Program Overview:
The Adolescence Special Education Preparation for Inclusive and Reflective Educators (ASPIRE) program is a five-year dual degree program leading to secondary education teaching roles in general education and special education. In addition to the English Adolescence Education certification, candidates will be eligible for Adolescence Special Education Generalist certification.
Students who are accepted into the combined, dual degree program do not receive a bachelor’s degree when undergraduate coursework is complete; rather, both the bachelor and master’s degrees are awarded when all graduate requirements are completed. Students who are accepted into the dual degree program as undergraduates, and who meet all requirements for advancement, are guaranteed acceptance into the graduate program.
Guidelines developed by the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC), Association for Advancing Quality in Educator Preparation (AAQEP), and the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) were utilized in the development of this program. The Special Education/Adolescence Education program provides pre-service teachers with integrated course content across the disciplines of special education, adolescence education, adolescent development, literacy, educational psychology, and instructional technology. The program prepares future educators to meet the academic and social-emotional needs of a diverse student population, collaborate with colleagues, and exhibit leadership in their professional endeavors. The program is delivered by experienced faculty and supervisors who focus on the elements of diversity, instructional planning, differentiation of instruction, reflective practice, technology, research-supported practices, and collaboration. This program requires a minimum of 63 credits of study, includes a full semester of student teaching, and involves the College-wide Core program with specific expanded course work to meet certification requirements. See the catalog description on Core requirements for additional details. The majority of the major must be completed at The College of Saint Rose. 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.
Program Contacts:
Dr. Jennifer Marlow
Chair, English Department
Email: marlowj@strose.edu
Dr. Frances Ihle
Co-Chair, Literacy and Special Education Department
Email: ihlef@strose.edu
Program Webpage: ASPIRE Program
Program Requirements:
Requirement for Advancement in Dual Degree
Admission into the College does not ensure good standing in the Adolescence Education/Special Education (ASPIRE) Program, nor does good standing in this program ensure admission to student teaching. In order to maintain good standing through all stages of the Adolescence Education/Special Education program, students are required to maintain the following academic standards: 3.0 index in the education major, 2.8 index in the academic major and 3.0 overall GPA. Education courses must meet the minimum grade of C+ or higher at the undergraduate level and B or higher at the graduate level to apply to the degree. An education major course cannot be repeated more than one time with no more than 3 total education courses repeated during the 5 years of program completion. An F in any graduate education course can result in dismissal from the ASPIRE program. If a student falls below the required GPA in their content major, education major, or overall GPA, he or she must meet with the academic advisors in the academic major and School of Education to determine if continuation in the 5-year ASPIRE program is possible.
Students must apply for student teaching in accordance with program guidelines. This includes satisfactory completion of all major courses in their academic major and the education major with the exception of SED 590, SIE 580, SIE 582, and SIE 584. No additional courses beyond SED 590, SIE 580, SIE 582, and SIE 584 should be taken during the student teaching semester.
Major in English: Adolescence Education (46 credits)
Required courses (16 credits):
ENG 330 prerequisites: ENG 112 or ENG 114 and two literature courses at the 200-level or one 200-level and one 300-level literature course.
ENG 494 and ENG 498 prerequisites: ENG 330, one 300-level writing course, 90 credits, and at least one 300-level literature course
Thirty-two additional credit hours of English courses with these stipulations: (See lists below for categories that fulfill specific requirements. Although one course may fulfill two stipulations, all English majors must complete 32 credits of these courses.)
Literature Courses (20 credits):
| | Two 200-level literature courses | 8 |
| | Three 300-level literature courses | 12 |
At least two of these courses, on either the 200- or 300-level, must be in Early Literature and at least two, on either the 200- or 300-level, in Later Literature.
Writing courses (6 credits):
| | 200-level writing course | 2 |
| | 300-level writing course | 4 |
Performance Arts or Film/Digital Media course (4 credits):
| | Performance Arts or Film/Digital Media course | 4 |
Categories for English elective courses:
Early Literature (Pre-1800 for British Literature; pre-1865 for American Literature; pre-1650 for World Literature):
Later Literature (Post-1800 for British Literature; post-1865 for American Literature; post-1650 for World Literature):
200-level literature courses (all writing-intensive):
300-level literature courses (all writing-intensive):
200-level writing courses (all writing-intensive):
300-level writing courses (all writing-intensive):
Performance Arts courses:
Film/Digital Media courses*:
* Additional courses with a film and/or digital media focus may also fulfill this requirement.
Required Courses for Adolescence Education/Special Education Degree (62 credits)
Undergraduate Courses
Graduate Courses
| LRC 521 | Adv Literacy Improvmnt G 5-12 | 3 |
| LRC 528 | Read & Write for Adol w/ Disab | 3 |
| SEC 515 | Curr & Instr in Secondary Sch | 3 |
| SEC 520 | Method Teach Eng. Sec. School | 3 |
| SED 506 | Found/Issues/Resrch in Spec Ed | 3 |
| SED 519 | Inst Prac Divers Learn Eng Soc | 3 |
| | or | |
| SIE 585 | Instruc Div Lrnrs:ENG/SOC ST | 3 |
| SED 530 | Inst Pract Diverse Learn; MST | 3 |
| | or | |
| SIE 586 | Inst Diverse Learn:Mat/Sci/Tec | 3 |
| SED 567 | AdvThry/Prac Tch Childw/EBD | 3 |
| | or | |
| SED 522 | Autism Spectrum Disorders | 3 |
| SED 590 | Res Seminar Sp Ed | 3 |
| SIE 566 | Assess Content Instruc & Indiv | 3 |
| SIE 580 | On-Site Prof Exp Adol Educ | 6 |
| SIE 582 | On-Site Prof Exp Sem:Adol/Sp E | 2 |
| SIE 584 | Portfolio in Adoles & Spec Ed | 1 |
Internship/Field Experiences/Service:
Candidates complete two seven week student teaching experiences, one at the grades 7-9 level and another at the grades 10-12 level. One placement is in special education, and the other in general education.
Culminating Academic Experiences:
The candidate will complete a Professional Portfolio to reflect growth as he or she progresses through the program, leading to initial teacher certification. Candidates are guided during each phase of the process beginning with early curriculum courses and culminating in the final capstone experience.
Suggested 5 Year Course Plan:
This suggested plan is designed to give students an idea of how to balance their coursework over 10 semesters and to graduate within 5 years. It should be used along with your Degree Works worksheet and in consultation with your faculty advisor. It is meant as a guide, not a definitive list of courses that must be taken as written. Your faculty advisor will help you make any necessary adjustments during advisement. Special education generalists (7-12) have responsibility for supporting students in the four core disciplines (i.e., English, Mathematics, Science, and Social Studies); it is recommended that 6 credits of coursework be taken in each of these content areas.
Year 1
Fall (16 credits)
ENG 105 (L01) - 4
ENG 112 - 4
Lib Ed requirement (L09) - 4
Lib Ed requirement (L02) - 3
Lib Ed requirement (L12) - 1
SEE 100 - 0
Spring (18 credits)
200-level literature - 4
Lib Ed requirement (L04) - 4
Lib Ed requirement (L07) - 3
Lib Ed requirement (L03) - 3
SEE 106 - 0
SIE 146 - 4
Year 2
Fall (17 credits)
200-level literature - 4
ENG Perf/Film/Digital Media (also L05) - 4
Lib Ed requirement (L12) - 1
EPY 243 (L11) - 4
SIE 360 - 4
EDU 111 - 0
Spring (17 credits)
ENG 246 or 247 - 2
ENG 300-level literature - 4
Lib Ed requirement (L06) - 3
EPY 370 - 4
EPY 337 - 0
SEE 249 - 4
Year 3
Fall (18 credits)
ENG 330 - 4
ENG 300-level literature or writing - 4
General elective - 3
EDU 300 - 3
SED 347 - 4
Spring (18 credits)
ENG 300-level literature - 4
General elective - 4
ENG 201 - 4
EDU 102 - 0
SED 506 - 3
LRC 528 - 3
Year 4
Fall (14 credits)
ENG 300-level literature or writing - 4
General elective - 4
Lib Ed requirement (L10) - 3
SED 519 - 3
Spring (16 credits)
SEC 515 - 3
SED 530 - 3
SED 567 - 3
EDU 102 - 0
ENG 498 - 4
Lib Ed requirement (L08) - 3
Year 5
Fall (9 credits)
SEC 520 - 3
SIE 566 - 3
LRC 521 - 3
EDU 103 - 0
SEE 108 - 0
Spring (12 credits)
SIE 580 - 6
SIE 582 - 2
SIE 584 - 1
SED 590 - 3
Grades 5-6 Extension (Optional):
Extensions are not required as part of the Adolescence Education program at Saint Rose. The New York State Education Department offers an extension for grades 5-6 to the teaching certification for Adolescence Education grades 7-12. This extension to teach in grades 5 and 6 is designed to enable students to create developmentally appropriate classroom contexts for learning in the content areas of their certification (English Language Arts or Social Studies). An extension will show that the certified adolescence teacher has added expertise in the area of extension. Students must obtain fingerprint clearance prior to beginning field experiences. Adolescence Education students who wish the College to recommend them to the New York State Education Department for the extension must complete all the requirements for Adolescence Education certification and the additional requirements shown below.
Required Courses:
Career Opportunities and Graduate Study:
- Grades 7-12 English teacher
- Special Education co-teacher in a content area classroom
- Special Education resource/consultant teacher
- Special Education teacher in a self-contained classroom
Find Out More:
Undergraduate Admissions and Financial Aid: https://www.strose.edu/admissions/