Special Education Intern Credential Program
A unique, innovative program designed for prospective teachers who wish to participate in an Education Specialist (Mild/Moderate or Moderate/Severe Disabilities) credential program as an intern. This program:
- Meets the current California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CCTC) Education Specialist and English Language Development Standards.
- Enables Special Education teacher candidates who hold a CA Multiple or Single Subject Credential to complete their preliminary specialist credentials Level I Education Specialist credentials, in Mild/Moderate (M/M) or Moderate/Severe (M/S) disabilities, while working as interns up to 100% of the time in the area of M/M disabilities and 80% of the time in the area of M/S Disabilities with exception of field experiences across ages, settings, and populations addressed in the credential.
- Meets the needs of the diverse population or students receiving special education. Specialist teacher candidates require thorough knowledge of core curriculum and the flexibility to assume a variety of roles within the inclusive general education classroom.
- Meets the CCTC requirements for specific areas of overlap across mild/moderate and moderate/severe specialist credentials.
- Promotes collaboration between Special Education and General Education via training together on teams, and participating in team‑taught courses.
- Increases the pool of fully qualified special educators in order to address the critical special education teacher shortage in the Bay Area.
