Special Education MS
Program Purpose
The special education master's program prepares you to see the divine potential of all people as Jesus Christ, the Master Teacher, did in His ministry (2 Nephi 26:33). Together, faculty and students strive to integrate this perspective into the design, implementation, and evaluation of empirically-supported interventions consistent with Applied Behavior Analysis. The program prepares students to become Board Certified Behavior Analysts with the skills to collaborate with schools. As you increase your ability to help students with diverse needs, you will come to see yourself and others as God sees them (D&C 93:24).
You will learn how to:
- Use direct observation to evaluate the effects of the environment on behavior
- Design function-based interventions and supports
- Implement empirically-supported practices in systems
- Make practice decisions based on the Gospel of Jesus Christ and ethical codes
- Lead collaborative efforts with schools and other service providers
The program is open to teachers, special and general educators, and students from other disciplines. Classes are offered in the evening to accommodate teachers' work schedules during fall, winter, and spring semesters.
Curricular Structure
Theis innovative program prepares special and general educators to work collaboratively with multidisciplinary teams in their schools. The master's program uses evidence-based Response to Intervention (RtI), mutlidisciplinary Systems of Support (MTSS) and Positive Behavior Intervention & Support (PBIS) models to align academic standards and henavioral expectations, implemented with fidelity and sustained over time, in order to accelerate the performance of every student to achieve and/or exceed proficiency.
The program includes a Verified Course Sequence that provides students with the coursework and degree requirements to sit for the Board Certified Behavior Analyst exam. Students who complete the program, accumulate supervised fieldwork hours, and pass the exam can become BCBAs and be licensed as a beahvior analyst in relevant jurisdictions. The program admits 6-8 students each year. Students complete a minimum of 36 semester hours, which includes 6 hours of elective courses. Required courses for the M.S. degree in Special Education can be found on this website:
http://registrar.byu.edu/registrar/acadsched/classSched.php
A brief overview of the Special Education MS Program is also described in the Graduate Catalog http://registrar.byu.edu/registrar/acadsched/classSched.php
and the program handbook http://education.byu.edu/cpse/masters/index.html
Learning Outcomes
Foundations of Applied Behavior Analysis Services
Analyze historical, philosophical, and conceptual foundations of behavior analytic services for individuals with disabilities across settings, evaluating them through gospel principles, divine human potential, and their potential to develop moral and professional character. (Spiritually Strengthening; Intellectually Enlarging; Character Building)
Design, conduct, and defend original research (master's thesis) in special education and applied behavior analysis, demonstrating integrity, humility, honesty, advanced scholarly writing, and professional communication while striving to "seek learning … by study and also by faith" (D&C 88:118). (Spiritually Strengthening; Intellectually Enlarging; Character Building)
Apply evidence-based assessment and intervention to build on strengths, improve academic and social-emotional outcomes, and reduce problem behaviors-helping individuals with disabilities "have life, and … have it more abundantly" (John 10:10) while remaining rooted in the "pure love of Christ" (Moroni 7:48). (Spiritually Strengthening; Intellectually Enlarging)
Demonstrate Christlike leadership by mentoring and supervising emerging professionals, collaborating with educators and families, and consulting with stakeholders to support individuals with disabilities modeling integrity, accountability, and service-oriented character in leadership roles. (Intellectually Enlarging; Lifelong Learning and Service; Character Building)
Demonstrate gospel-centered and professional ethics through knowledge of ethical principles and legal requirements for serving individuals with disabilities across settings, striving toward the "measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ" (Ephesians 4:13). (Character Building; Lifelong Learning and Service)
Continually and critically examine research designs and methods in special education and behavior analysis, applying evidence to improve services and quality of life for individuals with disabilities. (Intellectually Enlarging; Lifelong Learning and Service)
Integrate the restored gospel of Jesus Christ into behavior analysis and special education practice, affirming that serving individuals with disabilities is serving God (Mosiah 2:17) and following the Savior's example of love and advocacy for "the least of these" (Matthew 25:40) while cultivating Christlike attributes such as charity, diligence, and moral courage in professional practice. (Spiritually Strengthening; Character Building)
Evidence of Learning
The M.S. in Special Education graduate faculty use several methods to assess the performance and progress of graduate students as they complete their programs. These assessments are completed at three major transition points: 1) Admission, 2) Academic Preparation, and 3) Exit. See the M.S. in Special Education Handbook for more information.
Admission: We gather the following data from applicants: Graduate Studies Application, BYU M.S. in Special Education Supplementary Application, GPA, Letters of Recommendation, and Statement of Intent.
Academic Preparation: Three tools are used to measure students' academic preparation: End-of-Semester Graduate Student Evaluation, Graduate Student Progress Report, and Course Grades.
- End-of-Semester Graduate Student Evaluation. All students are evaluated on three domains (knowledge, performance, and dispositions) after the end of each Fall and Winter Semester. This evaluation is intended to identify and facilitate remediation of any deficiencies in a timely manner and to convey to students their progress and standing in the program. Included with the three domains of knowledge, performance, and dispositions is an assessment of students' progress in meeting timelines and all program requirements.
- Graduate Student Progress Report. These reports are available for students' review at anytime by accessing the AIM menu on the BYU Route Y webpage. These reports list courses completed, courses remaining from the study list, and important updates and reminders from the Office of Graduate Studies. This same information is made available to the faculty by the Graduate Secretary.
- Course Grades. Students are evaluated by professors as they complete course work and thesis work. A GPA of 3.0 is required to continue in any graduate program. A professor may refer a student whose performance is considered substandard to the Special Education Graduate Committee for review.
Exit: Two primary tools are used to measure students' final performance: Thesis Defense and Exit Survey.
- Thesis Defense. All M.S. in Special Education graduate students complete a thesis under the direction of an Advisory Committee. A successful defense of a thesis generally indicates the graduate student has masters-level competencies in observing, gathering, interpreting, and reporting data. Possible thesis defense outcomes are determined by vote of the committee:
- Pass: No changes are necessary; the thesis is accepted, signed, and copies made for the Library.
- Pass with qualifications: The thesis needs minor changes. The committee chair holds up the results of the defense until the changes have been satisfactorily completed.
- Recess: The thesis needs revision, further writing, or other fixing. Another defense is necessary but must be held at least one month later.
- Fail: The student's degree program is terminated immediately.
- Exit Survey. Students' perceptions of how the program prepared them to meet the learning objectives are gathered upon completion of the program.
Direct Measures
1. Research
2. Issues
3. Practices
4. Professionalism
5. Legal
Indirect Measures
1. Research
- End-of-Semester Evaluations
- Successful completion of CPSE 699R - Master's Thesis (Students design, conduct, and evaluate an approved research study and submit to the graduate committee as a Master of Science thesis).
- Successful completion of 688R Internship: Special Education. (Students develop and implement a data-based action plan for the MTSS tiers.
- Graduate Student Progress Reports
- Alumni Survey
- Employer Survey
2. Issues
- End-of-Semester Evaluations
- Successful completion of CPSE 601 - Current Issues and Research: Principles of Behavior (Students use skills of operant conditioning to complete simulations. Students use principles of respondent conditioning to complete simulations.demonstrate knowledge and use of interpret the results and quality of simple group and single subject design studies related to current issues in special education),
- CPSE 673 - Single Subject Research Design (Students design a single-subject research study to replicate an existing peer-reviewed study),
- Graduate Student Progress Reports
- Alumni Survey
- Employer Survey
3. Practices
- End-of-Semester Evaluations
- Successful completion of CPSE 614 Applied Behavioral Assessment and Intervention Students:
- Incorporate RtI/PBS/MTSS policy/laws into action plans and case study evaluations.
- Implement core RtI/PBS/MTSS principles, components, and structure when problem solving and developing action plans for individual students and larger systems (e.g., groups, schools, districts, states) in respect to social and emotional needs.
- Select and design an effective professional development RtI/PBS/MTSS model for a school/district/state social and emotional system.
- Effectively use the problem solving model in relation to the social and emotional development of individual students and larger systems.
- Demonstrate alignment of social and emotional assessments with appropriate interventions when designing individual student, group and school/district/state social and emotional action plans.
- Demonstrate effective selection and implementation of the three methods of assessment in respect to individual, students, and/or school/district/state social and emotional action plans.
- Demonstrate the use skills that build professional relationships, trust, respect, communication, necessary for effective consulting, coaching, and collaborating within schools.
- CPSE 622 - Evidence-Based Academic Intervetion for RtI. Students work collaboratively with school-wide MTSS to assess individual academic needs, to use data to plan instruction, to monitor progress, andc to solve problems with Tier 1 interventions are not successful.
- Graduate Student Progress Reports
- Alumni Survey
- Employer Survey
4. Professionalism
- End-of-Semester Evaluations
- Successful completion of CPSE 618 - Ethics, Conduct, & Legal Issues in Special Education. Students demonstrate knowledge of standards of practice for school-based settings. CPSE 620 Evidence-Based Academic Intervention for RtI - Learners demonstrate collaborative work with school personnel for student academic and behavioral support.
- Graduate Student Progress Reports
- Alumni Survey
- Employer Survey
5. Legal
- End-of-Semester Evaluations
- Successful completion of CPSE 618 - Ethics, Conduct & Legal Issues in Special Education (Students understand and implement laws related to students' rights and teacher responsibilities, e.g. for equal education, appropriate education for handicapped students, confidentiality, privacy, appropriate treatment of students, reporting in situations related to possible child abuse).
- Graduate Student Progress Reports
- Alumni Survey
- Employer Survey
Learning and Teaching Assessment and Improvement
Analysis, Evaluation, and Improvement Process
Program assessment data are analyzed by graduate faculty at the following times: (a) student qualifications are reviewed upon admission, (b) student progress in courses/thesis is evaluated following each Fall and Winter semester, (c) final work is reviewed during the final semester of each student's program, and (d) surveys are administered to alumni and their employers every three years.
Plans for improvement are formulated every year for minor changes in the program. Substantial changes will be made upon complete review of the program, which will occur approximately every five years. Changes to be made in the program will be sent for approval at the departmental, school, and university level as currently instituted.