Special Education: Secondary Certification (BA)

Program Description

The Special Education major with teacher certification will develop you into a teacher with the knowledge and skills to design and implement appropriate education for students with disabilities. You must major in either Special Education: Elementary Emphasis with Certification or Special Education: Secondary Emphasis with Certification.

To become a P–12 certified Washington state Special Education teacher, you must complete the Elementary Emphasis with Certification or the Secondary Emphasis with Certification, which requires admission to the School of Education as well as to your major. You will also be required to complete additional content at SPU to receive a dual endorsement as mandated by the state. Your faculty advisor and the certification officer in the School of Education will guide you through these requirements and processes. Contact them for guidance as soon as possible once you enroll at SPU.

Second Endorsement: Secondary

Washington state requires that teacher candidates pursuing an endorsement in Special Education must also earn a second endorsement (e.g., Elementary Education, English Language Arts, Math, etc.) in order to receive their Residency Teacher Certificate. While the Special Education endorsement qualifies students to teach in a P-12 setting, the second endorsement area needs to be earned either at the elementary level (kindergarten through 8th grade) or the secondary level (middle school or high school).

You will need to choose either the Elementary Emphasis track or the Secondary Emphasis track in the major, based on the second endorsement area you will complete. If you are not sure which endorsement or emphasis track they should pursue, contact the Special Education major advisor or the Certification Office for assistance in deciding.

If you would like your second endorsement to be at the middle school or high school level, you may select between English Language Arts or Math. If you are interested in a different endorsement area, contact the Certification Office to discuss what other options may be available.

You will need to meet the minimum content knowledge for your chosen second endorsement. This consists of approximately 30 additional credits for either the English Language Arts endorsement or the Math endorsement. The required courses for the English Language Arts endorsement can be found in the section called Certification—English Language Arts Content Courses on this document. For the Math endorsement, please contact the Certification Office to determine what courses are required. Note that a grade of ‘C’ or better is required for all classes going towards certification, regardless of major requirements. Transfer students may be able to take fewer courses than listed, depending on courses transferred to SPU.

Washington state requires that teacher candidates meet a specific set of competencies through their coursework. These competencies can change, so it is important to work with the Certification Office to ensure classes are currently appropriate to fulfill state requirements. Make an appointment with the certification advisor as soon as possible to develop a plan of study by stopping by the front SOE office in Peterson Hall 300 or emailing the Certification Office.

Entering and Completing the Major

In order to earn a degree, you must complete at least one academic major. SPU encourages students to explore various academic paths, so if you change your mind about a major, or want to include an additional program, you are able to do so, as outlined below.

Note that the University encourages you to enter your chosen major(s) as soon as you have determined it and are eligible to join it, especially by the start of your junior year. Students who transfer as juniors and seniors should enter a major within their first two quarters at SPU.

If this is your first quarter at SPU and you identified a major in this department as your first choice on your application for admission to the University, you have gained entry to the major. To change or add a major, follow these instructions.
If you are an SPU student with an SPU cumulative GPA of 2.0 or better, follow these instructions to enter a major in this department.
The University requires a grade of C- or better in all classes that apply to a major; however, programs may require higher minimum grades in specific courses. You may repeat an SPU course only once for a higher grade.
To advance in this program, meet with your faculty advisor regularly to discuss your grades, course progression, and other indicators of satisfactory academic progress. If your grades or other factors indicate that you may not be able to successfully complete the major or minor, your faculty advisor can work with you to explore options, which may include choosing a different major.
You must complete the major requirements that are in effect in the SPU Undergraduate Catalog for the year you enter the major.

Admission to the School of Education

When you enroll in the Education Foundations courses, you are considered a tentative candidate for admission to the School of Education. You will be required to prepare a formal application for full admission to the School of Education in the year prior to Professional year. Upon the fulfillment of all required prerequisites and full admission to the School of Education, you may take the primary sequence of courses leading to certification.

Admission to the School of Education requires the following:

Complete the all Education Foundation courses, achieving an average with no grade lower than a 2.0 (“C”). Your prerequisite coursework must be no more than five years old.
- Post-baccalaureate students only: Passing scores on the Washington state basic skills test (WEST-B), Washington state educators’ endorsement test (WEST-E/NES), and transcript evaluation by the School of Education must be completed prior to registering for Education Foundation courses
Receive two favorable recommendations from SPU faculty and staff. You will receive directions on this from the Certification Office prior to Professional year.
Complete a Interview with School of Education faculty.
Pass the SPU writing requirement of ENG 3301 Advanced Expository Writing, or both WRI 1000 Academic Inquiry and Writing Seminar and WRI 1100 Disciplinary Research and Writing Seminar, with a grade of 2.0 (“C”) or better.
Achieve a minimum cumulative 3.0 GPA or a 3.3 GPA in the last 45 credits of college or university work.
Documentation of meeting the SOE preferred scores on the basic skills tests (reading, writing and math); official Washington Educator Skills Test - Basic (WEST-B) SAT, or ACT scores are required.
Accepted into a major.
Take the appropriate Washington Educator Skills Test – Endorsement (WEST-E/NES) for each endorsement being earned. Taking the exams will allow you to register for Professional year; however, tests must be passed with official scores to SPU prior to September 1 of Professional year.
Complete fingerprint and pre-residency clearance through OSPI.
Complete a formal application for admission to the School of Education.
Senior standing (135 credits).
Completion of 15 upper-division credits in student’s major.
Maintaining a 3.0 cumulative GPA or 3.3 in the last 45 credits throughout the program.

Registration

Students will need School of Education permission to register for most classes in the certification program. Before registering, contact the School of Education to confirm that you have passed the appropriate prerequisites.