Master of Arts: Special Education Generalist
Overview
The Master of Arts: Special Education Generalist program is designed to provide a future teacher with the content and methods necessary to be an effective special education teacher. Thematic strands such as critical thinking, curriculum, classroom management, cultural proficiency, and technology are integrated throughout the curriculum. The themes add qualities to the program that are not reflected in single courses but are interwoven throughout the curriculum. The form of the teacher education program includes a purposeful use of current research findings on the education of teachers as translated into practical experiences and methodologies.
Degree Outcomes
Educational Objectives
To enable students to:
- Build on their knowledge of subject matter as they develop pedagogical skills and research methodologies
- Gain knowledge about the psychological, sociological, historical, and philosophical foundations of education
- Apply these understandings in early childhood, elementary, middle, and secondary classrooms
- Successfully meet the challenges of classroom teaching
Professional Objectives
- Meet the federal government's "No Child Left Behind" definition of a "highly qualified teacher"
- Earn the Special Education (SPED) Endorsement
- Receive an Oregon Preliminary Teaching License upon completion of the program and passing scores on the appropriate standardized measures
Admission Requirements
Applicants seeking admission to the Master of Arts: Special Education Generalist program must hold a four-year baccalaureate degree program from an accredited college or university, with a minimum GPA of 3.0 in the last two years of coursework. In addition, applicants must complete the following to be considered for admission to the program:
- Master of Arts: Special Education Generalist application and application fee
- Submit one official transcript from each college/university attended
- Completion of the character reference statement required by Oregon TSPC
- Two recommendations
- An interview with the MAT Admission Committee
If accepted into the program, a $200 enrollment deposit is required. Deadline for application is Feb. 1 for Summer start, July 1 for a Fall start, and October 1 for January start. Applications may be reviewed after those dates on a space-available basis. Preference will be given to those candidates who have had experience in schools working with students in SPED.
Prior to full-time student teaching, students must have taken and passed the appropriate ORELA exam. If a student has not completed this requirement, she/he may apply for an exception; however, if an exception is granted and the student does not pass the required exams prior to graduation, the director will not sign any official documents recommending the student as a candidate for licensure in Oregon or any other state.
Transfer Credit
No transfer credit is allowed toward the Master of Arts: SPED Generalist program. Transferability of credits earned at this institution and transferred to another is at the discretion of the receiving institution.
Graduation Requirements
In order to graduate with a Master of Arts: Special Education Generalist students must:
- Satisfactorily complete a minimum of 40 semester hours with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or above.
- Achieve no grade lower than a B in all core courses. If a grade of a B- or lower is received in a designated course, that course must be retaken (for more specific information, please refer to the student handbook).
- Pass appropriate exams to be recommended for licensure
- Complete SPED endorsement TPA (Teacher Performance Assessment)
- Complete a successful SPED endorsement practicum experience
Accreditation
The following program has been approved by the Oregon Teacher Standards and Practices Commission (TSPC)
Internship
A practicum experience is required in both mild to moderate and moderate to severe
Curriculum Plan
Master of Arts: Special Education Generalist Courses (40 credits)
Complete the following:
This course prepares candidates to meet the curricular and instructional needs of all students including exceptional learners. Candidates learn lesson design and instructional planning. Differentiated curriculum and instructional strategies are explored. Accommodations and modifications are made operational in unit and lesson design. This course also incorporates and reinforces best practices in assessment design and implementation. Candidates focus on creating and using assessments that measure growth toward standard-based outcomes. Using student data as appropriate, candidates develop plans for differentiation and intervention.
This course seeks to integrate effective mathematics teaching and learning pedagogies within the framework of the common core state standards. The development of personal understanding of mathematical concepts and processes is emphasized; this process requires the student to expand his/her own learning beyond the course assignments to examine the relationships between mathematical concepts and the real world. Teaching mathematics effectively to diverse learners is emphasized. The course is interactive and dependent upon student participation.
This course is designed to focus on the foundations and pedagogical methods of literacy including reading, writing, speaking and listening. In the context of teaching diverse populations, course topics encompass instructional strategies, pedagogical methods, research, engagement, literacy curriculum, implementation, and assessment. An emphasis is placed on inclusion, Dyslexia, ELL, language acquisition, and RTI.
This course will examine research-based methods of instruction and interventions in literacy and mathematics to support students with disabilities at the elementary and secondary levels. Course topics encompass research, curriculum, implementation, intervention, instructional strategies, and assessment within the English Language Arts and Mathematics state standards framework.
This course will focus on theoretical and practical aspects of human development while identifying the connections to developmental psychology and learning theory with an emphasis on birth through young adulthood. Functional knowledge of exceptionalities including autism, dyslexia, and executive functioning will be developed in relation to learning. Historical foundations and the purpose of special education including law, policies, legislation, litigation, and ethics will be thoroughly explored.
This course prepares candidates to meet the needs of school students with high incidence learning disabilities in general education classrooms. An emphasis on developing curricular modifications and adaptations to evaluate content curriculum, providing assistance to general education teachers, developing knowledge and skills to adjust curriculum content using Oregon State Standards, and utilizing informal assessments to provide information on student progress in the general education curriculum. This course will also prepare candidates to evaluate technological and assistive supports and determine appropriateness for exceptional learners. Candidates will design and develop assistive technology tools for use in academic settings.
This course prepares candidates to meet the needs of school students with low incidence disabilities including intellectual disability, hearing impairment, visual impairment, deaf/blindness, communication disorder, emotional disturbance, orthopedic impairment, traumatic brain injury, autism spectrum disorder, and other health impairments. An emphasis on utilizing the Oregon State Standards to plan and implement curriculum, understand how to make eligibility decisions, and knowledge of academic and functional instruction to support students with low incidence disabilities. Functional living skills are incorporated into content planning. This course will also prepare candidates to evaluate technological and assistive supports and determine appropriateness for exceptional learners. Candidates will design and develop assistive technology tools for use in academic and functional settings.
This course addresses assessment and evaluation as the means for informing special education disability decisions as well as instructional decisions. The candidate will learn and practice multiple ways of assessing students. These include informal assessment, progress monitoring, formal evaluations, and standardized achievement tests. The candidate will learn to write formal reports that emphasize proper administration of assessments and ethical complications of the evaluation process to synthesize all that data to create a cohesive picture of the student’s standing and continue to use the appropriate assessment tools to generate the information needed to make curricular and program decisions.
Candidates will gain knowledge and skills in writing effective, compliant Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) and acquire communication and collaboration strategies to facilitate IEP meetings and interactions with families. Candidates will identify key issues that could lead to litigation. Course content includes communication, organization, compliance and administrative management.
This course will focus on the preparation of candidates to work with students who demonstrate significant emotional/behavioral, trauma, and fetal alcohol/drug issues and use interventions that are research-based. Candidates are instructed on the methods of behavior analysis and accommodation strategies including the development of behavior support plans.
This course will focus on the families, individuals, and community supports for individuals with disabilities ages birth - 21. Candidates will identify age-appropriate services such as Head Start, early intervention, vocational educational programs, community experiences, employment and other post-school adult living objectives, acquisition of daily living skills, if appropriate, and access to state and federal services. Candidate will also learn all required federal/state requirements for secondary transition plans. They will learn how to apply and develop an individual Education Plan for students of transition age.
This practicum will be completed at either early childhood elementary, elementary middle, or middle level and high school, in settings with students identified with mild to moderate or moderate to severe disabilities. Candidates will complete a work sample during this practicum. Candidates will complete a minimum of 600 hours of clinical practice in a placement that serves students with the classification of mild to moderate or moderate to severe disabilities. Pass/No Pass.
This practicum will be completed at either early childhood elementary, elementary middle, or middle level and high school, in settings with students identified with mild to moderate or moderate to severe disabilities. Candidates will complete a minimum of 60 hours of clinical practice in a placement that serves students with the classification of either mild to moderate or moderate to severe disabilities. Note, that this practicum should be with the student classification that is different from Practicum I. Pass/No Pass.
This course will focus on an in-depth exploration of a topic related to special education, inclusion, or specific disabilities that is outside the regular offerings of the program. Research and evidence-based practices related to the topic will be examined as part of the special study