Information for New Jersey Special Education Certification
Special education teachers work with students who have certain physical, emotional, mental, or learning disabilities. The job duties of special education teachers are determined by the area they specialize in, the school level they teach at, and the specific needs of their students. For example, a special education teacher might work with elementary school children on the autism spectrum or with high school students who have visual or hearing impairments. Usually, special education teachers work in concert with general education teachers, parents, and other specialists to develop individual learning plans and programs for their students.
To become a special education teacher in the state of New Jersey, you first need to earn general teacher certification in your chosen teaching area. This process includes earning a bachelor's degree, completing a teacher preparation program, and passing the Praxis II teaching certification exam. Then, you must complete an approved Teacher of Students with Disabilities program that includes coursework and clinical experience and apply for your special education endorsement.
Online New Jersey Special Education Certification Programs
There are several online special education teacher preparation programs, which can lead to a certificate or full master's degree, in New Jersey that are designed to help students meet the requirements for earning the Students with Disabilities certification. Further, most programs require that you are a licensed teacher to apply.
Rowan University
At Rowan University, currently licensed New Jersey teachers can complete a graduate-level Teacher of Students with Disabilities Graduate Endorsement program in a partially online, accelerated format. This program is designed to help students meet the academic requirements for New Jersey's Teacher of Students with Disabilities certification, and students must complete 21 total semesters hours through 8-week long classes that feature an online format. Additionally, students are required to complete extensive, in-person classroom field activities and placements. As such, students have an affiliation with a school district and have access to a classroom.
Rutgers University
Rutgers University offers a Teacher of Students with Disabilities Certification Endorsement Program that can be completed online. This program is for current New Jersey teachers who want to work with special education students at the elementary or secondary school level. Students are required to complete 7 total courses that cover literacy development, assessment, and child psychology in the context of exceptional, special education students.
Relay Graduate School of Education
On its Newark campus, Relay Graduate School of Education has the Newark Advanced Certificate in Special Education program, which is designed for current teachers who want to earn the Students with Disabilities certification and for already-certified teachers who want to hone their teaching skills and knowledge. As such, this program makes students eligible for the Students with Disabilities certification, and upon completion, students also receive 100 professional development hours. A good portion of the program's required courses can be completed online; however, students are required to attend in-person, evening class sessions, some Saturday classes, and in-classroom clinical experiences.
Stockton University
Stockton University offers a hybrid Master of Arts in Education degree that is for licensed New Jersey teachers and features an endorsement track in special education. This program aids teachers in earning the Teacher of Students with Disabilities certification, and it is accredited by the Teacher Education Accreditation Council (TEAC). Students take courses that cover such areas as behavior management, learning disabilities, and reading instruction. Additionally, while the endorsement-focused courses can be completed online, this program may require some face-to-face or hybrid classes, including the final capstone and research courses.
Requirements for New Jersey Special Education Certification Programs
Most online Teacher of Students with Disabilities certification programs require around 21 credits of coursework. As teachers are required to complete a supervised clinical experience for their certification, these programs generally cannot be completed 100% online, as students are required to complete clinical seminars, in-classroom training, and courses that consist of clinical experience.
Common Courses
Teacher of Students with Disabilities certification programs have a unique emphasis on special education students and topics. As such, you take courses that are designed to help you understand the needs of these students, how they learn, and teaching methods for instruction. Below are some common course topics you may study in your program.
Learning Disabilities
This is usually an introductory course that gives teachers a foundational knowledge in the field of learning disabilities. Students learn about the different cognitive and neurological characteristics of learning, reading, math, and functioning disabilities. There might also be a focus on intervention strategies or the socio-cultural and emotional side of students with disabilities and how those factors affect academic performance.
Assessment for Special Education
In this class, teachers learn basic educational assessment procedures, including norm-, criterion-, and individually referenced assessments. The purpose here is to equip teachers with the skills and knowledge they need to assess and measure the academic and nonacademic performance of their students and determine effective learning strategies and instruction for them.
Psychology of Exceptional Children
This is a course that helps teachers develop an understanding of the psychological issues, specific educational needs, and the characteristics of exceptional special needs students and students with disabilities. Students study psychology-focused concepts, such as the cognitive, social, educational, and motor development of special needs students. There is also a focus on the legal and ethical underpinnings of special education policies and programs.
To earn a special education teacher certification or endorsement in New Jersey, you must become a licensed teacher and complete an approved Teacher of Students with Disabilities program. Students in New Jersey have several choices for attending a program of this type in a partially online setting.
