Education Specialist Degrees in New York
Society relies on people contributing to a greater good, a principle that makes public services, roads, and education possible. As a New York teacher, you have a vested interest in the future of the state and its residents. Since you have devoted your career to teaching, you may be interested in becoming the best teacher you can be.
With an education specialist degree, you may become an expert in your subject area and improve the learning experience for the students that come through your classroom.
Role of Educators With an Ed.S Degree in New York
An advanced degree doesn’t have to mean working in research. Find out how you can strengthen your classroom presence and teaching skills with an educational specialist degree.
When you look at the successes of New York’s education system, it’s clear that there are many ways you can use your teaching experience. Curriculum development is a major area in New York. In fact, Eureka Math is a New York-developed curriculum that has become the number one math curriculum in the country (Education World, 2016).
The need for specialists is currently greater than it has ever been. New York has seen more than its fair share of changing education policies, leading to rapid changes in standards, student outcomes, and teaching requirements (Democrat Chronicle, 2016). With your position as an education specialist, you may be able to guide these changes in a positive direction.
The next step in your journey is learning how to get an education specialist degree. Learn more by contacting the schools listed below.
Getting Your Educational Specialist Degree in New York
Compared to other advanced degree options, an education specialist degree NY is much more fast-paced. Rather than devoting five or more years to research, postsecondary teaching, and high-level theory, you spend roughly four semesters mastering important skills in your area of study and testing your ability to apply them.
The first step in pursuing this degree is deciding where you want to focus your efforts. Each subject area may prepare you for a variety of career options. New York college and university options include:
- Educational Technology
- Educational Leadership
- Early Education Intervention
- Literacy Education
- Mathematics Education
Throughout your training, you should get preparation with each age level that you may teach with your new certification. Some fields combine education with other areas of study, such as counseling, psychology, or human development.
The courses required in each subject shine a light on the learning goals of a school. New York early education intervention programs may require you to take courses like:
- Foundations of Early Interventions
- Collaboration and Consultation in Early Intervention
- Child Development
- Law, Policy, and Practice Issues in Early Education
- Education of Young Children with Special Needs
- Intervention Strategies and Inclusion Practices
If you want to pursue a career in school psychology, you’ll likely need to take courses in child development, mental health, counseling ethics, and cooperation with other influences in a child’s life. School psychology Ed.S courses include:
- Sociological and Cultural Foundations of Education
- Educational Leadership and Organizational Theory
- Cognitive Processes and Learning
- Assessment and Intervention
- Developmental Child Psychopathology
- Positive Behavior Support
- Advanced Interventions for Children, Adolescents, and Families
- Curriculum-Based Behavior Measures
Most Ed.S programs are developed for the benefit of working teachers, which means that they must be flexible in how and when they permit you to take courses. You may find that quite a few New York options allow you to take some or most of your courses online. However, you do have to meet certain practical experience requirements. In a school psychology program, you may have to complete clinical rotations in different mental health settings before enrolling in an internship at a local school. In a classroom education specialty, student teaching is more likely to be a requirement.
Earning a specialist degree in education may have personal and professional benefits for you, advantages for your classroom, and advantages for your school district as a whole. By specializing in one area of teaching, you can become a greater resource for other teachers in your district, expanding your job duties and improving the classroom experience across New York.
Working With an Education Specialist Degree in New York
Since this is a degree for working teachers, the job search process may be a bit different from what you experience at other degree levels. Your current place of employment, existing professional contacts, and Ed.S contacts may help you find a position that utilizes your new degree.
Some career paths are listed here, along with average salary information and expected job growth through 2022:
- School administrator: 2% expected growth (O*Net, 2016); $
120,810 average salary (BLS,2016 ) - Instructional coordinator: 13% expected growth (O*Net, 2016); $
70,560 average salary (BLS,2016 ) - Secondary school teacher: 2% expected growth (O*Net, 2016); $
81,410 average salary (BLS,2016 )
Depending on how you want to use your degree, a new teaching license may be necessary. This should be apparent by the time you complete your education. If you do need a new or upgraded license, this process goes through the New York State Education Department.
Your degree may give you an implied responsibility to take up a leadership role in New York education. Participating in groups like New York State United Teachers, the New York State Association of Foreign Language Teachers, and the New York State Elementary Classroom Teachers Association is one of the main ways to make a difference in this field.
You can use your training to inspire other teachers, impact students’ lives, and strengthen education as a whole. Make your move now and request information from education specialist programs in New York.
