Online Special Education MEd - Students with Moderate Disabilities

To find out more about courses in your concentration area, download the course rotation.

Pre-K-8 Course Rotation     5-12 Course Rotation

All Teacher Candidates will meet the following Professional Standards for Teachers:

• Curriculum, Planning, and Assessment standard: Promotes the learning and growth of all students by providing high quality and coherent instruction, designing and administering authentic and meaningful student assessments, analyzing student performance and growth data, using this data to improve instruction, providing students with constructive feedback on an on-going basis, and continuously refining learning objectives.
• Teaching All Students standard: Promotes the learning and growth of all students through instructional practices that establish high expectations, create a safe and effective classroom environment, and demonstrate cultural proficiency.
• Family and Community Engagement standard: Promotes the learning and growth of all students through effective partnerships with families, caregivers, community members, and organizations.
• Professional Culture standard: Promotes the learning and growth of all students through ethical, culturally proficient, skilled, and collaborative practice.

Teacher candidates from Fitchburg State University will demonstrate the knowledge and skills required for their license including the following subject-matter knowledge standards:

• Support the integration of standards for literacy across the content areas as outlined in the 2017 ELA/Literacy Framework. 
• Apply basic principles and concepts for digital literacy and computer science in Computing and Society, Digital Tools and Collaboration, and Computing Systems as outlined in the 2016 Digital Literacy Computer Science Framework. 
• Apply the theories of cognitive, social, emotional, language, and physical development from childhood through adolescence.
• Understand the characteristics and instructional implications of moderately and severely disabling conditions. 
• Apply special education policies and procedures.
• Support English learners through English learner education instruction. 

In addition to the standards above, each program has specific subject-matter knowledge standards that teacher candidates must meet.

Moderate Disabilities Prek-8

• Knowledge of the significant theories, approaches, practices, and programs for developing reading skills and reading comprehension:
  • Current research-based theories and practices for developing proficient and strategic readers; familiarity with programs and approaches for teaching literacy/reading.
  • Principles and research-based instructional practices for developing proficient readers (phonics and word recognition, vocabulary, reading fluency, comprehension, and the reading-writing connection).
  • Theories, research, and instructional practices for supporting readers with diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds, strengths, and challenges.
  • Knowledge of reading standards as outlined in the 2017 ELA/Literacy Curriculum Framework: reading for key ideas and details, craft and structure, integration of knowledge and ideas, and range of reading and text complexity.
    • Instructional practices for supporting comprehension in a variety of genres and content areas.
    • Knowledge of selection criteria for classroom literary and informational texts.
• Principles and research-based instructional practices for developing emergent reader skills (alphabetic principle, concepts of print, phonological and phonemic awareness).
• Phonemic awareness and phonics; principles, knowledge, and instructional practices.
• Use of assessment for instruction and intervention.
• Knowledge of a variety of formal and informal reading assessment tools.
• Use of data from screening, diagnostic, and formative assessments to identify individual strengths and weaknesses and to differentiate instruction (prepare mini-lessons, select appropriate materials, form flexible groups).
• Knowledge of Response to Intervention models/components, including tiered instruction, shared responsibility and decision-making, research-based interventions, and progress monitoring.
  • Diagnosis and assessment of reading skills using standardized, criterion- referenced, and informal assessment instruments.

Teacher candidates must demonstrate the necessary depth and breadth of content knowledge needed to support all students in mastering expectations outlined in the following Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks:

• 2017 English Language Arts (ELA)/Literacy Framework: Grades Pre-K-8
• 2017 Mathematics Curriculum Framework: Grades Pre-K-8     
• 2016 Science and Technology/Engineering (STE) Curriculum Framework: Grades Pre-K-8
• 2018 History and Social Science Framework: Grades PreK-8

In addition to the content outlined above that aligns with the Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks, teachers of Students with Moderate Disabilities should demonstrate the following knowledge and skills:

• Educational terminology for students with mild to moderate disabilities.
• Preparation, implementation, and evaluation of Individualized Education Programs (IEPs).
• Design or modification of curriculum, instructional materials, and general education classroom environments for students with moderate disabilities.
• Instruction on the appropriate use of augmentative and alternative communication and other assistive technologies.
• Ways to prepare and maintain students with disabilities for general education classrooms; for example, use of behavioral management principles.
• Knowledge of services provided by other agencies.
• Federal and state laws and regulations pertaining to special education.

Moderate Disabilities 5-12

Teacher candidates must demonstrate the necessary depth and breadth of content knowledge needed to support all students in mastering expectations outlined in the following Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks:

• 2017 English Language Arts (ELA)/Literacy Framework: Grades 3-12
• 2017 Mathematics Curriculum Framework: Grades 3-12
• 2016 Science and Technology/Engineering (STE) Curriculum Framework: Grades 3-12
• 2018 History and Social Science Framework: Grades Pre-K-8

In addition to the content outlined above that aligns with the Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks, teachers of Students with Moderate Disabilities should demonstrate the following knowledge and skills:

• Educational terminology for students with mild to moderate disabilities.
• Preparation, implementation, and evaluation of Individualized Education Programs (IEPs).
• Design or modification of curriculum, instructional materials, and general education classroom environments for students with moderate disabilities.
• Instruction on the appropriate use of augmentative and alternative communication and other assistive technologies.
• Ways to prepare and maintain students with disabilities for general education classrooms. For example, use of behavioral management principles.
• Knowledge of services provided by other agencies.
• Federal and state laws and regulations pertaining to special education.

Teachers of Students with Moderate Disabilities should demonstrate the following knowledge and skills:

• Educational terminology for students with mild to moderate disabilities.
• Preparation, implementation, and evaluation of Individualized Education Programs (IEPs).
• Design or modification of curriculum, instructional materials, and general education classroom environments for students with moderate disabilities.
• Instruction on the appropriate use of augmentative and alternative communication and other assistive technologies.
• Ways to prepare and maintain students with disabilities for general education classrooms; for example, use of behavioral management principles.
• Knowledge of services provided by other agencies.
• Federal and state laws and regulations pertaining to special education.
• For all Moderate Disabilities, Pre-K-8 and 5-12; it is expected that they demonstrate the knowledge needed to support students in mastering the foundations of reading. 
  • Current research-based theories and practices for developing proficient and strategic readers; familiarity with programs and approaches for teaching literacy/reading.
  • Principles and research-based instructional practices for developing proficient readers (phonics and word recognition, vocabulary, reading fluency, comprehension, and the reading-writing connection).
  • Theories, research, and instructional practices for supporting readers with diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds, strengths, and challenges.
  • Knowledge of reading standards as outlined in the 2017 ELA/Literacy Curriculum Framework: reading for key ideas and details, craft and structure, integration of knowledge and ideas, and range of reading and text complexity. 
  • Instructional practices for supporting comprehension in a variety of genres and content areas.
  • Knowledge of selection criteria for classroom literary and informational texts.
• Principles and research-based instructional practices for developing emergent reader skills (alphabetic principle, concepts of print, phonological and phonemic awareness).
• Phonemic awareness and phonics; principles, knowledge, and instructional practices.
• Use of assessment for instruction and intervention.
• Knowledge of a variety of formal and informal reading assessment tools.
• Use of data from screening, diagnostic, and formative assessments to identify individual strengths and weaknesses and to differentiate instruction (prepare mini-lessons, select appropriate materials, form flexible groups). 
• Knowledge of Response to Intervention models/components, including tiered instruction, shared responsibility and decision-making, research-based interventions, and progress monitoring.
• Diagnosis and assessment of reading skills using standardized, criterion- referenced, and informal assessment instruments.

For admission to the online Master of Education in Special Education, Teacher of Students with Moderate Disabilities program, applicants must provide:

• Official transcript of a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution
• Three letters of recommendation
• Professional resume
• Passing scores for the Communication and Literacy subtest of the Massachusetts Test of Educator Licensure (MTEL) or copy of initial teaching license
• Official transcripts of graduate level course work from a regionally accredited institution (if applicable)
• Graduate application and fee
• An essay, no more than one page in length, in response to one of the following questions:
  • Tell us about a positive situation in which you helped a person and made a significant difference in that person’s life.
  • What are the most important factors in establishing a long-term working relationship with students, friends, etc.?
  • Tell us about a significant event that involved you in a teaching or helping mode.

We review applications on a rolling admission basis.

Fitchburg State offers one of the most affordable paths to a master’s in special education in Massachusetts. We keep our graduate tuition competitive to ensure that dedicated teachers can advance their careers without unnecessary financial burden

Graduate Tuition and Fees

If you're currently teaching on an emergency license and would like to connect with an Enrollment Counselor to learn more about your options for earning your initial teaching license and master's degree, as well as MTEL workshops Fitchburg State offers, please fill out this brief form:

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