Graduate Certificate - Special Education Training

The Special Education Training program is a graduate level, non-licensure program structured to prepare candidates to apply subject matter expertise, assessment knowledge, and differentiated instructional practices to technology rich learning environments for today’s students with special needs.

This program is open to any candidate who wants to develop an understanding of educating students with special needs or who needs to prepare for a Transition to Teaching – Special Education program. This program does not lead to initial or additional educator licensure.

Candidates who have completed this program should be able to:

• Identify diverse cultural and linguistic needs and utilize available technologies to develop culturally responsive learning plans with high standards for all learners.
• Use knowledge of general and specialized curricular content to individualize learning for students with exceptional needs.
• Administer appropriate assessments and analyze data from multiple sources, including digital tools, to make data-driven instructional and behavioral decisions for students with exceptional needs.
• Effectively implement differentiated, evidence-based instructional strategies, including current technologies and resources to meet exceptional learning needs.
• Demonstrate the ability to create safe, culturally responsive, inclusive learning environments by implementing sound classroom management strategies and evidence-based behavioral interventions for students with exceptional needs.
• Collaborate with students, caregivers, colleagues, administrators, related service providers, community members, and other stakeholders to provide appropriate learning experiences for students with exceptional needs.
• Use foundational knowledge of the field, a biblical worldview, and the Ethical Principles and Practice Standards to develop ethical, moral, Christ-like, professional, legally compliant communications and learning experiences for students with exceptional needs.
• Apply methods and technologies to professional practice and learning experiences for P-12 students with exceptional needs.
• Demonstrate research-based knowledge of how and when adolescents learn, addressing developmental and motivational stages. 

Admission Requirements

All applicants must have:

• A baccalaureate or graduate degree from a college or university that is accredited by an accrediting agency recognized by both the U.S. Department of Education (ED) and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA). The degree must be verified on official transcripts and sent directly to Indiana Wesleyan University. 
• A criminal history background check that meets School of Integrated Learning and Development guidelines. 
• Submitted a signed FERPA Release form. 

NOTE: Applicants should be aware that Indiana State Legislation has mandated that expanded background checks are required for those working with students in Indiana schools. Applicants will also be required to adhere to any additional State Mandates required for educators. Though candidates will be required to submit an initial background check that is acceptable to the university as a part of their application materials, that successful background report will only serve to gain admittance to that academic program. School corporations are governed by a locally elected Board of Trustees who set policy for their school corporation. All accepted students should understand that additional background checks will most likely be required by school corporations before participating in clinical experiences.

Clinical Experience Requirements

• All candidates must complete field experiences. 
• All clinical placements will be made by the Office of Clinical Experiences, unless otherwise outlined in course curriculum. 
• Removal from a clinical experience may result in the candidate not passing the course and/or being permanently withdrawn from the program. 
• All coursework must be completed with a minimum grade of no less than "B-" in each course

Graduation Requirements

To successfully complete the Special Education Training Certificate, candidates must have completed the following:

• Complete all course requirements with a minimum GPA of 3.00 and no grade lower than a "B-".
• Complete all field and clinical experiences in the courses. 
• Payment of all tuition and fees is required to receive a certificate.

Special Education Training Certificate - Program of Study

Core Courses

EDUT-563	Learning Processes, Diversity, and Development of P-12 Students	3
EDSE-515	Foundations, Practices, and Skills of Special Education	3
EDSE-525	Providing Language and Literacy Instruction to Enhance Assessment and Data-Based Reading Interventions for Students With Exceptionalities	3
EDSE-535	Methods for Supporting Students With Behavioral Needs and Autism Spectrum Disorder	3
EDUT-573	Reading Strategies and the P-12 Learning Environment	3
EDUT-583	Methods and Assessment for P-12 Educators	3
Total Credit Hours:		18