Overview
The Ph.D. in Social-Emotional and Behavioral Health and Inclusive Education (Ph.D. in SHIE) engages scholars in the examination of critical interdisciplinary and multi-level issues focusing on collaboration between families, schools, and communities in supporting the social, emotional, and behavioral health of children and youth. The Ph.D. in SHIE prepares researchers for positions in higher education and state and national leadership positions who are skilled in examining complex interdisciplinary societal problems relating to special education, education, and social welfare and applying a collaborative, appreciative, and proactive lens to design research and policy aimed at optimizing children’s wellbeing. Producing top scholars for critical issues in the fabric of a global society enhances the educational equity and social, emotional, and behavioral health of children and youth who have experienced adversity such as trauma, maltreatment, poverty, racism, and other forms of marginalization. SHIE Scholars engage in a rigorous 75 credit curriculum anchored in 5 core courses that ground them in theory, policy, prevention, intervention, and community- engaged research drawing from the fields of special education, social work, and public health. SHIE Scholars also participate in research teams working in-situ to develop, implement, and evaluate programs, practices, and policies in existing family-school-community partnerships.
Degrees
Social-Emotional and Behavioral Health and Inclusive Education Ph.D.
Core Faculty
Garnett, Bernice Raveche; Associate Professor, Department of Education; SCD, Harvard University
Garwood, Justin D.; Professor, Department of Education; PHD, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Haines, Shana Jackson; Professor, Department of Education; PHD, University of Kansas
Kervick, Colby T.; Associate Professor, Department of Education; EDD, University of Vermont
Strolin-Goltzman, Jessica S.; Professor, Department of Education; PHD, University of Albany
Affiliated Faculty
Callahan, Rebecca M.; Professor, Department of Education; PHD, University of California, Davis
Meyer, Lori; Associate Professor, Department of Education; PHD, University of Illinois
Stark, Kristabel; Assistant Professor, Department of Education; PHD, Boston University
Suter, Jesse: Research Associate Professor; Center on Disability and Community Inclusion; PhD, University of Vermont
Vannest, Kimberly; Professor, Department of Education; PHD, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge
Courses
EDSP 5100. Foundations of Special Ed. 3 Credits.
Examination of historical and current trends in the treatment of individuals with disabilities including effects of discrimination, advocacy, litigation, legislation and economic considerations on educational services and community inclusion. Prerequisite: Twelve hours in education and related areas or Instructor permission.
EDSP 5110. Meeting Inst Needs/All Stdnts. 3 Credits.
Students apply principles of learning and social development to improve academic and social skills of all individuals with a focus on those who present academic and behavioral challenges. Prerequisite: Instructor permission.
EDSP 5120. Assessment in Special Ed. 3 Credits.
Course covers assessment knowledge and skills essential for special educators, including test selection, administration and scoring, and legal issues related to special education assessment. Prerequisite: Admission to graduate program in Special Education or Instructor permission.
EDSP 5130. Teach Students w/Complex Needs. 3 Credits.
Physical, sensory, health, intellectual and behavioral characteristics of developmental disabilities. Educational approaches and supports from various professional disciplines to educate students with severe disabilities.
EDSP 5200. Preventing School Shootings. 3 Credits.
Issues to be explored include historical perspectives on school safety, theories of sources of violence in schools and their merit, relationship building as an antecedent intervention, the intersection of social justice and the second amendment, and action steps to be taken to help prevent further school tragedies. Prerequisites: EDSP 1050, EDSP 2170; Graduate student; or Instructor permission.
EDSP 5250. Gr Culture of Disability. 3 Credits.
Focus on theoretical questions of how societies understand disability and its consequences for social justice, by examining the multiple determinants of the societal construction of disability. Credit not awarded for both EDSP 5250 and EDSP 3250. Pre/Co-requisites: EDSP 2170, CSD 2010, ASL 2990; Graduate student; or Instructor permission. Cross-listed with: CSD 5740.
EDSP 5260. GlobalDisabilityStudies:Africa. 3 Credits.
Presents broader views of disability, advocacy, and communication in the traditional African context through the voices and experiences of African disability rights advocates globally, including African/Asian immigrants and refugees living in the USA. Pre/Co-requisite: Graduate or Continuing Education student, or Instructor permission.
EDSP 5300. The Trauma Lens. 3 Credits.
Provides the theoretical foundation and conceptual frameworks that relate to building resilience for children, youth and families who have experienced trauma and adversity. Aims to help in-service and pre- service professionals in education, child welfare, health, and mental health gain a common language and knowledge base that will support equitable service delivery through the use of collaborative, family engaged, & trauma responsive practices. Cross-listed with: CNSL 5300.
EDSP 5890. Special Educ Practicum. 1-6 Credits.
Students provide direct instruction for six learners with learning disabilities, cognitive disabilities, behavior disorders, and/or multidisabilities. Prerequisite: Instructor permission.
EDSP 5990. Special Topics. 1-18 Credits.
See Schedule of Courses for specific titles.
EDSP 5991. Intern: Systems Development. 1-18 Credits.
Competency-based instruction in planning for system level development and change. Students apply systems theory in an educational setting. Prerequisite: EDSP 6140 or Instructor permission.
EDSP 6130. Collaborative Consultation. 3 Credits.
Adult development and group dynamics theory provide the knowledge base for collaborating with parents and teachers to meet the diverse needs of students with disabilities. Cross-listed with: EDLP 6200.
EDSP 6140. Curr & Tech Spec Ed: Literacy. 3 Credits.
Curricular and assessment areas essential to literacy development for students with disabilities. Development, adaptation of curricula and assessment in elementary and secondary education for students with mild, moderate, and severe disabilities. Prerequisite: Special Education Graduate student or Instructor permission.
EDSP 6150. Curr & Tech Spec Ed: Math. 0 or 3 Credits.
Curricular and assessment areas essential to math development for students with disabilities. Development, adaptation of curricula and assessment in elementary and secondary education for students with mild, moderate, and severe disabilities. Prerequisite: Special Education Graduate student or Instructor permission.
EDSP 6180. Relational Behavior Support. 3 Credits.
Instruction for learners with disabilities emphasizing learning principles, applied behavior analysis, and research-based interventions. Interventions focus on teaching new skills as well as analyzing and addressing maladaptive behaviors. Emphasizes applying these approaches in inclusive educational environments. Prerequisite: Special Education Graduate student or Instructor permission.
EDSP 6190. Special Ed Internship Seminar. 1 Credit.
Accompanies the student teaching experience. Intended to help develop a community of practice with peers, reinforce and review what has been learned in other special education courses, and promote reflection and problem solving regarding the internship experiences. Co-requisite: EDSP 6991.
EDSP 6191. Portfolio Seminar. 1 Credit.
Provides an opportunity for initial licensure students enrolled in teacher education programs at the University of Vermont to engage in reflective practice related to the requirements for the Vermont Licensure Portfolio, which is a requirement for initial teacher licensure. The core knowledge areas covered in the course relate to content in the student's graduate program, mastery of which will be demonstrated through the Vermont Licensure Portfolio. Co-requisite: EDSP 6991.
EDSP 6320. Fam,Schl&Intrprof Partnerships. 3 Credits.
Takes a family, school and inter-professional collaborative approach to understanding and enhancing equity and well-being for children, youth, families, and the workforce. In-service and pre-service students from across professions (child welfare, health/mental, education) will build toolkit of strategies for healthy partnerships that build resilience and strong professional practices.
EDSP 6330. Resilience-orient Systems Chng. 3 Credits.
Focus on resilience-oriented and trauma informed system change in schools and human service organizations; designed to provide a conceptual framework addressing the strategic process of managing change that is trauma responsive and encourages collaborative learning climate for its employees. Prerequisites: EDSP 6300, EDSP 6320, or Instructor permission. Pre/co-requisites: EDSP 6300, EDSP 6320, or Instructor permission.
EDSP 6340. Restorative&Trma Pract w/Child. 3 Credits.
An introduction to evidence-informed, restorative and trauma-informed approaches that support the social-emotional health for school-aged children and youth who have experienced trauma and adversity. Students will gain a toolbox of knowledge, practice and skills they can apply to their direct practice with children and families.
EDSP 6350. The Community Schools Approach. 3 Credits.
Examines the core structural elements that define the community schools strategy including community school coordinators, systematic needs assessments, community partner recruitment and coordination, and collaborative, data-driven decision-making. Explores the community schools pillars and commonly implemented programs and strategies typically found in community schools, including early childhood, expanded learning, health/mental health, adult education, and community and economic development.
EDSP 6391. Master's Thesis Research. 1-18 Credits.
Research for the Master's Thesis. Thesis topic must be approved by a faculty committee.
EDSP 6990. Special Topics. 1-18 Credits.
See Schedule of Courses for specific titles.
EDSP 6991. Internship: Student Teaching. 1-18 Credits.
Supervised graduate internship in school setting addressing special educator licensure standards. Prerequisites: At least 18 credits of EDSP graduate coursework; Special Education Graduate student; or Instructor permission.
EDSP 6993. Independent Study. 1-18 Credits.
A course which is tailored to fit the interests of a specific student, which occurs outside the traditional classroom/laboratory setting under the supervision of a faculty member, for which credit is awarded. Offered at department discretion.
EDSP 6994. Teaching Assistantship. 1-3 Credits.
Student service as a teaching assistant, usually in an introductory level course in the discipline, for which credit is awarded. Offered at department discretion.
EDSP 6995. Graduate Independent Research. 1-18 Credits.
Graduate student work on individual or small team research projects under the supervision of a faculty member, for which credit is awarded. Offered at department discretion.
EDSP 7110. Prevention Science Theory. 3 Credits.
Focus on multidisciplinary and multi-level prevention science theory. Prevention Science is a multi-disciplinary comprehensive approach to identify how best to promote the well-being of diverse families and communities by bridging research and practice. Nested ecological frameworks and structural determinants of youth development will serve as anchoring theoretical frameworks.
EDSP 7150. Critical Issues in SEBH Policy. 3 Credits.
Examines contemporary policy initiatives designed to promote youth SEBH. Utilizing an intersectional and interdisciplinary lens students will examine impact of current policy initiatives on the health and behavioral outcomes for youth with SEBH challenges. Teaches policy advocacy skills to advance equitable outcomes for youth with SEBH needs. Prerequisites: Social-Emotional-Behavioral Health & Inclusive Education student or Instructor permission.
EDSP 7210. FSC Partnerships for SEBH. 3 Credits.
Students will weave together content knowledge and critically consume multiple prevention-focused programs and practices in existing family, school, and community collaborations that are aimed at enhancing educational equity and SEBH for children and youth. Prerequisite: Social-Emotional-Behavioral Health & Inclusive Education student or Instructor permission. Co-requisite: EDSP 7220.
EDSP 7220. Research Partnership in Action. 3 Credits.
Building on existing research-practice partnerships, students will collaborate to respond to practice-research questions. Students will examine ways RPPs can enhance critically conscious collaborative research; learn research methods for conducting systematic scoping reviews of the literature for publication; and develop applied tools for translating findings to families and the practice community. Prerequisites: Instructor permission. Co-requisite: EDSP 7210 or Instructor permission.
EDSP 7250. Psycho-Ed and Single Case. 3 Credits.
Contextual factors and social determinants of health and education, including racism, poverty, trauma, and other adversities, place children and youth at risk for emotional and behavioral difficulties (EBD). Addresses the psycho-education of children and youth with EBD and introduces students to single-case design research methodology. Prerequisite: Social-Emotional-Behavioral Health & Inclusive Education student or Instructor permission.
EDSP 7491. Doctoral Dissertation Research. 1-18 Credits.
Research for the Doctoral Dissertation.
EDSP 7990. Special Topics. 1-18 Credits.
See Schedule of Courses for specific titles.
EDSP 7993. Independent Study. 1-18 Credits.
A course which is tailored to fit the interests of a specific student, which occurs outside the traditional classroom/laboratory setting under the supervision of a faculty member, for which credit is awarded. Offered at department discretion.
EDSP 7994. Teaching Assistantship. 1-3 Credits.
Student service as a teaching assistant, usually in an introductory level course in the discipline, for which credit is awarded. Offered at department discretion.