Defiance College adds new Education Licensure Program
June 26, 2013
DEFIANCE, Ohio - Defiance College has been approved by the Ohio Board of Regents to offer a new undergraduate program leading to Intervention Specialist licensure. This is a multi-age licensure program (kindergarten through 12th grade) that would permit those individuals approved for licensure by the Ohio Department of Education to work in mild-to-moderate special education environments.
The undergraduate Intervention Specialist major at Defiance College requires 120 credit hours of coursework, 40 hours of early clinical experience during the first two years, 120 practicum hours during the junior and senior years, and culminates with a 15-week, full-time internship experience in a mild-to-moderate special education classroom.
According to Professor Joshua Francis, Director of Education, "The faculty that developed this new undergraduate program ensured it met not only the standards set by the Ohio Department of Education and the Ohio Board of Regents, but also that the program's coursework is aligned with the Council for Exceptional Children's program standards. We have infused the program with the most current information about this population of students, and we are confident that our graduates will be well prepared as special education teachers."
From the local school perspective, Tillman Karl, Director of Special Education for Paulding Exempted Village Schools, said, "With the 21st century school initiatives being implemented across the State of Ohio over the next few years, it is imperative that our future teachers be intensively trained in scientific, research-based education methods to meet all the needs of the school populations. This additional program to the Defiance College curriculum will expand the opportunities for students entering college to be gainfully employed in this most important and high demand educational field upon graduation.
“Schools across Ohio are always in search of highly qualified educators in this fast-growing field of education for students with disabilities. Defiance College has always offered the highest quality educational experiences with demanding expectations of its students. This shows a huge commitment to the school communities and the children in Northwest Ohio by Defiance College."
In recent months, Defiance College has been developing new programs in high demand areas within the state of Ohio, including the addition of Reading Endorsement, Middle Childhood Generalist and Early Childhood generalist programs. Francis added, "As a teacher education program, we believe we have a responsibility to ensure that our programs and our program offerings are designed to meet the needs of not only K-12 students, but also our K-12 partners. This includes offering licensure programs in high-need areas when possible." He added that special education is a high demand field across Ohio, and Defiance College is proud to have the opportunity to provide a high-quality program to meet this need.
Anyone interested in special education and wanting to learn more about the program should contact Professor Francis at jfrancis@defiance.edu or the Office of Admissions at 419-783-2359 for more information. The Defiance College Teacher Education program is fully accredited by the National Council or the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE). In addition, Defiance College has several programs that have received national recognition by their affiliated professional associations or approval by the Ohio Board of Regents.
Defiance College, chartered in 1850, is an independent, liberal arts institution in Northwest Ohio offering more than 40 undergraduate programs of study as well as graduate programs in education and business. Defiance College has received national recognition for its educational experience of service and engagement. The college website is www.defiance.edu.
