University Personnel Preparation

You are facing a lot of decisions as you think about college. What will you major in? What school will you go to? Will you stay close to home or move away? Will you live with your parents or in a dorm? What colleges and universities offer the programs that you are looking for? For some people just figuring out what to major in is the hardest part. And there are others who have always known what field of study to pursue but face the biggest challenge in trying to find the right college to go to. Well, if you’re thinking about a career in the field of special education, we can at least help you find information about colleges and universities that have programs of study in this area.

On this page, you will find a list all of the colleges and universities in Kentucky that have programs to prepare people to become special education teachers. Farther down is a list of many of the related service programs. Finally, at the bottom of the page is information about financial aid for people going into special education.

You will immediately notice that not every school has a program in every possible area of special education. In fact, programs to prepare teachers for “low incidence” disabilities are offered only at a small number of schools. You should also be aware that some colleges have special education programs that are only for graduate students. Therefore, if you are interested in a particular program at a specific school, you need to contact them or visit their web site for further information.

Every college program will be a little different, but you will find that there are many similarities. All schools require that you meet the “general education requirements.” These foundation courses in English, mathematics, science, arts and humanities, and social science are required of anyone getting an undergraduate degree. These courses usually make up about one-third of your course work. Another quarter to one-third of your work will be education courses that all teachers take. These include foundations of education and methods of teaching reading, mathematics, social studies, and other subjects. This is required because a special education teacher must know the “general curriculum” for all students. The final third of your course work—including field experiences, and student teaching—will be in special education. The national organization that certifies special education programs requires that a college assure that all special education teachers are well prepared to demonstrate knowledge and skills in the following 10 areas:

1. Foundations of special education,
2. Development and characteristics of learners,
3. Individual learning differences,
4. Instructional strategies,
5. Learning environment and social interactions,
6. Language,
7. Instructional planning,
8. Assessment,
9. Professional and ethical practice, and
10. Collaboration.

These standards are used to design the special education classes you will take. While you will see variation across colleges in the names and the number of course, they all must address these standards.

The final factor that will affect what you will do in college is the area of special education in which you specialize. While the general standards are the same, some of the specifics are different for teachers of people with different kinds of leaning needs. In Kentucky, this has led to the development of different types of special education certification. The sensory disabilities of students with visual impairments and hearing impairments require skills that other special educators will not often need. Certification of teachers of students with learning and behavior disorders is usually described as preparing teachers to work with students with “mild” disabilities. This requires skill in providing accommodations for learning difficulties that hamper progress in traditional academic subjects. As a peer tutor, you are familiar with a teacher of students with moderate and severe disabilities. The skills in this field focus on maximizing access and participation of students with severe disabilities in school and the practical preparation of adult life. The final area of certification, Interdisciplinary Early Childhood Education, prepares teachers to work with very young children in early intervention and pre-school programs.

TEACHER CERTIFICATION PROGRAMS
IN KENTUCKY COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES

Teacher of Students with Learning and Behavior Disorders (P-12)

§         University of Kentucky
§         Morehead State University
§         Asbury College
§         Bellarmine University
§         Brescia University
§         Cumberland College
§         Eastern Kentucky University
§         Midway College
§         Murray State University
§         Northern Kentucky University
§         Spalding University
§         Union College
§         University of Louisville
§         Western Kentucky University

Teacher of Students with Moderate and Severe Disabilities (P-12)

§         University of Kentucky
§         Morehead State University
§         Eastern Kentucky University
§         Murray State University
§         University of Louisville
§         Western Kentucky University

Teacher of Visually Impaired Students(P-12)

§         University of Louisville

Teacher of Hearing Impaired Students(P-12) 

§          Eastern Kentucky University

Interdisciplinary Early Childhood Education (Birth to Primary)

§         University of Kentucky
§         Morehead State University
§         Berea College
§         Eastern Kentucky University
§         Kentucky State University
§         Murray State University
§         Northern Kentucky University
§         Spalding University
§         University of Louisville
§         Western Kentucky University

RELATED SERVICES TRAINING PROGRAM

If you are interested in a field other than special education teaching, you should be aware that some of these fields require a masters degree or higher to be a certified professional.  You should use the contact information below or the information provided in the section on related services to find out about degree requirements.  In addition, some of these graduate programs have very specific entrance requirements.  So if you are interested in a particular field, research the requirements so you can take the needed courses as an undergraduate. 

Communication Disorders (P-12) Speech Therapist

§         University of Kentucky
§         Eastern Kentucky University
§         Murray State University
§         University of Louisville
§         Western Kentucky University

Occupational Therapist

§         Eastern Kentucky University
§         Spalding University

Physical Therapist

§         University of Kentucky
§         University of Louisville/Bellarmine


Assistive Technology

§         University of Kentucky
§         University of Louisville

School Psychologist

§         University of Kentucky
§         Eastern Kentucky University
§         Murray State University
§         Western Kentucky University

School Nurse

§         Western Kentucky University

Audiologist

§         University of Louisville

Orientation and Mobility Specialist

§           University of Louisville

Rehabilitation Counselor

§         University of Kentucky

Kentucky Colleges and Universities with
Special Education and Related Services Programs

 

If your are interested in a field other than education, remember that those programs are often in a different department of the university or college than the special education courses.

FINANCIAL AID FOR STUDENTS PURSUING
SPECIAL EDUCATION CERTIFICATION
IN KENTUCKY COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES

Of course, students who are going to major in special education are eligible for all of the various forms of financial aid that any other college student can use.  The State of Kentucky has set up a special website to help all students find out about financial help for college.   The Kentucky Higher Education Assistance Authority website is the place for Kentucky students to look for assistance to attend college.

Several of its programs are of special interest to students planning to pursue a degree in teaching and especially in special education. 

The first program is the KHEAA teacher scholarship.

Additionally two federally funded student loan programs provide for loan payment deferment and forgiveness of people who teach in high-need fields (including special education) or in low-income areas.  This is explained in the following press release from KHEAA.

Some teachers may be able to get student loans forgiven

Frankfort, Kentucky (December 10, 2001) -- Kentucky teachers and college students studying to become teachers may be able to get some or all of their student loans forgiven, according to the Kentucky Higher Education Assistance Authority (KHEAA). KHEAA is the state agency that administers grant, scholarship, work-study, savings, and loan programs to help students pay for college or technical training.

Whether teachers can get loans forgiven and how much will be forgiven depends on several factors, including what kinds of loans they have, when they got the loans, and what and where they teach.

In the case of Federal Perkins Loans, all of the amount borrowed may be forgiven for five years of teaching service in certain low-income schools, special education, and fields with a shortage of teachers. Fifteen percent of the loan balance will be forgiven after each of the first and second years of qualified teaching service. Twenty percent will be forgiven after each of the third and fourth years, and the remaining 30 percent will be forgiven after the fifth year.

Borrowers should check to see if they received Perkins Loans. If they did, they should contact the financial aid office at the school they attended about the forgiveness program.

In the case of Federal Stafford Loans, borrowers who had no outstanding federal student loans as of October 1, 1998, are eligible. To qualify, they must teach at least five consecutive complete school years in a designated eligible low-income school. At least one of those years must be after the 1997-98 school year. Elementary teachers must demonstrate knowledge of and teaching skills in the elementary curriculum. Secondary teachers must teach in a subject area relevant to their major (Note: the guidelines specifically mention teaching in special education as qualifying at both levels). After the fifth consecutive year of qualified service, borrowers can have up to $5,000 in Stafford Loans forgiven.

Borrowers should contact the holder of their Stafford Loan if they think they are eligible.

Other eligibility conditions may apply. For more information, borrowers should contact their lender or call KHEAA at (800) 928-8926, extension 7273.

Information about these options can be found by visiting the U.S. Department of Education Web site.