Special Education Program Expanding at Cumberlands

A new program will soon be beginning at Cumberlands. The University’s School of Education has been approved to offer a new program with an emphasis in special education. Students may begin registration for the course in Summer 2019.

The new program, P-5 Elementary Education with an Academic Emphasis - LBD Special Education for grades P-12, will be a dual certification program, meaning students who finish the program will be able to teach two subjects instead of one, or two grade levels instead of just one. The program will be offered at the undergraduate level both on-campus and online. It has a wide range of courses, such as EDOL 130, which teaches specifically about using technology in P-12 classrooms.

“The classes provide an ample opportunity for clinical experiences in P-12 schools,” said Bobbie Huff, Chair for the Department of Education. “They will provide lots of great ideas and usefulness in the classroom.”

National and regional statistics indicate a critical shortage of special education teachers within Kentucky and the nation. Cumberlands’ education program is expanding for the purpose of providing a high-quality, affordable education to students who want to pursue their passion of teaching.

There are approximately 2.8 million special needs children across the nation. In Kentucky, the number of students assigned Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) is 2.2 percent higher than the national average of 13 percent. (An IEP is a plan of instruction for special needs students that is required for those students to receive classroom accommodations based on their diagnosis.)

“We are excited to address this amount,” said Shannon Deaton, Dean of the School of Education, “as well as further our institutional mission of staffing every classroom with a qualified educator.”

Registration for the course begins Summer 2019. Check out ucumberlands.edu to learn more.