Special Education Major, B.S.

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General Program Information

Box 70548
Phone: (423) 439-7586
Program Coordinator: Dr. Cynthia Chambers
Phone: (423) 439-7586
email: chamberc@etsu.edu

Students receiving a B.S. in special education (SPED) will obtain licensure in both the Modified and Comprehensive concentrations. This licensure in the state of Tennessee enables students to teach K-12. The Modified concentration will enable students to provide direct services in resource room and inclusive classroom settings plus consultative services to teachers in regular classroom settings. The Comprehensive concentration enables students to provide direct intensive services in more restrictive settings such as a self-contained classroom or a segregated setting. Students may earn a bachelor’s degree after four years.

In addition to initial licensure at the baccalaureate level, post-baccalaureate programs are provided for adding a special education endorsement to existing education licenses. Licensure in Early Childhood special education is available at this level. This license will enable professionals to provide intervention services to children with developmental delays and their families.

Special education licensure programs in Tennessee are non-categorical covering intellectual disabilities, learning disabilities, physical disabilities, orthopedic impairments and emotional disturbance. Students planning to teach in those states requiring categorical certification should meet with their advisor(s) to plan their programs according to the certification/licensure requirements of those states.

Special education programs require a minimum of 120 clock hours in the field prior to the student teaching experience. Mentor teachers, as well as university supervisors, will be involved in the assessment of each prospective student teacher’s overall competency in actual classroom settings. Records are maintained and skills and competencies are evaluated following each field experience. Students who have difficulties in field experiences may be required to complete additional hours in the field.

Admission, Student Teaching, and Retention Standards Admission Procedures

Students must meet the requirements for admission to teacher education as developed by the Clemmer College of Education. Students majoring in special education, who desire admission to teacher education, must also meet the following conditions:

Successful completion of 32 credit hours of general education core,which includes completion of all English, Math, and Science coursework.
Grade point average of at least 2.50 in the above coursework.
Praxis I, or acceptable ACT, SAT, or PPST scores. (See standards as specified by the College of Education .)
Submission of a brief (2-3 pages) typewritten statement addressing reasons for choosing special education as a major field.
An interview with a panel, consisting of faculty from the special education program and representatives from community school districts.
Completion of EDFN 2100 and EDFN 2300 with a grade of C or better.

Following a review of the above by the special education faculty, the student will complete any additional coursework or remediation outlined by the SPED faculty. Admission to SPED is provisional.

Retention Criteria

Maintenance of 2.50 GPA in all coursework.
Special education courses with grades lower than C (2.0) must be repeated. In computing SPED grade point average (GPA) all grades received will be included.
Review of students’ grades and personal/professional functioning will be undertaken each semester. The SPED faculty will consider coursework, fieldwork, and any other pertinent factors. Recommendations will be made at this time for continuance in the program, continuance with specified remediations, or discontinuance.
During the semester before the student teaching/internship experience, each student will be evaluated. Factors to be considered will be coursework, field placement experiences, ethical behavior, and personal/professional concerns as described in the International Council for Exceptional Children code of ethics. The review will culminate in either approval for entry into the student teaching/internship in SPED, or disapproval. A disapproval will result in a conference with the student and a description of the necessary remedial steps. All remedial conditions must be removed prior to the student teaching clinical internship experience.