARATION PROVIDERS AND EDUCATOR PREPARATION
			 PROGRAMS.
(2)
In-Field
			 Statement.
Completers of the Special Education Transition Specialist
			 Endorsement Program are qualified to serve as a transition specialist in grades
			 9-12 who provides assistance in establishing post-school goals and objectives
			 and facilitates the transition to work and community environments.
(3)
Requirements
.
(a) GaPSC-approved educator preparation
			 providers may seek state approval to offer this field as either a stand-alone
			 endorsement program or as an endorsement program embedded in a GaPSC-approved
			 initial preparation program or an advanced (degree-only) preparation program.
			 In addition to meeting all applicable approval requirements and standards,
			 embedded endorsement programs must meet requirements specified in paragraph (e)
			 4. (ix) of GaPSC Rule
			 505-3-.01 REQUIREMENTS AND STANDARDS
			 FOR APPROVING EDUCATOR PREPARATION PROVIDERS AND EDUCATOR PREPARATION
			 PROGRAMS.
(b) To receive approval,
			 a GaPSC-approved educator preparation provider shall offer a preparation
			 program described in program planning forms, catalogs, and syllabi addressing
			 the following standards adapted from the standards published by the Council for
			 Exceptional Children (2020):
1.
Engaging in Professional Learning and Practice within Ethical
			 Guidelines
. Candidates practice within ethical and legal
			 guidelines; advocate for improved outcomes for individuals with
			 exceptionalities and their families while considering their social, cultural,
			 and linguistic differences; and engage in ongoing self-reflection to design and
			 implement professional learning activities.
(i) Candidates practice within ethical
			 guidelines and legal policies and procedures;
(ii) Candidates advocate for improved
			 outcomes for individuals with exceptionalities and their families while
			 addressing the unique needs of those with varying social, cultural, and
			 linguistic backgrounds; and
(iii)
			 Candidates design and implement professional learning activities based on
			 ongoing analysis of student learning; self-reflection; and professional
			 standards, research, and contemporary practices.
2.
Understanding and Addressing
			 Each Individual's Developmental and Learning Needs
. Candidates use
			 their understanding of human growth and development, the multiple influences on
			 development, individual differences, unique characteristics, including
			 exceptionalities, and families and communities to plan and implement supportive
			 and welcoming learning environments and experiences that provide individuals
			 with exceptionalities high quality learning experiences reflective of each
			 individual's strengths and needs.
(i)
			 Candidates apply understanding of human growth and development to create
			 developmentally appropriate and meaningful learning experiences that address
			 individualized strengths and needs of students with exceptionalities;
			 and
(ii) Candidates use their
			 knowledge and understanding of various factors that influence development and
			 learning, including differences related to families, languages, cultures, and
			 communities, and individual differences, including exceptionalities, to plan
			 and implement learning experiences and environments.
3.
Demonstrating Subject Matter
			 Content and Specialized Curricular Knowledge
. Candidates apply
			 their understanding of the academic subject matter content of the general
			 curriculum and specialized curricula to inform their programmatic and
			 instructional decisions for learners with exceptionalities.
(i) Candidates apply their understanding of
			 academic subject matter content of the general curriculum to inform their
			 programmatic and instructional decisions for individuals with exceptionalities;
			 and
(ii) Candidates augment the
			 general education curriculum to address skills and strategies that students
			 with disabilities need to access the core curriculum and function successfully
			 within a variety of contexts as well as the continuum of placement options to
			 assure specially designed instruction is developed and implemented to achieve
			 mastery of curricular standards and individualized goals and
			 objectives.
4.
Using Assessment to Understand the Learner and the Learning
			 Environment for Databased Decision Making
. Candidates assess
			 students' learning, behavior, and the classroom environment in order to
			 evaluate and support classroom and school-based problem-solving systems of
			 intervention and instruction. Candidates evaluate students to determine their
			 strengths and needs, contribute to students' eligibility determination,
			 communicate students' progress, inform short- and long-term instructional
			 planning, and make ongoing adjustments to instruction using technology as
			 appropriate.
(i) Candidates collaboratively
			 develop, select, administer, analyze, and interpret multiple measures of
			 student learning, behavior, and the classroom environment to evaluate and
			 support classroom and school-based systems of intervention for students with
			 and without exceptionalities;
(ii)
			 Candidates develop, select, administer, and interpret multiple, formal and
			 informal, culturally and linguistically appropriate measures and procedures
			 that are valid and reliable to contribute to eligibility determination for
			 special education services; and
(iii) Candidates assess, collaboratively
			 analyze, interpret, and communicate students' progress toward measurable
			 outcomes using technology as appropriate, to inform both short- and long-term
			 planning, and make ongoing adjustments to instruction.
5.
Supporting Learning Using
			 Effective Instruction
. Candidates use knowledge of individuals'
			 development, learning needs, and assessment data to inform decisions about
			 effective instruction. Candidates use explicit instructional strategies and
			 employ strategies to promote active engagement and increased motivation to
			 individualize instruction to support each individual. Candidates use whole
			 group instruction, flexible grouping, small group instruction, and individual
			 instruction. Candidates teach individuals to use meta-/cognitive strategies to
			 support and self-regulate learning.
(i)
			 Candidates use findings from multiple assessments, including student
			 self-assessment, that are responsive to cultural and linguistic differences and
			 specialized as needed, to identify what students know and are able to do. They
			 then interpret the assessment data to appropriately plan and guide instruction
			 to meet rigorous academic and non-academic content and goals for each
			 individual;
(ii) Candidates use
			 effective strategies to promote active student engagement, increase student
			 motivation, increase opportunities to respond, and enhance self-regulation of
			 student learning;
(iii) Candidates
			 use explicit, systematic instruction to teach content, strategies, and skills
			 to make clear what a learner needs to do or think about while learning.
			 Candidates use flexible grouping to support the use of instruction that is
			 adapted to meet the needs of each individual and group; and
(iv) Candidates organize and manage focused,
			 intensive small group instruction to meet the learning needs of each
			 individual. Candidates plan and deliver specialized, individualized instruction
			 that is used to meet the learning needs of each individual.
6.
Supporting Social,
			 Emotional, and Behavioral Growth
. Candidates create and contribute
			 to safe, respectful, and productive learning environments for individuals with
			 exceptionalities through the use of effective routines and procedures and use a
			 range of preventive and responsive practices to support social, emotional and
			 educational well-being. They follow ethical and legal guidelines and work
			 collaboratively with families and other professionals to conduct behavioral
			 assessments for intervention and program development.
(i) Candidates use effective routines and
			 procedures to create safe, caring, respectful, and productive learning
			 environments for individuals with exceptionalities;
(ii) Candidates use a range of preventive and
			 responsive practices documented as effective to support individuals' social,
			 emotional, and educational well-being; and
(iii) Candidates systematically use data from
			 a variety of sources to identify the purpose or function served by problem
			 behavior to plan, implement, and evaluate behavioral interventions and social
			 skills programs, including generalization to other environments.
7.
Collaborating with
			 Team Members
. Candidates apply team processes and communication
			 strategies to collaborate in a culturally responsive manner with families,
			 paraprofessionals, and other professionals within the school, other educational
			 settings, and the community to plan programs and access services for
			 individuals with exceptionalities and their families.
(i) Candidates 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;
(ii) Candidates 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 exceptionalities and their
			 families;
(iii) Candidates
			 collaborate, communicate, and coordinate with professionals and agencies within
			 the community to identify and access services, resources, and supports to meet
			 the identified needs of individuals with exceptionalities and their families;
			 and
(iv) Candidates work with and
			 mentor paraprofessionals in the paraprofessionals' role of supporting the
			 education of individuals with exceptionalities and their families.
8. Candidates are prepared to
			 demonstrate understanding of the Specialty Standards for Special Education
			 Transition Specialist published by the Council for Exception Children (2012).
(i)
Assessment
.
(I) Candidates are prepared to demonstrate
			 understanding of the procedures and requirements for referring individuals to
			 community service agencies;
(II)
			 Candidates are prepared to demonstrate understanding of the implications of
			 individual characteristics with respect to post-school outcomes and support
			 needs;
(III) Candidates are
			 prepared to demonstrate understanding of the formal and informal approaches for
			 identifying students' interests and preferences related to educational
			 experiences and post school goals (postsecondary education, employment,
			 independent living), including person-centered planning assessments;
(IV) Candidates are prepared to demonstrate
			 understanding of how to match skills and interests of the individuals to skills
			 and demands required by vocational and post-school settings;
(V) Candidates are prepared to interpret
			 results of career and vocational assessment for individuals, families, and
			 professionals;
(VI) Candidates are
			 prepared to use a variety of formal and informal career, transition, and
			 vocational assessment procedures;
(VII) Candidates are prepared to evaluate and
			 modify transitional goals on an ongoing basis; and
(VIII) Candidates are prepared to assess and
			 develop natural support systems to facilitate transition to post-school
			 environments.
(ii)
Programs, Services, and Outcomes
.
(I) Candidates are prepared to demonstrate
			 understanding of school and post-school services available to specific
			 populations of individuals with exceptional learning needs;
(II) Candidates are prepared to demonstrate
			 understanding of the methods for providing community-based education for
			 individuals with exceptional learning needs;
(III) Candidates are prepared to demonstrate
			 understanding of the methods for linking academic content to transition
			 goals;
(IV) Candidates are prepared
			 to demonstrate understanding of strategies for involving families and
			 individuals with exceptional learning needs in transition planning and
			 evaluation;
(V) Candidates are
			 prepared to demonstrate understanding of job seeking and job retention skills
			 identified by employers as essential for successful employment;
(VI) Candidates are prepared to demonstrate
			 understanding of vocational education methods, models, and curricula;
(VII) Candidates are prepared to demonstrate
			 understanding of the range of postschool options within specific outcome
			 areas;
(VIII) Candidates are
			 prepared to identify and facilitate modifications within work and community
			 environments;
(IX) Candidates are
			 prepared to arrange and evaluate instructional activities in relation to
			 post-school goals;
(X) Candidates
			 are prepared to identify outcomes and instructional options specific to the
			 community and the individual; and
(XI) Candidates are prepared to use support
			 systems to facilitate self-advocacy in transition planning.
(iii)
Research and
			 Inquiry
.
(I) Candidates are
			 prepared to understand theoretical and applied models of transitions;
			 and
(II) Candidates are prepared to
			 understand research on relationships between individual outcomes and transition
			 practices.
(iv)
Leadership and Policy
.
(I) Candidates are prepared to demonstrate
			 understanding of transitional related laws and policies; and
(II) Candidates are prepared to demonstrate
			 understanding of the history of national transition initiatives.
(v)
Professional
			 Learning and Ethical Practice
.
(I) Candidates are prepared to demonstrate
			 understanding of the scope and role of the transition specialist;
(II) Candidates are prepared to demonstrate
			 understanding of the scope and role of agency personnel related to
			 transition;
(III) Candidates are
			 prepared to demonstrate awareness of organizations and publications relevant to
			 the field of transition;
(IV)
			 Candidates are prepared to show positive regard for the capacity and operating
			 constraints of community organizations involved in transition
			 services;
(V) Candidates are
			 prepared to participate in activities of professional organizations in the
			 field of transition;
(VI)
			 Candidates are prepared to ensure the inclusion on transition-related goals in
			 the educational program plan; and
(VII) Candidates are prepared to develop
			 post-school goals and objectives, using interests and preferences of the
			 individual.
(vi)
Collaboration
.
(I)
			 Candidates are prepared to demonstrate awareness of methods to increase
			 transition service delivery through interagency agreements and collaborative
			 funding;
(II) Candidates are
			 prepared to demonstrate understanding of transition planning strategies that
			 facilitate input from team members;
(III) Candidates are prepared to design and
			 use procedures to evaluate and improve transition education and services in
			 collaboration with team members;
(IV) Candidates are prepared to provide
			 information to families about transition education, services, support networks,
			 and post-school options;
(V)
			 Candidates are prepared to involve team members in establishing transition
			 policy;
(VI) Candidates are
			 prepared to provide transition-focused technical assistance and professional
			 development in collaboration with team members;
(VII) Candidates are prepared to collaborate
			 with transition focused agencies;
(VIII) Candidates are prepared to develop
			 interagency strategies to collect, share, and use student assessment
			 data;
(IX) Candidates are prepared
			 to use strategies for resolving differences in collaborative relationships and
			 interagency agreements;
(X)
			 Candidates are prepared to assist teachers to identify educational program
			 planning team members; and
(XI)
			 Candidates are prepared to assure individual, family, and agency participation
			 in transition planning and implementation.