Interrelated Special Education
Special Education Post-baccalaureate Certification and
Master’s Degree Program
The Professional Standards Commission is proposing
significant changes in the preparation of Special Education
teachers. We will continue to offer a master’s level initial
certification program containing about 60 hours and
integrated with employment (evening classes) similar to the
existing program listed on the web page.
Until we have more details about the nature of the
program we will be unable to specify program of study
details. Initial hearings about these proposed changes were
held in August 2004. The timetable for their adoption and
our subsequent program changes is unclear. We will update
this information as soon as possible.
The proposed changes will require special educators to
demonstrate mastery of a content area at the middle grades
level and to demonstrate mastery of techniques for teaching
reading. More information about the proposed changes may be
found at the Professional Standards Commission web site.
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Initial Certification and Master’s Degree
The Interrelated
Special Education initial certification and Master’s degree
is open to individuals with a degree in any field. It is
designed to prepare candidates to work with students with
mild intellectual disabilities, behavior disorders, and
learning disabilities in grades K-12. The program is sequenced and designed for summer entry only.
Students are expected to proceed through the course work as
a group and in order. Thirty students are accepted each
summer. Capacity is usually reached by March. Admission to
both the graduate school and to teacher education (separate
processes) is required to participate in these programs.
More complete course descriptions can be found in either the
graduate catalog (for courses having numbers above 5000) or
the
undergraduate catalog (for courses having numbers below
5000).
Summer 1 (Early May-Mid June) 6 hours
Summer full session (approx June 10-July)
- SPED 4001—Managing Students with Problem Behaviors
- EDUC or SPED 6046—Effective Teaching Strategies
Fall 1
- SPED 6001 Applied Behavioral Analysis or SPED 5002
(recommended Fall 2)
- EDUC 5047—Effective Teaching Strategies Lab
This placement will occur either via university supervision
in the classrooms of post-bacs employed as teachers or via
morning placements from October through early December in
area schools for post-bacs not employed as teachers.
Be sure the exceptional child requirement (below) is
complete before spring!!
Spring 2
- SPED 6000-Assessment
- Internship (EDUC 4403, 4404, 4405)
- EDUC 3540 Applied Classroom Data Analysis
Internship occurs either in the classrooms of postbacs
employed as teachers or in a full time field placement. A
university supervisor/mentor is assigned in either case.
EDUC 3540 involves preparing, teaching and assessing a unit
of instruction during that time period.
Summer 2
- Either SPED 5404 or 7403—Specific Strategies for Students
with Mild Disabilities (secondary and elementary)
- EDUC 5002—Ed Psyc & Human Development (The Ed Psych and
Human development requirement may also be satisfied through
CLEP testing. You must complete BOTH the CLEP test for
Educational Psychology and Human Growth and Development. The
NGCSU Testing Office administers CLEP tests.)
- ONE of the following: EDUC 6001. 6002 or 6004 (Graduate
Core)
Fall 2
- SPED 5002—Transition Planning—only offered fall or SPED 6001
if you missed it.
- ONE of the following: EDUC 6001. 6002 or 6004 (Graduate
Core)
Spring 2
- ONE of the following: EDUC 6001. 6002 or 6004 (Graduate
Core)
- Either SPED 5404 or 7403—Specific Strategies for Students
with Mild Disabilities (secondary and elementary)
Summer 3
- SPED 7401—Trends and Issues in Special Education
- SPED 7402—Practicum (a field placement in a site designated
by North Georgia—not in your school).
- Opportunity to catch up on SPED 6000, 7403 or 7404 or core
course if you missed them
Other Requirements
Students are individually responsible for satisfying two
additional requirements:
Technology:
Depending on your skill level, you may choose to take a
course or to meet the test-out option. The approved course
at North Georgia is CSCI 1200, Technology and Learning.
School systems and RESAs also have approved courses. See the
PSC web site for those options. You may complete the online
technology test either through a school system or by making
an appointment at the
NGCSU testing center. There is a small
fee.
Exceptional Children (HB671)
State law requires that all teachers complete course work in
the identification and education of exceptional children.
This course is widely available for staff development credit
through school systems and RESAs. You may take EDUC 2002 (an
undergraduate course) at NGCSU. An online course for staff
development credit is available in the spring and fall
semesters through
Continuing Education
at NGCSU. NOTE:
Special Education candidates must satisfy this requirement
before internship.
Notes about course sequencing:
- We do not offer independent study for required courses.
- SPED 6000 is not offered in the spring
- SPED 5002 and 6001 are only offered in the fall.
- Education graduate core courses may not be taken before
internship is complete.
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