Rate My Professor A. Sandy Parsons

A. Sandy Parsons, Ph.D., is Professor Emerita in the School of Education at California State University, San Marcos (CSUSM), within the College of Education, Health and Human Services. She dedicated her career to special education, teaching graduate-level courses essential to the Special Education Specialist Credential programs. These included EDMX 627: Assessment, Planning, and Instruction in Special Education, focusing on curriculum and assessment for students with special needs; EDMX 634: Moderate/Severe Disabilities; and EDEX 651: Advanced Technology, Transition, and Inclusive Education, which covered assistive technologies, transition services, and inclusive practices. Parsons also co-taught courses such as EDMX 632 with colleagues, contributing to the preparation of educators for diverse classroom settings. Prior to her extensive tenure at CSUSM, where she appeared in university catalogs from the early 2000s and served on the Academic Senate, she worked as Coordinator of the Early Childhood Special Education Program for Exceptional Children in the Department of Educational Psychology at the University of South Carolina, Columbia. Her expertise in special education spanned teacher preparation, assessment, and rural education challenges.

Parsons' academic interests centered on nondiscriminatory assessment, inclusive education planning, technology integration in special education, transition services, and addressing personnel shortages in rural areas. She published "Multilevel Assessment and Nondiscriminatory Use of Results in Planning Individual Education Placements and Plans for Learners with Disabilities" in the Electronic Journal for Inclusive Education (2004), presenting a multilevel approach using multiple measures across environments for fair diagnosis, IEP development, and adaptation of standardized assessments. Earlier publications include "Early Intervention in Rural States: The Impact of P.L. 99-457" (1988), co-authored workshops like "Addressing Critical Personnel Shortages in Early Childhood Special Education in a Highly Rural State" with Dean K. McIntosh (1988), and "Training Teachers of the Visually Handicapped in Highly Rural States: Low Availability - High Priority" (1988), advocating for modified training models emphasizing practical rural experiences and advocacy. Additional works feature co-authorship on "Results of a Follow-Up Survey of Graduates from Two Special Education Teacher Education Programs Who Are Teaching" in Teacher Education Quarterly and contributions to the Electronic Journal for Inclusive Education. Her impact is honored through the A. Sandy Parsons Scholarship at CSUSM, supporting Master of Arts candidates in Special Education focusing on services for children with severe disabilities and their families. Parsons advanced special education through rigorous teaching, scholarly contributions on equitable assessment and rural training, and enduring legacy in educator preparation.