Navigating Covered Bridge Programs: A Comprehensive Guide to Special Education
The Covered Bridge Special Education District is dedicated to ensuring that every student, regardless of their unique challenges, receives an appropriate and enriching education. This article delves into the various facets of the district, its programs, and the broader landscape of special education, emphasizing the commitment to inclusive practices and the empowerment of students with disabilities.
The Core Belief: Education as a Right
At the heart of the Covered Bridge Special Education District lies the unwavering belief that every student is entitled to an appropriate education. This conviction drives the district's commitment to providing tailored support and services that cater to the diverse needs of its students.
Financial Foundations: Funding Special Education
Understanding the financial underpinnings of the district's operations is crucial to appreciating its scope and impact. The district utilizes several key funds to administer and deliver special education services:
Federal Grants (619 and 611): These funds, stemming from the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), are earmarked for specific objectives related to special education.
Education Fund: This fund covers the costs of administering and delivering special education services that are not covered by the Federal 611 and 619 Part B Special Education Grants. Member school corporations contribute the revenue to this fund.
Operations Fund: This fund accounts for all operating expenses for Covered Bridge Special Education District. This includes facility rental, utility expenses, and business office staff salaries and benefits. Member school corporations contribute the revenue to this fund.
Key Personnel: Education Specialists as Change Agents
Education Specialists play a pivotal role in the Covered Bridge Special Education District. These credentialed special education teachers are authorized to conduct educational assessments related to access to and progress within the core curriculum and provide educational support to students with disabilities in their area of specialization. They are instrumental in:
- Conducting educational assessments.
- Providing educational support to students with disabilities.
- Discovering ways for students to participate meaningfully and to be successful without being removed from their peers with or without disabilities.
- Building meaningful relationships with their students.
- Partnering with the students, their families, and their school teams to build a plan of supports and services that tap into students’ unique ways of learning and communicating.
- Breaking down barriers in their environment and instruction to increase students’ success and joy.
The Philosophy: Inclusive Education in Practice
The Covered Bridge Special Education District champions the principles of inclusive education. This means that special education is viewed as a set of support services rather than a separate placement. The district's courses and programs are designed to promote inclusive education, ensuring that students with disabilities have access to high-quality, rigorous services within the general education environment.
Specialized Programs and Credentials
The Covered Bridge Special Education District offers a range of specialized programs and credentials to equip educators with the skills and knowledge necessary to support students with diverse needs. These include:
Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DHH) Credential
This credential enables educators to provide educational services to children and youth who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing from birth to 22 years old. The program emphasizes the importance of incorporating both American Sign Language (ASL) and English pedagogy to ensure comprehensive language development in Deaf children. With a Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DHH) Credential, you can pursue a range of employment opportunities. These include roles such as a Teacher of the Deaf for students aged 0-22, a Teacher for DHH infant programs, and an Itinerant Teacher for the Deaf. Additionally, you can work as an Early Intervention Specialist, Education Consultant, or Curriculum Development Specialist. This program is offered as a 1-year pathway, summer + two semesters, for DHH candidates.
Read also: Lifelong Learning at Learning Bridge Academy
Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE) Credential
The ECSE credential authorizes educators to provide educational services to young children with all types of disabilities in birth to TK and kindergarten. Students learn to partner with and coach families raising infants & toddlers with disabilities in their homes and work with a team supporting young children with disabilities in preschool, TK, and kindergarten programs. For current credentialed Education Specialists or those enrolled in our Mild to Moderate Support Needs (MMSN) or Extensive Supports Needs (ESN) programs, the ECSE-AA offers a one-year pathway to adding on the authorization to teach young children with disabilities birth to preschool.
Extensive Support Needs (ESN) Credential
The ESN credential authorizes educators to provide educational services to children and youth with significant support needs ages 5 to 22 years old. The ESN (Mod/Severe) credential program is an online program with evening courses taken in Zoom and in-person fieldwork within your local school district/programs.
Mild to Moderate Support Needs (MMSN) Credential
The MMSN credential authorizes educators to provide educational services to children and youth with mild to moderate support needs ages 5 to 22 years old. The MMSN (Mild/Mod Support Needs) credential program is a hybrid program with evening courses offering a mix of in-person and online classes (Zoom and asynchronous) and in-person fieldwork within your local school district/programs.
Pathways to Becoming a Special Education Teacher
The Covered Bridge Special Education District offers multiple pathways for aspiring special education teachers to earn their credentials:
1-Year Pathway
This pathway is for candidates interested in earning their preliminary teaching credential in a more intense year with high number of courses and fieldwork days each semester. Candidates complete fieldwork during the day at a school site under the support of an assigned mentor and university supervisor while taking lecture-based courses in the evenings and Fridays during the day each semester. The benefits of the 1-year pathway are candidates are ready to teach after one year, the ability to focus just on developing their skills as a teacher without the stress of working, and an additional smaller community in some courses each semester with 1-year candidates.
Read also: History of the BU Bridge
2-Year Pathway
This pathway is for those candidates who are interested in taking less courses at a time with all courses offered in the evening. Similar to other pathways, candidates earn their preliminary teaching credential with some courses counting for the MAT-SPED. Candidates complete fieldwork during the day at a school site under the support of a mentor and university supervisor while taking lecture-based courses in the evening each semester. The benefits of the 2-year pathway are taking less coursework at a time, potentially earning a salary with benefits as a paraprofessional or emergency permit teacher, and the option to apply to be an intern in the second year of the program.
Financial Assistance and Scholarships
Recognizing the financial challenges that aspiring teachers may face, the Covered Bridge Special Education District offers various financial assistance and scholarship opportunities, such as the Sacramento Metro Teacher Residency (SMTR) scholarship. This scholarship provides a substantial award to cover tuition, stipends, and testing fees, while also guaranteeing a job upon graduation.
Addressing the Bilingual Education Gap
In California, a significant number of students come from households where languages other than English are spoken. To address the shortage of qualified bilingual teachers, the Covered Bridge Special Education District is committed to supporting and promoting bilingual education.
Additional Services and Programs
Beyond its core educational offerings, the Covered Bridge Special Education District provides a range of additional services and programs to support students with disabilities, including:
- Early childhood programs
- Nursing services
- Occupational therapy
- Assistive technology
- Community Work Skills Training Program
- Functional curriculum coaching
- Licensed school psychologists
The Community Work Skills Training Program
Covered Bridge Special Education District provides the Community Work Skills Training Program. This program provides a partnership between the four school corporations in the Covered Bridge Special Education District and area businesses along with not-for-profit agencies. The program provides job exploration as well as job skill training for students with disabilities.
Assistive Technology
Assistive technology facilitates communication, motor, education, recreation, vocation and independence. Covered Bridge Special Education District provides assistance to students with disabilities and those working with them to help maximize the benefit of their education. This includes consultation, assessments, training students and teachers, dissemination of information and acquisition of assistive technology.
Functional Curriculum Coach
Covered Bridge Special Education District provides a functional curriculum coach who guides, trains and consults with educators to provide support using best educational practices.
Licensed School Psychologists
Covered Bridge Special Education District provides licensed school psychologists.
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