Teaching and Leadership
Preparing Teachers
Master of Science Degree in Inclusive Special Education
Program Philosophy & Description
The Master of Science degree in Inclusive Special Education (Grades 1-6) is a 32 credit-hour course of study designed to prepare students to work with individuals with disabilities in inclusive classrooms in grades 1-6. New York state guidelines require that, prior to entry into the program, students must first meet the requirements for a New York state provisional teaching certificate in Childhood Education (Grades 1-6). Students may complete the program either full or part time. Students who attend full-time can complete their course of study and qualify for certification in special education in one year (fall, spring, plus summer session).
The program builds on the long and distinguished traditions of inclusive education and disability studies at Syracuse University. The program examines disability as a social, cultural, and political construct inextricably linked to issues of race, class and gender. A grounding assumption of the program is that students with disabilities must have access to academic instruction and social learning that is available to non-disabled students. To this end, students in the program explore innovative approaches to modifying and adapting instruction, curriculum, and classroom structures to match students' strengths and maximize their active and meaningful participation. In addition, students learn to identify areas of weakness that require very specialized interventions in order to promote maximal academic and social growth and development.
Students in the program participate actively in area schools and collaborate on planning, assessment, and teaching teams. Intensive fieldwork helps students connect theory and practice. Through coursework students build competencies in using a broad spectrum of assessment and teaching strategies, integrating instructional and assistive technologies, and meeting the social, communication, and academic needs of students. Students also learn to regard individuals with disabilities as important sources of knowledge through exposure to understandings of disability based on the perspectives of people with disabilities themselves.
Program Goals
Students are asked to demonstrate knowledge, skills, and dispositions in
- recognizing and respecting students with disabilities as learners;
- creating and using curricula and teaching methods that allow students with differing learning styles to participate in the full range of activities available to non-disabled students;
- reflecting an understanding of how particular disabilities can affect learning, and using this understanding to modify and adapt curricula to maximize learning and participation;
- recognizing and appreciating how culture and cultural contexts affect the education of all students, including students with disabilities, and how these contexts affect even the meaning of disability;
- supporting the legal rights of students with disabilities to full educational opportunities;
- maximizing positive interactions between students with disabilities and their non-disabled peers;
- utilizing assessment strategies as an ongoing element of teaching practice to assure that curricula and methods are adapted effectively to students' learning abilities and styles.
- collaborating with various professionals and families to integrate related services into the curriculum and methods of the classroom.
Course of Study (*includes field placement) (26 credits)
| Course | Number | Course Title | Credit Hours |
| SPE/CFE | 614 | Critical Issues of Dis/ability and Inclusion | 3 |
| EDU | 664 | Creating Safe and Peaceful Schools | 3 |
| SPE | 634 | Collaboration/Cooperation in the Schools | 3 |
| RED | 626 | Early Intervention for Children's Reading Problems | 3 |
| SPE | 705 | Psychoeducational Evaluation and Planning Clinic* | 3 |
| SPE | 724 | Differentiating Instruction for Diverse Learners | 4 |
| SPE | 618 | Augmentative and Alternative Communication in Inclusive Classrooms | 3 |
| EDU | 508 | Student Teaching/Inclusive Special Education (1-6)* | 4 |
Additional Coursework: By Advisement (6 credits)
| Course | Number | Course Title | Credit Hours |
| SPE | 609 | Teaching Children with Autism | 3 |
| SPE | 644 | Significant Disabilities: Shifts in Paradigms & Practices | 3 |
| SPE | 727 | Perspectives on Learning Disabilities | 3 |
| SPE | 623 | Families of Children with Disabilities | 3 |
| RED | 602 | Comprehending and Composing I | 3 |
| CFE | 688 | Social Policy and Disability | 3 |
| SPE | 600 | Technology and Augmentative Systems for Students with Special Needs | 3 |
| SPE | 642 | Education in Italy: An Inclusive Approach (study abroad) | 6 |
Additional Program Requirements
In addition to successful completion of above coursework and fieldwork experiences, students must successfully submit a Peer-Reviewed Professional Teaching/Learning Portfolio. This portfolio must include:
- an introductory essay that explains the candidate's teaching philosophy and beliefs about inclusive special education, curricular development, adaptations, and planning;
- a set of annotated artifacts that illustrate key principles of the introductory essay, provide concrete evidence of the instructional and assessment approaches the candidate used to enact those principles in inclusive classrooms, and demonstrate student's learning and growth as a result of the candidates teaching. In both sections candidates must cite ideas, approaches, and strategies drawn from course and other professional readings, class discussions, conferences, and professional development. In addition to submitting this document for faculty review, candidates must present their portfolio to an audience of faculty members, student peers, and grades 1-6 teachers/practitioners who participate in professional development schools and other practicum and student teaching sites.
Evaluation of the portfolio is based on the candidate's progress relative to the program goals.