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.
To obtain a certificate of completion as a special education technician, the North Dakota Department of Public Instruction requires 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.
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.
Special Education Core
SPED Module 1: Learner Development & Individual Learning/Cultural Differences
3 Credit Equivalent
SPED Module 1L: Learner Development & Individual Learning/Cultural Differences Lab
2 Credit Equivalent
SPED Module 2: Legal/Ethical Practices & Professional Learning
3 Credit Equivalent
SPED Module 2L: Legal/Ethical Practices & Professional Learning Lab
2 Credit Equivalent
SPED Module 7: Collaboration, Consultation, & Supervision
3 Credit Equivalent
SPED Module 7L: Collaboration, Consultation, & Supervision Lab
2 Credit Equivalent
Special Education Technician Core
SPED TECH 101: Individualized Education/Family Service Programs
3 Credit Equivalent
SPED TECH 101L: Individualized Education/Family Service Programs Lab
2 Credit Equivalent
SPED TECH102: Behavior Management in Educational Settings
3 Credit Equivalent
SPED TECH102L: Behavior Management in Educational Settings Lab
2 Credit Equivalent
SPED TECH103: Curriculum Based Evaluations for Assessment
3 Credit Equivalent
SPED TECH103L: Curriculum Based Evaluations for Assessment Lab
2 Credit Equivalent
SPED TECH 104: High Leverage Practices for High Incidence Disabilities
3 Credit Equivalent
SPED TECH 104L: High Leverage Practices for High Incidence Disabilities Lab
2 Credit Equivalent
SPED TECH 110: Special Education Technician Practicum
7 Credit Equivalent
Total Credit Equivalent: 42
The total cost of this program is $7,700.
All undergraduate credits are valued at $200/credit. However, SPED TECH 110: Special Education Technician Practicum is a 7 credit equivalent which is valued at $100/credit.
Upon completion, you will be eligible to apply for a certificate of completion as a special education technician from the North Dakota Department of Public Instruction. You will be issued an official, postsecondary education transcript.
https://www.nd.gov/dpi/educators/credentials-and-certificates/dyslexia
Certification Central and Minot State University have built a PIPELINE that allows you to seamlessly transfer your special education technician credits into MSU’s undergraduate degree in special education. You can work as a special education technician while earning your teaching license! If you would like to talk to MSU, please contact Dr. Holly Pedersen at holly.pedersen@minotstateu.edu
PIPELINE Project website: www.ndspedpipeline.org
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 Criminal History Record Check check (no older than 3 months) or submit a copy of your current ND’s Educator Professional License (expired license can’t be accepted). Regarding the background check, do this right away as the process can take a while. Use the following link to request the Non-Criminal Justice Request for Criminal History Record Information. Be sure to read through the instructions carefully. https://attorneygeneral.nd.
gov/sites/ag/files/documents/ CHR-NonCJ-Request-SFN50744.pdf 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?
