Teaching Exceptional Children Licensure Program

TEACHING EXCEPTIONAL CHILDREN LICENSURE PROGRAM

PROGRAM OVERVIEW AND APPLICATION FOR SUMMER 2013

In June 2010, the Alliance for Catholic Education (ACE) at the University of Notre Dame began offering a new license pattern for those who wish to develop skills to meet the needs of children with mild to moderate disabilities in an inclusionary classroom, and to add this certification to their licenses.

Eligibility

This program is open to all licensed Catholic school teachers and administrators. In order to complete the practicum, participants must be in a setting where they can work with students with mild to moderate disabilities.

Curriculum

The curriculum consists of 18 credit hours (see table below). Six credits in a two-week summer session at Notre Dame must becompleted prior to enrolling in other courses. The summer coursework is followed by two Internet courses and a practicum (unsupervised but with product requirements) in the fall, and two Internet courses and a practicum in the spring. Candidates may choose to complete all coursework in one calendar year, or to take three credits each semester and complete in two years. Practicum courses may be completed in any Catholic school.

Summer: 6 credits / Fall: 6 credits / Spring: 6 credits
EDU 70200 Foundations in Exceptional Needs (2 cr.) / EDU 70206 Diagnosing and Managing Academic and Social Behavior (3 cr.) / EDU 70203 Effective Practices for the Learning Disabled (3 cr.)
EDU 70201 Education for Social and Emotional Wellness (2 cr.) / EDU 70204 Inclusionary Practices for Mild Disabilities (2 cr.) / EDU 70205Psycho-educational Assessment (2 cr.)
EDU 70202 Collaboration (2 cr.) / EDU 75201 Inclusionary
Practicum (1 cr.) / EDU 75202 Assessment
Practicum (1 cr.)

Licensure

The program leads to an Indiana license of “Teachers of Students with Exceptional Needs: Mild Interventions.” This should be reciprocal in most states that have a [Mild Interventions] license. Information is available upon request.

Cost

There is a one-time fee of $9,500 for the 18-credit hour program and for room and board (based on double occupancy) during the summer. Tuition does not include the cost of transportation to and from Notre Dame or the purchase of textbooks or materials. Teaching Exceptional Children(TEC) participants obtain financial support for tuition from a variety of different sources including federal funds, school and diocesan assistance, financial aid and scholarships.

Scholarship Options

Scholarships of up to $4,500 are awarded based on need and merit.For more information about scholarship options, see the Tuition Assistance Form.

Timeline

Applications are rolling, but will be reviewed beginning on February 1, 2013. All applications must be submitted in order for the review process to begin. Upon acceptance, applicants will also be required to complete an online application for summer session at Notre Dame.

For more information, contact Nancy Masters at 574-631-8147 or

APPLICATION FORTEACHING EXCEPTIONAL CHILDREN LICENSURE PROGRAM 2013

PERSONAL INFORMATION

Name: ______

Address: ______

Home Phone: ______Cell Phone: ______Email: ______

Date of Birth: ______Gender: _____ Religious Affiliation:______

ACADEMIC HISTORY

Undergraduate GPA:______Major:______

University conferring degree:______

Do you hold a graduate degree? Yes No

Degree:______University:______

Other graduate work:______

Are you an ACE graduate? Yes No If yes, what class were you? ______

TEACHING EXPERIENCE

Number of years teaching in Catholic schools: ______

School: ______Work Phone:______

School Address:______

(Arch)Diocese: ______

Grade level and/or subject: ______

Current teaching license you hold or expect to hold by summer 2012:

______

ADDITIONAL REQUIRED INFORMATION

Practicum Setting: In order to complete the TEC coursework a teacher must work with at least one child with a mild to moderate disability in his or her school setting. If your teaching situation is still unknown, please describe the likely site.

Please include a one pageresponse to eachof the following:

A statement explaining why you would like to participate in ACE-TEC.
Assess your knowledge of and experience with teaching children with mild to moderate disabilities.
Describe the support systems and resources in place at your school or diocese for children with mild to moderate disabilities.

Please include with this application:

Official college/university transcripts (may be mailed directly to Nancy Masters at 107 Carole Sandner Hall))
Copy of teaching license
Completed Principal Recommendation Form
Tuition Assistance Form

Mail all application materials to:

Nancy Masters

ACE-Teaching Exceptional Children

107 Carole Sandner Hall

Notre Dame, IN 46556

PRINCIPAL RECOMMENDATION FORM

Dear Administrator,

The teacher named on this form has expressed interest in participating in the Alliance for Catholic Education’s Teaching Exceptional Children (TEC) Program at the University of Notre Dame. The aim of the ACE-TEC program is to equip Catholic school teachers with the skills and dispositions to effectively teach children with mild to moderated disabilities in their classrooms. The TEC program, open to all licensed Catholic school teachers and administrators, is an 18 credit hour, graduate level program that leads to an Indiana license of “Teachers of Students with Exceptional Needs: Mild Interventions,” which is reciprocal in most states. Students in the TEC program complete 6 credits at Notre Dame during a summer session, which is followed by an internet course and practicum (unsupervised but with product requirements) in the fall (3 credits each), and an internet course and practicum in the spring. In order to complete the practicum, participants must teach in a setting where they can work with children with mild to moderate disabilities. The TEC program also seeks to positively impact entire school communities by requiring participants to sit on or establish a pre-referral team at their school.

We ask that you take a moment to give us your sense of this teacher’s fitness for the TEC program. Should you have any questions, please feel free to call me at (574) 631-3430 or email me at . Thank you, in advance, for your time and cooperation.

Sincerely,

Joyce V. Johnstone, Ph.D.

Ryan Director of Educational Outreach, University of Notre Dame

Principal Recommendation Form

Name of Applicant______

1= below average3= average5= above average

How would you describe this teacher’s commitment to working with diverse learners?

1------2------3------4------5

Comments:

How would you describe this teacher’s work ethic?

1------2------3------4------5

Comments:

How would you describe this teacher’s fitness for graduate level work?

1------2------3------4------5

Comments:

To what extent is this teacher respected by his or her colleagues?

1------2------3------4------5

Comments:

This teacher has my permission to complete his or her practicum with students in my school.
______
Name of Administrator (print) Signature of Administrator Date

Overall comments/recommendation:

______

Name of Administrator (print)Signature of Administrator Date

______

E-Mail AddressPhone Number

Tuition Assistance Form

Funding Options

There is a one-time fee of $9,500 for the ACE-TEC program, which includes eighteen credit hours and room and board at Notre Dame during the summer. Tuition does not include the cost of transportation to and from Notre Dame, nor the purchase of textbooks or materials. TECparticipants may obtain financial support for tuition from a variety of different sources. Please check any options you wish to use or pursue.

□I will pay tuition in full.

□My school or diocese is funding my tuition in the TEC program.

□I am applying for an ACE-TEC scholarship (up to $4,500).

□I will make use of Stafford or Perkins Loans accessed through Notre Dame’s Office of Financial Aid.

□I will be using Title II or III federal funds.

□I will participate in the Teacher Loan Forgiveness Program (for teachers in schools with 30% or more of the student population receiving free or reduced lunch).

□I will be turning over my AmeriCorps Education Award earned through prior service in ACE’s Service through Teaching Program.

Note: 18 credits over the course of one year is considered full time graduate student status at Notre Dame. Therefore, participants are often eligible for loan deferment.

Scholarship Information

Scholarships of up to $4,500 are awarded to eligible participants based on need and merit. Teachers accessing federal funds through Mind Streams to pay for their tuition are NOT eligible for TEC scholarships. If you wish to apply for an ACE-TEC scholarship, please complete the following application:

Name: ______

School: ______

(Arch)Diocese: ______

□I have more than $10,000 in school loans

Note: Loan document required for verification

□I teach in a school that receives Title I services

Note: School’s NCEA report required for verification

□I teach in an ACE school

□I have taught in Catholic schools for five or more years

Note: verification from either a principal or other source is required

□I am helping to pay college tuition bills for one or more children

Note: A copy of studentFAFSA form is required for verification

□I teach in a school with over 30% of the student population receiving free or reduced lunch.

□Other:

In the space below, please tell us how you heard about the TEC program.

Institute for Educational Initiatives, ACE Educational Outreach