Special Education

New York State special education teacher certification is known as Teaching Students with Disabilities. Students interested in certification in Teaching Students with Disabilities first select the age/grade level at which they wish to teach (early childhood/childhood or adolescence).

Students can graduate from Nazareth with certifications in both general and special education, but our programs are much broader than that in their scope. Here, learning to teach a wide range of students is woven into everything we do. Classes concentrate on child development, learner characteristics, differentiated instruction, and culturally responsive teaching as well as special education. The focus is on inclusive education, designing productive learning environments for all learners, and the preparation of teachers to teach all students.

Student outcomesCost of attendance

child's drawing of a unicorn

Certifications

Nazareth offers certification in Teaching Students with Disabilities and in general education at every level:

child maracas on foam mats
close up of recently sharpened pencil
colorful wooden blocks

Career Paths

  • Special education teacher
  • Early childhood intervention specialist
  • Youth services consultant
  • Childcare services educator
  • Consultant teacher
Student Teaching
  • Rochester City School District
  • Hope Hall
  • Norman Howard School
  • BOCES
  • Victor Central School District
  • Lois Bird School
  • Greece Central School District
College of Distinction: Education badge

99%

of new Nazareth grads are employed or in grad school within six months of graduation

Get Hired

We often receive requests from districts for Nazareth alumni. Teaching is a high-demand field, and typically our graduates enter the profession while completing their graduate work or choose to complete their graduate degrees before teaching.

$4,000

Our SPARK Grant provides up to $4,000 for you to pursue internships, research, and study abroad. SPARK details »

Meant to Teach

    Nazareth educates the best teachers you know.
    Program Director
    Meg Callahan-Steckley
    Meg Callahan-Steckley
    Chair of School of Education and Director of the Undergraduate Inclusive Adolescence Education Program in Education, School of
    585-389-2998
    mcallah5@naz.edu
    Golisano Academic Center 261
    Bio

    Education: B.A., University of Notre Dame, Ed.M. & Ph.D., State University of New York at Buffalo.

    Teaching and Research Interests: English education; adolescent literacy & pedagogy; media literacy and media arts.

    Michael Black, alum of special education degree, teaching students with disabilities certification

    Alumni Spotlight

    Michael Black '14, West Irondequoit Central School District special education teacher and Together Including Every Student (TIES) program coordinator

    "At Nazareth I learned the importance of differentiating my instruction to meet the needs of all learners in my classroom and that all students are capable of being successful. The path they take to get there may look different and require a different type of support. A whole student approach, as well as an emphasis on backwards planning, are just a few ways that the inclusion program has helped shape my teaching as a professional."