Link to: Admission requirements | Course
of study l Contact information | Download free
Adobe Reader to read PDFs
The Special Educator endorsement program prepares teachers to work with students
who have a wide range of disabilities. Candidates who successfully complete
this program fulfill the requirement of the Teacher Standards and Practices
Commission (TSPC) and are eligible for initial teacher licensure in Oregon.
Two options are available:
- Special Educator I - an add-on endorsement
for those who hold a current teaching license. This does not include those
holding a transitional license.
- Special Educator II -
a stand-alone endorsement for those who have a BA/BS but do not hold a teaching
license. This includes those who hold transitional licenses.
Candidates in the Special Educator Program must choose an age-level
authorization for this endorsement:
- Early childhood/elementary (grades
K-8) - Special Educator I or Special Educator II
- Middle
school/high school (grades
6-12) - Special Educator I or Special Education II
For full-time Special Educator I and Special Educator II candidates, the endorsement/licensure
program extends over six terms beginning Fall term (e.g., Fall 2010) and ending
in Spring term (e.g., Spring 2012).
Education and psychology course work to fulfill some of the
requirements of the degree of Master of Science in Education: Special Education
can be completed in summer terms.
Program outcomes
Special Educator Program graduates will be:
- effective teachers of students with a wide range of cognitive,
physical, emotional, and learning disabilities
- discerning consumers of current, credible research findings
on disability, instruction, assessment, and behavior management
- productive collaborators with students, parents, special and
general educators, specialists, social service agency personnel, and administrators
- critical observers of the political and commercial interests
that influence educational decision making
- well-informed navigators of the complex legal and regulatory
maze of special education
- committed advocates for students with disabilities
- qualified providers of enriched learning opportunities for students
with disabilities in self- contained classrooms, resource rooms, or general
education classrooms
- leaders in the practice of supporting diverse learners in the
classroom and other school settings
Admission
requirements
To apply to the Special Educator Program, FIRST complete and submit a Graduate Student Application to Western Oregon University. SECOND, submit a complete WOU Special Educator program application. We suggest that you save these forms to your computer/desktop to fill out and print. Please see the specifics below.
WOU Graduate School – Applicants must submit the following:
- Completed WOU Application for Graduate Admission form. Submit this form to the Graduate Office, Administration Building Room 202. Students must be admitted to the WOU Graduate School before being considered for admission to the Special Educator program. Submit all WOU Graduate School application materials to the Graduate Office at least one week prior to the program admission deadline.
- Sealed official transcripts from the university that granted your bachelor’s degree and from all other institutions of higher education where you completed coursework. A GPA of 3.0 in the last 90 quarter hours (60 semester hours) of undergraduate or graduate coursework is required. Those with less than a 3.0 GPA can be admitted with MAT or GRE scores (see below for requirement).
- Miller Analogies Test (MAT) or Graduate Record Exam (GRE) score. If the applicant’s GPA is 3.0 or higher, the test requirement is waived. If the GPA is less than 3.0, minimum required score for the (a) MAT: 395 or higher; (b) average score of 450 or higher on the Verbal and Quantitative and a 3.5 or higher on Analytical Writing.
- $50 nonrefundable application fee
Special Educator Program - Applicants must submit the following:
- Completed, signed and dated Special Educator Program Application
- Three confidential letters of recommendation MUST be mailed directly by each reference to the WOU Special Educator Program (address on forms). You must NOT submit the completed reference forms with your application.
- Copies of official transcripts from all universities attended are to be submitted with the WOU Application for Graduate Admission. Photocopies will be made for your Special Education Program file and the College of Education.
- California Basic Educational Skills Test (CBEST) or Praxis I - Pre-Professional Skills Test (PPST) score: CBEST or PPST score is required of Special Educator II applicants ONLY -- TSPC requires all initial licensure applicants to pass this test before an Oregon license is issued. Applicants who hold a valid Oregon teaching license do NOT need to take the CBEST or PPST. Please photocopy and submit your CBEST of Praxis PPST score report with the Special Educator Program Application. After being admitted to the program, candidates need to bring their original CBEST/PPST score report to Education Building Room 220 and the office specialist will verify test results and make an official copy. Note: Students MUST take CBEST or PPST before beginning their first term of study.
- Link to CBEST and ORELA preparation informaion
WOU College of Education - Applicants must submit the following:
- Completed, signed and dated Criminal Background Questionnaire (page 6 of the Special Educator Program Application).
- Copies of official transcripts submitted with the Special Educator Program Application will be provided to the College of Education office (so no additional transcripts are needed).
Screening and admission process for the
Special Educator Program
- We are now accepting applications for 2010-2012. APPLICATION DEADLINE: January 31, 2010.
- Please submit all WOU Graduate School application materials and the required fee to the Graduate office (Administration 202) at least one week prior to the application deadline. PLEASE NOTE: You must be admitted to the WOU Graduate School before you can be fully admitted to the Special Educator Program. If you have questions or concerns please contact: graduateoffice@wou.edu
- Please submit the Special Educator Program application to the Division of Special Education office (Education 220) by the application deadline and then arrange for your three (3) confidential recommendations to be sent DIRECTLY to the WOU Special Educator Program ASAP (refer to additional info on this webpage). If you have questions or concerns please contact: specialed@wou.edu
- In early February, faculty members review all applications and rank them according to criteria that include GPA, test scores, letters of recommendation, relevant experience, and demonstrated commitment to the field of special education.
- In late February/early March, qualified applicants receive invitations to interview with a team of program faculty.
- Program faculty make final acceptance decisions about all applicants after completion of all interviews.
- By mid-March, all applicants receive notification of the faculty's decisions.
- Successful candidates begin the program Fall term 2010.
| Contact |
Special Educator Program
Education Building Room 220
Western Oregon University
345 N. Monmouth Ave.
Monmouth, OR 97361 |
Mickey Pardew, Ph.D.
Program co-coordinator
E-mail pardewm@wou.edu |
Robert Brownbridge,
Ph.D.
Program co-coordinator
E-mail brownbr@wou.edu |
Course of study for the Special Educator program
Link to printable PDF
handout. Note: Candidates must
take all courses in a prescribed
sequence, as established by program
faculty.
Common core classes (Special Educator I and II)
| Course Number |
Course Title |
Credits |
| SPED 4/518 |
Survey of Special Education |
3 |
| SPED 620 |
Content Reading and Instructional Planning |
3 |
| SPED 622 |
Reading Remediation |
3 |
| SPED 623 |
Behavior Support |
3 |
| SPED 625 |
Assessment for Instruction |
3 |
| SPED 628 |
Mathematics Remediation |
3 |
| SPED 632 |
Medical Aspects of Low Incidence Disabilities |
3 |
| SPED 633 |
Low Incidence Disabilities Methods |
3 |
| SPED 636 |
Managing Communication Systems |
3 |
| SPED 642 |
Standardized Assessment |
3 |
| SPED 646 |
Law and Special Education |
3 |
| Credits |
33 |
Authorization level courses
Special Educator I: Early Childhood/Elementary Authorization (PDF
handout)
| Course Number |
Course Title |
Credits |
| SPED 609/610 |
Field Experience: Academic |
3 |
| SPED 607 |
Seminar: Academic |
1 |
| SPED 609/610 |
Field Experience: Low Incidence |
3 |
| SPED 607 |
Seminar: Low Incidence |
1 |
| SPED 639/610 |
FSFE: Student Teaching: Early Childhood /Elementary
Special Educator |
3 |
| SPED 607 |
Seminar: FSFE |
1 |
| SPED 671 |
Introduction to Early Intervention/Early Childhood
Special Education |
3 |
| SPED 677 |
Assessment, Curriculum, & Intervention
Strategies in EI/ECSE |
3 |
| Credits |
18 |
| SPECIAL EDUCATOR ENDORSEMENT (33 + 18) |
51 |
Special Educator I (Early Childhood/Elementary): M.S. in
Education (PDF handout)
(Requires 12 additional credits)
| Course Number |
Course Title |
Credits |
PSY 620 OR
PSY 621 OR
ED 611 |
Learning and Memory for Instruction
Developmental Psychology: Concepts & Applications
Theories of Teaching and Learning |
3
|
SPED 616 OR
ED 633 OR
ED 612 |
Evaluating Special Education Research
Research and Writing
Quantitative Research in Education |
3
|
| ED 632 |
Cultural, Social and Philosophical Issues in Education |
3 |
| SPED 682 |
Contemporary Issues in Special Education |
2 |
| SPED 603 |
Thesis/Final Project/Portfolio |
1 |
| Credits |
12 |
| SPECIAL EDUCATOR ENDORSEMENT (33 + 18 = 51) + M.S. (12) |
63 |
Special Educator I: Middle/High School Authorization (PDF
handout)
| Course Number |
Course Title |
Credits |
| SPED 609/610 |
Field Experience: Academic |
3 |
| SPED 607 |
Seminar: Academic |
1 |
| SPED 609/610 |
Field Experience: Low Incidence |
3 |
| SPED 607 |
Seminar: Low Incidence |
1 |
| SPED 639/610 |
FSFE: Middle/High School Special Educator |
3 |
| SPED 607 |
Seminar: FSFE |
1 |
| SPED 672 |
Transition
& Self-Determination |
3 |
| SPED 547 |
Partnerships in Special Education |
3 |
| Credits |
18 |
| SPECIAL EDUCATOR ENDORSEMENT (33 + 18) |
51 |
Special Educator I (Middle/High School): M.S. in Education (PDF
handout)
(Requires 12 additional units)
| Course Number |
Course Title |
Credits |
PSY 620 OR
PSY 621 OR
ED 611 |
Learning and Memory for Instruction
Developmental Psychology: Concepts & Applications
Theories of Teaching and Learning |
3
|
SPED 616 OR
ED 633 OR
ED 612 |
Evaluating Special Education Research
Research and Writing
Quantitative Research in Education |
3
|
| ED 632 |
Cultural, Social and Philosophical Issues in Education |
3 |
| SPED 682 |
Contemporary Issues in Special Education |
2 |
| SPED 603 |
Thesis/Final Project/Portfolio |
1 |
| Credits |
12 |
| SPECIAL EDUCATOR ENDORSEMENT (33 + 18 = 51) + M.S. (12) |
63 |
Special Educator II: Early Childhood/Elementary Authorization (PDF
handout)
| Course Number |
Course Title |
Credits |
PSY 620 OR
PSY 621 OR
ED 611 |
Learning and Memory for Instruction
Developmental Psychology: Concepts & Applications
Theories of Teaching and Learning |
3
|
| SPED 609/610 |
Field Experience: Academic |
3 |
| SPED 607 |
Seminar: Academic |
1 |
| SPED 609/610 |
Field Experience: Low Incidence |
3 |
| SPED 607 |
Seminar: Low Incidence |
1 |
| SPED 639/610 |
FSFE: Student Teaching: Early Childhood /Elementary
Special Educator |
9 |
| SPED 607 |
Seminar: FSFE |
1 |
| SPED 671 |
Introduction to Early Intervention/Early
Childhood Special Education |
3 |
| SPED 677 |
Assessment, Curriculum, & Intervention
Strategies in EI/ECSE |
3 |
| Credits |
27 |
| Initial Teaching License credits: (33 + 27) |
60 |
Special Educator II (Early Childhood/Elementary): M.S. in
Education (PDF handout)
(Requires 9 additional units)
| Course Number |
Course Title |
Credits |
SPED 616 OR
ED 633 OR
ED 612 |
Evaluating Special Education Research
Research and Writing
Quantitative Research in Education |
3
|
| ED 632 |
Cultural, Social and Philosophical Issues in Education |
3 |
| SPED 682 |
Contemporary Issues in Special Education |
2 |
| SPED 603 |
Thesis/Final Project/Portfolio |
1 |
| Credits
|
9 |
| INITIAL TEACHING LICENSE (33 + 27 = 60) + M.S. (9) |
69 |
Special Educator II: Middle/High School Authorization (PDF
handout)
| Course Number |
Course Title |
Credits |
PSY 620 OR
PSY 621 OR
ED 611 |
Learning and Memory for Instruction
Developmental Psychology: Concepts & Applications
Theories of Teaching and Learning |
3
|
| SPED 609/610 |
Field Experience: Academic |
3 |
| SPED 607 |
Seminar: Academic |
1 |
| SPED 609/610 |
Field Experience: Low Incidence |
3 |
| SPED 607 |
Seminar: Low Incidence |
1 |
| SPED 639/610 |
FSFE: Middle/High School Special Educator |
9 |
| SPED 607 |
Seminar: FSFE |
1 |
| SPED 672 |
Transition
& Self-Determination |
3 |
| SPED 447/547 |
Partnerships in Special Education |
3 |
| Credits
total |
27 |
| Initial Teaching License credits: (33 + 27) |
60 |
Special Educator II (Middle/High School): M.S. in Education (PDF
handout)
(Requires 12 additional units)
| Course Number |
Course Title |
Credits |
SPED 616 OR
ED 633 OR
ED 612 |
Evaluating Special Education Research
Research and Writing
Quantitative Research in Education |
3
|
| ED 632 |
Cultural, Social and Philosophical Issues in Education |
3 |
| SPED 682 |
Contemporary Issues in Special Education |
2 |
| SPED 603 |
Thesis/Final Project/Portfolio |
1 |
| Credits
total
|
9 |
| INITIAL TEACHING LICENSE (33 + 27 = 60) + M.S. (9) |
69 |
[return to top of page]
