Performance Assessment Process

Special Education, M.Ed.

All teacher candidates must complete the following “Exit From The Program” activities before approval for graduation is granted:

Final Program Degree Audits:
It is ultimately the responsibility of each teacher candidate to make sure that he/she has fulfilled all the requirements for graduation by the end of the degree expected term. Teacher candidates applying for graduation should receive a “Final Program Degree Audit” letter from the Office of Records and Registration three to four weeks after applying for graduation indicating degree status. This letter should be reviewed to make sure that it reflects the correct major, specialization and completed courses. If any information is incorrect or missing, please contact the Office of Records and Registration immediately. Exit Interview: The exit interview is given to all graduating teacher candidates. The exit interview provides the Department of Special Education faculty with a good mechanism to take a hard look at how the Special Education academic programs are perceived. Graduating teacher candidates who are graduating are more incline to be open and frank in their discussions about their graduate experience. Please bring a copy of your Educational Testing Service Praxis Series Report indicating your scores on Praxis II and the Exit Portfolio document. Failure to provide both Praxis II scores and Exit Portfolio will prevent authorization of your “Graduation Approval Sheet.”

Praxis Examination:
All teacher candidates completing the Special Education Teacher Preparation program must pass Praxis II before final approval for graduation is granted. This policy cannot be altered. .

Exit Portfolio:
All graduating teacher candidates must submit and receive approval of his/her final portfolio. The Exit Portfolio should present clear evidence that you have the requisite knowledge, skills, and perspectives that will enable him/her to be a “reflective facilitator of learning.” The Exit Portfolio evidences should reflect the Education Unit Program Outcomes, Council for Exceptional Children’s (CEC) International Standards for Specialized Knowledge and Skills Essential for Beginning Special Educators and Interstate New Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium (INTASC) principles. The Exit Portfolio must receive a minimum rating of “Met Standards” in order for approval for graduation to be granted. Failure to receive the acceptable rating may result in your “Graduation Approval Sheet” to be denied for graduation.

Thesis Plan:
All teacher candidates are required to complete a thesis. The purpose of preparing a master’s thesis is to give you experience in carrying out the kind of research you can expect to do throughout your professional career. Through this process, we expect you to demonstrate your ability to work independently on a problem and to document your familiarity with the literature in your field, your command of the techniques and principles of research, and your ability to form valid generalizations from the data you use. Coursework in thesis research is required.