Special Education & Literacy II M.S. Degree Program
This program is for applicants who DO NOT hold NYS Initial Teacher Certification in Childhood Education. It leads to three New York State Certifications: Childhood Education, Special Education at the Childhood level, and Literacy at the Birth to Grade 6 level. This program requires intensive practicum and internship experiences and is the only program at the University at Albany that will permit a student without a Childhood Education certificate to receive certification in Teaching Students with Disabilities. This is the only program at Albany that provides certification in elementary education. A minimum 3.0 undergraduate GPA is required as well as GRE test scores for admission.
Effective Summer 2013: Graduates of our MS in Literacy and MS in Special Education/Literacy degrees are certified to work with students who encounter the most difficulty with literacy, and to coach and mentor other teachers. In order to ensure that these specialists are appropriately qualified to receive literacy specialist certification (B-6, B-12, or 5-12), students in these degree programs must receive a B or better in practicum courses before being allowed to take the capstone class. These practicum courses include: ERDG 505, ERDG 506, ERDG 601, ERDG 605, ERDG 619, and ERDG 655. In addition, students must also receive a B or better in the final practicum experiences ERDG 620 and/or ERDG 623. Students receiving a B- or lower in such courses have the following options: a) retake the course for a better grade; b) request admission to a professional certification degree in the department. This latter option might require taking additional courses.
Teaching is a profession. Master’s students have professional responsibilities to their students, their peers, their classmates and instructors, and to society at large. Students in the master’s program will be working with children and other professionals in educational contexts, including, schools, community centers, and other sites of learning. Their professional responsibilities include following through on commitments made to children and schools, being appropriately prepared and on time for all interactions/lessons, maintaining confidentiality and respect, and interacting with all stakeholders/participants in a professional manner. Professional interactions include everything from dressing appropriately for the situation to maintaining appropriate language both in talking with and talking about others. Failure to meet professional responsibilities can result in a student’s academic dismissal from the program. Required Courses - 67 Credits
E Psy 521 Development in Childhood (3)
E Psy 615 Application of Cognitive Theories to Content Area Instruction (3)
E Rdg 500 Classroom Literacy Instruction (3)
E Rdg 601 Practicum: Instruction to Prevent Literacy Difficulties (3)
E Rdg 610 Literacy in Society (3)
E Rdg 619 Practicum: Writing in the Classroom, 1-6 (3)
E Rdg 620 Practicum: Differentiated Instruction and Coaching, B-6 (6)
E Rdg 655 Early Literacy Development, B-2 (3)
E Spe 560 Introduction to Human Exceptionality (3)
E Spe 580 Practicum: Teaching Students with Diverse Learning Needs (3)
E Spe 650 Instructional Environments and Practices for Students with Disabilities (3)
E Spe 651 Developing Reading Comprehension and Content Knowledge for Students
with Disabilities (3)
E Spe 652 Math and Inquiry Instruction for Students with Disabilities (3)
E Spe 653 Managing School and Classroom-wide Student Behavior to Promote Efficient
and Effective Instruction (3)
E Spe 654 Teaching Students with Severe and Multiple Disabilities (3)
E Spe 655 Assessment of Students with Disabilities (3)
E Spe 656 Teaching Written Expression to Students with Disabilities (3)
E Spe 657 Effective Teaching and Curricula for Diverse Learners (3)
E Spe 669 Educating Students with Emotional Disorders and Challenging Behaviors:
Advanced Tiers of Support (3)
E Spe 680A Clinical Internship: Teaching Students with Disabilities (6)
E Spe 681 Clinical Internship Seminar: Teaching Students with Disabilities (1)
Additional Program/NYSED Requirements: As an approved teacher preparation program with the New York State Education Department, there may be additional certification requirements applicable. These requirements may include, but are not limited to additional workshops. Certification procedures and requirements are outlined on the School of Education’s Teacher Certification website (https://www.albany.edu/education/teacher_certification.php).
