UW Offers New Master's Degree in Special Education Leading to Certification

June 1, 2006 -- A combination of national and institutional factors has led to significant changes in the University of Wyoming’s special education program, including adding a graduate-level certification program in that specialty.

A new master’s degree in special education, leading to certification, begins this fall, superseding the existing undergraduate certification program. Martin Agran, head of the Department of Special Education in the UW College of Education, says two major developments drive the programming shift. One is a UW directive to limit undergraduate degree programs to 128 credit hours and the second is to meet the ever-increasing demand for special education teachers who meet the “highly qualified” standards set by the federal No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act.

Special education teachers in Wyoming must hold two certifications: One in a general area -- such as elementary education or a secondary education specialty -- and another in special education. Balancing the NCLB requirements within the 128-hour limitation to offer an undergraduate degree proved problematic, according to Agran.

He says the College of Education’s commitment to preparing teachers in high-need areas led special education faculty and administrators to consider alternative approaches.

“It was critical to meet both the national and state need for special education teachers,” Agran says. “We needed to come up with a program that could be done in a relatively quick period of time, but still include all the content that teachers need to become qualified.”

UW developed a master of arts degree program that fits the requirements. Full-time students can complete degree requirements in three semesters; specifically, complete the certification and master’s program. All courses will be taught on campus and also offered through distance technology because many students will be site-bound professionals, Agran says. The program will meet the needs of both graduate students seeking special education certification and in-service teachers returning for advanced training, he adds.

Several course changes accompany the new graduate program. Some courses have been revised to focus on instructional strategies to work effectively with varying severity and types of disabilities. New courses have been added in other important areas, such as “Positive Behavior Support and Management” and “Academic Instruction in General Education for Students with Disabilities.”

Another new offering deals with assistive technology and strategies to help students make the school-to-work or school-to-college transition. Students in the graduate program also will take a new research course contextualized to special education.

“The intent is not to turn all teachers into researchers,” Agran says of that class. “But since education is a scientifically-based program, they should at least be more informed consumers.”

For more information, call Agran at (307) 766-2082 or e-mail magran@uwyo.edu.

Posted on Thursday, June 01, 2006