Special Education, M.Ed.

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Mission Statement: The mission of the Master of Education degree with a major in Special Education is to prepare candidates to lead their schools and communities in providing services to students with disabilities.

The Master of Education in Special Education for teachers who have Texas certification in special education is designed to prepare them as Educational Diagnosticians who can use their leadership in providing services to students with disabilities in their schools and communities. Completion of the degree requirements allows students to apply for professional certification upon satisfactory completion of the state mandated TExES requirement as an Educational Diagnostician.

The Master of Education in Special Education for graduates who are not already certified to teach special education will prepare them with the knowledge and skills required to provide leadership on their campuses and in their communities in providing services for students who have disabilities. The degree will then help them develop knowledge and skills in a specialized area; this specialization may lead to the Educational Diagnostician certification. Other specializations may be selected through consultation with the Graduate Coordinator.

The Master of Education in Special Education with an emphasis in dyslexia is designed for teachers interested in working with children or adults who have dyslexia or related disorders. Completion of this degree qualifies the student to apply for professional certification upon completion of a comprehensive examination by the Academic Language Therapists Association (ALTA). Upon passing the exam, graduates will also receive the title of Licensed Dyslexia Therapist (LDT).

An application for professional certification as an Educational Diagnostician requires three years of classroom teaching in an accredited school. An applicant for the Master of Education degree in special education and Texas Educational Diagnostician’s Certificate must present the following minimum criteria for acceptance into the graduate program:

bachelor’s degree and standard Texas Teacher Certificate or equivalent;
a grade point average of 3.0 in previous education courses; and
additionally, successful committee screening on selected criteria.

Students with an Undergraduate Major in Special Education

For students with an undergraduate major in special education, the program consists of 36 semester hours.

Plus:

Six (6) hours of electives as approved by the program coordinator.

Students without an Undergraduate Major in Special Education

For students who do not have an undergraduate major in special education, the current program consists of 36 semester hours plus 9 hours of required leveling courses.

Leveling Courses:

SPED 3313 - Cognitive Disorders
SPED 3613 - Exceptional Individuals
SPED 4123 - Assessment

Required Graduate Courses:

Electives - 3 hours

Three (3) hours of approved electives (NOTE: Educational Diagnostician Certification requires SPED 6623 - Individualized Diagnostic Assessment II , which may be taken as the elective.)

Dyslexia Emphasis

The Master of Education degree in Special Education with an emphasis in dyslexia provides the opportunity for the student to become a specialist in the field of dyslexia and related learning differences. The program requires two years of graduate study, extensive practica teaching hours, and clinical teaching hours.

Professional certification as a LDT requires the following:

A bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution
Completion of comprehensive therapist training under the supervision of a Qualified Instructor that includes a minimum of 200 instructional hours, a minimum of 700 clinical/teaching hours, a minimum of 10 demonstrations, clinical/teaching documentation, and proof of the therapist’s progress and competency.
Acceptable performance on a comprehensive examination administered by ALTA.
Completion of 3 CEUs (30 contact hours) every three years.

Requirements for completion of degree:

Six hours chosen from the following:

Additional Information:

Educational Diagnostician Certification is available with this degree option for students holding an undergraduate degree in Special Education. Leveling classes will be required for students who do not have an undergraduate special education degree to include diagnostician certification. Requires SPED 6613 - Individualized Diagnostic Assessment I , SPED 6623 - Individualized Diagnostic Assessment II , and SPED 6633 - Vocational, Motor Skills, and Assistive Technology Assessment .

Course content and techniques are based on Take Flight:: A Comprehensive Intervention for Students with Dyslexia, a curriculum written by the staff of the Luke Waites Center for Dyslexia and Learning Disorders of Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children (TSRHC). Take Flight builds on the success of the three previous dyslexia intervention programs developed by the staff of TSRHC: Alphabetic Phonics, the Dyslexia Training Program, and TSRH Literacy Program.