District Intern
Bridge Authorization Program
Background
Currently in many TK-12 special education programs, students are assigned to classrooms based on federal disability categories in order to align with the specific disability categories authorized by the teacher’s credential. The new credential structure enables Education Specialists to continue serving students who are placed according to their disabilities, and supports the vision that districts move towards a model where students receive services based on the level of support necessary.
Creating a bridge option between the current and new Education Specialist teaching credentials provides interested credential holders with the opportunity to obtain the expanded authorization, thereby allowing them to serve students beyond the federal disability categories to which their credential is currently limited and instead allow them to serve a broader spectrum of students as authorized by the new Mild to Moderate Support Needs (MMSN), Extensive Support Needs (ESN), or Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE) credentials. This flexibility would grant Education Specialists the opportunity to focus on the needs of students with disabilities as opposed to the limitation of placement as directed by the authorization accompanying an educator’s credential.
This webpage provides information to current Education Specialist Credential holders (Mild to Moderate Disabilities, Moderate to Severe Disabilities, Early Childhood Special Education) earned prior to July 1, 2022 interested in earning a Bridge Authorization to the new Education Specialist Credential authorization areas (Mild to Moderate Support Needs, Extensive Support Needs, Early Childhood Special Education).
Creating a bridge option between the current and new Education Specialist teaching credentials provides interested credential holders with the opportunity to obtain the expanded authorization, thereby allowing them to serve students beyond the federal disability categories to which their credential is currently limited and instead allow them to serve a broader spectrum of students as authorized by the new Mild to Moderate Support Needs (MMSN), Extensive Support Needs (ESN), or Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE) credentials. This flexibility would grant Education Specialists the opportunity to focus on the needs of students with disabilities as opposed to the limitation of placement as directed by the authorization accompanying an educator’s credential.
This webpage provides information to current Education Specialist Credential holders (Mild to Moderate Disabilities, Moderate to Severe Disabilities, Early Childhood Special Education) earned prior to July 1, 2022 interested in earning a Bridge Authorization to the new Education Specialist Credential authorization areas (Mild to Moderate Support Needs, Extensive Support Needs, Early Childhood Special Education).
EligibilityPossession of a current* preliminary or clear Education Specialist Credential:
*Issued prior to July 1, 2022 |
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Enrollment
Enrollment for the Fall Cohort is now open.
If you are interested in joining, register for an upcoming Information Meeting.
If you are interested in joining, register for an upcoming Information Meeting.
Application Fee:
A non-refundable application fee of $300 is required with submission of the application packet. Application review includes verification of credential, and evaluation of transcript with additional evidence as applicable.
Advisement/Enrollment Appointment:
Once a candidate has met the requirements for Bridge Authorization eligibility and the application has been reviewed, the program coordinator will schedule an individual advisement meeting to enroll the candidate in an individualized course designed to meet all remaining required competencies. Advisement and enrollment includes payment of fee ($500), orientation to the program requirements, creation of the Individual Advisement Plan (IAP), and enrollment in the individualized course.
A non-refundable application fee of $300 is required with submission of the application packet. Application review includes verification of credential, and evaluation of transcript with additional evidence as applicable.
Advisement/Enrollment Appointment:
Once a candidate has met the requirements for Bridge Authorization eligibility and the application has been reviewed, the program coordinator will schedule an individual advisement meeting to enroll the candidate in an individualized course designed to meet all remaining required competencies. Advisement and enrollment includes payment of fee ($500), orientation to the program requirements, creation of the Individual Advisement Plan (IAP), and enrollment in the individualized course.
