The Master of Arts in Special Education-LBS I Program develops professionals who are new to teaching and those who are already licensed but seeking a master’s degree. Candidates graduate with the ability to work effectively with students across a wide range of disabilities (K-21) in public and private school settings. Our program provides initial teaching licensure with an endorsement in special education (LBS I) from an accredited institution.
The program is a 42-credit hour program sequence that requires a minimum of 5 semesters to complete (Fall, Spring, Summer). Candidates gain hands-on experience in assessment, instructional planning and instruction and state-of-the art technologies designed to foster the learning of students with exceptional learning needs across a wide range of culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, learning strengths and needs.
ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS
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Bachelor's degree (within or outside of education)
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Applicants can find University Graduate Admissions requirements here in the Academic Catalog. Additional application information can be found on the Admissions website. Program-specific admissions information, including terms when the program accepts applications for admission, can be found here.
Students must fulfill the requirements for admission to the College of Graduate Studies and Research.
All applicants are required to have two letters of recommendation submitted in support of their applications. These letters should be addressed directly to the Dean of the College of Graduate Studies and Research. The recommendations should be made by persons who have had a supervisory relationship with the applicant in a teaching situation. For applicants to the Master of Arts in Special Education with little or no prior teaching experience, letters will be accepted from student teaching supervisors or from professors of education who have observed the applicant’s potential as a teacher in the area of Special Education.
For the Master of Science in Special Education letters from school administrators and professional colleagues will be accepted.
Advisement
All students will be assigned an advisor. Students will plan their programs in consultation with their advisors.
Changes in Licensure requirements
Teacher preparation program candidates are no longer required to have any scores for tests of basic skills, including the ACT, SAT, and TAP, sent to the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE). For individuals who are completing a school support internship/program, including a principal preparation or school counselor program, a test of basic skills is no longer required prior to internship.
Course Requirements for Master of Arts in Special Education, First License
Student Requirements
Graduate students seeking their initial teaching license must complete the following 42-hour entitlement sequence as part of the requirement for the Learning Behavior Specialist I (LBS I) endorsement. In this program, students will be required to complete two field-based clinical experiences arranged by the College of Education's Clinical Experience and Student Teaching (CEST) Office, in addition to a full-time sixteen week student teaching experience in an approved school setting or an approved site practicum for licensed teachers.
MA-LBS I Program Maintenance Criteria
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Candidates must maintain acceptable ratings on all key program assessments in order to progress without interruption through their program. Candidates who do not meet an acceptable or above rating on any key program assessment must obtain permission from the Department of Special Education's Professional Standards Committee to retake the course in which a key program assessment is embedded or to revise the assessment, no more than one time, in order to meet an acceptable rating.
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Candidates must earn acceptable evaluations of their dispositions and professional behaviors in order to progress without interruption through their program.
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Candidates must earn grades of "B" or above in SPED 507, SPED 512 and SPED 514.
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In addition to program-specific requirements, all graduate students must abide by university graduate policies, which can be found in the Academic Catalog in the section of the College of Graduate Studies and Research.
Master of Arts in Special Education (LBS I) Program Sequence
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Block I | ||
| SPED-501 | Characteristics Of Children And Youth With Disabilities | 3 |
| SPED-503 | Foundations Of Special Education | 3 |
| SPED-504 | Assessment I: Principles Of Educational Assessment In Special Education | 3 |
| Block II | ||
| SPED-506 | Instructional & Assistive Technology In Special Education | 3 |
| LTCY-501 | Literacy Instruction In Elementary Grades | 3 |
| SPED-509 | Methods I:Specialized Curriculum & Methods In Special Education | 3 |
| Block III | ||
| SPED-508 | Methods II: General Curriculum & Methods In Special Education 1 | 3 |
| SPED-507 | Clinical Experience I:Fundamentals Of Teaching | 3 |
| SPED-511 | Methods IV:Alternative Programming And Curriculum In Special Education | 3 |
| Block IV | ||
| SPED-510 | Methods III: Strategies Of Behavior Management | 3 |
| SPED-520 | Assessment Lab-Applied Diagnostic Assessment 3 | 3 |
| SPED-512 | Clinical Experience II: Intermediate Teaching | 3 |
| BLOCK IV | ||
| SPED-514 | Student Teaching In Special Education 4 | 6 |
| Total Hours | 42 | |
| 1 | |
| 2 | |
| 3 | Prerequisite: Block I, II, and III |
| 4 | (Prerequisites: All other LBS I coursework must be completed prior to student teaching. ICTS LBS I Test #155 and Special Education General Curriculum Test # 63 must be passed prior to student teaching.) Key program assessments including ILTS Content-area tests, must be passed prior to student teaching. |
Requirements for degree completion
Successful completion of Blocks I-V and corresponding level requirements, 42 hours, with the exception of edTPA.
Requirements for Program Completion/Entitlement
Candidates must pass the Teacher Performance Assessment (edTPA) for program completion and entitlement.
Program Benchmarks
Students must complete all benchmarks for each level before being allowed to progress to the next level. Students cannot obtain more than two grades of "C" in graduate work as per the College of Graduate Studies and Research Policy.
Level I
- Successful completion of Block I coursework.
- Minimum GPA of 3.00
- Completion of any deficiencies for those students admitted conditionally
- Demonstration of appropriate professional teaching behaviors and dispositions
- Passing key program assessments associated with level I
Level II
- Successful completion of Block II coursework.
- Minimum GPA of 3.00
- Grade of "B" or above in SPED-507
- Demonstration of appropriate professional teaching behaviors and dispositions
- Passing key program assessments associated with level II
Level III
- Successful completion of Block III coursework.
- Minimum GPA of 3.00
- Demonstration of appropriate professional teaching behaviors and dispositions
- Grade of “B" or above in SPED-512
- Passing key program assessments associated with level III
- Passing score on the ILTS Content Area Learning Behavior Specialist (LBS I) exam
- (#155) and the ILTS Special Education General Curriculum exam (#163)
Level IV
- Successful completion of Block IV coursework.
- Minimum GPA of 3.00
- Completed IEP
- Demonstration of appropriate professional teaching behaviors and dispositions
- Passing key program assessments associated with level IV
- Grade of "B" or above in student teaching
- Completion of the ILTS Teacher Performance Assessment (edTPA)
Exit Requirements for Degree Completion
Successful completion of Blocks I-IV and corresponding level requirements, 47 hours, with exception of edTPA.
Exit Requirements for Program Completion/Entitlement
Successful completion of Blocks I-IV and corresponding level requirements, 47 hours, and passage of edTPA.
LBS I-Focus Program in Special Education
Program's purpose:
In order to meet the needs of licensed teachers seeking endorsement in Special Education (SPED): Learning Behavior Specialist I (LBS I), the Department of Special Education is offering the LBS I Focus Program. This program leads to the full Pk-21 LBS I Endorsement.
Admission requirements:
In order to be accepted into the program, candidates must first apply to the College of Graduate Studies and Research (graduate-college). Candidates must meet all conditions of the College of Graduate Studies and Research to be eligible for admission and retention in the program. In addition, candidates must hold a valid Illinois Professional Educator License (with endorsement in any of the following: elementary, early childhood or one content area in secondary education).
Program requirements and sequence:
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Upon entrance to the program: Candidates must schedule an academic consultation (in-person or online) with the Focus Program Advisor to develop a course sequence plan. The Focus Program Advisor will determine an appropriate course sequence plan based on the candidate's professional skills, experience, and academic history.
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Each candidate must complete a minimum of 9 out of 12 hours at Northeastern. Courses in the Focus program are delivered either online or in person. Coursework will include:
Course List Code Title Hours SPED-404 Survey Of The Field Of Special Education 3 SPED-501 Characteristics Of Children And Youth With Disabilities 3 SPED-504 Assessment I: Principles Of Educational Assessment In Special Education 3 SPED-509 Methods I:Specialized Curriculum & Methods In Special Education 3
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Candidates must successfully pass the Illinois Licensure Testing System content tests, Learning Behavior Specialist I (#155) and satisfactorily complete all requisite coursework for the endorsement prior to program completion.
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Candidates must maintain the conditions set forth by the College of Graduate Studies and Research for retention in the program.
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Candidates must maintain a GPA of 3.0 or above throughout the program. Earning a GPA below 3.0 in any semester will result in immediate removal from the program.
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Candidates must demonstrate satisfactory performance to the professional disposition standards. Failure to meet professional disposition standards will result in remediation, suspension, or removal from the program as determined by Department of Special Education faculty.
Applying the Focus Program to the LBS II Master's degree:
Candidates who have completed all of the requirements for the LBS I Focus program may complete the appropriate coursework necessary to earn a Learning Behavior Specialist II (LBS II) endorsement. LBS I Focus courses may be used as electives. Two LBS II endorsements on the Professional Education License paths are offered in the Department of Special Education. These include (a) Curriculum Adaptation Specialist (CAS) and (b) Behavior Intervention Specialist (BIS). Candidates interested in applying their LBS I Focus program coursework toward a Master's degree must submit a written statement to the Focus Program Advisor and the College of Graduate Studies and Research indicating their intention to begin LBS II coursework, and submit a change of program form to the Focus Program Advisor. To obtain an endorsement on the Professional Education License in either CAS or BIS, candidates must also pass the Illinois Licensure Testing System content test for the respective area.
This sample curricular map is provided to guide you in the planning of your progression for this major. This guide should not replace regular consultations with your program advisor. For specific recommendations of courses not identified, please consult your program advisor.
MASTER OF ARTS IN SPECIAL EDUCATION (LBS I) PROGRAM SEQUENCE
| First Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| Term 1 | Hours | |
| SPED-501 | Characteristics Of Children And Youth With Disabilities | 3 |
| SPED-503 | Foundations Of Special Education | 3 |
| SPED-504 | Assessment I: Principles Of Educational Assessment In Special Education | 3 |
| Term Hours | 9 | |
| Term 2 | ||
| LTCY-501 | Literacy Instruction In Elementary Grades | 3 |
| SPED-506 | Instructional Assistive Technology In Special Education | 3 |
| SPED-509 | Methods I:Specialized Curriculum Methods In Special Education | 3 |
| Term Hours | 9 | |
| Second Year | ||
| Term 1 | ||
| SPED-507 | Clinical Experience I:Fundamentals Of Teaching | 3 |
| SPED-508 | Methods II: General Curriculum Methods In Special Education | 3 |
| SPED-511 | Methods IV:Alternative Programming And Curriculum In Special Education | 3 |
| Term Hours | 9 | |
| Term 2 | ||
| SPED-510 | Methods III: Strategies Of Behavior Management | 3 |
| SPED-512 | Clinical Experience II: Intermediate Teaching | 3 |
| SPED-520 | Assessment Lab-Applied Diagnostic Assessment | 3 |
| Term Hours | 9 | |
| Third Year | ||
| Term 1 | ||
| SPED-514 | Student Teaching In Special Education | 6 |
| Term Hours | 6 | |
| Total Hours: | 42 | |