Special Education M.Ed. - Special Education Concentration
Degree: Master of Education
https://www.towson.edu/coe/departments/specialed/grad/special-education/
Program Director: Michelle Pasko
Phone: 410-704-3835
Email: mpasko@towson.edu
Admission Requirements
Application deadlines and a full listing of materials required for admission can be found on the website.
The degree program is for professionally certified teachers seeking a graduate degree in the area of special education. The Special Education MEd program provides the skill development and knowledge base established by the Council for Exceptional Children to prepare students to meet the requirements for the Maryland State Department of Education’s Special Education endorsement at the infant/primary (birth-grade 3), elementary/middle (grades 1-8) or secondary/adult (grades 6-12) levels. The degree program emphasizes the following themes: collaboration and consultation, translation of effective, research-based instructional and management strategies into practice, and cross-categorical, rather than disability-specific, approaches. A majority of the graduate students in the Special Education program are full-time working professionals, taking classes in the afternoon or evenings.
Degree Requirements
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | ||
| SPED 525 | FORMAL TESTS AND MEASUREMENTS FOR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES (PREK-12) | 3 |
| SPED 527 | CURRICULUM/METHODS OF SOCIAL EMOTIONAL AND MOTOR DEVELOPMENT FOR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES PREK-12 (EC/EL) | 3 |
| or SPED 601 | SPECIAL EDUCATION: CURRICULUM & METHODS OF INSTRUCTION FOR SECONDARY TRANSITION | |
| SPED 605 | WORKING WITH FAMILIES OF STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES | 3 |
| or SPED 633 | SCHOOL, FAMILY AND COMMUNITY COLLABORATION FOR DIVERSE POPULATIONS | |
| SPED 607 | CURRICULUM/METHODS OF CLASSROOM MANAGEMENT FOR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES | 3 |
| SPED 631 | CLASSROOM STRATEGIES AND INTERVENTIONS FOR DIVERSE STUDENT POPULATIONS | 3 |
| SPED 632 | ASSESSMENT ISSUES FOR CULTURALLY AND LINGUISTICALLY DIVERSE STUDENTS | 3 |
| SPED 641 | EDUCATION OF STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES (SWD): METHODS OF INSTRUCTION | 3 |
| SPED 646 | USING TECHNOLOGY TO DIFFERENTIATE INSTRUCTION | 3 |
| Electives | 12 | |
| Four courses must be chosen from the list below or with approval from the program director | ||
| LEARNER DIVERSITY, CULTURAL RESPONSIVENESS, AND INCLUSION IN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION | ||
| GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT OF YOUNG CHILDREN | ||
| EVIDENCE-BASED DECISION MAKING FOR CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTION | ||
| TRANSFORMATIONAL LEADERSHIP AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT | ||
| LEARNING COMMUNITIES AND ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE | ||
| FOUNDATIONS IN LEARNING TECHNOLOGY AND DESIGN | ||
| THEORY AND PRACTICE FOR INTEGRATING DIGITAL RESOURCES INTO LEARNING AND TEACHING | ||
| READING ASSESSMENT | ||
| LITERACY FOR DIVERSE LEARNERS | ||
| INTRODUCTION TO LINGUISTICS FOR TEACHERS OF LANGUAGE AND LITERACY | ||
| ADOLESCENT LITERACY | ||
| CULTURALLY AND LINGUISTICALLY RESPONSIVE SPECIAL EDUCATION PRACTICES | ||
| SCHOOL, FAMILY AND COMMUNITY COLLABORATION FOR DIVERSE POPULATIONS | ||
| SPECIAL TOPICS IN SPECIAL EDUCATION | ||
| Total Units | 36 | |
Maryland State Department of Education teacher recertification requirements are the student’s responsibility and are not a requirement of this program.
- Learner Development and Individual Learning Differences - Beginning special education professionals understand how exceptionalities may interact with development and learning and use this knowledge to provide meaningful and challenging learning experiences for individuals with exceptionalities.
- Learning Environments - Beginning special education professionals create safe, inclusive, culturally responsive learning environments so that individuals with exceptionalities become active and effective learners and develop emotional well-being, positive social interactions, and self-determination.
- Curricular Content Knowledge - Beginning special education professionals use knowledge of general and specialized curricula to individualize learning for individuals with exceptionalities.
- Assessment - Beginning special education professionals use multiple methods of assessment and data-sources in making educational decisions.
- Instructional Planning and Strategies - Beginning special education professionals select, adapt, and use a repertoire of evidence-based instructional strategies6 to advance learning of individuals with exceptionalities.
- Professional Learning and Ethical Practice - Beginning special education professionals use foundational knowledge of the field and the their professional Ethical Principles and Practice Standards to inform special education practice, to engage in lifelong learning, and to advance the profession.
- Collaboration - Beginning special education professionals collaborate with families, other educators, related service providers, individuals with exceptionalities, and personnel from community agencies in culturally responsive ways to address the needs of individuals with exceptionalities across a range of learning experiences.