Special Education

 

The Special Education graduate programs integrates research with practice, support students as social advocates, and advance education, community, and research to enhance the quality of life for persons with disabilities and their families.  Our online programs are a flexible option and provide a foundation for education within a variety of settings, including businesses, educational and research centers, and national and state agencies.  Students analyze current teaching strategies and evidence-based practices, learning and mentoring methods, and examine critical issues in special education.  The Special Education graduate programs will expand career options and help to bring positive change to the education system. 

Graduate programs in Special Education prepare educators to meet national standards of excellence in communication skills, professional knowledge, and teaching competence. Programs of study are offered for both entry-level and experienced professionals and include certification and non-certification options. The M.Ed. program offers concentrations in High Incidence Disabilities, Low Incidence Disabilities, Dual Low and High Incidence Disabilities, Early Intervention, and Individualized. Our program learning objectives are aligned with the Council for Exceptional Children’s advanced teacher preparation standards and emphasize high-leverage practices to promote inclusion for all students.

 

State Certification Options

Teacher of Students with High Incidence Disabilities (M.Ed.)

This 33-credit hour program prepares you to provide high-quality education to students with mild to moderate disabilities such as learning disabilities and/or emotional/ behavioral disorders. You’ll learn how to use the latest evidence-based strategies to adapt the general education curriculum in areas such as reading, math, and writing. You’ll also learn how to create safe, inclusive, and culturally responsive classrooms. By understanding how to apply best practices, you can provide students with the proper attention, assistance, and instruction to help them succeed. This is a 33-credit online program and provides a pathway to state certification as a Teacher of Students with Disabilities-282 (PK-8 or 7-12). 

 

Educational Specialists for Students with Low Incidence Disabilities (M.Ed.)

This 33-credit hour program leads to state certification as a Teacher of Students with Severe Disabilities (286). This program prepares you to serve students with autism spectrum disorder, significant intellectual disabilities, and students with multiple disabilities. This program is appropriate for undergraduate majors in elementary and secondary education as well as related fields such as child development, psychology, communication disorders, occupational and physical therapy, and nursing. You will learn how to use the latest evidence-based strategies to develop needs-appropriate curricula and create safe, inclusive, and culturally responsive classrooms. By understanding how to apply best practices, you can provide students with the proper attention, assistance, and instruction to help them succeed. Courses are delivered via distance education technology.

 

Early Intervention/ Early Childhood Special Education Personnel (M.Ed.)

This 33-42 credit program provides a foundation in the field of early intervention/early childhood and preparation for leadership roles. You’ll learn how to use the latest evidence-based strategies and advanced teaching methods, support and nourish family relationships, collaborate with other professionals, and gain hands-on teaching experience. The curriculum is designed to prepare students in the fundamentals of professional practice in early intervention for inclusive environments, provide students with advanced content in a variety of research areas (e.g., early childhood, early childhood special education, family relationships, collaborative consultation), and place students in practicum experiences with high needs children ages birth-5 and their families. The concentration is appropriate for students with a bachelor’s degree in early childhood education or a related field who are currently working with, or have the desire to serve, high-needs children with disabilities, ages birth to five, and their families.  The program leads to state certification as a Teacher of Children with Disabilities (282, birth to school-age 5).  Courses are delivered online both synchronously and asynchronously. 

 

Individually Designed 

M. Ed. or Ed. S.: Individually designed programs are for professionals who already hold certification in special education or are not interested in certification as a special education teacher. M.Ed. programs require a minimum of 33 credit hours of study. Ed.S. programs require a minimum of 30 credit hours for those with a master’s degree in Special Education; 33-42 credit hours for those with a master’s degree in a related field.

 

Potential candidates include:

• Experienced special educators who want to pursue more specialized study of a particular disability or topic (e.g., autism spectrum disorders, positive behavior interventions, and supports, learning disabilities), or to combine study in Special Education with study in another field (e.g., Educational Leadership, Instructional Technology, Literacy);
• General education teachers who want to increase their expertise in working with students with disabilities in general education classrooms; and
• Related services personnel who want to increase their understanding of educational policies and practices pertaining to students with disabilities (e.g., instructional strategies, educational assessments, special education law).

With a faculty advisor, students select courses around their unique needs and interests.  Courses are drawn from Special Education and other areas in the College of Education and Human Development, although at least 50 percent of the student’s credits for the degree must be in Special Education. 

 

Graduate Certificates- see the certificate program descriptions within this catalog or visit the web links below for more information.

Positive Behavior Intervention and Support: RTI for Behavior Certificate

Graduate Certificate in Autism Spectrum

Graduate Certification:  High Leverage Practices to Promote Inclusion

Graduate Certificate in Special Ed Leadership: Assistant Special Ed. Director

 

Field Work, Research, and Service for all Special Education Courses

Field work and internships are an important component of all graduate programs in Special Education. Faculty and students are an integral part of the social and educational service community in Maine, and close relationships are maintained with public schools and community agencies. Students also have the opportunity to participate in faculty research and service projects.

Admission

For admission to a graduate program in Special Education, students must meet the basic standards of the Graduate School and the special eligibility requirements of the program.

The PRAXIS CORE exams are required only for applicants whose state department of education requires it for professional teacher certification.   For out-of-state candidates, Maine has reciprocity agreements with most states.

Applicants may be invited for a personal interview with the Special Education faculty. Students should request financial aid information from the University’s Student Financial Aid Office. Special Education scholarships are sometimes available for candidates with documented financial needs. To be eligible, applicants must have applied for financial aid through the University’s Office of Student Financial Aid.

State Certification

Teacher certification is granted by the Maine Department of Education, not by the University of Maine. Students who successfully complete ALL the requirements including documentation of fingerprinting, background check, and passing scores on Praxis II in Special Education will be eligible for certification through the transcript analysis pathway in Maine. Specific information regarding certification is available from the Maine Department of Education, Certification Services, State House Station 23, Augusta, ME 04333.

 Four Plus One Programs

The Special Education program offers students throughout the University of Maine system the opportunity to earn a Bachelor’s degree in a student’s focus area and a Master’s degree (M.Ed.) in Special Education at the University of Maine, Orono in five combined years of study (the Four Plus One option, an accelerated MEd program).

Core Program Requirements:

Students enrolled in the Four Plus One option earn a bachelor’s degree at the end of their senior year and graduate with their class. In the Four Plus One option, the M.Ed. is earned after the fifth year, through the combined graduate work completed in their undergraduate senior year and in the one additional graduate-level year (15 months). During the extra year, students are expected to take four graduate classes a semester (full-time enrollment required).

Four Plus One Coursework and Project:

Students must complete 33 credit hours of coursework for the graduate degree. At least 24 credit hours must be taken at the graduate level.  Special education faculty will work closely with the student and the student’s undergraduate advisor to select courses that will support a student’s interests and career path.  The Special Education program offers multiple options for coursework, providing students pathways that will enhance their understanding, awareness, and acceptance of individuals with disabilities

Four Plus One Admission

Students apply for the Four Plus One during their junior year (at least 60 but no more than 100 completed credit hours applicable towards the undergraduate degree). Students must have an undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or higher. Dr. Sarah K. Howorth will be the point of contact for the Four Plus One program. 

The application deadline is February 1. Students complete the Four Plus One application (currently on file with UMaine Online and used for the Four Plus One special education program with UMM).  Students will submit the application directly to the program point of contact rather than to the Graduate School. The Special Education Program Admission Committee will make admissions decisions no later than March 1.

Please note that admission to the Four Plus One option includes provisional admission to the Graduate School. Formal application for admission to the MEd program (including payment of the application fee) must be made through the Graduate School and should occur no later than the spring of the senior year. The GRE requirement is not required for students in the Four Plus One option in special education.  Also, note that students must maintain a 3.0 GPA or higher through the completion of the undergraduate degree in order to gain full admission to the accelerated M.Ed. program and be allowed to double count credits.

Students who meet the above requirements must matriculate in the M.Ed. program within three months after receiving their undergraduate degree in order to apply the double-counted credits towards the M.Ed. degree. Students in the Four Plus One option must complete the M.Ed. curriculum within 15 months of matriculation. Under extraordinary circumstances, a student may petition to delay matriculation up to an additional 12 months.

 

Faculty contacts can be found here.

 

Contact information:

Dr. Sarah K. Howorth, Special Education Program Coordinator

sarah.howorth@maine.edu 207-581-2448).

 

Maine Access to Inclusive Educational Resources

On October 1, 2022 Maine Access to Inclusive Educational resources was launched. Maine Access to Inclusive Education Resources (MAIER) serves as an information and resource clearinghouse for professionals and families to assist in accessing and navigating programs and services related to inclusive education of students with disabilities. MAIER ensures that professionals, families and individuals who are at risk of or have identified disabilities receive information about practices to promote inclusion that are grounded in research. Specifically, MAIER’s services to the state are guided by four high-leverage practices to promote inclusion and equity in education. We work to build statewide capacity in support of our mission through leadership, training, professional development, technical assistance, collaborative consultation, technology and research. MAIER is located at the University of Maine in Orono.

How was MAIER founded?

MAIER is a unique partnership between the Maine Department of Education Office of Special Services and Inclusive Education and the University of Maine College of Education and Human Development. The program was established in 2014 with significant financial support from Maine DOE, which continues to provide the bulk of its funding today. These organizations have joined forces to promote evidence-based strategies and effective practices for inclusive education throughout Maine.  

Who is MAIER for?

MAIER offers something for everyone. The project’s services to the state are guided by four high-leverage practices to promote inclusion and equity in education:

• Collaboration
• Assessment
• Social/Emotional/Behavioral
• Instruction

Specifically, MAIER provides:

• Technical assistance on inclusive practices provided upon request to school districts to promote inclusive teaching practices such as Universal Design for Learning, co-teaching, and High-Leverage Practices to Promote Inclusion.
• A clearinghouse for information on evidence-based practices (EBPs) and High-Leverage Practices to Promote Inclusion.
• Information guides on EBPs and High-Leverage Practices to Promote Inclusion.
• A calendar of events in Maine related to inclusive education practices for families and professionals.
• Research, including presentations of MAIER’s work at state and national education and professional conferences.
• Using EBPs review to develop online resources and toolkits to support Maine’s educators and families, thereby improving the quality of the information provided to Maine educators, parents, caregivers and family members.

Maine Access to Inclusive Educational Resources

5766 Shibles Hall, 303

Orono, ME 04469

Phone: 207.581.2448

Fax: 207.581.9510

maier@maine.edu

 

For more information, see https://umaine.edu/maier/