Sac Metro Teacher Residency (SMTR)

In 1 year, become a “Day One” ready teacher while getting paid to earn your credential. Residents receive up to $20,500 in funds over the course of the program, $100 for testing fees, and tuition covered for the program.

Contact Dr. Cindy Collado

Our Graduates

It has been my experience that the professors in the College of Education truly enjoy what they do. They are supportive and they listen to their students. As educators themselves, they know what we are going through, what resources we will need, and how we can obtain our goals.

Jacob Mickelson-Steele | 2022

Hear Jacob's perspective

One of my favorite memories in my career as a special education teacher is when I had a student that was in 3rd grade run her own Individual Education Plan or IEP meeting. We created a PowerPoint so that she could lead the meeting and the student had everyone including the principal laughing but also astonished at how well a 3rd-grade student could run her IEP meeting and bring joy to a meeting in such a natural way.

Geraldine Pelayo | 2021

Hear Geraldine's perspective

Career Options

You have many career options when you earn your Education Specialist credential.

When you earn your ECSE credential you can work as:

• Early intervention provider, visiting families’ homes to coach them on supporting their infant and/or toddler with disabilities or developmental delays
• Infant/Toddler center education specialist in special education or inclusive settings
• Preschool, TK or kindergarten education specialist in special education or inclusive settings
• Itinerant education specialist, visiting various programs to consult with general education teachers on how to support their preschool, TK, or kindergarten students with disabilities

When you earn your DHH credential you can work as:

• Early Intervention Provider, supporting families and their young children who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing (DHH)
• Teacher of the Deaf, serving students ages 0-22 in various educational settings, including mainstream classrooms, resource rooms, and specialized DHH programs
• Itinerant Teacher for the Deaf, traveling between schools to support DHH students integrated into general education classrooms, ensuring they receive appropriate accommodations and services
• Staff at a Deaf School, working in residential or day schools for the Deaf, providing comprehensive educational programs and fostering an environment that embraces Deaf culture and community
• Coordinator of DHH Services, overseeing the implementation and quality of services for DHH students within a school district or educational agency

Depending on your interest in the types of support needs of students, when you earn your MMSN or ESN credential, you can work as:

• TK - 12 Education Specialist in separate or inclusive settings
• Transition Specialist

And with your masters you can advance over time to more leadership roles such as:

• Curriculum Development Specialist
• Education Consultant
• Curriculum Evaluator

What are the Salaries like?

As a blended Master of Arts in Teaching in Special Education (MAT-SPED) with any of our special education credentials, our graduates start at a higher pay level due to the master’s degree and additional units.

Starting salaries range from $45,000-$55,000. There are currently many signing bonuses available.

Program Pathways

All program applications Priority Deadline (March 1st) and Deadline (April 1st)

Preliminary Credential Program Pathways

Our teacher preparation programs offer preliminary education specialist credentials with the option of continuing with your Master of Arts in Teaching in Special Education (MAT). Students complete their credential then can opt to continue for one more year to complete their MAT-specific coursework while working in the field. Some students either continue with the MAT in the summer following graduating with their credential or return later to complete it within 7 years from admission into the program.

This pathway is an intensive program for student teachers and Residents of the Sacramento Metro Teacher Residency (SMTR).

1. 1-year, Summer start (3 semester) Residency/Student Teaching Pathway
   
   This pathway is an intensive program for non-working student teachers & Residents of the Sacramento Metro Special Education Teacher Residency scholarship (SMSTR). The Field Coordinator places you in a classroom relevant to your credential 4 to 5 days a week. With this option, students are not able to work during the week as they are completing their fieldwork as volunteers in their coordinating teachers’ programs/classrooms and taking courses in the evenings and during the day. Financial supports can make this possible!
2. 2-year, Fall start (4 to 5 semesters) pathway with intern option
   
   This pathway is for those seeking to spread out their coursework over 2 years. With this pathway, candidates can be placed as student teachers in a mentor’s classroom or work in a classroom or program relevant to their credential such as a paraprofessional or emergency permit teacher (perhaps eventually as an intern). They work with Sac State education specialist program’s field coordinator to review and approve their place of employment as their fieldwork site since you they will be working in a program or classroom where you they will complete their fieldwork experience during the day while taking courses in the evenings. Note: students will need to gain experience in a variety of classrooms thus may need to change positions in their second year or find time to observe and complete fieldwork in other classrooms/programs.

Early Childhood Special Education - Added Authorization

For current credentialed Education Specialists or those enrolled in our Mild to Moderate Support Needs (MMSN) or Extensive Supports Needs (ESN) programs, the ECSE-AA offers a one-year pathway to adding on the authorization to teach young children with disabilities birth to preschool. This is an online program.

Explore more about our programs

Credential Concentrations

Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE), FULLY ONLINE PROGRAM

The ECSE credential authorizes you to provide educational services to young children with all types of disabilities in birth to TK and kindergarten. Students learn to partner with and coach families raising infants & toddlers with disabilities in their homes and work with a team supporting young children with disabilities in preschool, TK, and kindergarten programs. The ECSE program is an online program with evening courses taken in zoom and in-person fieldwork with your local school district/programs.

Mild to Moderate Support Needs (MMSN), HYBRID PROGRAM

The MMSN credential authorizes you to provide educational services to children and youth with mild to moderate support needs ages 5 to 22 years old. Students learn to work with a school team to provide supports and services to students with a variety of disabilities who have mild to moderate support needs.

The MMSN (Mild/Mod Support Needs) credential program is a hybrid program with evening courses offering a mix of in-person and online classes (Zoom and asynchronous) and in-person fieldwork within your local school district/programs.

Extensive Support Needs (ESN) - formerly Moderate/Severe Disabilities credential, FULLY ONLINE PROGRAM

The ESN credential authorizes you to provide educational services to children and youth with significant support needs ages 5 to 22 years old. Students learn to work with a school team to provide supports and services to students with a variety of developmental disabilities who have significant support needs.

The ESN (Mod/Severe) credential program is an online program with evening courses taken in Zoom and in-person fieldwork within your local school district/programs.

Deaf and Hard of Hearing (DHH): FULLY ONLINE PROGRAM *Pending CTC Approval

The DHH credential authorizes you to provide educational services to children and youth who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing from birth to 22 years old. Students learn to work collaboratively with families, educational teams, the Deaf community, and related service providers to support the diverse linguistic, cultural, and educational needs of DHH students. The program emphasizes the importance of incorporating both American Sign Language (ASL) and English pedagogy to ensure comphrehensive language development in Deaf children. The DHH program offers fully online courses complemented by in-person fieldwork.

MAT in Special Education

The MAT-SPED program focuses on inquiry-based education which includes hands-on instruction with problem-based learning and issues-centered curriculum and a focus on reflection during the teaching and research process. The program foundation rests in social justice and equity in education for all children and youth, including those with disabilities, and their families. The materials and associated activities presented in the MAT coursework are highly integrated to support candidates with successful completion of the Master of Arts in Teaching degree. The MAT-only courses are taken in the summer, fall, and spring after completion of the ECSE, MMSN, or ESN (formerly Mod/Sev), and DHH Preliminary credentials. Students have up to 7 years to earn the Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT-SPED) with some continuing the summer following their graduation from the credential program while others take a break for one year (or more) before returning to complete their MAT-SPED. Note: taking a Leave of Absence is possible as long as they complete their requirements within the 7 years from admission to the credential + MAT-SPED program.

Minor in Special Education

The Special Education minor consists of interdisciplinary coursework designed to familiarize students with the field of special education and disability studies and to gain knowledge and experience with theory and research in these areas. Students will explore the personal, historical, political, cognitive, and contextual factors that play a role in the lives of students with disabilities and in the lives of their advocates. Students will explore the career of Education Specialist while learning about various pathways to working with students with disabilities.

Click here to download the flyer for more information.

Ready to Apply?

To apply to one of our two pathways, follow the application procedures for the specific special education program concentration that interests you. Applications for the next cohort to begin each Summer or Fall have a priority deadline of March 1st and the deadline as April 1st. After these respective dates you will be contacted to sign up for an interview day; at this time, you will indicate your interest in applying to the 1-year intensive program, 1-year intensive program with the SMTR scholarship, or 2-year, Fall start pathway by choosing your pathway interview day.

Learn about pre-requisites for the credential programs, download the application and resources, and see who to contact for help with your application:

Apply