Special Education
Specialization leading to a Master of Education degree.
(37 to 41 credits)
The program provides advanced course work in the education of learners with exceptional needs. Program options permit concentrated study in one of three areas: Early Childhood Special Education, Learners with Mild/Moderate Educational Needs, and Learners with Moderate/Intensive Educational Needs. While all three concentrations include course work and fieldwork that may be applied toward Ohio licensure as an Intervention Specialist, eligibility for such licensure may require further study, depending on the student’s previous educational background. In addition, students must successfully complete the appropriate Praxis II examinations required for licensure and highly qualified teacher status (HQT) by the State of Ohio.
If courses were taken previously as part of a Cleveland State baccalaureate degree program, special education courses generally need not be repeated. However, students need to select appropriate graduate elective offerings in consultation with an academic advisor to make up the requisite number of credit hours for the desired concentration. The College of Education and Human Services is committed to preparing special educators to work within diverse educational settings and communities. Therefore, all three program options require that students have a working knowledge of issues related to the education of culturally and linguistically diverse students, gifted children, children with special needs, and gender issues in education concentrations. To that end, completion of EDC 500 , or its equivalent, is a prerequisite to all special education concentrations.
The goal of the Early Childhood Intervention Specialist concentration is to prepare professionals to work with children from birth to age eight who have special needs. In addition to Ohio licensure as an Early Childhood Intervention Specialist, this concentration provides course work and fieldwork needed for the Mental Retardation/ Developmental Disabilities (MR/DD) Early Intervention Certificate.
The Moderate/Intensive Intervention Specialist concentration prepares teachers and professionals from related disciplines to work with children and youth ages 5 through 21 who have moderate, severe, or profound mental retardation; severe emotional disorders; or multiple disabilities. The professional who completes this concentration will have advanced skills in curriculum design and implementation, interdisciplinary teaming, and working with parents of children with exceptional needs.
For further information, contact the Department of Teacher Education at (216) 687-4600.
Admission
NOTE: Effective as of October 1, 2015, requirements for admission into a teaching licensure program at the undergraduate and graduate levels will change. If you wish to be considered for admission into a teaching licensure program under the requirements listed in this catalog, you must declare your intent to pursue teaching licensure and satisfy all current requirements prior to October 1,2015.
Portfolio
All teaching license students are required to maintain a portfolio while completing their professional coursework and field experiences. Students who begin a teaching licensure program in Fall 2012 or later are required to purchase a subscripton to Taskstream, which they will use to submit all required portfolio components. At various checkpoints, students must meet specific criteria to be eligible to continue to the next phase of their program. For complete information on portfolios, students are advised to speak with an advisor and access the Student Portfolio Handbook available at the following: http://www.csuohio.edu/cehs/students/taskstream/taskstream.html.
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