Ariz. Admin. Code § R7-2-615.01 - Special Education Endorsements | State Regulations | US Law

A. Except as noted, special education endorsements are subject to the general certification provisions in R7-2-607.

B. Mild/Moderate Disabilities Endorsement:

1. The endorsement authorizes the holder to teach students with mild/moderate disabilities in preschool through grade 12.

2. A provisional mild/moderate disabilities endorsement is valid for three years and is not renewable. The requirements are:

a. A valid Arizona Standard Professional Early Childhood, Elementary, Middle Grades, Secondary, Visually Impaired, Hearing Impaired, Early Childhood Special Education, or Moderate/Severe Disabilities certificate;

b. Three years of full-time teaching experience in preschool through grade 12;

c. Six semester hours of special education courses to include both of the following:

i. Behavior management for students with disabilities; and

ii. Special education assessment and individualized education program planning.

d. Completion of 15 clock hours of practicum in mild/moderate disabilities special education that may be included in the courses listed in (B)(2)(c).

3. The requirements for the mild/moderate disabilities endorsement are:

a. A valid Arizona Standard Professional Early Childhood, Elementary, Middle Grades, Secondary, Visually Impaired, Hearing Impaired, Early Childhood Special Education, or Moderate/Severe Disabilities certificate;

b. Three years of full-time teaching experience in preschool through grade 12;

c. Fifteen semester hours of special education courses to include all of the following:

i. Methods for teaching students with disabilities;

ii. Behavior management for students with disabilities;

iii. Special education law;

iv. Special education assessment and individualized education program planning;

v. Language development and disorders.

d. Completion of 45 clock hours of practicum in mild/moderate disabilities special education that may be included in the courses listed in (B)(3)(c).

C. Moderate/Severe Disabilities Endorsement

1. The endorsement authorizes the holder to teach students with moderate/severe disabilities in preschool through grade 12.

2. A provisional moderate/severe disabilities endorsement is valid for three years and is not renewable. The requirements are:

a. A valid Arizona Standard Professional Early Childhood, Elementary, Middle Grades, Secondary, Visually Impaired, Hearing Impaired, Early Childhood Special Education, or Mild/Moderate Disabilities certificate;

b. Three years of full-time teaching experience in preschool through grade 12; and

c. Six semester hours of special education courses to include both of the following:

i. Behavior management for students with disabilities; and

ii. Special education assessment and individualized education program planning.

d. Completion of 15 clock hours of practicum in moderate/severe disabilities special education that may be included in the courses listed in (C)(2)(c).

3. The requirements are for the moderate/severe disabilities endorsement are:

a. A valid Arizona Standard Professional Early Childhood, Elementary, Middle Grades, Secondary, Visually Impaired, Hearing Impaired, Early Childhood Special Education, or Mild/Moderate Disabilities certificate;

b. Three years of full-time teaching experience in preschool through grade 12;

c. Fifteen semester hours of special education courses to include all of the following:

i. Behavior management for students with disabilities;

ii. Special education law;

iii. Special education assessment and individualized education program planning;

iv. Methods for teaching students with severe disabilities;

v. Adaptive communication, including language development and disorders.

d. Completion of 45 clock hours of practicum in moderate/severe disabilities special education that may be included in the courses listed in (C)(3)(c).

D. Deaf/Hard of Hearing Endorsement

1. The endorsement authorizes the holder to teach students who are deaf or hard of hearing from birth through grade 12.

2. The requirements are:

a. A valid Standard Professional Early Childhood, Elementary, Middle Grades, Secondary, Mild/Moderate Disabilities, Mod-erate/Severe Disabilities, Early Childhood Special Education, Specialized Special Education, Cross-Categorical Special Education, or Visually Impaired teaching certificate.

b. Three years of full-time teaching experience in preschool through grade 12.

c. Six semester hours of special education courses to include all of the following:

i. Special education law and individualized education program planning,

ii. Behavior management for students with disabilities,

iii. The use of instructional and assistive technologies in the classroom.

d. Fifteen semester hours of courses in deaf/hard of hearing education that adhere to a guidance document approved by the Board and include all of the following:

i. Methods for facilitating language acquisition and literacy development in children who are deaf or hard of hearing;

ii. Auditory skill development for students who are deaf or hard of hearing;

iii. Assessment of students who are deaf or hard of hearing;

iv. Principles of audiology;

v. Social and cultural foundations and family involvement for students who are deaf or hard of hearing;

vi. Early intervention and parental involvement to enhance the early language skills of students who are deaf or hard of hearing;

vii. Methods for teaching students who are deaf or hard of hearing with multiple disabilities, including deaf-blindness.

e. Completion of at least 90 clock hours of supervised practicum in teaching students who are deaf or hard of hearing, which may be included in the courses listed under subsection (2)(c) or (2)(d).

f. American Sign Language learning experience documented by one of the following:

i. A passing score on an American Sign Language proficiency assessment approved by the Board. An applicant who meets the requirement in this subsection under this option shall qualify for a deaf/hard of hearing endorsement with an American Sign Language proficiency designation; or

ii. Verification of proficiency in American Sign Language from an accredited institution; or

iii. Completion of six semester hours of courses in American Sign Language.

E. Visually Impaired Endorsement

1. The endorsement authorizes the holder to teach students who are blind or visually impaired in birth through grade 12.

2. The requirements are:

a. A valid Standard Professional Early Childhood, Elementary, Middle Grades, Secondary, Mild/Moderate Disabilities, Mod-erate/Severe Disabilities, Early Childhood Special Education, Specialized Special Education, Cross-Categorical Special Education, or Hearing Impaired teaching certificate.

b. Three years of full-time teaching experience in preschool through grade 12.

c. Six semester hours of special education courses to include all of the following:

i. Special education law and individualized education program planning,

ii. Behavior management for students with disabilities,

iii. The use of instructional and assistive technologies in the classroom.

d. Fifteen semester hours of courses in visually impaired special education that adhere to a guidance document approved by the Board and include all of the following:

i. Instructional approaches for teaching students who have vision impairments;

ii. Methods for facilitating literacy development in children who are blind or low vision;

iii. Assistive technologies for students with vision impairments;

iv. Assessment of students with vision impairment;

v. Early intervention and parental involvement to enhance early skills of students with vision impairment;

vi. Anatomy and physiology of the eye;

vii. Methods for teaching orientation and mobility to students who have visual impairments;

viii. Methods for teaching students who have visual impairments with multiple disabilities, including deaf-blindness.

e. Completion of a minimum of 90 clock hours of supervised practicum in teaching students who have visual impairments, which may be included in the courses listed under subsection (2)(c) or (2)(d).

f. Proficiency in Braille verified by one of the following:

i. Successful completion of a nationally validated braille test approved by the Board; or

ii. Successful completion of a braille test developed in the program in visual impairment at the University of Arizona.

Ariz. Admin. Code § R7-2-615.01 - Special Education Endorsements

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