Childhood / Special Education (1-6), Bachelor of Science in Education / Master of Science in Education

St. John's University

Today teachers must be prepared to work with students with diverse needs and abilities. The inclusion movement mandates placing special education students in general education classrooms, regardless of their disability. This mandate changes special education from a pull-out to a pull-in program. According to Dr. Sally Smith, Director of the Lab School in Washington, DC, inclusion will make it necessary for the general education and special education teachers to co-teach. They will plan lessons and teach together and share responsibilities for assessing a student’s mastery of skills and socialization. The BSED/MSED program prepares students for the challenges of inclusion because they will have two field and two student teaching experiences and be involved in numerous visits to special education facilities throughout their training.Having knowledge of and experience with children with a variety of exceptionalities, graduates of this program will be ready to serve in inclusionary settings as teachers, resource persons and program organizers in the 21st century.

The School of Education