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Dual Certification in Special Education & Elementary Education Program Overview The program is designed
for students who have baccalaureate degrees but who do not yet have a teaching
certificate. The program emphasizes issues related to teaching students with and
without disabilities in urban environments; the various models and options
available for providing special education services in urban environments; the
criteria used by school districts to place students into special education
categories; the strengths and weaknesses of these criteria; and the strengths
and weaknesses of strategies designed to respond to the needs of students with
and without disabilities in urban schools. Graduates of the program are qualified to receive certification in both special education (Type 10, Learning and Behavior Specialist I) and elementary education (Type 03). Students interested in the Master of Education (M.Ed.) option complete the coursework, clinical observation experiences and the student teaching requirements. Students interested in pursuing the Master of Arts (M.A.) option complete all of the same requirements but these students must also register for an additional course (LLSI 549) and they must complete a Master's thesis. Graduates of the program have a number of teaching options including but not limited to: a) general education teachers working at the elementary level; b) special education teachers working in general education classrooms; c) special education teachers working in resource or self-contained settings within schools; and e) general or special education teachers working in alternative schools or residential settings. This blended approach to teacher education is designed to provide graduate students with a deep understanding of both areas so that they will be prepared to develop approaches to education that promote positive development among children and youth as well positive transformations in schools and society. |