The Special Education Administration Programs are committed to evidence-based administrative and leadership practices that promote the integration of students with special needs in the general education curriculum. They are based on the belief that students with special needs should be afforded the same opportunities as all students, regardless of their disability. Special education administrators are in positions of influence to ensure students are appropriately referred for special education and that every student with a disability receives individualized services and supports from highly qualified and effective teachers. On completion of the program, educators will have the knowledge and skills they need to develop and support high quality service delivery systems for educating all students with special needs. 

The Special Education Administration Programs are committed to training highly qualified and effective future administrators and leaders, as well as future faculty members at Institutions of Higher Education, who will be able to communicate and apply (1) knowledge traditions employing transformative leadership practices that support inclusive, evidence-based instruction that leads to augmented student learning outcomes; (2) the importance of using data for evaluating the effectiveness of special education programs and personnel; (3) building strong partnerships between special education administrators and families; (4) methodological and statistical considerations in conducting a guided program of research investigating how transformative leadership practices influence the effectiveness of instructional practices and student learning outcomes, and; (5) the importance of field-based experiences involving local, intermediate, state, and federal education agency intensive collaborative practice partners. 

The programs of study are based on a scope and sequence of instruction that leads to Massachusetts Initial Licensure Certification as a Special Administrator (All levels). The program meets the standards of and is accredited through the National Council of Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) and the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC). The competencies meeting these licenses are embedded throughout the coursework, pre-practica, and practica experiences. Our graduates have gone on to successful careers in the field of special education. Many have careers as department chairs, supervisors, and directors of special education in the public and private schools. Some are principals or superintendents. Others are employed by educational consulting firms, by state and federal agencies as project managers and directors and at colleges and universities as faculty and disability services directors.