Program of Study (IEEP)

Fall I:

Winter I:

Spring I:

Fall II:

Winter II:

Spring II:

Program Features

The Portland State University Inclusive Elementary Educators Program is a fulltime two-year (six terms) graduate program that prepares candidates for teaching in elementary schools (grades K-8), special education grades K-8, and students of all abilities, ages three to five. The program has a mix of coursework and practica experiences spread throughout those six terms. The field experiences and most of the graduate classes are scheduled during the day. However, each term there may be one late afternoon/early evening class. The program includes a master's research project that is completed in the sixth term and culminates in a master's degree.

Students in the Inclusive Elementary Educators Program are admitted in cohorts - groups of students who take coursework and field experience assignments together under the guidance of faculty at PSU and master teachers in area schools. The cohort remains together for the two years it takes to complete the program. The cohort strategy uses group processes to develop professionalism and collegiality, provide support for classroom performance, and encourage reflective practice. The cohort is named the Inclusive Educators Program to reflect the belief that schools are places where all students belong.

Students in the Inclusive Elementary Educators Program are placed, as much as possible, in schools that implement inclusion - where students with disabilities are included in their neighborhood schools. Field experience begins during the first term of the program. In these settings, special education services and support often occur within the regular classroom. Students in the Inclusive Educators Program complete field experiences/student teaching in at least two different age/grade levels or multi-age groups. They train with special education teachers in both resource room settings and in inclusive settings and with classroom teachers at preschool, primary, and/or intermediate grade levels.

Students work with faculty from both the Curriculum and Instruction and Special Education Departments at PSU. These faculty periodically co-teach courses in which they provide students with a variety of perspectives and methods of teaching.

The Inclusive Elementary Educators Program at PSU is at the forefront of the national educational reform movement. The curriculum reflects the contributions of professors, teachers, administrators, and counselors in the field who have pioneered inclusive education through their teaching and research. The Inclusive Elementary Educators Program is only one of a handful in the country offering both dual licensure and an inclusive focus.