Dual Endorsement in Special Education and Culturally Linguistically Diverse Education *Pending Approval
UNC offers a hybrid (Online and in Colorado Springs) endorsement for licensed teachers hoping to develop their skills in two high-need areas.
Blended Special Education (SPED) Generalist and Culturally Linguistically Diverse (CLD) Endorsement Program
Outcome
• Dual Endorsements in Special Education and Culturally/Linguistically Diverse
Needs of the Field
• It has been reported to us that students with dual SPED/CLD endorsements are/will be in high demand, especially when coupled with general education endorsements.
• If we move relatively quickly, creating a graduate-level program that is appealing and doable, we could be ahead of other universities and have a ready market of students.
• It is recognized that dual endorsement graduates would not be as strong in each specific area, compared to completing a more intensive SPED or CLD program alone. However, these students would be stronger than what occurs now, given Colorado’s licensure structure. There is also demand for these individuals in schools, and dual endorsement could fit with the way some schools are currently structuring services.
Who are Eligible Candidates?
• Educators already possessing a valid Elementary, Secondary, or Early Childhood Colorado General Education Teacher License. These educators may be teaching already.
Overall Structure of the Program
• 27 hours, cohort format, completed over 15 months (spring, summer, fall, spring); course completion pattern Spring 2 courses (6 credits); Summer 2 courses (6 credits); Fall 3 courses (9 credits); Spring 2 courses (6 credits).
• Two 500-level core courses
Jointly developed by CLD and SPED. One surveys the foundations and practices of the two fields and addresses shared and mutually exclusive basic principles, blending & revising EDSE 510 & EDLD 602; one addresses Instruction & assessment, blending & revising EDSE 512, EDLD 603 EDSE 613). Core courses will be co-taught, unless an Instructor can be identified with dual expertise.
• Three SPED courses
Follows RTI format with an academic and a behavior branch. Academic, to-be-developed, blending and revising EDSE 616, EDSE 617, and EDSE 618; behavior course, EDSE 614. Transition/secondary, EDSE 619.
• Three CLD courses
EDLD 592, EDLD 593, EDLD 594. EDLD 594 needs to be delivered in either the first or last summer
• Field experience
Jointly created by CLD and SPED, blending and revising EDLD 604 and EDSE 693. Forty hours of exposure with students with SPED needs & 40 hours with students with CLD needs; overlapping hours not permitted. Course would have variable credit; students sign up in the Fall, then have up to 2 semesters to complete; “nr grade” used between semesters as needed. Cooperating Supervisors, 5-10 students each, $200 per student. (Role of university faculty??)
When Offered and How
• Extended studies will deliver
• Hybrid delivery, with 50% online and 50% in-class. During fall and spring semesters, each 16-week semester has two courses, one delivered the first 8-weeks and the other delivered the second 8-weeks. It is proposed that there be two face-to-face weekends, scheduled at discretion of instructor
• To-be-piloted in Colorado Springs starting January, 2014
Program Faculty
• Coordinators: Drs. Jackson and Milian; Rosann in Colorado Springs (wrap-up and ongoing coordination stipends are available, to be shared)
• CLD faculty and SPED faculty
• Adjuncts, as needed
Program Acceptance, Advising, and Student Concerns
• CLD and SPED Graduate Coordinators jointly determine acceptance
• Acceptance Criteria: Previously licensed in Colorado Elementary, Secondary, or Early Childhood general education; Graduate School guidelines will be followed for acceptance into Graduate School. CLD program requires evidence of a second language experience (course or immersion) and at least one literacy course prior to completing the dual endorsement program. Teachers not coming out of Elementary education may need to consider taking the Elementary PLACE test prior to completing the dual endorsement program if they need to be highly qualified in special education. Teachers coming from outside of Colorado would need to receive Colorado licensure before institutional recommendations for a dual endorsement can be made
Licensure
• Licensure officer provides institutional recommendations based on successful completion of all coursework and field-experience. Students cannot do parts of program and request 1-area institutional recommendation.
