Master of Arts in Special Education- Professional Learning Community

This degree seeks to recognize the knowledge and skills provided to teacher credential candidates through individual District/County Office of Education Teacher Credential, Education Specialist programs by accepting appropriate content for course transfer credit. It augments Level I and Level II Education Specialist curriculum by offering a sequence of courses that complement s the knowledge and skills provided through District/County Office of Education programs. The "cafeteria" approach to identifying electives results in a Masters of Arts in Special Education that is customized to meet the needs of specific groups of learners, thereby making the most of every candidate's educational development by providing quality content where needed and reducing redundancy. The partnership between CUC and District/County Office of Education Teacher Credential programs results in a complete curriculum sequence designed to maximize teacher effectiveness and retention.

Candidates seeking a Master of Arts in Special Education – Professional Learning Community must be actively enrolled in a California Teacher Credential (CTC) approved School District or County of Education Level I and/or Level II Education Specialist program.

For this program, candidates may transfer a maximum of 15 credits from CTC School District or County of Education approved programs. Official record of CTC School District or County of Education coursework will be reviewed and must be approved by Dean/Program Chair. The 15 credit maximum exceeds the current 12 credit limit for other degree programs.

This degree program is designed for a team of special educators who have created a learning community that

Shares a common vision;
Is committed to enhancing their professional practice;
Collaborates in thinking and learning about professional practice;
Identifies a set of values that will make the learning experience mutually successful;
Has agreed upon a community learning plan that facilitates individual learning needs while supporting professional growth of the community; and
Embraces collegiality as a tool to enhance professional effectiveness to increase student learning.

Candidates for the Master of Arts in Special Education with an emphasis in Professional Learning Community must, as a group, do the following in order to qualify to pursue the emphasis:

Develop a values statement that addresses the values that will govern the action of the community and their learning. The statement will say, "We believe.…, therefore, we will….,";
Develop a community goal statement that defines the competencies for the learning community to be mastered by its participants;
Develop a Professional Learning Community Plan that does the following:

- Communicates the professional development goal of the community and its members and methods for evaluating goal achievement;

- Describe a cohesive curriculum, outlining the core courses as well as the elective courses;

- Develop a timeline for completion of degree program.


Transfer Credit from Approved Program
Participation in an approved School District or County Office of Education (COE) Education Specialist Level I or Level II credential program	Maximum of 15
core course (3 credits)
EDUU 600	3
electives (6-24 credits)
Electives must be 500 or 600 level courses selected from graduate courses currently available to Chapman University education graduate students in any program, provided the courses help the Community to reach its learning goals. A minimum of 50% of the course credits (15 credits) must be in special education. In the event that the Community determines it needs to have a new course developed to meet its specific Learning Community goals, the education faculty of CUC will work with the group to develop such a course or courses. It is understood that such courses must first be approved by the appropriate faculty/administrator prior to being used in the degree. In addition, the proposed electives along with a rationale for choosing those electives must be submitted to the faculty/administrator for approval as meeting the intent of the Professional Learning Community emphasis.
Total program credits	30

Candidates must progress through the program as a cohort, with candidates completing their coursework and demonstration of mastery at approximately the same time.

Each candidate must develop a portfolio that documents his/her personal growth and mastery within the learning community. The portfolio would include artifacts, reflections, collaborative learning, best practices, and documentation of an Area of Expertise pursued as part of the degree.
Each candidate must create and conduct a presentation reflective of his/her area of expertise.

Demonstration of Mastery

The Learning Community will show Demonstration of Mastery by developing a community portfolio that documents its professional growth as a learning community. This includes the Professional Learning Plan, artifacts demonstrating the progress and attainment of goals, and a reflection of the community learning experiences and how this will impact them as special educators.