Professional Preparation Programs For Teachers of Children with Visual and Multiple Disabilities
Career Opportunities
PCO students demonstrating braille literacy lessons.
There is a nationally recognized shortage of teachers of children with visual impairments. Graduates of the program have a variety of career opportunities open to them, including teaching in public and private community based schools as itinerant, resource, or classroom teachers, teaching in public and private special schools for children with visual impairments, consulting in varied educational settings and special service agencies, serving as researchers, or serving as infant and preschool early intervention specialists.
PCO TVI Program Recruiting for Fulltime Students to Begin Summer 2008
Programs
The College offers a Master of Education Degree Program and a Certificate Program for Teachers of Children with Visual and Multiple Disabilities. These competency-based programs offer coursework and practical experiences that develop knowledge and skills necessary for instruction of infants, children, and youth who are totally blind or visually impaired including those who have multiple disabilities. These programs prepare students for certification by the state credentialing body in Pennsylvania. The Master's Degree also offers students the possibility of reciprocity of certification in other states.
The programs are offered for part and full-time study. Coursework is primarily on line during the fall and spring semesters, with a ten week summer residency at PCO for two summers.
Requirements for Certification:
Individuals entering the program must meet the minimum requirements of the Graduate Studies Department (see the Admissions Requirements). The Pennsylvania Department of Education also has requirements which must be met for certification. These requirements depend upon whether the individual already holds a teaching certificate in another area, or is going for his or her initial certificate. Those who enter without any teaching certificate are considered Initial Certificate Applicants, and those who enter with an additional certificate already in hand are considered Advanced Certificate Applicants. The following are the additional requirements for Initial and Advanced Applicants.
Teacher of the Visually Impaired
The following are required by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania for Teacher Certification in Visual Impairment in order to obtain a Pennsylvania Certificate as a Teacher of the Visually Impaired. A candidate who does not hold a certificate in the Commonwealth is considered an applicant for Initial Certification. A candidate who already holds a teaching certificate is considered an applicant for Advanced Certification.
INITIAL CERTIFICATION:
_____ 1. Passing score on the PRAXIS I test series (reading, writing, mathematics)
_____ 2. Six (6) credits of College Level English (or the equivalent*)
_____ 3. Six (6) credits of College Level Mathematics (or the equivalent*)
_____ 4. Undergraduate degree with a minimum QPA of 3.0
_____ 5. Coursework in the area of Teaching of Reading
_____ 6. PCO coursework in Human Development (or the equivalent)
_____ 7. PCO coursework in Visual Impairment and Additional Disabilities (Introduction to Special Education or the equivalent)
ADVANCED CERTIFICATION:
(Applicants already have teacher certification and are adding the TVI certification to this.)
_____ 1. Undergraduate degree with a minimum QPA of 3.0
_____ 2. Coursework in the area of Teaching of Reading
_____ 3. PCO coursework in Human Development (or the equivalent)
_____ 4. PCO coursework in Visual Impairment and Additional Disabilities (Introduction to Special Education or the equivalent).
Upon completion of the program, Pennsylvania requires that the applicant take the appropriate PRAXIS examinations. These change from time to time, and should be verified with the Educational Testing Service as to requirements in Pennsylvania at the time of completion of the program.
Applicants to the Teacher of the Visually Impaired program must submit copies of current PA and federal background clearances at the time of application to the program.
Course Sequence and Prerequisites
Those individuals who wish to receive the Certificate as a Teacher of the Visually Impaired are assessed by transcript evaluation to assure that they have the requirements for certification listed above for either the Initial or Advanced Certificate. The Program Director and the student then jointly plan a program of studies which will accommodate either full or part time status and which will ensure appropriate course sequencing and integration. Some courses have prerequisites which must be taken into account in planning the program of studies. Students may enroll during any semester. The internship (student teaching) is the last course which students complete. (See the Course Descriptions Document.)
Those individuals who wish to receive the Master of Education degree in addition to Certification as a Teacher of the Visually Impaired, will complete an additional three courses. These are GS709 Critical Analysis of Research, GS 710 Functional Applications of Research, and GS 728 Children with Visual Impairment and Additional Disabilities. In addition they must pass GS 731, the TVI Comprehensive Examination. In general, students who are seeking to complete the Masters Degree on a part time status may do so in approximately 2 years and 2 semesters depending upon the semester in which they begin classes. A student seeking to complete the Masters Degree on a full time status may be able to complete it within a year and two semesters, again depending upon when the student enrolls.
Computer Literacy
The Department of Graduate Studies in Vision Impairment requires graduate students to be computer literate upon entry into their respective programs of study. All instructors will expect that students know how to use a computer for word processing, spreadsheets, and that they will know how to use PowerPoint.
Prior to entering the program, students who lack basic skills in using the computer for word processing should take a basic beginners computer course from a local computer education program at a community college, college/university, or a computer education service. After entering the program students needing additional computer assistance may find help in the college's Computer Assisted Learning Center. Masters Degree Candidates should assess their competence in algebra and refresh their knowledge base as needed.
Pennsylvania College of Optometry Graduate Students have obtained a 100% pass rate on the Visual Impairment PRAXIS examination for over the past ten years!
For further information contact:
Dr. Missy Garber, Director
Programs for Teachers of Children With Visual & Multiple Impairments
215-780-1502 or mgarber@pco.edu