Test Design and 
Test Framework

Field 234: Director of Special Education

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The test design below describes general test information. The framework that follows is a detailed outline that explains the knowledge and skills that this test measures.

Test Design

Format	Computer-based test (CBT)
Number of Questions	100 multiple-choice questions
Time*	3 hours, 15 minutes
Passing Score	240

*Does not include 15-minute CBT tutorial

Test Framework

Subarea 1—Educational Leadership and Management

0001—Understand foundations of education and instruction for special populations.

For example:

• Demonstrate knowledge of models, theories, philosophies, and functions of education, including those that provide the foundation for special education.
• Demonstrate knowledge of the historical and social significance of the laws, regulations, policies, and ethical standards that apply to special education.
• Demonstrate knowledge of principles of human growth and development and ranges of individual variation, including their application to educational programs and services.
• Demonstrate knowledge of the needs and civil rights of diverse populations in a pluralistic society and the effects of diversity on programming for special education.
• Demonstrate knowledge of activities and practices that promote the success of all students in the least restrictive environment (LRE) based on the larger political, social, economic, legal, and cultural context.
• Demonstrate knowledge of emerging issues in education, including special education, and how emerging issues inform special education leadership.

0002—Understand the development, articulation, implementation, and stewardship of a vision of excellence in special education.

For example:

• Identify strategies for articulating and modeling a personal, inclusive vision for meeting the needs of students with disabilities and their families.
• Identify principles for developing, implementing, monitoring, and evaluating progress toward achieving the organizational vision, mission, and goals for special education.
• Identify strategies for involving stakeholders (e.g., students, families, school staff, board members, community resources) in the development and implementation of the organizational vision, mission, and goals through negotiation, consensus building, and collaboration.
• Demonstrate knowledge of research-based theories of organizational and educational leadership, models for the management of an organizational system, and leadership practices that support learning for all students, including students with disabilities.
• Demonstrate knowledge of strategies for communicating plans and taking actions to achieve organizational goals, including approaches to shaping purpose and direction for individuals and groups.
• Demonstrate knowledge of the educational change process; activities to address the ambiguity and uncertainty of change processes; and strategies for addressing barriers to realizing the organizational vision, mission, and goals in support of educational excellence for students with disabilities.
• Demonstrate knowledge of the importance of advocacy for programs, supports, and services for students with disabilities and their families, including appropriate channels for communicating with stakeholders.

0003—Understand school climate, learning environment, instruction, and assessment.

For example:

• Demonstrate understanding of the concepts of school climate and learning environment as they affect student and staff behavior and success.
• Demonstrate knowledge of methods for promoting a proactive school climate and learning environment in which creativity and innovation are encouraged; diversity is respected and valued; and all individuals are treated with respect, empathy, dignity, and fairness.
• Demonstrate knowledge of the relationship between school climate, learning environment, and school safety.
• Demonstrate knowledge of strategies for establishing a school climate and learning environment characterized by high expectations for all students, staff, and administrators.
• Demonstrate familiarity with Illinois learning standards, including Illinois Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) Standards.
• Demonstrate knowledge of the principles of curriculum development and instructional delivery and their application to the implementation of a comprehensive, rigorous curriculum and instructional program.
• Demonstrate knowledge of the principles of assessment and how assessment informs instruction within and across grade levels.
• Recognize research-based, developmentally appropriate instructional strategies that promote success and lifelong learning for all students and activities that promote the dissemination of best practices among school staff.
• Demonstrate knowledge of methods for assessing and evaluating student performance (e.g., academic, social-emotional, functional) and the effectiveness of the instructional program.
• Demonstrate knowledge of activities that promote the appropriate use of technology to support teaching and enhance student learning.
• Recognize activities that support the continuous improvement of the instructional program for all students, including the analysis of schoolwide data.

0004—Understand school governance; school law, including federal and state statutes affecting the education of students with disabilities; and school finance.

For example:

• Demonstrate knowledge of the structure of school governance in Illinois and the responsibilities and functions of state boards of education and school committees and boards.
• Identify methods for formulating and implementing board policies and operating procedures and activities that foster relationships with the school committee, school board, and superintendent to promote and actualize organizational goals.
• Demonstrate knowledge of how the U.S. and Illinois Constitutions, organizational policies, and federal and state laws and regulations govern the administration of public schools and partner organizations.
• Demonstrate knowledge of federal and state legal and regulatory issues affecting education, including current and pending legislation affecting the education of all students, including students with disabilities.
• Apply knowledge of effective strategies for making decisions and formulating school policies based on legal and regulatory requirements related to the education of all students, including students with disabilities.
• Identify methods for implementing ongoing activities that lead school staff, including staff providing services to students with disabilities, to operate within the framework of applicable policies, laws, and regulations.
• Demonstrate understanding of various federal, state, and local funding sources; activities that result in monies from these sources; and general school finance and budget development procedures.
• Demonstrate knowledge of methods for identifying financial and material resources, maximizing fiscal resources, and allocating resources according to organizational goals and priorities.

 

Subarea 2—Special Education Programs and Services

0005—Understand evaluation and identification procedures for students with disabilities.

For example:

• Demonstrate knowledge of strategies used to identify children from birth to graduation or through 21 years of age who may have disabilities and activities that facilitate early identification of students with disabilities.
• Demonstrate knowledge of the comprehensive evaluation process for determining eligibility for special education services, including ways to minimize bias and ensure that all domains of that evaluation are identified and utilized in determinations.
• Demonstrate familiarity with parent/guardian and student rights regarding evaluation and eligibility, knowledge of strategies for promoting sound screening practices, and knowledge of activities that promote awareness in the school community of these rights and practices.
• Demonstrate knowledge of systems, theories, and practices in educational assessment and evaluation, including evidence-based practices for assessing the performance of students with disabilities.
• Demonstrate knowledge of activities used to evaluate the success of students with disabilities in participating in the general education curriculum.

0006—Understand the provision of services for students with disabilities.

For example:

• Demonstrate knowledge of practices that support a free appropriate public education (FAPE) in the least restrictive environment (LRE) and programs, services, and activities that promote positive school engagement and outcomes for students with disabilities.
• Demonstrate understanding of the continuum of placement options and array of services available to students with disabilities and their families.
• Demonstrate knowledge of prereferral intervention programs, processes, and strategies, including practices that contribute to the prevention of overidentification and activities that provide staff development in the use of interventions.
• Demonstrate knowledge of strategies to ensure that special education services are based on an understanding of individual strengths and learning needs, account for the diversity of students with disabilities and their families, and comply with relevant state and federal laws and regulations (e.g., limits on class size and age range).
• Demonstrate knowledge of related services and strategies to ensure related services are educationally relevant and meet the identified needs of students with disabilities.
• Apply knowledge of the process of developing, implementing, and monitoring an Individualized Education Program (IEP) and an Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP), including Functional Behavioral Assessments (FBAs) and Behavior Intervention Plans (BIPs).
• Apply knowledge of strategies to ensure that the legal components of an IEP and/or IFSP are incorporated into a plan of services for individual students, including linking goals to state learning standards where appropriate.
• Demonstrate knowledge of methods for aligning specialized instructional services with educational standards, facilitating access to the general education curriculum for students with disabilities (e.g., the application of positive academic and behavior supports), and monitoring students' participation in the general education curriculum.
• Demonstrate knowledge of school facilities, equipment, and auxiliary services required to meet the needs of students with disabilities and their families.
• Demonstrate knowledge of programs and services to support students with disabilities across the educational continuum through adulthood, including transition planning and services.
• Demonstrate knowledge of the array of technology options (e.g., augmentative and assistive technologies) that can be used to facilitate access to the least restrictive environment (LRE) for students with disabilities and methods for promoting the appropriate use of technology.

0007—Understand research-based instruction and support for students with disabilities.

For example:

• Demonstrate knowledge of the role of the cultural and environmental milieu of the child and the family (e.g., cultural and linguistic diversity, socioeconomic level, trauma) in learning and behavior.
• Demonstrate knowledge of human growth, development, and cognition; theories and methodologies of teaching, learning, and social-emotional development; and their relationship to instruction, modifications, accommodations, and interventions.
• Demonstrate knowledge of strategies for implementing curricula for students with disabilities that meet individuals' learning needs.
• Recognize research-based instructional practices that provide access to the general education curriculum, promote success for students with disabilities, and are appropriate for specific characteristics of individual students.
• Identify effective, research-based accommodations and modifications of instructional methods, curricular materials, and the learning environment that meet individual students' needs, including developmentally appropriate strategies and augmentative and assistive technologies.
• Demonstrate understanding of strategies for evaluating the educational performance of students with disabilities, including collecting and analyzing student data to evaluate and improve instruction.
• Demonstrate knowledge of methods for using educational research to promote best practice, improved instructional techniques, intervention strategies, and specialized curricular materials to support students with disabilities.

0008—Understand strategies related to the management of the special education program.

For example:

• Identify principles for developing, implementing, and monitoring the provision of special education programs and services.
• Demonstrate understanding of research-based models and practices for the administration of educational programs and services, and operational policies and procedures that enhance learning and support students with disabilities and their families.
• Demonstrate understanding of the application of core organizational processes (e.g., planning, communication, information management); data-based decision making; and management techniques used to define roles, assign functions, and delegate accountability.
• Recognize methods for empowering all stakeholders (e.g., staff, students, parents/guardians) to support organizational goals and change efforts through the use of delegation, collaboration, and collegial strategies.
• Demonstrate knowledge of human resource processes (e.g., recruitment, selection, negotiation) that comply with local, state, and federal laws to support an effective learning environment for students with disabilities and their families.
• Demonstrate knowledge of principles of human resource management, including the use of ongoing supervision and support, performance appraisal, and retention strategies to build the knowledge and skill base of instructional and noninstructional staff working with students with disabilities and their families.
• Demonstrate understanding of general school finance and budget development procedures, including core financial management processes (e.g., budgeting, procurement, accounting).
• Demonstrate knowledge of strategies for developing and managing special education budgets in accordance with local, state, and federal laws and regulations.
• Identify strategies for promoting the appropriate use of technology to support instruction and learning for students with disabilities and improve the efficiency of management functions.
• Demonstrate knowledge of activities to ensure that school facilities, equipment, and auxiliary services are safe and accessible for all students and meet the needs of students with disabilities and their families.
• Demonstrate understanding of strategies for systematically conducting and reporting assessment of student performance, including students with disabilities, and using assessment data to evaluate instructional programs and support continuous improvement of the special education program.

 

Subarea 3—Professional and Ethical Practice and Collaboration

0009—Understand professional and ethical responsibilities and practices regarding the education of students with disabilities.

For example:

• Apply knowledge of the human rights and civil rights of all members of the school community, including students with disabilities and their families.
• Demonstrate knowledge of the legal rights and responsibilities of students, parents/guardians, and school staff who work with students with disabilities and their families as well as activities that can ensure that these rights are disseminated, understood, and implemented.
• Demonstrate knowledge of the rights of students and parents/guardians regarding the discipline of students with disabilities, the use of lawful and appropriate strategies for disciplining students, and actions to ensure that these strategies are applied.
• Demonstrate knowledge of strategies for creating supportive environments in which the rights of students with disabilities and their families are respected and safeguarded.
• Demonstrate knowledge of the ethical responsibilities of members of the school community, including staff providing services to students with disabilities and their families.
• Demonstrate knowledge of legal and ethical practices in the administration of special education programs, including methods for making decisions based on the legal and ethical implications of policies and research-based practices.
• Demonstrate knowledge of strategies for modeling professional and ethical standards and identify policies and activities that ensure professional and ethical behavior for staff.
• Identify strategies for using research and professional literature to address issues of professional practice in special education.

0010—Understand skills and strategies necessary for effective communication and collaboration.

For example:

• Demonstrate understanding of the groups that compose the school community (e.g., students, parents/guardians, businesses and industries, service organizations, local and county governments), issues and trends that affect the school community, and school-community relations.
• Demonstrate understanding of conditions and dynamics related to the diversity of the community (e.g., cultural, linguistic, religious, socio-economic) that affect organizational priorities, and policies and methods for developing an ongoing dialogue with representatives of diverse community groups.
• Demonstrate knowledge of collaborative theories; culturally responsive practices; and group leadership, consensus building, and conflict-resolution skills that can be used to support the involvement of all stakeholders in special education.
• Identify methods for clearly articulating the school organization's goals and plans to individuals and organizations in the community, collecting and organizing information from all constituents, and facilitating ongoing communication and collaboration among all stakeholder groups.
• Demonstrate knowledge of methods for involving the school community in school improvement efforts, including educating the school community about organizational goals, resources, and funding.
• Demonstrate knowledge of research-based models of school-community partnerships and strategies for fostering partnerships between the school organization and families, businesses, community groups, government agencies, and institutions of higher education.
• Demonstrate understanding of the roles of educators in integrated settings and strategies to foster collaboration among instructional and noninstructional staff in support of special education service delivery.
• Demonstrate knowledge of activities that promote collaboration of staff and outside agencies in providing special education services to students and families.
• Demonstrate knowledge of approaches to providing information and support to families of students with disabilities, including strengthening the role of parents/guardians and advocacy organizations.

0011—Understand principles of professional growth and development for educators.

For example:

• Demonstrate knowledge of processes and strategies for preparing, inducting, and mentoring prospective and new special educators to support an effective learning environment for students with disabilities and their families.
• Demonstrate knowledge of strategies to create an environment that supports continuous instructional improvement, including sharing information on effective school and classroom practices.
• Demonstrate understanding of professional development models and adult learning theory, including their applicability to professional growth.
• Demonstrate knowledge of activities that facilitate professional development, focusing on the improvement of teaching, learning, and social-emotional development for students with disabilities; and promote reflective practices among administrators, teachers, and staff.
• Demonstrate knowledge of the application of strategies for systematically monitoring and supporting staff professional development to enhance the learning environment and instruction and foster lifelong learning.
• Recognize strategies for developing and implementing a personal professional growth plan to expand expertise with the administration and provision of special education services.
• Demonstrate familiarity with organizations, research, and publications relevant to the field of special education and special education administration.
• Identify strategies to advocate for and promote the advancement of the special education profession.

 

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