Program Description: The Alternate Route Program is for candidates who have a position as a special education teacher while simultaneously pursuing the endorsement as a Teacher of Students with Disabilities. The 21 credit program includes coursework in principles and practices of special education. This program prepares individuals to instruct students with diverse learning and social needs in a variety of special education settings. The goal of this program is to provide the State-approved coursework leading to the Teacher of Students with Disabilities (TSD) endorsement. Alternate Route candidates must possess a Standard NJ Teaching Certificate or a NJ Certificate of Eligibility with Advanced Standing (CEAS) in regular education and must have a teaching position in a state-approved educational setting. View requirements and course descriptions in the University Course Catalog Click here: Loading...
Entry requirements: Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university Standard NJ Teaching Certificate or NJ Certificate of Eligibility with Advanced Standing (CEAS) in regular education NJ Certificate of Eligibility in TSD Employment contract or letter of promise of employment Application form Please allow 4-6 weeks for applications to be processed. Exit Requirements: All graduate students must maintain a 3.0 G.P.A. Courses in which candidates earned a grade lower than C minus cannot be counted towards certification. Completion of program requirements.
All placements are supervised, on site, by a William Paterson University Supervisor. If you are currently teaching AND have access to students who are classified, you may do SPC 6750 Assessment of Learning in Clinical Practice in your own classroom. If you need a placement, the Office of Field Experience will provide one for you. In order to register for Assessment of Learning in Clinical Practice, you must submit the following paperwork: Clinical Experience Application Four copies of the Resume for Clinical Work AND If you are doing Assessment of Learning in Clinical Practice in your classroom, you must also submit the District Permission Letter. All of the necessary paperwork can be found on the Office of Field Experience webpage. Please keep the following dates in mind as you complete the paperwork: Semester of Clinical Placement Application Due Fall 2022 January 15, 2022 Spring 2023 October 15, 2022 Summer 2023 February 1, 2023 Fall 2023 February 1, 2023 Please turn all completed paperwork in to the Graduate Director by the above due dates and be sure that all paperwork is neat and complete, or it will not be accepted. Please be advised that late applications will not be accepted. Because of this, it is recommended that you submit the paperwork if you intend on taking the class and, should it be necessary, the paperwork can be withdrawn if needed. Information Regarding Steps Toward Licensure: Candidates who hold a CEAS or Standard in an initial teaching area who are NOT working as a Teacher of Students with Disabilities complete this application. Candidates who hold a CEAS or Standard in an initial teaching area who ARE working as a Teacher of Students with Disabilities complete the form found here. For additional information, please visit the Office of Educational Enrollment and Certification.
