Spec Ed - Childhood Alt Crt

Admission requirements for applicants who already possess New York State certification:

1. A bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university.
2. A minimum undergraduate grade average of 3.0.
3. An Initial or Professional New York State Certificate in teaching at the Early Childhood or Childhood level.
4. A Special Education concentration at the same developmental level as their earned Initial/Professional NYS Teaching Certificate.
5. Write a 3-page essay (one page per question) that includes references/citations to something you have read in the newspapers/literature/journals. Choose 3 of the 4 questions listed below:

• a) What motivates you to become a special education teacher? (Include your academic and personal skills and interests and how your career and college experiences have prepared you and discuss any anomalies in your undergraduate record.) 

• b) As a special education teacher, how will you use your leadership skills in order to promote positive student outcomes and collaboration among stakeholders. What are those leadership skills and what specific ways will you promote positive student outcomes and collaboration? 

• c) As a special education teacher, how will you advocate for your students and their families? What specific ideas do you have for advocacy, including your philosophy of inclusion and differentiation in the classroom. 

• d) As a special education teacher, how will you promote cultural competency and linguistic diversity within your classroom environment, including specific ideas for incorporating cultural competency within your curriculum. 

6. Two letters of recommendation.
7. Participation in an interview.
8. Submit scores of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) revised general test, i.e., verbal reasoning, quantitative reasoning, and analytical writing if applying for admission at the graduate level. Note: An applicant whose GRE score is lower than 1 standard deviation below the 50th percentile may be admitted to a program with the following stipulation: The candidate and advisor will prepare a retention plan to support the candidate in further developing the skills needed to meet the 50th percentile or better on a nationally normed basic skills test approved by the School of Education. 

1. A bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university.
2. A minimum undergraduate grade average of 3.0.
3. An Initial or Professional New York State Certificate in teaching in a content area at the grades 7-12 level, or 6 semester hours at the graduate or undergraduate levels in each of the following subject areas: mathematics, English language arts, social studies, and science. Students who do not meet this admission requirement may be advised to take additional coursework as co-requisites to the program to remediate any academic deficiencies.
4. Write a 3-page essay (one page per question) that includes references/citations to something you have read in the newspapers/literature/journals. Choose 3 of the 4 questions listed below:

• a) What motivates you to become a special education teacher? (Include your academic and personal skills and interests and how your career and college experiences have prepared you and discuss any anomalies in your undergraduate record.) 

• b) As a special education teacher, how will you use your leadership skills in order to promote positive student outcomes and collaboration among stakeholders. What are those leadership skills and what specific ways will you promote positive student outcomes and collaboration? 

• c) As a special education teacher, how will you advocate for your students and their families? What specific ideas do you have for advocacy, including your philosophy of inclusion and differentiation in the classroom. 

• d) As a special education teacher, how will you promote cultural competency and linguistic diversity within your classroom environment, including specific ideas for incorporating cultural competency within your curriculum. 

5. Two letters of recommendation.
6. Participation in an interview.
7. Submit scores of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) revised general test, i.e., verbal reasoning, quantitative reasoning, and analytical writing if applying for admission at the graduate level. Note: An applicant whose GRE score is lower than 1 standard deviation below the 50th percentile may be admitted to a program with the following stipulation: The candidate and advisor will prepare a retention plan to support the candidate in further developing the skills needed to meet the 50th percentile or better on a nationally normed basic skills test approved by the School of Education. 

Admission requirements for applicants who do not possess New York State certification:

1. A bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university.
2. A minimum undergraduate grade average of 3.0.
3. Write a 3-page essay (one page per question) that includes references/citations to something you have read in the newspapers/literature/journals. Choose 3 of the 4 questions listed below:

• a) What motivates you to become a special education teacher? (Include your academic and personal skills and interests and how your career and college experiences have prepared you and discuss any anomalies in your undergraduate record.) 

• b) As a special education teacher, how will you use your leadership skills in order to promote positive student outcomes and collaboration among stakeholders. What are those leadership skills and what specific ways will you promote positive student outcomes and collaboration? 

• c) As a special education teacher, how will you advocate for your students and their families? What specific ideas do you have for advocacy, including your philosophy of inclusion and differentiation in the classroom. 

• d) As a special education teacher, how will you promote cultural competency and linguistic diversity within your classroom environment, including specific ideas for incorporating cultural competency within your curriculum. 

4. Two letters of recommendation.
5. Participation in an interview.
6. Certification of placement and assurance of ability to complete all the program and course requirements.
7. Submit scores of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) revised general test, i.e., verbal reasoning, quantitative reasoning, and analytical writing if applying for admission at the graduate level. Note: An applicant whose GRE score is lower than 1 standard deviation below the 50th percentile may be admitted to a program with the following stipulation: The candidate and advisor will prepare a retention plan to support the candidate in further developing the skills needed to meet the 50th percentile or better on a nationally normed basic skills test approved by the School of Education.

And Childhood Education Courses - 12 credits*

*Childhood Education Courses: From the Department of Early Childhood and Childhood Education to be determined upon consultation with the Special Education Advisor.