Program Details

This course builds a foundational understanding of the legal and policy development of Bilingual/ESL education through the rich history of state and federal litigation and current legal challenges faced in American public K-12 schools. The course assesses how differences in race/ethnicity, class, gender, and power affect education for culturally and linguistically diverse students in American public schools. Examines legal requirements for program identification and placements, as well as promotes critical uses, effectiveness, validity, and fairness in the testing of linguistically diverse populations. Provides first-hand experiences developing, selecting, reviewing, and adapting test materials as critical to making informed teaching decisions.

Explores the orientations, theories, debates, and research findings in the areas of first, second, and bilingual language acquisition in addition to connecting the nature of linguistic development and performance to teaching and learning in the classroom. Topics include theory and research of language development, transference, language identity, translanguaging, and strategies to promote language acquisition and proficiency. Analysis of language proficiency standards, language domains and language acquisition stages will be examined with emphasis on application to classroom instruction.

This course explores the theoretical foundations and practical applications of teaching across disciplinary boundaries. Students will examine various models for integrating subject matter, focusing on how interdisciplinary approaches can foster deeper critical thinking, problem-solving skills, and a more holistic understanding of complex issues among diverse learners. The course emphasizes designing and implementing cohesive, standards-aligned interdisciplinary curricula and units of study appropriate for various educational settings. Participants will develop the skills necessary to collaboratively plan and assess learning experiences that connect traditionally separate fields of study.

This course provides a rigorous examination of contemporary challenges shaping national and state educational systems. Students will analyze complex, high-impact topics such as the intersection of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and pedagogy, the politics of funding and equity, and teacher retention and preparation, among other topics. The course emphasizes critical analysis of recent policy changes, relevant research, and journalistic coverage to develop informed perspectives and innovative solutions for the future of learning.

This course is designed to assist candidates in becoming familiar with differentiation from a school leadership perspective. Using implementation science with a focus on all students, school leaders are prepared to be system leaders, fostering strong core instruction as an essential component of implementing multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS). 

This course provides a rigorous examination of the methodological and ethical issues involved in using educational data to drive policy and instructional practice. The primary focus is on critically evaluating data quality and translating the findings into equitable and actionable recommendations for supporting student, teacher, and school improvement.

This course focuses on creating a culminating project that serves as a “capstone” to a student’s academic journey in their chosen education concentration in the M.Ed. program at Pacific Lutheran University. It is a demonstration of their readiness for future endeavors in their chosen concentration.

This course provides educators with the theoretical knowledge and practical skills necessary to effectively implement and evaluate SEL programs in diverse PreK-12 settings. Students will deeply explore the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) framework, focusing on the five core competencies and their integration into both academic instruction and school culture. The course emphasizes evidence-based strategies for teaching SEL directly, embedding it into subject matter, and using data to assess student growth and program impact on overall well-being and academic success.

This is a foundational course designed to provide students with a baseline knowledge set of special education. The field of special education is founded on basic principles as well as legal mandates. This course will explore these and provide students with a deeper understanding of the IEP (Individualized Education Plan).

This course is designed to look at some of the current topics, issues, “problems of practice” and most recent trends in special education and advance solutions and evidence-based practices, such as Universal Design for Learning (UDL), collaboration, inclusion, trauma informed practices, and culturally responsive teaching.

This course is designed to develop baseline knowledge of various issues related to special education.  You will learn about the children and young adults who are placed in related IDEA categories and the various strengths and challenges they bring to the educational table.  The course explores the term “Developmental Disability” means (there are multiple meanings), variation among those with a disability, how to create access while teaching important skills, and collaboration to implement the least restrictive environment. This course addresses terminology that you will need to know in Special Education, including acronyms and process-related knowledge.

High-incidence disabilities make up 80% of the population of students with disabilities and are disabilities that are more commonly served in general education classrooms. This course focuses on developing understanding of perspectives on the learning, school, and classroom experiences of learners with high incidence disabilities. Topics include characteristics of students with high incidence disabilities such as specific learning disability, attention deficit/hyperactivity, mild intellectual disability, speech and language impairments, and emotional behavioral disorders, the development and implementation of individualized educational plans, instructional strategies and accommodations.

This course is designed to provide students with an overview of working with students who have significant support needs surrounding emotional regulation and challenging behavior. In Washington State, the Emotional Disturbance category is referred to as Emotional Behavioral Disability (EBD). This course will address foundational strategies for supporting children with EBD, including behavior analytic approaches to increasing pro-social behaviors in school.

This course is designed to assist you to become familiar with the various issues related to special education.  You will learn about the children and young adults who are placed in this IDEA category and the various strengths and challenges they bring to the educational table. You will leave with a much better understanding of special education, this particular population and all of its inherent variability, and its nature as a part of education rather than a separate entity. 

This course provides the introduction to the philosophical underpinnings of Applied Behavior Analysis and will include the history of the science behind ABA, the main core principles that guide all research, and how research translates into practice. It will also cover the fundamentals of experimental design in applied behavior analytic research. This is the first in a 3-part series that meets the VCS requirements for Behaviorism and Philosophical Foundations as well as Concepts and Principles. This course addresses the Test Content Standards 6th Edition.

This course is the first in a series of two that covers the Concepts and Principles section of the BACB Test Content Outline. 

This course provides a complete and comprehensive overview of the measurement practices and principles used most in ABA. This course addresses the Test Content Standards 6th Edition. 

This course is the first of two in a series designed to meet the VCS requirements for Ethics and Professionalism in ABA. This course will overview ethical behavior and requirements for BCBAs as well as how to conduct their practice as professionals. In particular, this course will address the four core principles of the BACB Ethics Code.