Special Education

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Overview

Program Faculty

Professors: Walter H. Kimball, Rachel Brown
Assistant Professor: Sarah Wilkinson
Part-Time Lecturers: Amanda Buckley, David Chidsey, William Corcoran, Ajay Das, Jennifer Doucette, Katie Kolbe-Holden, Jennifer Libby, Trish Merrill, Sanford (Sandy) Prince, Roger (Ron) Robert,  Danielle Williams

The Special Education Program is designed for people seeking or holding special or general education teacher certification who wish to study student exceptionalities, including students with disabilities. The Special Education programs provide experiences across several disciplines looking beyond just understanding. Students apply learning through projects and assignments that are practical and connected to their professional fields.

Courses offered are fully online, synchronously or asynchronously.  In order to ensure access to embedded learning experiences in schools, all synchronous courses meet after the school day.

Bachelor of Science in Special Education:

The Special Education Department offers a Bachelor of Science in Special Education Degree as well as two additional  undergraduate courses: (1) SED 235 Students with Exceptionalities in General Education (state approved Exceptionality course and USM Diversity Core course), and (2) SED 300 Ethics and Youth with Exceptionalities (USM Core course in Ethical Inquiry, Social Responsibility, and Citizenship). The major is designed for people seeking to obtain special education teacher certification. The Special Education major provides courses and field experiences to prepare teachers for students with mild to moderate disabilities. Students apply learning through projects and assignments that are practical in preparation for meeting the needs of students with high incidence disabilities.

Master Of Science in Special Education:

The Special Education Department offers the Master of Science (MS) in Special Education program with two different concentrations that are designed to meet the needs of educators at different career levels.

1.  M.S. in Special Education: Teaching Students with Mild to Moderate Disabilities (certification)

This pre-service concentration includes the coursework for an initial special education teaching certificate in teacher of students with disabilities K-8 and 7-12 (Maine 282). Maine initial special education teacher certification requires student teaching. Student teaching is available through current employment at a school setting or arranged through USM as a placement. The program has two outcomes: (1) USM Master of Science in Special Education, and 2) recommendation for K-8 or 7-12 (282) teacher of students with disabilities. The program has rolling admissions and the certification requirements can be completed in 3, 6 or more semesters and finishing with the Master’s courses. Advising allows for customization of course sequencing to meet individual needs.

Interested USM undergraduates with a major other than special education can complete some of the courses in this concentration during their bachelor’s degree program of study through an Accelerated Graduate Pathway (AGP) and then apply to enter the M.S. degree program in their senior year. Upon admission to the M.S. degree, AGP students complete the remaining M.S. courses during one year of study and earn the M.S. degree.

2.  M.S. in Special Education: Inclusive Instruction for All Students (non-certification).

This degree program is designed for experienced educators who are seeking to enhance their skills to teach students from diverse backgrounds including those who are multilingual, exhibit exceptionalities, or have other unique learning needs. Courses cover effective methods for teaching English for speakers of other languages, high-leverage teaching practices, multi-tiered system of support (MTSS) practices, and curriculum development.

Programs

• Special Education, Inclusive Instruction for All Students, M.S. (non-certification)
• Special Education, Teaching Students with Mild to Moderate Disabilities, M.S. (certification)

Courses

• SED 518 - Targeted and Individualized Instructional Strategies for Students with Disabilities
• SED 540 - Students with Exceptionalities in General Education
• SED 615 - Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (PBIS)
• SED 617 - Data-Driven Student Behavior Support
• SED 625 - Multi-Tier Mathematics Instruction and Assessment
• SED 626 - Data-Driven Math Instruction
• SED 627 - Multi-Tier Reading Instruction and Assessment
• SED 653 - Assessment of Academic Achievement
• SED 682 - Special Education Regulations, Procedures, and IEP Team
• SED 687 - Technology for Learning and Communicating
• SED 688 - Internship in Special Education for Students with Mild to Moderate Disabilities
• SED 693 - Transitions Among Agency, School, and Community
• SED 699 - Special Education Research Capstone
• SPY 501 - Variability in Human Development

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