The School of Education at Kentucky State University (KSU) offers an on-line program for a Master of Arts (MA) in Special Education with Certification in Learning and Behavior Disorders (P-12). The intent of this program, which is referred to as the MASPE program, is to increase the diminished supply of special education teachers by targeting qualified college graduates, including those whose degrees are in fields other than education, and guiding them to move expeditiously through an intensive training and clinical experience, become certified special education teachers, and obtain a Master degree. The program serves as an Education Professional Standards Board (EPSB), Option 6 – alternative certification opportunity for those who wish to serve as Temporary Provisional (TP-TC) certified teachers in Special Education classrooms throughout the Commonwealth. It is designed specifically to lead to teacher certification in the area of Learning and Behavior Disorders (LBD, P-12.) Individuals who are not certified teachers may seek initial teaching certification in LBD and those who are certified in another area may seek an —add only certification in LBD. When successful graduates are employed as teachers in the Commonwealth of Kentucky, they are classified and compensated as Rank II. The following courses are required:
ESP 502: Legal & Parental Issues in Special Education
ESP 504: Theories of Reading & Educational Practices P-12
ESP 505: Teaching Mathematics to Children and Youth with Learning & Behavior Disorders
ESP 507: Introduction to Special Education
ESP 510: Curriculum and Methods in Learning and Behavior Disorders
ESP 511: Methods & Strategies in Behavior Management
ESP 515: Research in Special Education
ESP 523: The Individual with LD: Learning & Development through the Lifespan
ESP 524: Instructional Assessment Methods
ESP 525: Inclusion, Collaboration, & Advocacy
ESP 526: Prescriptive Teaching
ESP 573: Practicum in Special Education OR
ESP 574: Supervised Teaching in Special Education OR
ESP 575: Supervised Student Teaching in Special Education
ESP 501: Special Topics in Education (Elective)
The MASPE program is founded on personal student support, high expectations, relevant and practical experiences, and distance learning technology. From the beginning candidates are mentored in how to succeed in an electronic educational environment, and they are provided 24/7/365 support in accessing course content, instructors, and colleagues from wherever telephone or Internet service is available. The MASPE program consists of a series of carefully designed, interactive, accelerated coursework and field experiences. Each semester of coursework consists of two eight-week sessions that are delivered utilizing a variety of instructional electronic modalities. This on-line program requires a number of field experiences totally at least 200 hours prior to the final clinical experience. The only difference in requirements for students with varying experiential backgrounds is the final clinical course.
There are three different courses: ESP 573 Practicum is a three (3) credit hour course for students who are enrolled as Alternative Certification – Option 6 Temporary Provisional certified Special Education teachers of records in accredited schools across the Commonwealth of Kentucky. The ESP 574 Supervised Teaching a six (6) credit hour course is designed for the MASPE candidate who has at least three years of experience as a professional educator, in a P-12 school, and is not currently a Special Education Teacher of record in a public school. It is at least 70 days of full-time supervised teaching in an elementary school, middle school, or high school setting, with students who have IEPs for EBD and/or LD.
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