06-10-2016, 06:48 PM
Inspired by Passit1/ Dina's Journey to Success thread, I thought I would create a mini accountability thread of my own as I work on achieving board certification in teaching special education.
Background
I have been teaching for over 20 (!!!) years in multiple subject areas. Currently I teach special education/ resource room at our small private school and absolutely love it. When I was looking for professional development hours for the summer, I discovered the board certification in special education (BCSE) program through the National Association of Special Education Teachers. My principal kindly offered to use professional development funds for me to complete this program, so I happily enrolled.
BCSE vs. NBCT
Those of you in education have probably heard of the National Board Certification process, which costs about $2000 and takes a year or more to complete. It involves a content knowledge exam, examples of student work and your own reflections, and videos of your teaching. This is a very worthwhile process, especially if your school or state will help pay for the fees; some states and districts even offer pay increases. It requires a bachelorâs degree and 3 years of teaching experience.
The BCSE designation is narrower in scope, since it is targeted toward experienced teachers who already have advanced degrees in special education. It seems to have many of the features of a building designee level program. It is much cheaper (~$500) and more straightforward than NBCT. You take a series of five courses and have to pass (at 80%) a 50-question multiple-choice exam at the end of each class. The courses include General Principles of Special Ed; IEP Development; Assessment; Response to Intervention; and Special Ed Eligibility.
Neither the NBCT nor the BCSE is a degree in itself, but several MEd programs now incorporate the NBCT process as a specialization option. This does not guarantee passing the NBCT components though, and generally the costs of the NBCT are in addition to the original MEd tuition.
Frankly, I chose the BCSE over the NBCT because my school will pay for it, I should be able to finish over the summer, and I think I will learn more about special ed law and processes. There is absolutely no financial incentive for me to get the NBCT because my school/ district/ state do not offer extra stipends for it. If you are considering one of these programs, though, you should check to see if financial incentive options are available to you.
Enrollment Process
I filled out the enrollment form and faxed it in along with a copy of my advanced teaching certificate in K-12 special education. I also sent in copies of my BA/MA/EdS transcripts. My application was approved fairly quickly and the first course, General Principles, was unlocked.
(Errrâ¦. How is She Typing This? Isnât There Something Wrong with Her Hands?)
Before we go further, a shout out to Google Voice Type in Google Docs for making it so easy to write, copy, and transfer this to Degree Forum. It is a fabulous resource for those with physical challenges, âuniqueâ spelling systems, etc.
Background
I have been teaching for over 20 (!!!) years in multiple subject areas. Currently I teach special education/ resource room at our small private school and absolutely love it. When I was looking for professional development hours for the summer, I discovered the board certification in special education (BCSE) program through the National Association of Special Education Teachers. My principal kindly offered to use professional development funds for me to complete this program, so I happily enrolled.
BCSE vs. NBCT
Those of you in education have probably heard of the National Board Certification process, which costs about $2000 and takes a year or more to complete. It involves a content knowledge exam, examples of student work and your own reflections, and videos of your teaching. This is a very worthwhile process, especially if your school or state will help pay for the fees; some states and districts even offer pay increases. It requires a bachelorâs degree and 3 years of teaching experience.
The BCSE designation is narrower in scope, since it is targeted toward experienced teachers who already have advanced degrees in special education. It seems to have many of the features of a building designee level program. It is much cheaper (~$500) and more straightforward than NBCT. You take a series of five courses and have to pass (at 80%) a 50-question multiple-choice exam at the end of each class. The courses include General Principles of Special Ed; IEP Development; Assessment; Response to Intervention; and Special Ed Eligibility.
Neither the NBCT nor the BCSE is a degree in itself, but several MEd programs now incorporate the NBCT process as a specialization option. This does not guarantee passing the NBCT components though, and generally the costs of the NBCT are in addition to the original MEd tuition.
Frankly, I chose the BCSE over the NBCT because my school will pay for it, I should be able to finish over the summer, and I think I will learn more about special ed law and processes. There is absolutely no financial incentive for me to get the NBCT because my school/ district/ state do not offer extra stipends for it. If you are considering one of these programs, though, you should check to see if financial incentive options are available to you.
Enrollment Process
I filled out the enrollment form and faxed it in along with a copy of my advanced teaching certificate in K-12 special education. I also sent in copies of my BA/MA/EdS transcripts. My application was approved fairly quickly and the first course, General Principles, was unlocked.
(Errrâ¦. How is She Typing This? Isnât There Something Wrong with Her Hands?)
Before we go further, a shout out to Google Voice Type in Google Docs for making it so easy to write, copy, and transfer this to Degree Forum. It is a fabulous resource for those with physical challenges, âuniqueâ spelling systems, etc.
BA, MA, EdS, MMT, etc.
83 hours of ACE-worthy credits
83 hours of ACE-worthy credits
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