SOE/CEC Standards for Professional Educators
UW-La Crosse Teacher Education Standards (SOE) and Council for Exceptional Children Standards (CEC)
Standard #1:
(SOE) Understands Content
The professional educator understands the central concepts, tools of inquiry, and structures of the discipline(s) he or she teaches and can create learning experiences that make these aspects of subject matter meaningful for students.
(CEC) Foundations
Special educators understand the field as an evolving and changing discipline based on philosophies, evidence-based principles and theories, relevant laws and policies, diverse and historical points of view, and human issues that have historically influenced and continue to influence the field of special education and the education and treatment of individuals with exceptional needs both in school and society.
Standard #2:
(SOE) Understands Development
The professional educator understands how children learn and develop, and can provide learning opportunities that support their intellectual, social and personal development.
(CEC) Development and Characteristics of Learners
Special educators know and demonstrate respect for their students and understand the similarities and differences in human development and the characteristics between and among individuals with and without exceptional learning needs.
Standard #3:
(SOE) Understands Difference
The professional educator understands how students differ in their approaches to learning and creates instructional opportunities that are adapted to diverse learners.
(CEC) Individual Learning Differences
Special educators understand the effects that an exceptional condition can have on an individual’s learning in school and throughout life, and provide individualized instruction for meaningful and challenging learning for individuals with exceptional learning needs.
Standard #4:
(SOE) Designs Instructional Strategies
The professional educator understands and uses a variety of instructional strategies to encourage students' development of critical thinking, problem solving, and performance skills.
(CEC) Instructional Strategies
Special educators select, adapt, and use evidence-based instructional strategies to enhance the learning of critical thinking, problem-solving, and performance skills of individuals with exceptional learning needs with an emphasis on self-determination skills.
Standard #5:
(SOE) Manages and Motivates
The professional educator uses an understanding of individual and group motivation and behavior to create a learning environment that encourages positive social interaction in the classroom.
(CEC) Learning Environments and Social Interactions
Special educators actively create learning environments for individuals with exceptional learning needs that foster cultural understanding, safety, acceptance and emotional well-being. Special educators help their general education colleagues include individuals with exceptional learning needs in general education environments and engage them in meaningful learning activities and interactions.
Standard #6:
E) Communicates
The professional educator uses knowledge of effective verbal, nonverbal, and media communication techniques to foster active inquiry, collaboration, and supportive interaction in the classroom.
(CEC) Language
Special educators understand typical and atypical language development and the ways in which exceptional conditions can interact with an individual’s experience with and use of language. Special educators are familiar with augmentative, alternative and assistive technologies to support and enhance communication of individuals with exceptional needs.
Standard #7:
(SOE) Plans and Integrates
The professional educator plans instruction based upon knowledge of subject matter, the community, and curriculum goals.
(CEC) Instructional Planning
Special educators develop long-range individualized instructional plans anchored in both general and special education curricula and systematically translate these individualized plans into carefully selected shorter-range goals and objectives. Special educators emphasize explicit modeling and efficient guided practice to assure acquisition and fluency and modify instruction based on ongoing analysis of the individual’s learning progress.
Standard #8:
(SOE) Evaluates
The professional educator understands and uses formal and informal assessment strategies to evaluate and ensure the continuous intellectual, social, and physical development of the learner.
(CEC) Assessment
Special educators understand measurement theory, practices, legal policies and ethical principles of measurement and assessment related to referral, eligibility, program planning, instruction, and placement for individuals with exceptional learning needs including those from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds.
Standard #9:
(SOE) Reflects on Practice
The professional educator is a reflective practitioner who continually evaluates the effects of his/her choices and actions on others (students, parents, and other professionals in the learning community) and who actively seeks out opportunities to grow professionally.
(CEC)Professional and Ethical Practice
Special educators actively plan and engage in activities that foster their professional growth and keep them current with evidence-based best practices and are aware of their own limits of practice and practice within them.
Standard #10:
(SOE) Participates in the Professional Community
The professional educator fosters relationships with school colleagues, parents, and agencies in the larger community to support students' learning and well-being.
(CEC) Collaboration
Special educators routinely and effectively collaborate with families, other educators, related service providers, and personnel from community agencies in culturally responsive ways.
For the knowledge, skills, and dispositions found within each of these sets of standards see the Wisconsin Standards and the CEC website.