Compilation of Rules and Regulations of the State of Georgia › Department 505 - PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS COMMISSION › Chapter 505-3 - EDUCATOR PREPARATION RULES › Rule 505-3-.83 - Autism Education 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 general and special education
			 teachers to teach students P-12 with Autism. 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 Autism Endorsement have strengthened and
			 enhanced competencies for teaching children with autism in the grade levels
			 and/or subjects of their base certificates(s).
(3)
Requirements.
(a) A GAPSC-approved educator preparation
			 provider 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 various 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
			 Autism adapted from the standards published by the Council for Exception
			 Children (2012).
(i)
Learner
			 Development and Individual Learning Differences.
(I) The program shall prepare candidates who
			 understand theories grounded in current research that prepare candidates to
			 understand the etiology of Autism and how such theories can be used to develop
			 differentiated learning and social opportunities.
(II) Candidates are prepared to understand
			 and demonstrate the following for individuals with autism spectrum disorder:
I. Medical aspects and implications for
			 learning;
II. Core and associated
			 characteristics;
III. Co-existing
			 conditions and ranges that exist at a higher rate than in the general
			 population;
IV. Sensory
			 challenges;
V. Speech, language,
			 and communication challenges;
VI.
			 Adaptive behavior needs; and
VII.
			 Effect of self-regulation on learning and behavior.
(ii)
Learning
			 Environments and Instructional Planning and Strategies.
(I) Candidates are prepared to use
			 person-centered approaches and collaborate with families, other educators, and
			 other professionals to plan and implement age and ability appropriate
			 differentiated instruction that enhance accessibility to the general education
			 curriculum; and
(II) Candidates are
			 prepared to use person-centered approaches and collaborate with families, other
			 educators, and other professionals to plan and implement differentiated
			 instruction that enhances sense of belonging, peer relationships, and social
			 communication. (Note: person-centered planning involves instruction based on
			 learner characteristics, interests, and ongoing assessment, and should be
			 embedded into all learning environments.)
(iii)
Assessment.
(I) Candidates are prepared to demonstrate a
			 basic understanding of frequently used procedures to identify eligibility
			 criteria and monitor progress of learning and other goals of individuals with
			 autism spectrum disorders;
(II)
			 Candidates are prepared to describe how Functional Behavior Assessments and
			 assessments of environmental conditions are used to develop databased
			 interventions to support learning and communication of individuals with autism
			 spectrum disorders;
(III)
			 Candidates are prepared to identify research-based assessment tools and
			 procedures to describe skills, areas of strength and interest that can be used
			 to differentiate instruction to support learning and behavior;
(IV) Candidates are prepared to use
			 preference assessment techniques to identify individual preferences that
			 enhance learning;
(V) Candidates
			 are prepared to collaborate with behavior specialists to conduct Functional
			 Behavior Assessments that lead to the development of behavior support plans;
			 and
(VI) Candidates are prepared to
			 demonstrate culturally sensitive practices that include collaboration with
			 families in assessment of students with autism spectrum disorders.
(iv)
Professional
			 Learning and Ethical Practice.
(I) Candidates are prepared to understand
			 definitions and issues related to the identification of individuals with autism
			 spectrum disorders at different ages across the spectrum;
(II) Candidates are prepared to describe the
			 history of autism spectrum disorder and how the history may impact the current
			 understanding of autism and interventions/supports by parents, teachers, and
			 other community members;
(III)
			 Candidates are prepared to differentiate between research-based practices and
			 pseudo-science, and can describe the importance of using effective practices
			 based on research to those who may advocate for practices lacking empirical
			 support;
(IV) Candidates are
			 prepared to understand and can identify different perspectives held by
			 individuals with developmental disabilities and autism spectrum disorder;
			 and
(V) Candidates are prepared to
			 understand and promote the concepts of self-determination, self-advocacy, and
			 community and family support that impact the lives of individuals with autism
			 spectrum disorder.