Mission

To prepare teachers to work with students with mild or severe disabilities. Candidates who successfully complete this program fulfill the requirements of the Teacher Standards and Practices Commission (TSPC) and are eligible for initial teacher licensure or the addition of a special education endorsement in Oregon.

Learning outcomes

1. Effectively teach students who have a wide range of cognitive, physical, emotional and learning disabilities.
2. Understand current, credible research findings on disability, instruction, assessment and behavior management.
3. Provide enriched learning opportunities for students with disabilities in self-contained classrooms, resource rooms or general education classrooms.

The special educator program prepares teachers to work with students with mild, moderate and/or severe disabilities. The Oregon TSPC requires each candidate to be authorized to teach at one of three age-level preparations: (1) early childhood/elementary (2) middle school/high school, (3) K-12. Four to six quarters of full-time training are required to complete the program.

Although some coursework may be completed at the undergraduate level, it requires graduate study for completion. The graduate program content may be incorporated into a master’s degree program that requires 9-12 additional credits. Only 50 percent of 500-level coursework can be used in a masters degree.

The Special Educator I endorsement program is designed for teachers who hold or are eligible to hold a valid initial teaching license.

The Special Educator II license program is designed for students who do not hold a teaching license.