Graduate Courses in Education

The graduate level courses offered by the Curriculum and Instruction Department prepare candidates to grow professionally as service-oriented educators. Choose one or both options: ESOL graduate licensure &/or graduate courses in education.

ESOL Licensure Program

The ESOL Graduate Licensure Program will prepare students for KSDE ESOL endorsement at the k-6, 6-12, or pk-12 levels. These 15 credit hours are geared toward educators wishing to work with culturally and linguistically diverse students, but will also enhance the teaching skills for those in the regular classroom.

The ESOL licensure courses can be taken in conjunction with the core courses or, for those seeking licensure only, can be taken as a stand-alone program.

Although most candidates taking courses will be licensed teachers, the ESOL graduate certificate has open enrollment for anyone wishing to learn more about this field, such as those working with adult English language learners.

Required courses:

  • CI 628 Methods for teaching ESOL (3 hours)
  • CI 638 Language assessment(3 hours)
  • CI 648 Applied linguistics(3 hours)
  • CI 658 Cultural diversity(3 hours)
  • CI 668 Practicum(3 hours)

To receive the KSDE ESOL endorsement, candidates must already hold an active Kansas teaching license and pass the English to Speakers of Other Languages Praxis exam 5361 with a minimum score of 138. See more information below under Licensure Requirements.

Graduate Courses

The core graduate courses are designed around a project-based model in which students identify an area of interest, explore possibilities for change, implement the change, and report the results. Students can focus on what they perceive to be a problem in their local environment or experiment with a new teaching technique. The courses are sequenced to walk students step-by-step through the project while simultaneously providing the theoretical and practical knowledge needed to make wise decisions.

A sub-thread running through the courses is that of the teacher as leader. Activities built into the courses help students gain confidence to become a better advocate for their students, colleagues, and district.

Required courses:

  • CI 615 Foundations in Education (3 hours)
  • CI 620 Fundamentals of Action Research (3 hours)
  • CI 63x Curriculum and Instruction (3 hours)
  • CI 640x Teacher as Leader (3 hours)
  • CI 675 Master’s Project and Capstone (3 hours)

The 15 credit hours of core courses along with the 15 credit hours in the ESOL graduate certificate program constitute the needed courses for the M.Ed.*

*Licensure and degree programs pending KSDE and HLC approval anticipated in spring 2016.

Admission Requirements and Process

  • Application (no fee required)
  • Proof of bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution
  • Transcripts from all colleges
  • GPA of 3.0
  • Essay stating professional goals (approximately 300 words)
  • Two letters of recommendation

All materials are reviewed by a subcommittee of the Teacher Education Board. The subcommittee’s recommendation is forward to Teacher Education Board for final approval.

Provisional Admission

Candidates not meeting the GPA requirement identified above may be admitted to the program on a provisional status assuming there is reasonable evidence of candidate success. Provisionally admitted candidates must earn a minimum GPA of 3.0 in their first six hours in order to remain in the program.

Licensure Requirements

The Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) is the licensing authority in Kansas. According to Kansas regulations, the ESOL endorsement is considered an added endorsement and requires a teacher to already hold a license in another endorsement area prior to getting the ESOL endorsement.

Those teachers choosing to add the ESOL endorsement must pass Praxis licensure exam 5361 with a minimum score of 138. It is possible to add the ESOL endorsement by test only. If this option is desired, a candidate could take selected courses from the ESOL program in preparation for the exam.

As a general rule, the ESOL endorsement will be added at the level (k-6, 6-12, or pk-12) at which the regular license is held. It is possible in some cases to add the endorsement at another level. Please consult the licensure officer (Dr. Kirchner) for details.

It is possible to seek the licensure-only option for the ESOL endorsement for candidates who do not desire the graduate courses or who already hold a master’s degree.

A provisional license is available for candidates who have been hired to teach ESOL classes while simultaneously completing the licensure coursework. A provisional license is good for two years and may be renewed once with proof of successful completion of coursework. In order to obtain the provisional license a candidate must 1) already hold a valid teaching license, 2) have completed at least 50 percent of the ESOL program, 3) complete a plan of study, and 4) show proof of employment in the area.




Master of Education Course Descriptions

CI 610 Issues in Learning

3 cr hrs
This course will identify national and regional issues surrounding education and the ways these issues impact educators.

CI 615 Foundations of Education/ Cultures in Education

3 cr hrs
This course will explore issues, problems and solutions relevant to schooling in a pluralistic society by viewing schools as social institutions that reflect and influence both the values and the cultural dynamics of a society at large. Issues of race, social class, and gender will be explored as factors of inequity that shape students and teachers both in and out of the classroom. Starting with their own lives, students investigate education as an agent of social change.

Class work as well as experiential assignments will assist participants’ exploration of their own as well as their students’ identities in order to identify the effects of various factors on the teaching experience, educational culture, and school change efforts. Special attention will be given to considerations necessary to implement action research projects.

CI 620 Fundamentals of Action Research.

3 cr hrs
This course provides a structured approach to the practice of action research. Educators learn how to identify relevant issues, become involved in collaborative inquiry, and use data and research to inform their practice, improve student academic success, and contribute to positive change in their schools. Students will begin to apply action-research methodologies in their own environments.

CI 625 Curriculum and Instruction

3 cr hrs
This course begins with a historical look at the development of the curriculum in American schools followed by a review of current curricular trends. After exploring what is taught, attention is turned to how it is taught. Multiple approaches of instructions will be explored; each based on a different philosophical theory.

CI 630 Changes in Education

3 cr hrs
This course will focus on systemic and structural change at the school and classroom levels. Case studies of school change models, both traditional and experimental, will be examined and discussed as possibilities and springboards for candidates’ own action research projects. Emphasis will be placed on the collaborative nature of successful school change as well as analysis of examples of failures. Guest speakers will also provide insight into dimensions of school change.

CI 640 Teacher as Leader

3 cr hrs
Teacher as Leader is a graduate course designed to explore several roles that instructional leaders engage in, such as classroom leader, team leader, school leader, organization leader, and/or professional leader. Theoretical perspectives and research examining issues related to group dynamics, motivation, communication, and human relations are explored. Students will look at organizational change, ethical decision-making, team building and adult learning theory.

CI 645 Data Collection and Proposal Development

6 cr hrs
Educators will engage in reflective practices as they develop a plan for action research, collect and analyze appropriate data, and develop data-informed decisions/actions to improve student learning and enhance professional growth.

CI 665 School and Community Partnerships

3 cr hrs
The purpose of the School and Community Partnerships course is for students to connect business and community resources with school resources to enrich students’ educational experience and increase student achievement and/or knowledge. Real world examples will inform students’ inquiry into ways partnerships can be forged and sustained. Particular consideration will be paid to the schools and communities in which students work.

CI 670 Legal Issues: Litigation v. Advocacy

3 cr hrs
This course is designed to familiarize educators with the legal system as it pertains to the educational process in order to empower educators to employ educational law to students’ advantage.

CI 675 Project Implementation

6 cr hrs
In this course, educators will use collected data to enact change. At the end of the implementation period, students will engage in reflective assessment of themselves and their program.

CI 650 Elective: Mentoring the Researcher

min 5 cr hrs
Additional courses / directed studies can be requested at any time for students seeking to better understand specific issues related to their projects. Students are required to take two hours of elective courses during their coursework.

SE 610 Foundations for Special Education Services

4 cr hrs
Our ultimate goal is to create classrooms in which future citizens can learn to respect individual differences, value diversity, and get along with one another. This course provides a safe environment in which to explore the history and philosophy of special education, policies and procedures in special education, and diversity in the classroom.

SE 615 General Methods for Special Education Services

4 cr hrs
This course addresses assessments used for eligibility, placement and curricular decisions (Module A), the special education process from pre-identification through individual program implementation (Module B), and effective collaboration and communication skills with diverse learners, families, colleagues, and community stakeholders (Module C). The course includes a supervised field experience (Module D) including a mandatory observation of the SPED 615 student’s teaching completed by the ACCK instructor. Prerequisite:  SPED 610.

SE 645 Behavior Management

2 cr hrs
This course addresses culturally sensitive methods for preventing and intervening with problem behavior. Topics include positive behavior intervention and supports, classroom management, social skills instruction, student support meetings, and functional behavioral analysis, non-aversive intervention, and behavior intervention plans.

 

SE 621 Grades K-6 Methods for Special Needs

4 cr hrs
This course addresses IEP implementation using evidence-based practices.  Emphasis is on collaborative teaching models.  Topics of study include lesson planning, basic skill and content area instruction, adapting methods and materials, and progress monitoring.  SPED 631:  Grades K-6 Field Experience must be taken concurrently.  SPED 631 will involve 15 to 20 contact hours with school aged children including 10+ intervention sessions with one student with high-incidence special education needs. Prerequisites: SPED 610 & 615

SE 631 Grades K-6 Field Experience

1 cr hr
This course is a supervised field experience with children in grades K-6 who have an identified disability. The course will emphasize evidence-based practices and techniques presented in SPED 621. Students will participate in IEP development, lesson planning, and instruction.

SE 661 Grades 6 – 12 Methods for Special Needs

4 cr hrs
This course covers both general and specific methods used by special educators to teach students with disabilities.  The course includes transition planning and IEP development, instructional planning, and selection of instructional methods to meet the needs of students with high-incidence special education needs. Approaches for selecting methods and materials, for delivering instruction, and for evaluating instructional outcomes based on assessment information will also be demonstrated.

SE 671 Grades 6 – 12 Field Experience

1 cr hr
This field experience course requires the learner to be assigned to work with a cooperating special education teacher for 15 hours and to work in the same setting(s) as the cooperating teacher. The learner may function in programs described as self-contained, interrelated, categorical, resource, itinerant, special day school, or some combination of these. This one-hour credit placement is made by arrangement through ACCK.  Outside preparation time will be required (six to nine hours per week outside preparation) beyond attendance at field experience meetings and required field-based hours. The grade for this class is contingent upon successful completion of the SPED 661 Methods course.

SE 641 Grades PreK-3 Methods for Special Needs

4 cr hrs
Grades PreK-3 Methods addresses matching strategies to individual and group needs using evidence-based practices.  Topics of study include learning plans, embedded instruction within a tiered framework, setting up the environment, adapting methods and materials, positive behavior supports, and progress monitoring.

SE 651 Grades PreK-3 Field Experience

1 cr hr
This is a supervised field experience with children in grades PreK-3 who have an identified disability. The course will emphasize evidence-based practices and techniques presented in SPED 641. Students will participate in IEP development, lesson planning, and instruction.

SE 681  Grades 4-12 Methods for Special Needs

4 cr hrs
This course covers both general and specific methods used by special educators to teach students with disabilities.  The course includes transition planning and IEP development, instructional planning, and selection of instructional methods to meet the needs of students with high-incidence special education needs. Approaches for selecting methods and materials, for delivering instruction, and for evaluating instructional outcomes based on assessment information will also be demonstrated.

SE 691 Grades 4-12 Field Experience

1 cr hr
This field experience course requires the learner to be assigned to work with a cooperating special education teacher for 15 hours and to work in the same setting(s) as the cooperating teacher. The learner may function in programs described as self-contained, interrelated, categorical, resource, itinerant, special day school, or some combination of these. This one-hour credit placement is made by arrangement through ACCK.  Outside preparation time will be required (six to nine hours per week outside preparation) beyond attendance at field experience meetings and required field-based hours. The grade for this class is contingent upon successful completion of the SPED 681 Methods course.

SE 733  Grades K-6 Internship

4 – 6 cr hrs
This course is a supervised teaching experience with a special educator who provides services for elementary level students with high-incidence learning needs.  The pre-service teacher will work collaboratively with the cooperating special educator, families, and school team members to apply research-based knowledge of assessment, instruction aligned to IEP goals, and positive behavioral supports.  Emphasis is on reflective, culturally sensitive practice.

SE 771 Grades 6-12 Clinical Experience

4 – 6 cr hrs
This course is a supervised teaching experience with a special educator who provides services for elementary level students with high-incidence learning needs.  The pre-service teacher will work collaboratively with the cooperating special educator, families, and school team members to apply research-based knowledge of assessment, instruction aligned to IEP goals, and positive behavioral supports.  Emphasis is on reflective, culturally sensitive practice.

SE 773 Grades 6-12 Internship

4 – 6 cr hrs
This course is a supervised teaching experience with a special educator who provides services for elementary level students with high-incidence learning needs.  The pre-service teacher will work collaboratively with the cooperating special educator, families, and school team members to apply research-based knowledge of assessment, instruction aligned to IEP goals, and positive behavioral supports.  Emphasis is on reflective, culturally sensitive practice.

SE 751 PreK-12 Clinical Experience

4 – 6 cr hrs
This course is a supervised teaching experience with a special educator who provides services for elementary level students with high-incidence learning needs.  The pre-service teacher will work collaboratively with the cooperating special educator, families, and school team members to apply research-based knowledge of assessment, instruction aligned to IEP goals, and positive behavioral supports.  Emphasis is on reflective, culturally sensitive practice.

SE 753 PreK-12 Internship

4 – 6 cr hrs
This course is a supervised teaching experience with a special educator who provides services for elementary level students with high-incidence learning needs.  The pre-service teacher will work collaboratively with the cooperating special educator, families, and school team members to apply research-based knowledge of assessment, instruction aligned to IEP goals, and positive behavioral supports.  Emphasis is on reflective, culturally sensitive practice.




Master of Education Course Descriptions

CI 610 Issues in Learning

3 cr hrs
This course will identify national and regional issues surrounding education and the ways these issues impact educators.

CI 615 Foundations of Education/ Cultures in Education

3 cr hrs
This course will explore issues, problems and solutions relevant to schooling in a pluralistic society by viewing schools as social institutions that reflect and influence both the values and the cultural dynamics of a society at large. Issues of race, social class, and gender will be explored as factors of inequity that shape students and teachers both in and out of the classroom. Starting with their own lives, students investigate education as an agent of social change.

Class work as well as experiential assignments will assist participants’ exploration of their own as well as their students’ identities in order to identify the effects of various factors on the teaching experience, educational culture, and school change efforts. Special attention will be given to considerations necessary to implement action research projects.

CI 620 Fundamentals of Action Research.

3 cr hrs
This course provides a structured approach to the practice of action research. Educators learn how to identify relevant issues, become involved in collaborative inquiry, and use data and research to inform their practice, improve student academic success, and contribute to positive change in their schools. Students will begin to apply action-research methodologies in their own environments.

CI 630 Changes in Education

3 cr hrs
This course will focus on systemic and structural change at the school and classroom levels. Case studies of school change models, both traditional and experimental, will be examined and discussed as possibilities and springboards for candidates’ own action research projects. Emphasis will be placed on the collaborative nature of successful school change as well as analysis of examples of failures. Guest speakers will also provide insight into dimensions of school change.

CI 645 Data Collection and Proposal Development

6 cr hrs
Educators will engage in reflective practices as they develop a plan for action research, collect and analyze appropriate data, and develop data-informed decisions/actions to improve student learning and enhance professional growth.

CI 665 School and Community Partnerships

3 cr hrs
The purpose of the School and Community Partnerships course is for students to connect business and community resources with school resources to enrich students’ educational experience and increase student achievement and/or knowledge. Real world examples will inform students’ inquiry into ways partnerships can be forged and sustained. Particular consideration will be paid to the schools and communities in which students work.

CI 670 Legal Issues: Litigation v. Advocacy

3 cr hrs
This course is designed to familiarize educators with the legal system as it pertains to the educational process in order to empower educators to employ educational law to students’ advantage.

CI 675 Project Implementation

6 cr hrs
In this course, educators will use collected data to enact change. At the end of the implementation period, students will engage in reflective assessment of themselves and their program.

CI 650 Elective: Mentoring the Researcher

min 5 cr hrs
Additional courses / directed studies can be requested at any time for students seeking to better understand specific issues related to their projects. Students are required to take two hours of elective courses during their coursework.