Education, B.A., Special Education and Certification Special Education PK12 Education Major

About the Major

The major in Special Education PK12 is designed to prepare special educators for initial PA teacher certification to work with diverse individuals with disabilities, their families, and related service providers in birth-age 22 settings, across 13 categories of disability. 

This program is designed around four major themes:

Inclusion and diversity

Evidence-based, Culturally Responsive Pedagogy

Collaboration and Consultation

Leadership

Each course embeds these themes within the content of the course in the following ways:

• Stressing inclusion as the default option for all students while striving to build communities of diverse individuals;

• Enacting professional dispositions and advocacy centered on addressing equity and justice for diverse students, families, and communities in relation to processes and outcomes in special education and related services; 

• Designing evidence-based, authentic, culturally responsive instruction and related service provisions that address intersectional needs of diverse students and families;

• Focusing on successful strategies for consultation, collaboration, and co-teaching to provide effective instruction and services that build communities of support for students; and

• Fostering cultural self-awareness, resulting in cultural awareness of different groups as well as implementing culturally responsive instruction, assessment, and communication with students, families, and communities.

• Understand the role of Special Educator as leader and advocate in building truly responsive and inclusive programming in educational and community contexts

• Learn through course-based and hands-on experiences to innovate and design classrooms for children from birth to grade 4.

• Enjoy camaraderie, idea sharing, and collaboration with other students and faculty in Arcadia’s close-knit undergraduate programs.

• Explore global learning and teaching experiences through Arcadia’s accessible and acclaimed study abroad program.

• Develop a broad-based understanding across disciplines through the other elements of Arcadia’s Undergraduate Curriculum.

The program embeds interdisciplinary and experiential learning through a variety of service learning projects, fieldwork in diverse settings with students with diverse special education services, and flexibility to study abroad. This program also offers the opportunity to explore a range of electives and earn a comprehensive education. Students develop a broad-based understanding across disciplines through the other elements of Arcadia’s Undergraduate Curriculum.

Program outcomes are based, in part, on PDE PreK-12 Special Education Educator Certification, PDE CR-SE Educator Competencies, PDE Ethical Educator Standards and Structured Literacy Standards (as per guidelines) together with Pre-service Educator (BA), PDE content course requirements, and University General Education/AUC requirements. In addition, all fieldwork and practicum experiences outcomes are based on the PDE Field Experience and Student Teaching Competencies.

Requirements

• Professional Education Requirements 

• Prerequisite for teacher certification preparation program (16 credits; : English composition (EN101), English Literature (EN199), Two courses MA110 or higher: recommend MA117 and MA118. also meet undergraduate curriculum requirements)

• Additional Undergraduate Curriculum requirements and Electives as needed

Professional Education Courses and Fieldwork

• ED 110 Teaching for Learning (4 Credits)  (meets Self and Society requirement) * 

• ED 110L Teaching for Learning Fieldwork+Lab (0 credits)

• ED 212 Child and Youth Development (43 Credits)  (meets Self and Society requirement) * +Lab (4 credits)

• ED 214 Introduction to Inclusive Education (3 Credits)

• ED 216 Teaching Literacy in the 21st Century (3 Credits) (4 credits)

• ED 219L FIeld Experience I (1 credit)

• ED 220L Field Experience II (1 credit)

• ED 222 Play-Based Curriculum Birth-8yrs (4 credits)

• ED 306 Strategies for Emergent and Content Literacy K-12 (4 Credits)

• ED 307 STEAM 2: Design Thinking and Problem-Based Learning +_Lab (4 Credits) (4 credits)

• ED 309L Field Experience III (2 credits)

• ED 315 Differentiated Instruction (4 Credits)

• ED 318 Developing Mathematicians: Think & Learn (4 Credits)ED 318 ED 323 Early Intervention (4 Credits)

• ED 375 Managing an Inclusive Classroom (4 Credits)

• ED 387S Pre-Student Teaching (4 Credits) 

• ED 387SL Pre-student teaching lab (2 credits)

• ED 490 Critical Conversations, Equity & Tchr Inqry (4 credits)

*Undergraduate ENTRY REQUIREMENTS for the Teacher Certification Preparation Programs

• Recommended minimum overall GPA of 3.0 at the time of application

• Completed and earned grades of C- or better in 6 credits in Mathematics above the MA 100  level (recommended: MA 117  and MA 118 ).

• Completed and earned grades of C- or better in 6 credits in English. One course in Composition (EN 101 ) and one course in American/English Literature (recommended EN 199 ).

• Completed 48 credits.

• Background Checks: Meets background check requirements using the Castle Branch System for

  • Federal Criminal History Record Information (CHRI)

  • Pennsylvania State Police Request for Criminal Records Check

  • Department of Human Services Child Abuse History Clearance

  • Tuberculosis (TB) test result

EXIT REQUIREMENTS for Teacher Certification Candidates

• Hold a bachelor’s degree or higher with a minimum grade point average (GPA) of 3.0.
• Completion of an approved program of study leading to certification in the area of certificate requested.
• Satisfactory completion of student teaching, fieldwork or internship (required grade of “B” or better) in the area of certification.
• Completion of a professional portfolio.
• Recommendation of University Certification Officer on the TIMS application.