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At this time there are two options available for special education endorsement through the Department of Special Education: Adaptive (High-Incidence) and Functional (Low-Incidence), although the Department is currently seeking approval for the Early Childhood Unified Master's sequence of courses and experiences for the Kansas Early Childhood Unified License (birth-kindergarten). See below for further explanation of this program. To qualify for a Kansas State Department of Education special education endorsement in Adaptive or Functional, teachers must hold an elementary or secondary education license.
Click on the following areas to see a list of required courses leading to Kansas State Department of Education licensure. A contact person is also listed to answer your questions about the program, the course schedule, how other students have completed the classes and degree requirements, employment options, and more.
Note: Most teachers who complete our special education programs will take the few additional graduate courses required to finish the Master’s degree as well. The Master’s degree is an important goal for many teachers and substantially increases teacher pay.
All students completing initial licensure programs or adding endorsements (like Adaptive or Functional) to their current Kansas license must file the Form 1 application online with KSDE. Alisa Branham, KU Licensure Officer, has posted detailed instructions for this new process at the School of Education website www.soe.ku.edu under “Licensure.” If you have any questions, please contact Alisa directly at abranham@ku.edu.
The “Licensure” portion of the School of Education web site includes FAQS, information regarding licensure exams, information on the KPA (Kansas Performance Assessment), and information on how to renew a Kansas license. It’s a good central source for School of Education students and alumni.
Other applications will continue to require the hardcopy forms (provisionals, renewals, etc.) but eventually KSDE hopes to have all forms online.
There are three specific types of licensure programs the Department of Special Education offers: Conditional, Provisional and Waiver. If you have any questions, you can contact Alisa Branham, KU Licensure Officer, at abranham@ku.edu or 785-864-9602; the School of Education web site licensure page or www.soe.ku.edu; and the Kansas State Department of Education site, www.ksde.org.
After the student has completed all courses in their program and passed the PRAXIS Subject Exam(s), the student may then apply for a Conditional License. Alisa Branham encourages students to contact her for a conditional license application during the last semester of their program. Information on Subject Exams is posted at the School of Education web site under http://www.soe.ku.edu/students/licensure/.
If a special education student has not yet completed their program, they can be recommended for a Provisional Kansas teacher's license by meeting three criteria. The student must be a licensed elementary or secondary teacher in Kansas (exception: Unified Early Childhood). Second, the student must have a job offer in a public school setting that requires the special education license. Third, the student must have completed three initial courses in the Department of Special Education Master’s degree program in the specific area requested: a characteristics course, instructional methods course, and a practicum. A provisional license is effective for two years during which time most students can complete the remaining five to six courses in the program. If necessary, students may apply for a second provisional to complete all requirements while working as a special educator.
If a licensed elementary or secondary education teacher in Kansas has been offered a special education job but has not yet completed the three Department of Special Education program courses required for the provisional license, a temporary waiver is possible. However, the student must fulfill the following: be admitted to KU and enrolled in at least one course, and must contact KU Licensure Officer Alisa Branham for waiver application instructions and to receive a "plan of study" letter. KSDE deadlines for receiving waiver applications from schools are November 1 and February 1.
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| I need information on Licensure—who do I contact? The licensure officer at KU, Alisa Palmer Branham, is the central information source for all licensure qeustions. Contact Alisa at abranham@ku.edu for assistance or go to http://www.soe.ku.edu/students/licensure/. for links to more information about licensure. |
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| I am licensed in Elementary K-9 and want to add a Special Education endorsement. What does it take to get a provisional license? First, you must be a certified/licensed teacher and have a job offer requiring the special education endorsement. Provisional licensure is available after completion of three initial courses: one course each in characteristics, methods, and practicum in the specific area requested. A provisional license is effective for two years, during which time most students can complete the remaining 5-6 courses in the program. If necessary, you may request a second provisional, allowing up to four years total as long as 50% of the remaining courses have been completed during the first 2-year license. |
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| A local school district wants to hire me as a Special Education teacher, but I am not licensed in Special Education yet? Can I work through KU to get a waiver while I'm taking classes for licensure? Yes, call or email Alisa Branham as soon as you have the job offer, and she will send you a packet of instructions. You must be a regularly licensed teacher in Kansas, admitted to KU and enrolled in at least one course before she can write the plan of study letter. KSDE deadlines for receiving waiver applications from schools are November 1 and February 1. |
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I'm a 5th year, KU School of Education Undergraduate. What classes do I need to get provisional licensure in Special Education? KU students may begin taking a few special education courses as undergraduates and also may take one to two courses at the graduate level during the fall of their professional year, as time permits. By completing the courses listed below, students become eligible for the provisional endorsement, allowing them to work as a special education teacher before completion of the entire program, which is typically 23-32 hours total. Adaptive K-6 or PK-12—Endorsement for working with special needs students who have mild to moderate learning disabilities, behavior disorders, mental retardation and autism. Functional PK-12—Endorsement for working with special needs students with severe cognitive and multiple disabilities including students with mental retardation, multiple and profound disabilities, and some students with autism. SPED 326: (required for all students) SPED 730 (characteristics of students requiring Adaptive and Functional Curricula; get permission number) |
