Special Education, B.S./Education, M.S.Ed.
Contact
Lane W. Clarke Ed.D.
Director, School of Education
lclarke1@une.edu
Jason Asdourian, M.Ed
Assistant Director Graduate Programs in Education
jasdourian@une.edu
Mission
The mission of the School of Education is to prepare lifelong reflective educators who exhibit flexibility, compassion, collaboration, and student-centered pedagogy knowledge and skills. The School of Education offers strong experiential, student-centered, and responsive program preparing students to develop:
- Knowledge of content and instructional practice
- Professional dispositions
- Pedagogical skills
Vision
Our vision is to prepare future educators to have an exponential impact on the lives of their students and the broader community.
The core values that drive the School of Education and guide our ethos, principles, and standards are:
- Knowledgeable Professionals
- Collaborative Practitioners
- Inclusive and Culturally Competent Educators
- Reflective Life-Long Learners
Major Description
Students complete a four-year curriculum leading to a Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree with a major in Special Education and earn Maine certification. After completing 60 credits, students can apply to enter this accelerated B.S./M.S.E. Acceptance in the accelerated program makes them eligible to take three online graduate courses (nine credits total) that count both for their undergraduate degree and towards their Master of Science in Education (M.S.E.). Students then have the ability to complete their master's degree online in as little as one additional year. UNE has reciprocity with the majority of states in the United States including New England.
The Bachelor of Science with a major in Special Education program will lead to special education certification in the state of Maine. Completers of this program will graduate having a breadth and depth in general education outcomes, along with skills, knowledge, and dispositions to educate a wide variety of students with disabilities in K-12 school settings. Additionally, this major has been designed using a wide range of education courses as a foundation, enabling students to double major in Special Education and one of the other Education programs.
Admissions
Application Process
When students have 60 credits completed, they apply for "Advanced Standing”. At the same time, they also apply to the Master’s in Education Program through an online application.
Admission Requirements
Students must pass the Advanced Standing requirement. To apply for Advanced Standing, students must develop a portfolio demonstrating how they have met proficiency in the following areas: a) teaching skills, knowledge, and disposition aligned with the Maine Common Core Teaching Standards; b) basic academic skills; and c) professional skills. This portfolio is evaluated by a committee of education faculty, and a pass/fail determination is made based on holistic rubric.
Financial Information
Tuition and fees for subsequent years may vary. Other expenses include books and housing. For more tuition and fee information, please consult this catalog’s Financial Information section.
Curricular Requirements
Program Required Courses for Undergraduate Portion of Program
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Nor'easter Core Requirements | ||
| Nor'easter Core Requirements | 40 | |
| Required Courses | ||
| EDU 105 | Exploring Teaching | 3 |
| EDU 115 | Field Practicum I | 1 |
| EDU 120 | Educating for Community and Belonging | 3 |
| EDU 206 | Foundations of Lit/Lang Dev | 3 |
| EDU 215 | Field Practicum 2 | 2 |
| PSY 250 | Lifespan Dev in Context | 3 |
| SPE 220 | Introduction to Special Education | 3 |
| SPE 300 | Instructional Methods for Teaching Students with Disabilities | 3 |
| SPE 315 | Supporting Students with Autism and Other Low Incidence Disabilities | 3 |
| SPE 401 | Inclusive Classroom Management | 3 |
| SPE 410 | Assessing & Remediating Challenging Behaviors | 3 |
| SPE 486 | Special Education Practicum | 3-4 |
| SPE 490 | Spec Edu Internship/Seminar | 12 |
| Two Undergraduate Program Specific Electives (below) | 6 | |
| Special Education and MSE Eligibility Courses | ||
| EDU 597 | Differentiation Theory and Strategies | 3 |
| EDU 598 | Ethical Responsibilities in Today's Educational Systems | 3 |
| EDU 599 | Developing a Framework for Diversity and Inclusion | 3 |
| Open Elective Courses (Students complete open elective credits as necessary to meet the University’s 120-credit minimum for graduation. The total number of elective credits required will depend on the student’s completed program, core, and other degree requirements.) | 20 | |
| Total Hours | 120-121 | |
Undergraduate Program Specific Elective Options
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| OS 201 | Foundations of Assistive Technology | 3 |
| OS 301 | Assistive Technology in Schools | 3 |
| OS 432 | Disability Studies and Inclusive Communities | 3 |
| PSY 105 | Introduction to Psychology | 3 |
| PSY 205 | Abnormal Psychology | 3 |
| PSY 290 | Developmental Psychopathology | 3 |
| PSY 310 | Children and Stress | 3 |
| PSY 364 | Soc & Emotion Dev in Childhood | 3 |
| PSY 380 | Human Learning and Behavior | 3 |
| SSW 200 | Introduction to Social Work | 3 |
| SSW 300 | Human Behavior and Social Work Theory I | 3 |
| Any Course with an EDU Prefix | ||
| Any Course with an SPE Prefix | ||
Program Required Courses for Graduate Portion of Program
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Program Required Courses | ||
| EDU 690 | Action Research | 3 |
| EDU 695 | Portfolio | 3 |
| Select five program specific electives below | 15 | |
| Total Hours | 21 | |
Graduate Program Specific Elective Options
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| EDU 600 | Teacher as Leader | 3 |
| EDU 701 | Educational Leadership | 3 |
| EDU 702 | School Law | 3 |
| EDU 703 | Edu Change/School Reform | 3 |
| EDU 704 | Supervise/Eval Instr Personnel | 3 |
| EDU 706 | School-Comm Rel/Communications | 3 |
| EDU 707 | Instructional Leadership | 3 |
| EDU 709 | School Finance | 3 |
| EDU 715 | Org Theory/Strategic Planning | 3 |
| EDU 720 | Special Ed Law for the Class | 3 |
| EDU 721 | Technology w/ Inclusion Ed | 3 |
| EDU 722 | Special Ed Assess Inclusion | 3 |
| EDU 723 | Teach&Learn Inclusion Setting | 3 |
| EDU 725 | Behaviors Considerations/Inclu | 3 |
| EDU 726 | Telling your School's Story through Data Analysis | 3 |
| EDU 727 | Understanding the Whole Child | 3 |
| EDU 730 | Universal Design for Learning | 3 |
| EDU 740 | Sup Lit Devel for all Learners | 3 |
| EDU 741 | Lit Assess as Teaching Tools | 3 |
| EDU 742 | Study Skills and Content Lit Instruction for All | 3 |
| EDU 743 | Connect Read w/Writ for Succes | 3 |
| EDU 744 | Meet Student Lit Challenges | 3 |
| EDU 746 | Prof Learning/Literacy Leader | 3 |
| EDU 748 | Literacy for Inclusion Setting | 3 |
Please note: While some courses can fulfill both core and program requirements, the credits earned do not count twice towards the minimum total required credits for the degree.
Academic and Technical Standards
This program requires an overall minimum 2.5 GPA in the major.
For the MSEd program, a student must have a 3.0 to graduate.
Field Experience
The faculty in the School of Education is committed to ongoing and frequent observation and involvement in schools. The teacher education programs at UNE have a specific competency-based focus to meet the Maine standards for teacher certification. All students engaged in teacher preparation will spend time in a field setting in each of the semesters for which they are registered for professional education courses. Involvement in the schools will be connected to specific, course-related tasks (e.g., observation, teaching lessons, conducting experiments, administering assessments, etc.). Transportation to and from schools is the responsibility of the student.
Advanced Standing
All students in education certification programs must apply for admission to Advanced Standing when they have completed at least three semesters and completed at least three education courses. To apply for Advanced Standing, students must develop a portfolio demonstrating how they have met proficiency in the following areas: a) teaching skills, knowledge, and disposition aligned with the Maine Common Core Teaching Standards; b) basic academic skills; and c) professional skills. This portfolio is evaluated by a committee of education faculty, and a pass/fail determination is made based on a holistic rubric.
Students not meeting the Advanced Standing criteria do not remain enrolled in a certification program and MUST change their major to a non- certification major. Students can reapply for Advanced Standing upon completion of each additional semester. Students must pass by the semester before scheduled student teaching (i.e., pass Dec. 1 for Spring student teaching; pass May 1 for Fall student teaching).
Student Teaching
Without specific permission from the School of Education Director, courses may not be taken during the internship semester, so all required coursework must be completed the semester prior to the internship. Admission to the internship is not guaranteed and students must have passed Advanced Standing to apply.
The selection of individual internship sites will be made by the Certification and Placement Officer. Geographical location relative to UNE is a consideration. UNE has a collaborative relationship with many districts and selects both schools and teachers based on their interest in and ability to assist interns in demonstrating mastery of the Maine Common Core Teaching Standards. Placement in an internship is not guaranteed. The School of Education reserves the right to deny requests for courtesy internship placement for reasons it deems appropriate or necessary. The University, at its discretion, will not place students in internship settings 1) where an intern's children or relatives are enrolled, or 2) where a spouse or relative of an intern is currently employed. The School of Education, through its Certification and Placement Officer, will make a good-faith effort to negotiate an appropriate placement. Schools have the right to refuse placement requests. The 15-week student teaching experience must be done in a local Maine Public School that is in an established internship protocol with the University of New England. Students may not be permitted to accept a contracted teaching position (e.g., long-term substituting, yearlong internship) before completing at least half a semester of student teaching internship. However, student teaching interns may be permitted to sub on a day-to- day basis for their classroom teacher.
Professional Educator Review Board
All students enrolled in the internship must demonstrate their teaching competence with respect to Maine Common Core Teaching Standards before the Professional Educator Review Board (PERB). The Board is comprised of professional educators from area schools as well as UNE faculty. Students are required to develop a presentation reflecting their proficiency in meeting these state standards and present and defend the presentation in front of the Board. Passing PERB is a requirement for completion of the certification program and subsequently being recommended to the Maine State Department of Education for teacher licensure.
Completion Requirements
All coursework, including the internship, should be completed within a five-year time frame. A delay beyond the five years might warrant the retaking of coursework. Furthermore, if state certification requirements change prior to your completion even within the five-year timeframe, those changes must be incorporated into a revised program plan, in order to meet state certification regulations.
Learning Outcomes
School of Education Learning Outcomes
At the completion of their bachelor's degree, students will be able to:
- Demonstrate mastery of the Maine Common Core Teaching Standards.
- Demonstrate professionalism through accountability and engagement.
- Demonstrate ability to communicate effectively in both written and oral formats.
- Demonstrate appropriate dispositions as defined by professional expectations.
After the completion of their master’s degree, students will be able to:
- Apply education theory, frameworks, and scholarship to enhance professional teaching practices.
- Use reflective practices to advance personal and professional growth in the role of an educator.
- Foster equitable and inclusive pedagogical frameworks in addressing the multifaceted educational needs of all students.
- Demonstrate professionalism consistent with the expectations of an online graduate student.