Special Education and Elementary Education

In Idaho, special education teaching certification includes all types of exceptionalities spanning grades Kindergarten to Grade 12. For elementary, the teaching certification includes grades Kindergarten to Grade 8.

The Dual Special Education, Elementary Education option prepares an educator to teach in a special education and/or elementary education setting. The program prepares educators with professional interest in both special education (kindergarten to grade 12) and elementary education (kindergarten to grade 8).

Department Name: Department of Early and Special Education

Official Degree Name: Dual Special Education, Elementary Education

Degree Type: Bachelor of Arts

Type of Idaho Teaching Certification: 1) Exceptional Child Generalist (K-12), and 2) All Subjects (K-8)

Note for Students with Out-of-State Home Addresses: If considering an academic program that leads to a professional license or certification in your state, it is highly recommended that you first seek guidance from the appropriate licensing agency in your home state BEFORE beginning the academic program located outside your state, or upon changing states. Visit the Professional Licensure Disclosures website for more information.

**Do you already have an undergraduate degree and are looking for a graduate option to earn your teaching certification? Check out our Master In Teaching (MIT) programs. Most programs can be completed within a year and will earn both a master’s degree and teaching certification.

What can I do with this degree?

This degree leads to recommendation in certification for two Idaho teaching certificates: 1) Exceptional Child Generalist (K-12), and 2) All Subjects (K-8).

Graduates with this type of certification typically teach in a special education or elementary school setting, working with diverse learners of all abilities.

Degree Requirements and Advising Resources

Once admitted to the Teacher Education program, you complete the upper division Teacher Education courses. During the Teacher Education year, you must also complete the required Praxis 2 tests in order to apply to the Professional Year.

The required Praxis 2 tests are:

Praxis 2: Elementary Education: Multiple Subjects test #5001
Praxis 2: Special Education Core Knowledge and Mild to Moderate Applications #5543

Program Admissions

The deadline to apply to the Teacher Education program is either the first Friday in February if you apply in the spring and the third Friday in September if you apply in the fall.

The admission process includes an interview which is scheduled after the application deadline.

Professional Year

The deadline to apply for Professional Year is also either the first Friday in February if you apply in the fall or the third Friday in September if you apply in the spring.

After admission to Professional Year, you complete two semesters of student teaching. One semester is in an Elementary Education classroom and the other semester is in a Special Education classroom.

Click here for more information about Teacher Education applications.

Pathway to Proficiency – Teacher Education Program Requirements

To apply to the Teacher Education program, you must have the following three things completed:

All lower division courses, including the 200-level pre-professional Teacher Education courses, must be either complete or in progress
A cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher and a 3.0 or higher GPA in all Teacher Education courses

Application Deadline

The deadline to apply to the Teacher Education program is either the first Friday in February if you apply in the spring and the third Friday in September if you apply in the fall.

The admission process includes an interview which is scheduled after the application deadline.

After Admission to the Program

For this major, the required Praxis 2 tests are:

Praxis Elementary Education: Content Knowledge for Teaching #7811
The following subtests are also required:
1. Reading and Language Subtest #7812 / Score: 161
2. Mathematics Subtest #7813 / Score: 150
3. Social Studies Subtest #7815 / Score: 161
4. Science Subtest #7814 / Score: 154
Praxis Special Education Core Knowlege and Mild to Moderate Applications #5543 / Score: 153

You must successfully complete ALL Praxis exams BEFORE applying to Professional Year.

Applying to Professional Year

The deadline to apply for Professional Year is also either the first Friday in February if you apply in the fall or the third Friday in September if you apply in the spring.

After admission to Professional Year, you complete two semesters of student teaching. One semester is in an Elementary Education classroom and the other semester is in a Special Education setting.

Pathway to Proficiency – Courses

Courses required for entrance into program

All of the following courses are required for graduation and entrance into the teacher education program.

FW ENGL 101 – Writing and Rhetoric I (3 credits)
FW ENGL 102 – Writing and Rhetoric II (3 credits)
UF 100 – Intellectual Foundations (3 credits)
UF 200 – Civic and Ethical Foundations (3 credits)
FM MATH 157 – Foundations of Number and Operations (4 credits)
MATH 158 (prerequisite: MATH 157) – Geometry and Probability for Teachers (4 credits)
FN Natural, Physical, & Applied Science Science course with lab (4 credits)
FN Natural, Science course (must be in a second field; lab optional) (3-4 credits)
FA Arts Course (3 credits)
FC COMM 101 – Foundations of Oral Communication (3 credits)
FH Humanities Course, ASL 101 Recommended (3-4 credits)
ED-LLC 201 (field work included) – Cultural Diversity in the School (3 credits)
FS HIST 111/112 – United States History I or II (3 credits)
FS ED-CIFS 201 – Education, Schooling and Society (3 credits)
ED-CIFS 203 – Child and Educational Psychology
ED-ESP 250 – Exceptionality in Schools (3 credits)
ED-ESP 255 – Educational and Assistive Technology (3 credits)
ED-ESP 260 – Special Education Policies and Procedures (3 credits)

Courses that may be taken prior to admission to program

ED-LLC 300 – Foundations: Linguistics, Acquisition, Pedagogy (3 credits)
ED-LLC 340 (field experience included) – Idaho Comprehensive Literacy (4 credits)
ED-LLC 345 (pre or co-requisite: ED-LLC 340) – Writing Process & Assessment for K-8 Classrooms (3 credits)

Upper division courses that require admission to the teacher education program:

ED-CIFS 331 – Elementary Mathematics Curriculum & Instruction (3 credits)
ED-CIFS 333 – Elementary Science Curriculum & Instruction (3 credits)
ED-ESP 330 (spring only) – Diagnostic Assessment in Special Education (3 credits)
ED-ESP 332 (field work included; spring only) – Language Arts for Students with Disabilities (3 credits)
ED-ESP 333 (field work included; fall only) – Mathematics for Students with Disabilities (3 credits)
ED-ESP 345 (spring only) – Positive Behavior Intervention and Support (3 credits)
ED-ESP 358 (fall only) – Students with Severe Disabilities (3 credits)
ED-ESP 460 (fall only) – Special Education at the Secondary Level (3 credits)
KINES 305 or KINES 355 – Adapted Physical Education (recommended) or Elementary School Health and PE Curriculum and Instruction (3 credits)

Courses that require admission to the Professional Year

Professional Year A – Elementary Education Student Teaching

You will be in the school all day four days a week.

ED-CIFS 430 – Fundamental Frameworks for Supporting Teaching & Learning (4 credits)
ED-LLC 442 – Integrated Disciplinary Language Arts in the Social Sciences
(3 credits)
ED-CIFS 459 – Teacher Experience in Elementary Education (8 credits)

Professional Year B – Special Education Student Teaching

You will be in the school all day M-F.

ED-ESP 467 – Teaching Experience in Special Education (12 credits)

FF ED-ESP 470 – Professional Inquiry, Reflection and Capacity for Change (1 credit)

Costs and Scholarships

Boise State provides an affordable, quality education to improve your future. Scholarship opportunities are available for residents and nonresidents, making it even more affordable to attain a quality education.

The College of Education also offers a range of scholarship opportunities.

The Cost and Value of a Boise State Education

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