Virginia Law

The transition and special needs (add-on endorsement) shall ensure that the candidate holds an active license with a teaching endorsement or endorsements issued by the Virginia Board of Education and has demonstrated the following competencies:

1. Knowledge of special needs and transition programs and services, characteristics of students who are disadvantaged, disabled, and gifted, and individuals with barriers to educational achievement and employment, including individuals with who are English learners.

2. Knowledge of program development, implementation, and evaluation.

3. Basic understanding of cultural issues pertaining to employment and postsecondary education and training.

4. Understanding of the federal and state laws and regulations pertaining to special education, rehabilitation, and the American with Disabilities Act (42 USC § 12101 et seq.).

5. Understanding and demonstration of the integration of instructional methods, resources, and transition programs for targeted populations in career and technical education, including:

a. Use of learning and teaching styles to plan and deliver differentiated instruction and differentiated assessment;

b. Knowledge of age appropriate assessments;

c. Use of assessment results to plan individual instruction strategies and assist with long-range and short-term planning;

d. Understanding of required skills that demonstrate college and career readiness;

e. Ability to plan and manage a competency-based education system;

f. Ability to adapt and modify curriculum materials and utilize Universal Design for Learning Principles to meet special student needs;

g. Use of a variety of classroom and behavior management techniques to develop an enhanced learning environment, behavior change techniques, and individual and group instruction;

h. Use of different processes to improve collaboration and develop partnerships with colleagues, parents, and the community to include service agencies and businesses; and

i. Ability to plan learning experiences that prepare individuals for transition to more advanced education and career development options.

6. Ability to develop, plan, deliver, and manage work-based learning methods of instruction such as community-based instruction, internship, job shadowing, cooperative education, mentorship, service learning, clinical, and youth apprenticeship.

7. Understanding and application of strategies for enabling students to learn all aspects of particular industries - planning, management, finances, technical and production skills, labor and community issues, health and safety, environmental issues, and the technology associated with the specific industry.

8. Ability to articulate career and life planning procedures, transitioning processes and procedures, and career-search techniques.

9. Application of and proficiency in grammar, usage, and mechanics and their integration in writing.

10. Understanding of and proficiency in pedagogy to incorporate writing as an instructional and assessment tool for candidates to generate, gather, plan, organize, and present ideas in writing to communicate for a variety of purposes.

11. Ability to use a variety of technologies to deliver instruction and media to students, parents, teachers, and community partners.

12. Demonstration and integration of workplace readiness skills in the classroom and real-world activities.

13. Demonstrate person-centered planning skills.