Navigating the Path: Understanding Education Specialist Credential Requirements

For individuals with a passion for supporting students with disabilities, pursuing an Education Specialist Credential is a rewarding career path. This article delves into the requirements for obtaining this credential, providing a comprehensive guide for aspiring special education teachers.

Introduction: The Education Specialist Instruction Credential

The California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC) issues a two-level special education teaching credential designed to ensure educators are well-prepared to meet the diverse needs of students with disabilities. The credential authorizes the holder to provide instruction and special education support, as well as conduct educational assessments related to a student's access to the academic core curriculum. Support services can be provided in various settings, including:

Resource rooms or services
Special education settings
General education settings
Special schools
Home/hospital settings
State hospitals
Development centers
Correctional facilities
Non-public, non-sectarian schools and agencies
Alternative and non-traditional instructional settings
Public school settings other than classroom

The Commission has transitioned to the new preliminary and clear Education Specialist Instruction Credentials.

Understanding the Preliminary Credential

The Preliminary Education Specialist Instruction Credential serves as the initial certification for individuals who have met the foundational requirements. It is valid for five years from the date of issuance.

Requirements for the Preliminary Credential

To obtain the Preliminary Education Specialist Instruction Credential, candidates must fulfill several key requirements:

Basic Skills Requirement (BSR): Demonstrate proficiency in basic skills through one of the following options:
- Passing the California Basic Educational Skills Test (CBEST).
- Passing the California Subject Examinations for Teachers (CSET) Multiple Subjects Plus Writing Skills examination.
- Passing the CSU Early Assessment Program or the CSU Placement Examination.
- Achieving a qualifying score on the SAT or ACT.
- College Board Advanced Placement (AP) Examinations.
- Passing a basic skills examination from another state.
- Meeting the basic skills requirement through coursework.
- Meeting the basic skills requirement through coursework and exam.
Subject-Matter Competence: Demonstrate subject-matter competence through one of the following options:
- Passage of the appropriate CSET examination(s).
- Completion of a Commission-approved subject matter program.
- Completion of applicable coursework as verified by a Commission-approved program of professional preparation.
- Complete a degree major in one of the acceptable majors for the Multiple or Single Subject Credential.
- Complete a combination of coursework and examination options that meet or exceed the domains of the subject matter requirements.
- Verification of holding a valid California clear, professional clear, preliminary, Level I, or life teaching credential requiring a baccalaureate or higher degree, verification of subject-matter competence, and a program of professional preparation, including student teaching.
U.S. Constitution Requirement: Demonstrate knowledge of the U.S. Constitution by completing a college-level course with a "C" or equivalent grade or better, passing a college-level examination in the subject, or verifying AP exam credit for American History or American Government/Politics.
CPR Certification: Possess a valid certificate in cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) that covers infant, child, and adult CPR skills, meeting the standards established by the American Heart Association or Red Cross.
Teaching Performance Assessment (TPA): Successfully complete a Teaching Performance Assessment (TPA).

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Formal Recommendation: Obtain a formal recommendation for the credential from the program sponsor.
Degree: Complete a degree major from a regionally-accredited college or university in one of the statutory subjects available for a Single Subject Credential or in liberal studies.
Program: Complete a Commission-approved Education Specialist Credential program in an education specialist specialty area.

Program Admission Requirements

In addition to the general requirements, aspiring candidates must also meet specific program admission criteria:

Experiences Related to Working with Children or Youth: A minimum of 45 hours of experience (closer to 100+ hours if you want to be competitive) with diverse populations is required to be considered for program admission.
References: Applicants submit two reference forms.
Essay: Discuss a critical, current issue in teaching/education and the relationship of this issue to your motivation to become a teacher in a typed, two-page, double-spaced essay.
Transcripts: Applicants must provide official, sealed transcripts from every community college/college/university attended, even if only ONE class was completed.
Writing Proficiency: Satisfying writing proficiency is a program admission requirement.
Basic Skills Requirement (BSR): Satisfying the basic skills requirement is a program admission requirement.
Grade Point Average (GPA): Required In order to be considered for admission to a Teaching Credential Program, applicants must have attained a cumulative GPA of at least 2.67 in all baccalaureate and post-baccalaureate course work (if completed) OR a GPA of at least 2.75 in the last 60 semester or 90 quarter units attempted.
Pre-requisite Credential Courses: Complete Credential Prerequisite Courses
Mandatory Interview: Complete the Mandatory Interview.
Applications: Teaching credentials Supplemental Program Application, CSU Graduate School Application, Certificate of Clearance Application (and fingerprint clearance through CTC).

Preliminary Teaching Credentials

As new regulations become mandated by the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC) and the California Department of Education, requirements for meeting subject matter competency and/or requirements for all preliminary credential programs will be changed to comply with the new requirements. The preliminary credential program is legislated according to the SB 2042 (Preliminary) Credential requirements.

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Teaching Credentials offers a variety of pathways for completing the Preliminary Credential programs depending on the program: a one-year (two-semester) program; a three-semester program; a two-year (four-semester) program - Education Specialist programs only; part-time options are available which will increase time to program completion.

Field experience and student teaching are integral parts of the program leading to Preliminary Credentials. In both the Multiple Subject and Single Subject Teacher Preparation programs, candidates move through the program in cohorts. Full-time Education Specialist candidates follow a tightly-sequenced series of courses.

Specific Additional Admission Requirements

Course List: Code Title Units Prerequisites for Admission to Program (8 Units)
Course/experience equivalencies may be granted by assigned EDS advisor as warranted.
Program Requirements: Course List Code Title Units Program Coursework (38-40 Units)

Program Admission Requirements at a Glance

Experiences related to working with children or youth
References (2)
Essay
Official Transcripts from every college/university attended
Writing Proficiency
Basic Skills Competence (i.e., pass the CBEST)
Subject Matter Competence (i.e., pass the CSET)
Grade Point Average (GPA) of at least 2.67 overall or 2.75 in last 60 semester or 90 quarter units
Complete Credential Prerequisite Courses
Complete the Mandatory Interview
Applications Required at a Glance
Teaching credentials
Supplemental Program Application
CSU Graduate School Application
Certificate of Clearance Application (and fingerprint clearance through CTC)

Program Description

The Education Specialist Instruction Credential authorizes the holder to provide instruction and special education support as well as conduct Educational Assessments related to student's access to the academic core curriculum.

Special Education Internships

All Preliminary Education Specialist programs have been approved as internship programs. In order to be eligible for an Intern Education Specialist Credential, candidates must have been admitted and cleared all admission requirements for the credential program; have received the recommendation of a faculty member; have received an offer of employment from an employer; and be pursuing an internship with a district/school that has a written internship agreement (Memorandum of Understanding). Only candidates in their final semester of the program can be considered for internships.

Continued Enrollment

Continued enrollment in a Preliminary Credential Program is contingent upon the candidates maintaining a GPA of 3.0 in all professional education courses. If incomplete grades or grades of "D", "F", and "NC" (No Credit) are received in professional education courses, the candidate must withdraw from the program unless a specific exception has been approved by the Credential Appeals Committee.

Definition of Mild to Moderate Support Needs

Mild to Moderate Support Needs includes providing specially designed instruction to access grade level California Content Standards in the Least Restrictive Environment. The education specialist provides instruction and supports in one or more of the following domains: academics, communication, gross/fine motor, social-emotional, behavioral, vocational, and learning environment access skills. The supports may also include health, movement and sensory support. Mild to Moderate Support Needs practices may include lower student to educator ratio.

Preliminary Education Specialist Credential Program

The Preliminary Education Specialist Credential Program offers credentials authorizing work with individuals with Mild-Moderate Support Needs (MMSN) or Extensive Support Needs (ESN). This construction allows us to consider the strengths and challenges that students bring to school rather than the disabilities with which they are labeled.

Credential Authorization Areas

Mild-Moderate Support Needs: Autism, Emotional Disturbance (ED), Intellectual Disability (ID), Multiple Disabilities (MD), Other Health Impairment (OHI), Orthopedic Impairment (OI), Specific Learning Disability (SLD), Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI).
Extensive Support Needs: Autism, Deafblind (DB), Emotional Disturbance (ED), Intellectual Disability (ID), Multiple Disabilities (MD), Other Health Impairment (OHI), Orthopedic Impairment (OI), Specific Learning Disability (SLD), Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI).

All CTC requirements for earning an MMSN credential are also included in the ESN. As such, the design of our program is such that earning the preliminary MMSN credential is a prerequisite for earning the ESN. The preliminary ESN credential adds 2 courses to the program and candidates complete both preliminary credentials.

Program Pathways

Candidates may choose one of three pathways to earn the credential. Each pathway takes a different amount of time to complete.

Traditional Student Teaching.
Intern Teaching.
Candidates who hold a previous credential typically begin the program in Phase Two.

Transitioning to the Clear Credential

The Clear Education Specialist Instruction Credential represents the advanced level of certification, demonstrating a teacher's continued growth and expertise in special education.

Transition Plan

The preliminary education specialist preparation program will develop a Transition Plan for each candidate prior to the completion of the preliminary program that will assist the developers of the Individual Learning Plan (ILP). The Plan includes the individual’s strengths and areas of need that can be addressed in the clear credential preparation program. The Plan facilitates the individual’s transition from initial teacher preparation to a clear education specialist credential preparation program by building upon and providing opportunities for demonstration and application of the pedagogical knowledge and skills acquired in the preliminary credential preparation program.

Individual Learning Plan (ILP)

Based on the Transition Plan, the ILP includes appropriate professional development and/or course work designed to expand and apply the candidate’s skills and knowledge. The scope of the ILP is determined by the teacher’s educational setting and/or areas identified in the Transition Plan as areas of need. The ILP identifies the coursework, experiences, and/or tasks that must be completed while guiding the activities to support growth and improvement of professional practice.

The ILP includes professional development and/or course work to guide the activities that support growth and improvement of professional practice. The scope of the ILP is determined by the teacher’s educational setting and/or areas identified in the Transition Plan.

The ILP must be completed by the special education teacher, the employing agency, and the program sponsor within 60 days of enrollment in the induction program to allow the teacher the maximum time to complete the clear credential requirements. If a preliminary program sponsor is no longer available or if the special education teacher transitions to a new program sponsor, the new partnering program sponsor must review and make appropriate changes to the ILP.

Transition to the Clear Credential for holders of Level I Credentials

California prepared holders of the Level I Education Specialist Instruction Credential may obtain the Clear Education Specialist Instruction Credential through completion of a Commission-approved Teacher Induction Program.

National Board for Professional Teaching Standards Certification

Individuals who earn National Board for Professional Teaching Standards Certification in the area of Exceptional Needs/Early Childhood through Young Adulthood after the issuance of their California Preliminary Education Specialist Instruction Credential will be issued a Clear Credential. Individuals meeting this criteria must submit an application (form 41-4), full application processing fee and a photocopy of their National Board Certification directly to the Commission office.

Specialty Areas

The Education Specialist Instruction Credential offers several specialty areas, allowing teachers to focus on specific populations and support needs:

Mild to Moderate Support Needs (MMSN): Includes specific learning disabilities; mild to moderate support needs; autism; emotional disturbance; intellectual disability; multiple disabilities; orthopedic impairment; other health impairment; specific learning disability; traumatic brain injury; and authorizes service in grades K-12, transitional kindergarten, and in classes organized primarily for adults through age 22.
Extensive Support Needs (ESN): Includes autism; deafblind; extensive support needs; intellectual disability; multiple disabilities; orthopedic impairment; other health impairment; emotional disturbance; traumatic brain injury, and authorizes service in grades K-12, transitional kindergarten, and in classes organized primarily for adults through age 22.
Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE): Includes the mild to moderate support needs and extensive support needs listed above; authorizes service to children ages birth to kindergarten only.
Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DHH): Includes deafness; hearing impairment; deafblind; autism; and authorizes service to individuals ages birth through 22.
Visual Impairments (VI): Includes blindness; visual impairment; deaf-blindness; and authorizes service to individuals ages birth through 22.

An added authorization in Early Childhood Special Education is also available to individuals who hold a preliminary, Level I, professional clear, clear, Level II, or life special education teaching credential, and who complete a program though a Commission-approved program sponsor.

Key Terms and Definitions

To fully understand the requirements and processes involved in obtaining an Education Specialist Credential, it is essential to be familiar with the following terms:

Developmental Delay: Student who needs special education and related services by experiencing a delay in one or more of the following: physical development, cognitive development, communication development, social or emotional development or adaptive development.
Hard-of-Hearing or Hearing Loss: Hearing impairment or hearing loss, whether permanent or fluctuating, that adversely affects a child's educational performance but that is not included under the definition of deafness but may include problems involving the cochlea, the sensory organ of hearing. Includes Unilateral or Bilateral, Whether Fluctuating, Conductive, Sensorineural, and/or Auditory Neuropathy.
Educational Assessment: Assessment of students in a comprehensive manner within the authorization of the teaching credential or added authorization using multiple sources of information and a variety of strategies that directly measure a student’s performance to meet goals in areas of grade-level academic curriculum and/or functional goals designed to meet the Individualized Education Program (IEP), Individualized Family Service Program (IFSP), and/or Individualized Transition Plan (ITP) goals and objectives regarding eligibility and services that directly result from the student’s disability according to state and federal accountability systems. The assessment process may include both formal and informal assessments to evaluate students' educational instruction needs and strengths for the purpose of making accommodations, modifications, and instructional decisions.
Special Education Support: Support includes participation in the Individualized Education Program (IEP), Individualized Family Service Program (IFSP), and/or Individualized Transition Plan (ITP) process including planning and implementation of the student’s IEP, Individualized Family Service Program, and/or Individualized Transition Plan; providing consultative, collaborative, and coordinating specially designed instruction with students, parents, teachers, and other community and school personnel; planning, developing, and implementing instructional program plans relative to and within the authorization of the credential or added authorization.
Full-Time Teaching Experience: This is defined as teaching a minimum of 4 hours a day, unless the minimum statutory attendance requirement for the students served is less. Experience must be on a daily basis and for at least 75% of the school year. Experience may be accrued in increments of a minimum of one semester. No part-time or combination of teaching with other school employment will be accepted. All experience must be gained in public schools in California.
Subject-Matter Competence: Candidates can meet the subject-matter competence requirement through one of the following options; passage of the appropriate examination(s), complete a Commission-approved subject matter program, complete applicable coursework as verified by a Commission-approved program of professional preparation, complete a degree major in one of the acceptable majors for the Multiple or Single Subject Credential or complete a combination of coursework and examination options that meet or exceed the domains of the subject matter requirements. This requirement is only for candidates earning the preliminary Education Specialist Teaching Credential and does not apply to those who obtained the Level I Education Specialist Teaching Credential.

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