Bachelor of Arts - Special Education

The Teacher Education Program at Augustana offers professional preparation programs for careers in the areas of Elementary Education, Secondary Education, All-Grades Education, Special Education, Sign Language Interpreting, and pre-professional preparation in Communication Disorders. All programs leading to initial level certification are approved by the South Dakota Department of Education (SD DOE). It should be noted that periodic changes in the Teacher Education Program occur as state and national accrediting bodies revise their standards.

The conceptual framework for the Teacher Education Program is grounded in a philosophy that integrates the best of Western educational thought, the wisdom of indigenous Native American culture, and emerging research on positive youth development. Known as the Circle of Courage, this conceptual framework empowers teacher candidates with the knowledge, skills, and dispositions to create positive learning environments so that all students can learn. The central premise of the Circle of Courage is that a set of shared values supports a community of learners. Those shared values are belonging, mastery, independence, and generosity. A set of professional competencies, based upon the Interstate New Teachers Assessment and Support Consortium (INTASC) principles, have been identified to guide course content and field experiences, as well as articulate what teacher candidates should know and be able to do upon program completion. The competencies assist teacher candidates in developing a commitment to and a proficiency in their chosen profession. The curriculum and field experiences of the Teacher Education Program are structured to blend the Circle of Courage values into a model for professional behavior. Throughout their program of study, teacher candidates complete course requirements and participate in field experiences designed to facilitate mastery and understanding of the program competencies.