(a) Special Education Standards. The standards identified in this section are targeted for teachers of students who receive special education services. The standards address the discipline associated with the theory and practice of teaching students who receive special education services. The standards inform appropriate teaching techniques, methods, and teacher actions, judgments, and decisions by taking into consideration philosophical, historical, and legal foundations of special education, characteristics of students who receive special education services, understandings of the needs and strengths of students who receive special education services, and the backgrounds and interests of individual students.
(b) Legal and Ethical Guidelines. The Early Childhood-Grade 6 special education teacher demonstrates knowledge of all applicable state and federal laws, including Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) of 2004; Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973; The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990 and ADA Amendments Act (ADAAA) of 2008; Texas Education Code specific to students with disabilities; Texas Administrative Code specific to students with disabilities; and Family Education Rights and Privacy Act. The Early Childhood-Grade 6 special education teacher must:
  (1) demonstrate knowledge of the major state and federal legislation (e.g., IDEA, Section 504, ADA, ADAAA) that has affected knowledge and practice of the education of individuals with high support needs;
  (2) demonstrate knowledge of the history of exclusion of and discrimination against people with disabilities;
  (3) demonstrate knowledge of IDEA 2004 eligibility categories;
  (4) demonstrate knowledge of all required components of an Individualized Education Program (IEP) as outlined in federal and state law;
  (5) demonstrate knowledge of all sections of the special education legal folder and where to store required documentation;
  (6) demonstrate knowledge of the legal responsibility of all school staff to fully implement an IEP;
  (7) demonstrate knowledge of the legal responsibility of all teachers and school staff to protect the confidentiality and dignity of students with disabilities;
  (8) demonstrate knowledge of the special education teacher's roles and responsibilities regarding Child Find;
  (9) demonstrate knowledge of the special education teacher's roles and responsibilities in creating and implementing the IEP with fidelity, including monitoring student IEP goal progress, implementing data collection of IEP goal progress, and reporting progress to the student and parents/guardians throughout the IEP year;
  (10) use a variety of assessment data to write annual measurable goals and present levels of academic achievement and functional performance and identify appropriate accommodations (academic, behavior, state, and district testing) and modifications based on individual student needs, and contribute to drafting the IEP;
  (11) maintain student legal folders and store ongoing documentation according to local education agency (LEA) requirements and keep records to document receipt of the IEP by all required school staff;
  (12) audit student class schedules to ensure compliance with least restrictive environment and schedule of services in the IEP;
  (13) demonstrate knowledge of the role and responsibilities of the special education teacher in preparing for an Admission, Review, Dismissal (ARD) committee meeting, including collecting required data, interpreting the results of progress monitoring and classroom assessment data, and visually representing and interpreting data to show student progress;
  (14) demonstrate knowledge of the roles and responsibilities of the required members of an ARD committee;
  (15) demonstrate knowledge of the required components of a typical ARD committee meeting agenda;
  (16) interpret the results of a variety of assessment data (i.e., classroom, state and district transition assessment) in plain language to explain present levels of student academic achievement and functional performance, student progress on annual IEP goals, and mastery of grade level TEKS to the ARD committee members;
  (17) prepare and support students in leading ARD committee discussion regarding progress on IEP goals, mastery of grade level TEKS, appropriate accommodations (academic, behavior, state and district assessment), transition needs and goals, and other supplements as needed;
  (18) apply knowledge of individuals served through special education as well as special education laws and policies to facilitate and advocate for families' full participation in the education of their students;
  (19) demonstrate understanding that students served through special education may also have other special populations identifiers (i.e., gifted and talented, English learners, highly mobile and at risk, dyslexia);
  (20) advocate for family and student participation in the IEP, ARD meetings, and transition plan;
  (21) foster and support students in their development of self-reliance and self-advocacy;
  (22) advocate for high academic and behavioral expectations for students with disabilities;
  (23) demonstrate understanding that individuals with high support needs deserve to be challenged with high expectations and provided with meaningful inclusive participation opportunities to develop the highest possible learning outcomes; and
  (24) demonstrate a foundational knowledge of the Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP).
(c) Understanding and Addressing Each Individual's Developmental and Learning Needs. The Early Childhood-Grade 6 special education teacher must:
  (1) demonstrate knowledge about relevant physical and emotional development from birth through adolescence;
  (2) demonstrate knowledge of how stress, trauma, protective factors, resilience, and supportive relationships may impact learning, behavior, and development in young children;
  (3) demonstrate knowledge of how exceptionalities can interact with development and learning;
  (4) demonstrate understanding that students with all support needs may also come from a different cultural background, may speak other languages than those of the dominant culture, or may come from a unique racial or ethnic group;
  (5) demonstrate knowledge of the multiple biological, physical, psychological, and social influences that affect learning and development when working with individuals with high support needs;
  (6) demonstrate knowledge of strategies to support students' development and independence given relevant grade level expectations for academic and behavior for students from birth through adolescence;
  (7) apply a variety of evidence-based, age-appropriate classroom routines and procedures that support individual developmental and learning needs;
  (8) demonstrate knowledge of a variety of assistive technologies to support individual developmental and learning needs;
  (9) demonstrate knowledge of how developmental academic, social, and functional characteristics of individuals with high support needs impact levels of support needs;
  (10) apply knowledge of evidence-based practices to identify and intervene when students are not making progress in functional, academic, or behavioral goals; and
  (11) demonstrate the knowledge and ability to adapt instruction when students with high support needs do not meet milestones.
(d) Subject Matter Content and Specialized Curricular Knowledge. The Early Childhood-Grade 6 special education teacher must:
  (1) demonstrate knowledge of the Emergent Literacy-Writing, Mathematics, Science, and Fine Arts domains of the Texas Prekindergarten Guidelines;
  (2) demonstrate knowledge of the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) for English language arts and reading, mathematics, science, and fine arts (Kindergarten-Grade 6);
  (3) demonstrate specific knowledge of early numeracy, early literacy, and pre-academic skills according to the TEKS and the Texas Prekindergarten Guidelines;
  (4) apply content-specific knowledge to develop individualized goals and objectives that are aligned with the appropriate grade-level TEKS and the Texas Prekindergarten Guidelines;
  (5) design appropriate learning and performance accommodations and modifications for students with exceptional learning needs in academic subject matter content of the general curriculum;
  (6) apply content-specific knowledge to modify and differentiate instruction as well as provide access to instructional materials for a wide range of student performance levels;
Cont'd...