Augustana University seeks to prepare graduates of the Master of Education in special education (M.Ed. in SPED) program to become well-prepared teachers and leaders competent to support children and youth with disabilities in educational settings.
The program provides in-depth knowledge within the K-12 specialization area, as well as application of research to educational practice.
The core courses component of the Augustana M.Ed. in SPED Program enables students to interface a liberal arts perspective with rigorous, professional education training.
The graduate degree program in the Sharon Lust School of Education emulates the Circle of Courage philosophy focusing on belonging, mastery, generosity and independence. The program is designed to enhance an individual’s ability to create positive learning environments by building classrooms and schools that promote belonging, mastery, generosity and independence. To that end, the program provides in-depth knowledge and application of educational research to classroom practice.
Goals
- Assume the role of teacher-scholar
- Exhibit strong communication skills, including writing with a variety of purposes and audiences in mind
- Demonstrate reflective, professional dispositions in both work and interactions
Outcomes
- Apply legal and ethical standards related to the education of children and youth with disabilities
- Use evidence-based, research-grounded interventions to the support learning and behavior of children and youth with disabilities
- Develop and apply instructional practices based on knowledge of children and youth with disabilities, their families, communities and curricular standards
- Assess the development and learning of children and youth with disabilities and use that information to direct and monitor the effectiveness of interventions
- Develop skills for supporting collaboration with families, including skills needed to effectively collaborate with others to accomplish this
- Analyze, synthesize and apply research to inform professional practice
- Demonstrate ability in scholarly writing