Shepherd is now offering a special education endorsement for graduate students. While seeking the endorsement, students will receive specialized training and courses focused on the teaching of special education to fill the need for highly qualified teachers.
Students wishing to enter the endorsement program must already have their certification or initial licensure to teach in elementary education or one of five secondary education content areas of social studies, math, English, science or biology.
“This teaching endorsement in multi-categorical special education allows educators to meet the needs of the K-12 system in the region for teachers who are specifically qualified to meet the needs of students with a wide range of disabilities,” said Scott Beard, dean of graduate studies and associate vice president of academic affairs.
According to Beard, teachers are also able to work towards the completion of their Master of Arts in curriculum and instruction.
Kristin Stover, a senior secondary education major, said, “As a current education major considering master’s-level education with Shepherd, the addition of this certificate excites me as it offers another enrichment component for my education.”
The endorsement courses are offered in a cohort style. The five classes offered within the program will be held at the Martinsburg Center off of I-81.
“Our goal is to make sure the need in the area for highly qualified special education teachers is filled,” Belinda Mitchell, the MACI special education graduate program coordinator, said while discussing the recently approved endorsement program.
“I’m hoping it serves both our community teachers and our Shepherd students,” Mitchell said.
Robert Dugan, a first-year graduate student in the MAT program, shared his thoughts on the new endorsement. “Of course my subject of interest is English, and that’s where I plan to make my living, but if a potential student is interested in special education, it would appear, at least based on what I’ve seen on the job postings, to be an economically advantageous undertaking. I would definitely be open to having more information on what this endorsement requires, as I always like to keep my options open, and while I hadn’t considered teaching special education, I’m not opposed to the idea.”
The endorsement is considered a multi-categorical endorsement in special education, meaning that it focuses on different areas of special education: specific learning disabilities, emotional/behavioral disabilities and intellectual disabilities.
Karin Spencer, assistant professor of education, will be working with Mitchell to teach the courses required for the education endorsement. She teaches a fall course focused on assessment and developing individualized education plans and a spring advanced methods course focused on students with intellectual disabilities.
“One of the things that drew me to Shepherd was the focus on high quality teaching and the program growth,” Spencer said.
“We are excited that this initial endorsement program will lead to others in autism, reading and math. We are thrilled to be able to offer this exciting opportunity for our own future teachers and area professionals working in the field,” Beard stated.
Students only seeking the endorsement without enrollment in a master’s degree program will not be eligible for financial aid. However, a student enrolled in the MACI degree-seeking program pursuing the endorsement will be eligible for federal financial aid.
For more information on the special education endorsement, email assistant professor in the department of education and the MACI-special education graduate program coordinator Belinda Mitchell at bmitchel@shepherd.edu.
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