Overview
Certification Central (CC) is an alternative certification program leading to full certification as a Special Education Technician. CC is competency-based and aligned to national Council for Exceptional Children’s preparation standards. Learners demonstrate competencies through authentic, performance-based assessments to make them career-ready.
Certification Central encourages learners to enroll at any time and to move at their own pace, which supports those with life experience to accelerate their course of study. Asynchronous, online instruction makes this program borderless and accessible.
Special Education Technician Requirements
To obtain a certificate of completion as a special education technician, the North Dakota Department of Public Instruction may** require the following training:
•40-semester hours of college education or an equivalent under Century Code 15.1-13-10 in the area of special education that aligns with the Council for Exceptional Children preparation standards for paraeducators, including; learner development and individual differences, legal/ethnical practices, behavior management, curricular content knowledge, assessment, instructional planning and strategies, and collaboration; and
•A two-credit transcribable practicum minimum of one hundred clock-hours of fieldwork experience which is supervised by a licensed special education teacher.
**These requirements are currently going through the administrative rules process for final approval.
Program of Study
This program is comprised of a Special Education Core and a Special Education Technician Core. The Special Education Core is comprised of a 15-credit equivalent that provides learners the foundational knowledge of special education. The Special Education Technician Core is a 25-credit equivalent that equips learners with the skills and dispositions to become a successful special education technician. Certification Central is a practice-based program that leverages on-the-job training by adding a lab to each module. This provides learners the opportunity to anchor their learning into an applied educational setting, which can be completed while on-the-job in an educational setting.| Module | Title | Unit/Credit Equivalent | Opening Date |
| Special Education Core | |||
| SPED Module 1 | Learner Development & Individual Learning/Cultural Differences | 3 | Open Now |
| SPED Module 1L | Learner Development & Individual Learning/Cultural Differences Lab | 2 | Open Now |
| SPED Module 2 | Legal/Ethical Practices & Professional Learning | 3 | Open Now |
| SPED Module 2L | Legal/Ethical Practices & Professional Learning Lab | 2 | Open Now |
| SPED Module 7 | Collaboration, Consultation, & Supervision | 3 | Open Now |
| SPED Module 7L | Collaboration, Consultation, & Supervision Lab | 2 | Open Now |
| Special Education Technician Core | |||
| SPED TECH 101 | Individualized Education/Family Service Programs | 3 | August 1 |
| SPED TECH 101L | Individualized Education/Family Service Programs Lab | 2 | August 1 |
| SPED TECH 102 | Behavior Management in Educational Settings | 3 | July 15 |
| SPED TECH 102L | Behavior Management in Educational Settings Lab | 2 | July 15 |
| SPED TECH 103 | Curriculum Based Evaluations for Assessment | 3 | August 15 |
| SPED TECH 103L | Curriculum Based Evaluations for Assessment Lab | 2 | August 15 |
| SPED TECH 104 | High Leverage Practices for High Incidence Disabilities | 3 | September 15 |
| SPED TECH 104L | High Leverage Practices for High Incidence Disabilities Lab | 2 | September 15 |
| SPED TECH 110 | Special Education Technician Practicum | 5 | October 15 |
| Total Credit Equivalent: 40 | |||
Admission Criteria
- Certification Central (CC) is an enroll anytime program with no deadlines. After you submit the completed application, you will be notified of our admission decision within 1 week.
- You must have earned a high school diploma or an equivalent. Verification needs to be submitted.
- You must pass a recent FBI background check (no older than 3 months). Start this application early as you are going to need to ensure you have a completed background check. Such a check can take weeks to complete. Use the following link to request an FBI Background check. Be sure to read through the instructions carefully. http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/identity-history-summary-checks Attach the receipt of a cleared background check in your application.
- You need 2 professional letters of recommendation that speak to your experiences or interests in the field of special education. Please avoid submitting references from friends and family. You will collect these letters then submit them when you complete the application.
- You will write a 2-page essay that answers the following questions: a) What experiences have you had working in an educational setting? b) Why do you want to become a special education technician?
