Special Reading, M.A.Ed.

Course Requirements (31 credit hours)

Additional requirements for the certification include a Missouri certificate of license to teach, two years classroom teaching experience, and completion of a course in each of the following areas: Psychology of the Exceptional Child, Child & Adolescent Psychology, & Behavior Management.

• ED 564 - Consultation, Collaboration & Family Engagement: Special Education (1)
• ED 652 - Methods of Teaching Language & Literacy (3)
• ED 656 - Advanced Literature For Youth (3)
• ED 661 - Second Language Acquisition (3)
• ED 670 - Advanced Assessment & Remediation (3)
• ED 671 - Advanced Teaching of Secondary Literacy (3)
• ED 673 - Evaluation of Abilities & Assessment (3)
• ED 674 - Supervision of Literacy Program (3)
• ED 689 - Educational Research (2-3)
• ED 697 - Advanced Literacy Clinical Elementary (3)
• ED 698 - Advanced Literacy Clinical Secondary (3)

School of Education Master’s Program Policies

Admissions Requirements

The admission requirements for graduate programs in the School of Education can be found on the Admissions  page. Students must also meet the following:

• Have a grade point average of 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale for all undergraduate or graduate-level coursework. Students with a GPA less than 3.0 or at least 2.75 may be admitted provisionally. Students admitted provisionally to the program must achieve a 3.0 GPA on the first nine credits in their program of study.
• The admissions committee will consider all applications to evaluate any additional prerequisite courses needed.
• Submit official transcript/s of the bachelor’s degree.

Student Status within the Graduate Program

Student in Good Standing

• Has successfully met all entrance requirements.
• Has maintained an overall GPA of 3.0 or better with no grade below “C” (only one course with “C” grades is allowed; students may retake a class with a grade below a “C” once).

Probationary Status

• A student may change status from “Student in Good Standing” to “Student on Probation” if any of the following criteria are met: overall GPA falls below 3.0 or student receives a grade of “C” or lower in any course.
• Students on probation due to GPA have six credit hours to return their GPA to 3.0 or above to regain “Good Standing”. Failure to raise the GPA may lead to dismissal from the program.

Professional Conduct

Students in the program are expected to conduct themselves as professionals-in-training both inside and outside the virtual classroom. We encourage and expect students to treat others (including classmates and instructors) with sensitivity and dignity. Impairment, incompetence, ethical misconduct, and/or problematic behavior may be identified and addressed in a variety of ways and by a variety of persons, including but not limited to students, faculty, supervisors, clients, and/or members of the community. If student behaviors or attitudes are egregious, he or she may be dismissed immediately. If student behaviors or attitudes are less dire, they will be addressed in a confidential meeting with the student’s faculty advisor and/or Dean of the College of Professional Schools who will make a plan for remediation in an articulated time frame. At the end of the stated period, during which time the students would be placed on probation, he or she could return to Student in Good Standing status, continue on probation, or be dismissed depending upon the ability to successfully complete the corrective action. Students may appeal this process at any time.

Outcomes

Students who complete the Master of Arts in Education degree will meet the following outcomes:

• Understand the characteristics and needs of literacy learners at various stages of development.
• Analyze and critique past practices and current trends in literacy learning, teaching, and evaluation.
• Know and access the wide array of texts types available for use with literacy learners.
• Consider a range of theories, approaches, methods, and techniques for learning and teaching literacy.
• Utilize appropriate evaluation tools and remedial procedures.
• Design and implement individualized instructional programs for struggling readers and writers based on assessment results.
• Apply literacy teaching skills in supervised settings.
• Discuss literacy concerns with students, parents, and other school professionals.
• Understand the evolving nature of literacy learning and teaching and have strategies for dealing effectively with the change.

Assessment

Outcomes for the Master of Arts in Education degree are assessed through signature assessments, and research action projects as indicated on course syllabi.