Program Overview:
The Special Education Early Childhood Program is designed for students who hold provisional elementary education certification or initial early childhood education certification at the time of acceptance into this program. The program will lead to initial certification in special education birth-grade 2. This program requires a minimum of 30 credits of study and includes a three-credit student teaching experience (that may be completed during summers) under the guidance of a special educator at the appropriate level. To be eligible for the New York State special education certification, the candidate must successfully complete the New York State Teacher Certification Examinations required by the New York State Department of Education. Fingerprinting clearance from The New York State Department of Education is required prior to taking SED 504. Certification exam information and fingerprinting information/processing is available at the New York State Department of Education “TEACH” website http://www.highered.nysed.gov/tcert/teach. Students wishing to pursue NYSED certification in Literacy (24 credit program) should enroll simultaneously in the Special Education program and the Literacy program so that literacy courses are counted towards both programs. Consult the Graduate Catalog for more information on Certification in Literacy and an Extension in Bilingual Education.
Objectives
The objectives for the Special Education Programs have been developed within the context of goals set by the professional accrediting bodies including the Council for the Accreditation Educator Preparation (CAEP), Interstate Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium (InTASC), Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) and the professional organizations guiding each content discipline.
Upon completion of a graduate program in Special Education at The College of Saint Rose, candidates will:
- Demonstrate respect for all P-12 students as unique individuals by advancing their learning and development.
- Create inclusive and supportive learning environments within a variety of school settings where cultural understanding, safety and emotional well-being, positive social interactions, and active engagement in learning is promoted.
- Incorporate understanding of learner development, individual learning differences, and diversity in their teaching practices to positively impact the social, academic, and communication skills of P-12 students.
- Use multiple types of assessment tools for a variety of educational decisions that inform instruction for all P-12 students.
- Demonstrate understanding of the central concepts, tools of inquiry, and discipline-specific practices to teach curricular content knowledge related to the New York State P-12 Common Core Learning Standards.
- Plan and use a variety of evidence-based instructional strategies to provide effective group and individual instructions for P-12 students’ learning and development.
- Collaborate with families, students, educators, related service providers, and personnel from community agencies to have a positive impact on student learning.
- Incorporate the elements of professional learning and ethical practice to assure that the legal rights and responsibilities of students, caretakers, and professionals are upheld.
- Demonstrate understanding of research and applied professional practice by using inquiry and data collection to establish priorities, enhance teaching, and continually inform instructional decisions.
- Demonstrate the ability to plan and teach using the principles of Universal Design for Learning, which includes current and appropriate educational and assistive technologies, supplemental materials, and community resources to benefit the needs of all learners.
Program Contacts:
Dr. Frances Ihle
Literacy & Special Education Department Co-Chair
Email: ihlef@strose.edu
Program Webpage:
Special Education Birth-Grade 2 M.S.E.D.
Program Requirements:
a. Educational Research (6-9 Credits)
| SED 506 | Found/Issues/Resrch in Spec Ed | 3 |
| SED 590 | Res Seminar Sp Ed | 3 |
| | or | |
| SED 595 | Internship Seminar | 0 or 3 |
| | or | |
| SED 599 | Thesis in Special Education | 3 or 6 |
SED 595 (required for students completing the internship)
Thesis may increase the total credit hours for the program from 30 to 33. Candidates may register for 3 credits of Thesis to stay at 30 credits.
b. Core Course Work in Special Education (9 Credits)
| SED 517 | Adapting Instruction for Stdnt | 3 |
| SED 512 | Classrm Mngmnt Individ Behav | 3 |
| | and | |
| SED 522 | Autism Spectrum Disorders | 3 |
| | or | |
| SED 544 | Soc Interv Autism Spec Disor | 3 |
c. Advanced Pedagogy in Special Education (6 Credits)
| SED 549 | Assess & Tch Yng Chld w/Disabi | 3 |
| | and | |
| SED 550 | Dev Asses Young Child | 3 |
| | or | |
| | Elective | 3 |
Elective: Based on advisor review of undergraduate transcript for a developmental assessment course. See f section for options.
d. 6 Credits of Literacy Course Work
| | Advisor-approved literacy course work | 6 |
e. 3 Credits of Student Teaching
| SED 504 | On-Site Prof Exp Child Ed | 3 |
| SED 505 | On-Site Prof Exp Sem Child Ed | 0 |
| | or | |
| SED 594 | Internship in Spec Educ | 0-3 |
| | and | |
| SED 595 | Internship Seminar | 0 or 3 |
f. Elective Course Work in Advanced Pedagogy in Special Education
Electives may be chosen for section c with advisor approval from the following options:
| SED 518 | Child Methods in Math,Sci,Tech | 3 |
| SED 528 | Fostering Family-School Part | 3 |
| SED 544 | Soc Interv Autism Spec Disor | 3 |
| SIE 566 | Assess Content Instruc & Indiv | 3 |
| SED 567 | AdvThry/Prac Tch Childw/EBD | 3 |
| SED 580 | Topics in Special Education | 3 |
| TED 503 | Assistive Tech:Spec Needs Stdt | 3 |
g. Additional Requirements (0 Credits)
Additional requirements waived for candidates who met these requirements as part of their provisional elementary education or initial childhood education certification requirements.
Internship/Field Experience/Service:
Required Courses:
| SED 504 | On-Site Prof Exp Child Ed | 3 |
| SED 505 | On-Site Prof Exp Sem Child Ed | 0 |
Culminating Academic Experiences:
Required Courses:
Graduate students in the Early Childhood Special Education program will meet the requirements for the degree by completing all course work at the satisfactory level (minimum of B grade). As part of the final evaluation, students will conduct and present an action research project that satisfactorily demonstrates the integration of course work and best practices. This research project is completed as part of the course requirements for SED 590 Research Seminar in Special Education.
Professional Accreditation:
The College of Saint Rose, sponsored by the Sisters of Saint Joseph of Carondelet, Albany Province, is chartered by the Board of Regents of New York State. All of its degrees and programs are registered and its professional programs are fully approved by the Board of Regents through the New York State Education Department.
The College of Saint Rose is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, 3624 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104 (267-284-5000). The Middle States Commission on Higher Education is an institutional accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation.
The specialized accrediting agencies noted below are recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education and/or the Council for Higher Education Accreditation: Programs offered by The College of Saint Rose for the preparation of all school professionals, leading to initial and advanced certifications, are accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education and the Council for the Accreditation Educator Preparation (CAEP).
Admissions and Financial Aid Information:
General Admission Information
Eligibility for admission to The College of Saint Rose graduate programs is typically based upon the following minimum requirements:
- Submission of a completed application, a resume, and Statement of Purpose of approximately 300 words detailing the applicant’s goals for graduate study.
- Evidence of the possession of a U.S. baccalaureate degree or equivalent from an accredited institution through submission of official transcripts from all post-secondary education.
- Academic and professional qualifications for graduate study, as indicated by two letters of recommendation. The Communication Sciences & Disorders and School Psychology programs requirethree letters of recommendation.
- A grade point average of 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale), overall and in the undergraduate major.
- Other admission criteria specified by academic programs such as submission writing samples, portfolios, test scores, and participation in interviews or admissions workshops.
Applicants to The College of Saint Rose are responsible for completing their applications by submitting all required components. Prospective students can access the online application and application instructions at www.strose.edu/gradapply.
See Graduate Admissions section for more information.
Financial Aid
The College of Saint Rose has long been committed to the premise that a quality education should be within the reach of qualified students. To this end, the College serves its student body through a comprehensive program of federal, state, and institutional financial aid. While the basic responsibility for financing education lies with the students and their families, scholarships, loans, and/or assistantships can supplement insufficient family resources. The amount of aid available through the College is limited and is awarded on the basis of academic merit. All financial assistance from the College is subject to adjustment if the recipients are later granted aid from other sources. Financial aid awards are contingent upon students’ maintaining good academic standing and satisfactory academic progress.
See Financial Aid section for more information.
Additional Admission Requirements for Special Education Early Childhood:
- Certification requirement: Initial certification in early childhood education. A copy of the initial certification or certificate of qualification must be included with the application.
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