New transfer agreements between the College of Saint Rose and SUNY Adirondack in Queensbury have been reached that officials say will greatly expand the training of new special education teachers to meet current special education teacher shortages, particularly in high-needs urban inclusive middle and high school classrooms.
Four new “articulation agreements” between the two colleges offer students who want to become special education teachers the ability to earn three degrees in five years and save on tuition, SUNY Adirondack officials said.
Students may now begin their teacher training at SUNY Adirondack, earn an associate’s degree after two years, then transfer to a dual-degree education program at Saint Rose without loss of credit. The agreements spell out the specific courses that students must complete at SUNY Adirondack and their equivalents at Saint Rose.
Students who successfully complete the required coursework at SUNY Adirondack will enter Saint Rose with junior status. After three more years, graduates will earn bachelor of arts and master of science in education degrees from Saint Rose and be eligible for New York state certification for grades 7-12 in one of four content areas–biology, English, mathematics and social studies–and also as a special education generalist.
Saint Rose has developed agreements with community colleges under “Project ASPIRE” (Adolescence Special Education Preparation for Inclusive and Reflective Educators), a U.S. Department of Education-funded program to improve the training of teachers who will work with students in special and general education classrooms in grades 7-12.
