Download the complete Program Policy Statement

Mission:

The Master of Education (M.Ed.) in Exceptional Children and Youth degree program is designed to develop professional educators committed to careers that involve children, youth, and adults with disabilities. Graduates are prepared to work as special education teachers, education consultants, and educational technology specialists.

The program is comprised of two tracks: (1) the Masters Program track, which is appropriate for teachers with a certificate in special education who wish to develop advanced knowledge and skills, and (2) the Masters Plus Certification Program (MPCP) track, which is appropriate for individuals who seek to acquire advanced knowledge and skills and also obtain a teaching certificate in special education.

Within the Masters Program track, the areas of specialization are:

1. Elementary Special Education,

2. Secondary and Transition Special Education,

3. Special Education Technology,

4. Severe Disabilities, and

5. Educational Diagnosis.

Within the Masters Plus Certification Program (MPCP) track, the areas of specialization are:

1. Elementary Education
2. Secondary Education or
3. Severe Disabilities/Autism

Reflective Practitioners. Although content knowledge and instructional skills are essential, teaching cannot be reduced to simple formulas or recipes for success. Rather, the competent educator is characterized by habits of mind that emphasize critical thinking, experimentation, and openness to change. In special education, teachers work with individuals with unique needs and problems that demand thoughtful analysis and flexible application of professional skills and knowledge.

Serving Diverse Communities of Learners. An essential disposition of an effective special education teacher is the belief that all individuals can learn. Special educators value diversity and individual differences in intellect, physical abilities, sensory capacities, and cultural background. Our programs are committed to the inclusion of persons with disabilities into all aspects of contemporary society.

Scholars. Effective educational practice is grounded in theory and research about human development and learning, instructional methods, curriculum, and educational policy. The knowledge base in special education is large and growing. We believe that an essential disposition of an effective special education teacher is to value this knowledge base and to critically apply this knowledge to inform decision making and practice.

Problem solvers. Effective teachers are problem solvers, who construct practical, effective approaches to professional challenges using a sound base of theory and research. Special educators dedicate themselves to meeting the needs of very diverse students. Thus, special educators must commit themselves to a problem solving process focused on assessing the needs of individual students and planning effective instructional programs that meet those needs.

Partners. Special educators, even more than other educators, because of the complexity of their students' problems, need to develop skill in collaborating with families and with a variety of other professionals and community agencies to coordinate education services for individuals with disabilities.

Special Education Faculty

Gary S. Allison, Ed.D., Assistant Professor
Dr. Allison teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in special education methods, applied behavior analysis, severe and profound disabilities, diversity issues in the classroom and service learning. His instructional interests center around professional preparation and development of special education teachers. His clinical practice interests include: behavior change and support for students with severe/profound disabilities who exhibit health and life dangerous behaviors and the creation of meaningful educational experiences for students with severe/profound disabilities.

Al Cavalier, Ph.D., Associate Professor
Dr. Cavalier teaches courses in classroom management, behavior support, assistive technology, and distance education. His primary research interests are in assistive technologies to enhance the independence and productivity of persons with cognitive and physical disabilities, self-regulation techniques to teach children to monitor their use of cognitive strategies and manage their own behavior, and instructional design of distance-learning lessons. He is director of the Assistive Technology Laboratory and co-director of the Summer Institute on Instructional and Assistive Technology. He serves on the Governor’s Advisory Council for Exceptional Citizens and the editorial board of the journal Technology and Disability.

Laura Eisenman, Ph.D., Associate Professor
Dr. Eisenman teaches courses on secondary special education and the transition from school-to-adult life for students with disabilities. Her research interests include understanding implementation of school-to-work programs for students with and without disabilities, especially how teachers integrate academic and occupational curricula at the classroom level and student perceptions of the curricula.

Ralph Ferretti, Ph.D., Professor
Dr. Ferretti teaches courses in special education research, applied human development, and special education technology. His primary research interests focus on understanding the characteristics of students with disabilities and their social and learning environments that contribute to difficulties in problem solving, on understanding the development of children's argumentation in the context of ill-defined problems, and on developing instructional techniques and multimedia tools that promote the development of their critical thinking and argumentation skills. He is a frequent reviewer for the American Journal on Mental Retardation, Intelligence, and other professional journals.

Nancy C. Jordan, Ph.D., Professor
Dr. Jordan teaches courses in the characteristics, assessment, and diagnosis of children with learning disabilities. Her research program focuses on children with learning difficutlites in math. She is Principal Investigator of the Children's Math Project, which is funded by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. Dr. Jordan has published in journals such as the Journal of Educational Psychology, the Journal of Learning Disabilities, and Child Development. She serves on the editorial boards of the Journal of Learning Disabilities and Learning Disabilities Research and Practice.

Charles MacArthur, Ph.D., Professor
Dr. MacArthur teaches courses in literacy instruction for students with disabilities, curriculum and methods in special education, and the use of educational technology. His primary research interests include writing development and instruction for students with learning disabilities, the development of self-regulated strategies, and applications of technology in teaching reading and writing. He is Co-Editor of The Journal of Special Education and serves on the editorial boards of Exceptional Children, Journal of Educational Psychology, Journal of Learning Disabilities, Learning Disability Quarterly, and Learning Disability Research and Practice.

Kristen D. Ritchey, Ph.D., Assistant Professor
Dr. Ritchey teaches courses on instructional methods for elementary and intermediate students with disabilities. Her research interests are in the area of reading disabilities, specifically early identification and intervention for children in kindergarten and first grade.

Ronald Vukelich, Ph.D., Associate Professor
Dr. Vukelich teaches courses in diagnosis and assessment procedures for students with mild and moderate handicaps. His primary research interests are on children's learning in museum settings, on the interplay of conceptions of time and history, on the nature of children's preferences and dislikes, and on the conditions under which these preferences can be changed.