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Special Education - Associate of Arts in Teaching-Special Education (687)

Associate in Arts Teaching-Special Education (687)

To teach in an Illinois public school, teachers must be certified by the State of Illinois. The AAT degree in Special Education at Sauk Valley Community College provides the initial lower division preparation needed to transfer to an upper division special education teacher program in Illinois. Since University admission is competitive, completion of required coursework alone does not guarantee admission. To qualify for program graduation, students must attain a minimum grade average of 2.50 (on a 4.00 scale), prepare an initial portfolio, and passage of the Illinois Basic Skills (reading, writing, grammar and math) test (information available at www.icts.nesinc.com) are required for program admission.

Special Education has been designated as a high-need teacher preparation area by the U.S. Department of Education and employment prospects in this field are expected to remain excellent in the foreseeable future. This AAT degree requires a total of 64 semester hours that include the following components: General Education courses (GECC), professional and special education courses, guided electives, and SVCC degree requirements. This program focuses on an introduction to the eleven Illinois Professional Teaching Standards, the core language standards, the core technology standards, and the content standards. Students will complete field experiences in clinical observations. Students will complete an electronic portfolio. Students will be required to take and pass the Illinois Basic Skills Test in order to graduate.

Students who have already chosen the university to which they plan to transfer should consult that institution's catalog or department advisor and an SVCC counselor or academic advisor in planning their program.

Criminal History Check Policy

Illinois law requires Illinois school boards to conduct a criminal background investigation on applicants for employment. This law also prohibits the employment of a person who has been convicted of committing or attempting to commit any one or more of a number of offenses. At present, offenses include first degree murder; any Class X felony; juvenile pimping; soliciting for a juvenile prostitute; exploitation of a child; obscenity; child pornography; harmful material; criminal sexual assault; aggravated criminal sexual assault; offenses set forth in the Cannabis Control Act; and crimes defined in the Illinois Controlled Substance Act. Employment must be denied whether the offenses and/or conviction occurred inside or outside the state of Illinois.

All students entering the initial observation course must first submit to a criminal background check (CBC). You will be notified by the College of the fees, date, time and location of the finger printing process. In addition, students listed on the Illinois Sex Offenders Registry, Illinois Violent Offender Against Youth Registry and the National Sex Offenders Registry will be denied entrance into these programs.

If any of the above returns with an incident "hit", you will be notified and need to see a designated counselor who will review your results and review how it might affect your ability to participate in these programs. An adverse decision may be appealed through the institutional academic appeal process.

Program Contacts at Sauk Valley Community College
Counseling Office, 815/835-6354;
Amanda Eichman, 815/835-6319.

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