Master of Arts in Teaching Special Education
Department website: https://www.MinotStateU.edu/sped/
MSU-Special Education (minotstateu.edu)
(701) 858-3050 / (800) 777-0750 ext. 3050
Department of Education and Inclusive Services Chair: Dr. Daniel Conn
MS Special Education Program Director: Dr. Holly Pedersen
Special Education Department Motto
PURPOSE FUELED BY PASSION: Inclusive Schools, Inclusive Communities, Inclusive Communication
Special Education Department Vision
We believe human diversity strengthens us all. We strive for a world where people of all abilities are valued for their contributions and meaningfully included in all aspects of society.
Special Education Department Mission
To achieve our vision by preparing high quality professionals, at both initial and advanced levels, who are equipped with the knowledge and skills to be leaders in their respective disciplines. Our mission is accomplished through current and innovative teaching and learning experiences, impactful community service, and practical research and assessment. Our daily practice focuses on engagement, collaboration, and problem-solving to advance this mission.
Overview
The Master of Arts in Teaching Special Education (MAT SPED) is intended for candidates seeking initial teacher licensure. The program provides a solid foundation in special education pedagogy through a set of core coursework and a concentration area, including clinical application and final practicum. The MAT SPED degree consists of a set of core classes and a program concentration area. All Special Education graduate programs are available online and designed for the varied needs of candidates who are also working professionals. MAT SPED candidates are required to be working in a prek-12 special education setting to complete the degree.
Program Concentration Areas
- Deaf or Hard of Hearing Education
- Early Childhood Special Education
- General Special Education (for students with mild-moderate learning disabilities, intellectual disabilities and autism, and emotional behavioral disabilities)
The seven student learning goals of the program align with the initial teacher preparation standards and the early interventionist/early childhood standards of the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC):
Student Learning Goals and Student Learning Outcomes
| Student Learning Goals |
Student Learning Outcomes |
| SLG 1: Engaging in Professional Learning and Practice within Ethical Guidelines Candidates practice within ethical and legal guidelines; advocate for improved outcomes for individuals with exceptionalities and their families while considering their social, cultural, and linguistic diversity; and engage in ongoing self-reflection to design and implement professional learning activities. |
SLO 1: Candidates practice within ethical guidelines and legal policies and procedures. SLO 2: Candidates advocate for improved outcomes for individuals with exceptionalities and their families while addressing the unique needs of those with diverse social, cultural, and linguistic backgrounds. SLO 3: Candidates design and implement professional learning activities based on ongoing analysis of student learning; self-reflection; and professional standards, research, and contemporary practices. |
| SLG 2: Understanding and Addressing Each Individual’s Developmental and Learning Needs Candidates use their understanding of human growth and development, the multiple influences on development, individual differences, diversity, including exceptionalities, and families and communities to plan and implement inclusive learning environments and experiences that provide individuals with exceptionalities high quality learning experiences reflective of each individual’s strengths and needs. |
SLO 1: Candidates apply understanding of human growth and development to create developmentally appropriate and meaningful learning experiences that address individualized strengths and needs of students with exceptionalities. SLO 2: Candidates use their knowledge and understanding of diverse factors that influence development and learning, including differences related to families, languages, cultures, and communities, and individual differences, including exceptionalities, to plan and implement learning experiences and environments. |
| SLG 3: Demonstrating Subject Matter Content and Specialized Curricular Knowledge Candidates apply their understanding of the academic subject matter content of the general curriculum and specialized curricula to inform their programmatic and instructional decisions for learners with exceptionalities. |
SLO 1: Candidates apply their understanding of academic subject matter content of the general curriculum to inform their programmatic and instructional decisions for individuals with exceptionalities. SLO 2: Candidates augment the general education curriculum to address skills and strategies that students with disabilities need to access the core curriculum and function successfully within a variety of contexts as well as the continuum of placement options to assure specially designed instruction is developed and implemented to achieve mastery of curricular standards and individualized goals and objectives. |
| SLG 4: Using Assessment to Understand the Learner and the Learning Environment for Databased Decision Making Candidates assess students’ learning, behavior, and the classroom environment in order to evaluate and support classroom and school-based problem-solving systems of intervention and instruction. Candidates evaluate students to determine their strengths and needs, contribute to students’ eligibility determination, communicate students’ progress, inform short and long-term instructional planning, and make ongoing adjustments to instruction using technology as appropriate. |
SLO 1: Candidates collaboratively develop, select, administer, analyze, and interpret multiple measures of student learning, behavior, and the classroom environment to evaluate and support classroom and school-based systems of intervention for students with and without exceptionalities. SLO 2: Candidates develop, select, administer, and interpret multiple, formal and informal, culturally and linguistically appropriate measures and procedures that are valid and reliable to contribute to eligibility determination for special education services. SLO 3: Candidates assess, collaboratively analyze, interpret, and communicate students’ progress toward measurable outcomes using technology as appropriate, to inform both short- and long-term planning, and make ongoing adjustments to instruction. |
| SLG 5: Supporting Learning Using Effective Instruction Candidates use knowledge of individuals’ development, learning needs, and assessment data to inform decisions about effective instruction. Candidates use explicit instructional strategies and employ strategies to promote active engagement and increased motivation to individualize instruction to support each individual. Candidates use whole group instruction, flexible grouping, small group instruction, and individual instruction. Candidates teach individuals to use meta-cognitive strategies to support and self-regulate learning. |
SLO 1: Candidates use findings from multiple assessments, including student self-assessment, that are responsive to cultural and linguistic diversity and specialized as needed, to identify what students know and are able to do. They then interpret the assessment data to appropriately plan and guide instruction to meet rigorous academic and non-academic content and goals for each individual. SLO 2: Candidates use effective strategies to promote active student engagement, increase student motivation, increase opportunities to respond, and enhance self‐regulation of student learning. SLO 3: Candidates use explicit, systematic instruction to teach content, strategies, and skills to make clear what a learner needs to do or think about while learning. SLO 4: Candidates use flexible grouping to support the use of instruction that is adapted to meet the needs of each individual and group. SLO 5: Candidates organize and manage focused, intensive small group instruction to meet the learning needs of each individual. SLO 6: Candidates plan and deliver specialized, individualized instruction that is used to meet the learning needs of each individual. |
| SLG 6: Supporting Social, Emotional, and Behavioral Growth Candidates create and contribute to safe, respectful, and productive learning environments for individuals with exceptionalities through the use of effective routines and procedures and use a range of preventive and responsive practices to support social, emotional and educational well-being. They follow ethical and legal guidelines and work collaboratively with families and other professionals to conduct behavioral assessments for intervention and program development. |
SLO 1: Candidates use effective routines and procedures to create safe, caring, respectful, and productive learning environments for individuals with exceptionalities. SLO 2: Candidates use a range of preventive and responsive practices documented as effective to support individuals’ social, emotional, and educational well-being. SLO 3: Candidates systematically use data from a variety of sources to identify the purpose or function served by problem behavior to plan, implement, and evaluate behavioral interventions and social skills programs, including generalization to other environments. |
| SLG 7: Collaborating with Team Members Candidates apply team processes and communication strategies to collaborate in a culturally responsive manner with families, paraprofessionals, and other professionals within the school, other educational settings, and the community to plan programs and access services for individuals with exceptionalities and their families. |
SLO 1: Candidates utilize communication, group facilitation, and problem–solving strategies in a culturally responsive manner to lead effective meetings and share expertise and knowledge to build team capacity and jointly address students’ instructional and behavioral needs. SLO 2: Candidates collaborate, communicate, and coordinate with families, paraprofessionals, and other professionals within the educational setting to assess, plan, and implement effective programs and services that promote progress toward measurable outcomes for individuals with and without exceptionalities and their families. SLO 3: Candidates collaborate, communicate, and coordinate with professionals and agencies within the community to identify and access services, resources, and supports to meet the identified needs of individuals with exceptionalities and their families. SLO 4: Candidates work with and mentor paraprofessionals in the paraprofessionals’ role of supporting the education of individuals with exceptionalities and their families. |
Master of Art in Teaching Special Education
This program prepares entry level educators for preK through 12th grade to teach children and youth with disabilities. These programs are approved by the North Dakota Education Standards and Practices Board (ESPB) and the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP).
The Master of Arts in Teaching Special Education is intended for candidates seeking initial teacher licensure. The program provides a solid foundation in special education pedagogy through a set of core coursework and a concentration area, including clinical application and final practicum. Candidates may choose from on of the following concentration areas: General Special Education (GEN), Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE) or Deaf and Hard of Hearing Education (DHH).
| ED 522 | Curriculum Design and Assessment | 3 |
| SPED 505 | Interdisciplinary Collaboration in Special Education | 3 |
| SPED 506 | Introduction to Exceptional Children | 3 |
| SPED 531 | Psychoeducational Aspects of Exceptional Children | 3 |
| SPED 561 | Classroom Management and Positive Behavior Support | 3 |
| SPED 519 | Final Practicum | 4 |
| Total Hours | 19 |
| SPED 550 | Special Education Assessment | 4 |
| SPED 547 | Methods for High Incidence Disabilities | 3 |
| SPED 551 | Inclusive Practices | 3 |
| |
| SPED 548 | Introduction to Intellectual Disability and Autism Spectrum Disorder | 3 |
| SPED 532 | Communication Development and Interventions | 3 |
| SPED 556 | Introduction to Learning and Emotional/Behavioral Disabilities | 3 |
| Total Hours | 19 |
| SPED 504 | Introduction to Services for Young Exceptional Children | 3 |
| SPED 509 | Infant/Toddler Development | 3 |
| SPED 529 | Assistive Technology | 2 |
| SPED 532 | Communication Development and Interventions | 3 |
| SPED 543 | Assessment & Methods of Teaching ECSE | 3 |
| SPED 563 | Family and Community Systems in Early Intervention | 3 |
| SPED 533 | Clinical Practice in Assessment | 1 |
| Total Hours | 18 |
| SPED 513 | Deaf Studies | 3 |
| SPED 565 | Early Intervention: Deaf/HH | 3 |
| SPED 583 | Strategies to Support Listening and Spoken Language | 3 |
| SPED 584 | Teaching Language to Deaf/HH | 3 |
| SPED 585 | Advanced Audiology for Educators of the Deaf/Hard of Hearing | 3 |
| SPED 586 | Teaching Reading/Academics to DHH | 4 |
| |
| SPED 533 | Clinical Practice in Assessment | 1 |
| Total Hours | 20 |
