Focuses on the knowledge and skills necessary to form productive, collaborative relationships with the adults in a student-with-disabilities ecosystem: family, para-educators, general educators, building leaders, and service providers. Emphasis is placed on building and maintaining relationships with all stakeholders while adhering to federal and state policies and effectively implementing special education programming. Course topics include culturally proficient collaboration in schools, community systems and families; vision setting and high expectations for all students; emotionally intelligent partnership; and transforming historical and philosophical perspectives and practices of education students with differing needs. At the completion of this course, students describe, plan for, and implement best practices in team collaboration and communication for the benefit of students. Graduate students also conduct a literature review on collaborative and participatory practices in education and design a model and set of recommendations for improving teaming models in a real-life context.
3.0 Credit Hours