Initial Teaching License

Special Education

Program Description

The Special Educator Initial Licensure Program is a ROPA-approved, 24-credit sequence of coursework, monthly seminars on the foundations of teaching, and practical experience to prepare participants for a Vermont Special Educator License. Upon completion of the program, the VT-HEC will recommend successful candidates to the AOE for their initial teaching license in special education.

New cohorts begin every summer. Each cohort is affiliated with Vermont State University.

If you already have a Vermont teaching license, learn more about adding a special education endorsement.

View Timeline & Course Descriptions View Upcoming Courses

Application and Program Requirements

Candidates for the VT-HEC Special Educator Initial Licensure Program must have a BA or BS and at least 3 years of public school experience
Applicants must have a school site at which they can conduct the applied course practicum activities (including the internship)
PRAXIS – Must have successfully passed the Praxis Core Series by the start of the fall semester, Year Two
Students must have successfully completed four of the required VT-HEC Special Education courses, including Assessment in Special Education (all three sections) and Meeting the Instructional Needs of All Students with Complex Profiles, to be eligible for the internship

If you decide to apply, you will need to complete a VT-HEC Special Educator application form. In addition to the completed and signed application, candidates will need to provide additional documentation to support the application. The Candidate Agreement form lays out what you, as a candidate in the VT-HEC SE Initial Licensure Program, are committing to. It also spells out the commitment the VT-HEC SE Initial Licensure Program is making to you.

All applicants must provide copies of their college transcripts (unofficial copies are acceptable) and a letter of support from a supervisor or employer who is familiar with the candidate’s work and who can speak to the candidate’s abilities and professionalism.

For questions or to request application materials, contact Joy Wilcox at [email protected]

Program Timeline + Course Descriptions

View Upcoming Courses

The 24-credit sequence of graduate-level courses includes 21 content credits and a 3-credit internship. This is a recommended sequence; however, courses may be taken out of sequence with the exception of the internship, which is completed in the second year.

These courses are designed to meet the competencies for licensure as a special educator in Vermont.

Year One

This course examines the legal and ethical issues embedded in the provision of special education services to individuals with disabilities and their families. The course addresses the historical treatment of people with disabilities from a service delivery model perspective. Significant legislation and court decisions will be addressed along with current special education legal requirements and local, state, and community issues impacting services. Specific attention will be given to ways in which disability may be viewed as a form of diversity. Additionally, important frameworks and concepts including the social construction of disability, self-determination, inclusion, collaboration with diverse families, and person-centered planning will be explored in-depth.

This series of courses has been designed to help special education graduate students gain some of the critical assessment skills and knowledge they will need to be successful special education professionals. The course has been divided into three, 2-credit sections and will be organized around three-course themes.

Assessment in Special Education: Achievement Testing and Report (late August through early October) – assessment instruments, procedures and practices, legal issues in assessment
Interpretation of Assessments: (Mid-October through December) – use cognitive and academic achievement evaluation results to deepen understanding of varied learning profiles
Special Education Comprehensive Evaluations: (Early January through mid-February) – leading the comprehensive evaluation process resulting in a comprehensive evaluation plan, the determination of special education eligibility, and the special education comprehensive evaluation report

Students will learn to develop and implement systemic and proactive procedures that address problem behavior in the building, classroom, and individual student levels. Emphasis on creating or modifying learning environments and interactions that promote social and academic achievement. Students will be required to perform a full functional behavior plan as part of this course requirement.

Year Two

The focus of this course is to provide participants with the necessary components to create an effective school program for students with complex profiles. Emphasis will be placed on choosing and utilizing appropriate assessment procedures, utilizing structured teaching strategies, creating individual educational programs, and collaborating in the general education setting. This course will look at all areas of development for children with low-incidence disabilities including cognitive, motor, social, communication, safety, domestic living, and recreation/leisure. Students will also learn the rules and regulations that drive their professional responsibilities relative to the development of IEPs and will become competent at leading a team through the IEP process, resulting in an appropriate and meaningful IEP for each student.

Candidates must have successfully passed the Praxis Core Series by the start of the fall semester, Year Two

This course is designed to help participants identify students who experience a reading disability and who have barriers to learning to read. Participants will gain critical assessment skills necessary to evaluate students’ development and strengths and weaknesses in literacy and use this information to design appropriate instruction and support for these students.

The internship experience is competency-based, reinforcing course content as well as exposing the intern to important experiences and opportunities to ensure the development and implementation of effective programs for learners eligible for special education services. Interns receive direction, guidance, and direct feedback from a field-based mentor as well as a VT-HEC/Spec Ed supervisor. Together they design an individual student plan, based on a self-assessment plan (SAP), to track obtained competencies and set goals for identified needs. Along with formative evaluation based on direct observation of the intern’s performance, summative evaluation in the form of grades on internship products will be provided by VT-HEC Supervisors.

Students must have successfully completed 15 credits of the required VT-HEC Special Education courses including Special Education Assessment (all 3 sections) and Meeting the Instructional Needs of all Students: Complex Profiles, in order to be eligible for the internship.

This course is designed to help participants identify students who are learning disabled and at-risk in the area of math. Participants will gain critical assessment skills necessary to evaluate students’ development and strengths and weaknesses and use this information to design appropriate math instruction and support for these students.

GUIDING YOU WITH EXPERTISE

Course Instructors

Sarah Schoolcraft, M.Ed.

Sarah Schoolcraft, M.Ed.

Sarah is an instructor in the VT-HEC Special Education program. She works as an assistant principal in a PK-4 school in Waterbury, VT, and has worked as an elementary classroom teacher and special educator for over 15 years. Sarah has taught as an adjunct on the graduate faculty at St. Michael’s College and the undergraduate faculty at Champlain College. Sarah is passionate about classroom and behavior management and working to meet the needs of all students in inclusive settings. Sarah is an adoptive parent of three amazing children, one of which has a label of ED, and is married to a fellow educator.
Kathy Christy M.Ed., NBCT

Kathy Christy M.Ed., NBCT

A Vermont native, Kathy Christy has over 40 years of experience in education. Holding a BS from Keene State College and an M.Ed. from Trinity College in Vermont, Kathy also maintained her National Board Certification for Teachers (NBCT) for 20 years. She spent over 35 years teaching at the elementary level and has worked in higher education in various capacities for 12 years. Kathy is a seminar instructor in the Initial Licensing Special Education program and enjoys sharing her wealth of experience with our IL candidates.
Kara Griswold, M.Ed.

Kara Griswold, M.Ed.

Kara has been a special education teacher at both the middle school and high school level for more than 10 years, and is currently the Director of Student Support Services at Addison Northwest School District. She received her B.S. from the University of Maine at Farmington in special education and her M.Ed. from Saint Michael’s College in school leadership. She is an instructor and internship supervisor for VT-HEC Special Education Advisory Council.
Andrea Drolet

Andrea Drolet

Andrea is the Student Services Coordinator for preschool through grade eight with the Bow School District in Bow, NH. Her journey began with the achievement of obtaining a Bachelor of Science with dual certification in elementary and general special education and a minor in psychology from Keene State College. From that point, she has taught in a variety of special education programs that span the grade levels in Oregon, Vermont and New Hampshire over the course of 14 years. Andrea received her Master’s degree in General Special Education and an additional endorsement of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities through the University of New Hampshire in 2010 and is now pursuing certification in Special Education Administration. Andrea lives in beautiful, rural New Hampshire with her husband, son, two dogs and a cat and loves to camp, hike and ski.
Mandy Couturier, M.Ed.

Mandy Couturier, M.Ed.

Mandy has spent over fifteen years working as a special educator, both in Massachusetts and Vermont. Mandy works collaboratively to meet the needs of all students. First as a full time special educator, and then as a hybrid behavior specialist, Mandy was at the forefront of the school’s state-recognized school-wide Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBiS) as the school coordinator for 10 years at Thatcher Brook Primary School in Waterbury. More recently, Mandy became the principal of Moretown Elementary, thrilled to stay in the Harwood Unified Union School District. Her role has changed, but not her commitment to students’ social and emotional needs. Mandy holds a bachelor’s degree in English Literature from Saint Michael’s College, and two M.Ed. degrees from Rivier University in New Hampshire: Special Education and Emotional and Behavior Disorders. Mandy has been the district trainer of CPI: Non-violent Crisis Intervention since 2010. She has presented workshops about her work with PBiS and how to best support students with Emotional and Behavioral disorders at the local and state levels, and has worked extensively in preparation for the Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) examination.
Sarah White

Sarah White

Sarah is a Vermont Licensed Psychologist and has a master’s degree in Counseling Psychology from Avila University as well as a master’s degree in Educator Practices with a focus in Mathematics from Southern New Hampshire, in collaboration with the Vermont Mathematics Initiative (VMI). Sarah is a former math-phobic student who did everything possible to avoid math class (in school and college). Eventually, she faced her fears and learned math at the graduate level. Sarah serves as a consulting psychologist to Vermont K-12 schools and special education teams. Sarah enjoys teaching at the college level, especially to students who are sure they cannot learn math. Sarah is an avid reader, writer, and loves skiing. She lives in Barre with her husband, her 13 children and three dogs.
Mary Lundeen, M.Ed.

Mary Lundeen, M.Ed.

Mary is the Executive Director of the Vermont Council of Special Education Administrators (VCSEA). Mary began her career in Vermont public education at the Winooski School District where she was a special educator, Special Education Administrator, and Superintendent. After 16 years, Mary joined the Montpelier Roxbury School District as Director of Student Support Services where she served for 7 years. Mary finished her career in Vermont public education at the Mount Mansfield Unified Union School District where she served as the Director of Special Services for 4 years. Mary is a graduate of Trinity College of Vermont and Rivier University. Mary taught Special Education Leadership and Consultation and Collaboration in Schools for many years in the School Leadership Graduate Program at Saint Michael’s College. Mary has been an instructor and intern supervisor in the Special Education Program at VT-HEC for the past 6 years.
Loralyn LaBombard, Ed.D.

Loralyn LaBombard, Ed.D.

Loralyn teaches LD 1, LD 2 and a Co-Teaching course for the VT-HEC. She recently moved to Concord, NH where she works as an intensive needs special educator for Bow Memorial School. She runs a functional skills program for students with Autism. Prior to her move to NH, she worked at a variety of elementary schools as a special educator and also worked for Vermont Reads and the Stern Center for Language and Learning as a literacy consultant and professional development provider in literacy. Loralyn received her Ed.D. from the University of Vermont in Ed Leadership and Policy Studies in 2009 and her MA in Special Education in 2000 from Assumption College in Worcester, MA. Loralyn lives in Concord with her husband, Greg, and three kids, Camden, David, and Libby and dog, Max.
Lori Cassidy, M.Ed.

Lori Cassidy, M.Ed.

Lori has been a Special Educator for over 35 years in the State of VT. She spent the first 4 years as an Intensive Needs teacher for adolescents and then as an Early Childhood Special Educator. She has worked in a variety of settings and positions from being a classroom teacher/director to being a traveling special educator. Lori received a Masters in Early Intervention from UVM. She is a VT AOE State approved Trainer and Coach for Early MTSS focusing on the Pyramid Model. For the last 10 years, Lori has taught the Fundamentals for Early Childhood class for Northern Lights Career Development Center. She has also taught the Curriculum course for the Higher Ed Collaborative and has presented trainings/workshops on a variety of topics.
Abigayle Smith

Abigayle Smith

Abby grew up in the Mid-Hudson Valley of NY. She stumbled upon her passion for teaching at the age of 14, when she became an assistant instructor at a TaeKwonDo school. She went on to become a Special Educator for ten years, and also completed her M.S.T. through the Vermont Mathematics Initiative. When an opportunity to be a building leader arose, she became the Assistant Principal for Echo Valley Schools and enrolled in the Upper Valley Educators Institute to pursue a Principal’s license. She is currently the Assistant Principal at Williamstown Middle/High School. She lives with her partner and grumpy little dog in Central Vermont and is learning how to play guitar.