Unique Features
SCSU's Department of Special Education and the College of Education has several unique features and services to candidates for licensure and degrees. These include the Portal Project with Anoka-Ramsey Community College, Coon Rapids campus, and the Teacher Preparation Partnership with North Branch Public Schools. We also provide the Adaptive Technology and Assessment Center, the Praxis Center, a very active chapter of the Student Council for Exceptional Children, and a Summer Reading and Mathematics Camp.
Portal Project. The Portal Project is a partnership between the College of Education at St. Cloud State University (SCSU) and Anoka Ramsey Community College (ARCC), Coon Rapids Campus offering a baccalaureate degree in special education. Although the project was designed originally for undergraduates, graduate students are also able to take evening courses that lead to special education licensure. Planning and recruiting efforts began in 2004, initial program offerings began on the ARRC-Coon Rapids campus fall semester of 2006, and full program implementation began during the fall semester of 2007.
A primary appeal of the project is that it fosters an SCSU College of Education presence in the suburban Twin Cities. The Coon Rapids location, in turn, potentially cultivates the ability of SCSU’s Special Education Department to recruit candidates of color into special education teaching degree programs. This project is also particularly appealing to special education program paraprofessionals who are pursuing both a baccalaureate degree and special education licensure because it provides them with an alternate route to licensure.
North Branch Teacher Preparation Partnership. During the 1998-99 year, an agreement was formalized between North Branch Schools, Cambridge Community College, and the College of Education at SCSU to form the Teacher Preparation Partnership. Since its beginning, the TPP project has jointly supported cohort undergraduate elementary education degree programs, special education licensure cohorts, and special education masters degree programs. In the fall of 2003, a master’s in Curriculum and Instruction (C& I) was added and a second cohort in (C&I) began during the summer of 2006. A Sixth Year Educational Administration licensure cohort program was also added during the summer of 2006.
Adaptive Technology and Assessment Center (ATAC). Candidates enjoy access to the most current adaptive technology and assessment materials at St. Cloud State. The Special Education Department maintains a laboratory with 10 computers to serve both undergraduate and graduate candidates. The ATAC includes one of the finest collections of high- and low-tech adaptive equipment in the Midwestern U.S.A. We update assessment materials (tests, checklists, scoring programs) each semester.
Praxis Center. In order to attain teaching licensure in Minnesota, candidates must pass the Praxis I (Pre Professional Skills Test) and Praxis II. Candidates in the special education program are eligible for services from trained professionals in the Praxis Center to assist them in passing these examinations.
Student Council for Exceptional Children. St. Cloud State boasts one of the most active SCSC Chapters in the region (http://www.stcloudstate.edu/sped/cec.asp). The Student Council for Exceptional Children is the student arm of the Council for Exceptional Children, the premier professional organization of special education teachers. Each year the SCSC organizes a professional conference. Through this conference, candidates meet many in-service teachers, principals, and directors of special education. Most years, interested SCEC members raise money and attend the national CEC convention, a wonderful professional development and national networking opportunity. Students in the past few years have traveled to Seattle and New Orleans.
Summer Reading and Mathematics Camp. The department operates a reading and mathematics camp in partnership with the Sauk Rapids-Rice School District. The summer camp is designed around two primary purposes. First, it provides an opportunity for eligible SCSU graduate candidates to complete practica (the graduate equivalent of student teaching). Second, the camp is designed to improve the performance of elementary and secondary students experiencing reading and mathematics difficulties.
