Career and Education Opportunities
Program graduates will be able to assume such positions as:
- Early childhood teachers in general education or inclusion settings
- Special education collaborative team teachers
- Special education itinerant teachers
- Special education teachers in self-contained settings
- Providers of one-on-one home-based early intervention services
- Graduates of either the Career Change or the Field Change Master’s Programs will qualify for New York State dual certification in early childhood education (B-2) as well as for teaching students with disabilities (B-2), provided all state-mandated external tests, training modules and teaching experiences are completed.
Top Outcomes for this particular program
In this program you will develop the ability of teachers, attitudes, and skills to identify and remediate learning and behavior disorders, ranging from mild to profound, regardless of etiology. This program will support your understanding of child development, its variation, intervention strategies, program planning, and assessment. You will learn to implement evidence-based strategies from current research in various early childhood educational settings.
The program prepares graduates to:
- Demonstrate knowledge of human developmental processes and variations
- Engage all young children in play, learning, and interaction in meaningful ways
- Collaborate effectively with parents, families, educators, and related service providers
- Develop skills that facilitate the use of research and technology in the broader context of special and inclusive education
- Use the basic principles and strategies of the science of applied behavior analysis with students who have disabilities
- Use, interpret and analyze various forms of assessment (formal, informal, formative, summative) to gather detailed information, from multiple sources, about student learning
- Create and implement educational programs for children with disabilities
- Assess and evaluate the development and implementation of effective strategies for children with learning and behavior challenges in early childhood educational settings
- Interpret and apply standards of professional and state organizations
Top three features/qualities of our program:
Our full-time faculty is highly qualified with many years of experience working with individuals with disabilities, and their families, in diverse school and clinical settings, and is also actively engaged in research and professional service. Further, we have a strong supporting Adjunct faculty that brings unique practitioner inputs to our programs. To access information about our Faculty, please visit:
http://www.stjohns.edu/academics/schools-and-colleges/school-education/education-specialties-and-counseling/department-faculty
Our courses are offered across multiple campus sites (Queens, Manhattan, Staten Island, and Long Island) with ample online course offerings. Online courses allow students to learn at their own pace and participate in interactive and creative online learning opportunities
Programs that offer multiple opportunities for engagement in professional activities, academic service learning, and global education consistent with the University’s Catholic and Vincentian mission. Our school’s mission of “Preparing teachers, counselors, and administrators as transformational leaders who honor the dignity of all people” guides our programs and informs our practice each day.
Why is the experience unique at St. John’s ?
Our students complete 150 hours of supervised special education practicum in various settings including self-contained, inclusive, and mainstreamed classrooms. St. John’s program is unique in that it allows students to develop skills to teach exceptional students in schools, clinics, and early intervention settings. Students are exposed to instructors, current researchers, and leaders in the field of special education who have many years of experience and expertise working directly with children in diverse, multicultural, and high-needs urban and suburban school settings.
Our graduates are successful and highly proficient teachers trained to meet the highest professional standards in special education set by the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC), through rigorous course work based on evidence-based practices, applied observation and practicum experiences, and engagement in student activities, including academic service learning. We are excited to welcome you to join this cadre of effective teachers and global citizens effecting change in the lives of children and youth through education and service.
Our students participate in many online learning opportunities that allow for current and effective use of online resources for research and practice in special education and preparation for careers in an increasingly global and digital world
Our students engage in several professional and networking events throughout their program developing their competencies to effectively communicate and interact with stakeholders in collaborative and inclusive ways. Please visit our CEC Student Chapter page at cecatsju.weebly.com to learn more about the exciting opportunities for professional preparation and student engagement that we offer to our students as part of their overall experience in our Special Education program.
Success Stories
We succeed in graduating excellent teachers, who are caring and sensitive individuals. Our graduates are always sought after by both public and private schools, including a host of Catholic programs.
Our graduates attest to their academic preparation and growth as professionals in the field of special education and inclusive collaborative services
“I felt very confident going into my first year of teaching and practicum this year after completing many of my courses”
Early Childhood Special Education Teacher
“The special education courses provided me with a different lens and particularly allowed the facilitation and continuity of being mindful of each student’s particular needs and style of learning.”
Early Childhood Special Education Teacher
“St. John’s really prepared me to grow as an educator and it prepared me to go out to schools and maintain a close connection with the teachers”
Childhood Special Education Teacher
PROGRAM NEWS
Programs in Special Education host a College Immersion Program for Youth and Young Adults with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities to increase inclusive opportunities in Higher Education: Funded Grant Project with the Cooke Center for Learning and Development, New York City (2016- present)