Teachers with Special Education Skill Sets Are Needed to Help Meet Students’ Needs

Dr. Julie Norflus-Good, Director of the Master of Arts in Special Education at Ramapo College, showing students how to differentiate Math instruction while using Geo Models.

Over 230,000 students in New Jersey were classified with learning disabilities that require special education as of this past academic year.¹ 1 in 41 children in New Jersey are diagnosed with Autism, which is higher than the National average of 1 in 68.² Children with all types of special needs require specialized instruction and individualized approaches throughout their education, that can only be provided by a trained Special Educator. It is clear from these statistics that there is an increased need for Special Educators in NJ. Recognizing this need for teachers with specific skill sets who can work with children on their individual strengths and weaknesses, Ramapo College of New Jersey has developed a specialized graduate degree program in Special Education (MASE).

Many students, with and without diagnosed learning disabilities, have Individualized Education Plans (IEPs) that provide customized educational goals and a plan to accomplish those goals. Statewide, almost 83 percent of NJ students had an IEP in the last academic year.³ Teachers need to modify the curricula, differentiate instruction, and work on social and emotional issues that meet the specific individual needs of each of their students. Ramapo College of NJ recognized this growing need to expand the skill set and tools that today’s teacher can use to help their students achieve, and in response, developed a Master of Arts in Special Education (MASE) program. Designed with the active classroom teacher in mind, the program provides prospective special education teachers with the foundation and tools required to accommodate the diverse learning styles and varied levels of instruction that address the needs of K-12 students. Teachers trained in Special Education learn skills that they can apply to all students – in the general classroom but also in specialized learning settings that can help to address the specific situations of children with special needs. A special education teacher can work with a variety of children who have various mild to moderate learning, emotional, cognitive, and/or physical disabilities. The MASE program enables teachers to focus on differentiating instruction and adapting or modifying general education curricula, such as reading, writing and math. These specially trained educators can also teach basic skills concepts, such as literacy, life skills, and communication techniques, to students with severe disabilities.

Working in the field of special education offers opportunities for teachers to work as partners with; colleagues, parents, trained specialists and the community while positively impacting the lives of children and their families. Ramapo’s 36 credit MASE addresses the various issues in Special Education today and provides the tools and techniques for an individual to become a successful and empowered special educator in the 21^st century classroom.

Teachers who want to develop new ways to help their students succeed can learn more about Ramapo’s Special Education Master’s Degree program at www.ramapo.edu/mase

¹Source: State of NJ, Dept of Education, Data & Reports, http://www.nj.gov/education/specialed/data/2014/State_Classification.pdf 

²Source: Autism NJ and CDC Autism Prevalence Study Results, http://www.autismnj.org/prevalence-rates

³Source: State of NJ, Dept of Education, Data & Reports, http://www.nj.gov/education/specialed/data/

Categories: MASE