The Master of Education (M.Ed.) Degree in Special Education is a professional standards-based cross-categorical special education graduate degree program, strongly oriented towards developing the necessary knowledge-based, skills, and disposition to teach learners with mild or moderate disabilities in either the elementary or middle grades while enriching their overall instructional, management, and diagnostic competencies. This teacher preparation program leads to initial certification in teaching with a specialty in special education. This graduate program is accredited by the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) and approved by Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE).
This track applies to persons holding a baccalaureate degree in any discipline and wish to obtain the Master of Education Degree in Special Education while earning initial certification. Coursework in this track is designed to prepare individuals to effectively assess, teach, and manage learners with mild to moderate disabilities in the elementary or middle grades. Additionally, this academic program is meant to provide regular classroom teachers with the knowledge, skills, and dispositions necessary to work effectively with learners with special learning needs in all classrooms while enriching their overall instructional, management, and diagnostic competencies. Moreover, this program places a strong emphasis on viewing the family as partners in education. Finally, Track 1 is generic and prepares teachers to work with learners who are learning disabled, emotionally disturbed, mentally impaired, or physically challenged.
Teacher candidates apply to the Coppin State University School of Graduate Studies through the Office of Admissions. The Dean of Graduate Studies makes admission decisions in cooperation with Chairpersons of the graduate academic departments. These persons constitute the Graduate Admissions Committee.
The Department of Special Education employs the following criteria for admission to The Master of Education in Special Education and Initial Certification Program:
Prerequisite Requirement:A baccalaureate (bachelor's) degree, requiring four years of full-time study, or equivalent, from a college or university holding full regional or national accreditation, is required for admission to all graduate programs housed in the Department of Special Education.
Writing Sample and Structured Interview:A Narrative Statement of Interest in Special Education and an interview with the Special Education Admission Committee are required prior to admission. Teacher candidates who have passed the Praxis I Writing subtest will be exempt from the Writing Sample.
Praxis I:Basic Skills Test Composite Score: As of July 1, 2002 teacher candidates will be able to meet the Praxis requirement by either submitting individual scores at or above the state qualifying scores in reading, writing, and mathematics, or by submitting a composite score that is at or above the state qualifying score.
The Composite Score is defined as the combined total of the state qualifying scores on the three basic skills tests. This combined composite score is 527 for candidates who have take the paper and pencil Pre-Professional Skills Test (PPST). The Computer-Based Test was replaced by the Computer-Delivered PPST or C-PPST with the same qualifying scores as the paper and pencil PPST.
Full Admission:Potential teacher candidates who have met both the School of Graduate Studies ’ admission requirements and Maryland State Department of Education’s qualifying scores on the Praxis I: Basic Skills Assessment subtests and received a satisfactory rating on the Department of Special Education Interview Rating Form will be fully admitted to the Department of Special Education.
Conditional Admission:Potential teacher candidates who meet the requirements of the School of Graduate Studies and have not met the Maryland State Department of Education’s qualifying scores on the Praxis I: Basic Skills Assessment subtests must submit and obtain a satisfactory score on the Department of Special Education Writing Sample before a conditional admittance to the Department of Special Education is granted. The Writing Sample must indicate the teacher candidate’s ability to write in a clear, concise, and professional manner. Please note that passing score on Praxis I: Writing may be used in lieu of the Writing Sample. A potential teacher candidate may enroll in nine (9) credits hours of course work and work towards meeting the Maryland State Department of Education’s qualifying scores on the Praxis I: Basic Skills Assessment subtests. A teacher candidate must request a Change of Admission Status once the Maryland State Department of Education’s qualifying scores on the Praxis I: Basic Skills Assessment subtests are met and a minimum GPA of 3.0 is achieved.
If a teacher candidate is unsuccessful with meeting the Maryland State Department of Education’s qualifying scores on the Praxis I: Basic Skills Assessment subtests he/she may request in writing an Admission Extension. The faculty within the Department of Special Education and the School of Graduate Studies Council must approve the Admission Extension. An Admission Extension cannot exceed twelve (12) credit hours. Teacher candidates who have not passed the Maryland State Department of Education’s qualifying scores on the Praxis I: Basic Skills Assessment subtests after twelve (12) credit hours of coursework may not enroll in any special education courses. Teacher candidates may, however, enroll in any courses outside of the Department of Special Education. Upon successful completion of Praxis I: Basic Skills Assessment subtests and qualifying for Full Admission a teacher candidate may resume taking special education courses.
Potential teacher candidates with a GPA below 2.5 at the time of admission will not be admitted to the Department of Special Education.
The Director of Admissions submits all completed applications to the Dean of Graduate Studies. No decision is made with respect to an application to a graduate program until all required credentials have been submitted. The Special Education Admissions Committee will make recomendations regarding admission to the Dean of Graduate Studies. The Dean of Graduate Studies will send a letter to each teacher candidate indicating the results of the Special Education and Graduate Admissions Committees.
The Department of Special Education Chairperson will designate a major advisor and, when applicable, a thesis director (who may or may not be the same faculty member as the major advisor) to each teacher candidate. The major professor will act as the teacher candidate's mentor and will be responsible for helping the teacher candidate develop and complete a Plan of Study. The major advisor is responsible for ensuring that the teacher candidate is making satisfactory progress toward completion of the degree, and for meeting with the teacher candidate periodically to review the his/her progress.