The course sequence for the Transition Specialist Endorsement Program at BSU is ordered in a systematic model the builds competencies incrementally. The courses are required to be taken in a 4-course sequence and culminates in the demonstration of candidate competencies for providing transition services to students with moderate and/or severe special needs. The four course sequence is designed to be implemented over a 3-4 semester timeframe with the knowledge and skills of each subsequent course building on the competencies demonstrated from the previous courses.
The program of study for the Transition Specialist Endorsement begins with SPED 532 Introduction to Transition. This course provides a broad overview of the legal parameters for transition services, an understanding of how diverse student needs are addressed through transition planning, and strategies for interfacing a student’s transition needs with their individualized educational program (IEP). Once candidates have the background provided through SPED 532, they are introduced to specialized strategies for assessing the transition needs of students through SPED 533 Assessment Procedures in Transition. This course provides direct experience in conducting person-centered planning meetings with students, formalized assessment procedures, discrepancy
analysis techniques for evaluating environmental contexts for community-based instruction, and strategies for writing formal transition evaluation reports. SPED 533 provides candidates with comprehensive skills to conduct transition assessment procedures among a variety of students with moderate and severe special needs.
Building on the competencies candidates have demonstrated with the contexts of transition through SPED 532 and specific assessment strategies for evaluating the transition needs of individual students through SPED 533, candidates then learn program and curriculum design to address programmatic issues of transition through SPED 534 Curricula & Program Design for Transition. This course provides experience analyzing program discrepancies for model programs in transition, developing informational resources for parents and community participants using web-based resources, and creating innovative program proposals to address programmatic gaps in transition within a local school district or program.
The final culmination of the Transition Specialist Endorsement sequence is SPED 584 Practicum Transition Specialist. This is a 150 practicum that piggy-backs on candidates’ employment as licensed teachers in moderate or severe special needs. Candidates document a variety of competencies using an e-folio that is uploaded into an electronic data base called TaskStream. Upon completing SPED 584, candidates are eligible to be endorsed as Transition Specialist through the field placement offices at BSU.
