Kansas Special Education Certification & Requirements

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Special Education in Kansas

Kansas’s special education services earn the U.S. Department of Education’s highest mark of “Meets Requirements,” according to Education Week. The Kansas State Snapshot on the ED.gov website indicates that 14 percent of students in Kansas have disabilities, one percent higher than the national average, and the state employs over 4,000 special educators to work in its 293 districts. The Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) oversees all policies for the public school system, while its Special Education Services team provides information regarding the state’s public special education services.

Licensure Requirements

For Undergraduates

KSDE guidelines indicate that obtaining a initial teaching license requires completing a KSDE-approved teacher preparation program. Students can opt to enter an approved undergraduate program that simultaneously awards a bachelor’s degree and qualifies them to apply for a teaching credential. To teach at the elementary level, students must complete an elementary education program; at the secondary level, students must complete a program in the subject area they wish to teach.

For Graduates

Those who hold a bachelor’s degree in the subject area in which they want to teach must complete a teacher preparation program. In some cases, graduates may be eligible to pursue an alternative pathway to licensure, allowing them to reach the classroom sooner.

Teaching Licenses Issued in Kansas

The KSDE issues several types of educator licenses to qualified applicants, including the including the Initial License (for new teachers), Professional License (a second-level license for teachers who have complete professional development requirements), Transitional License (for those with an expired license) and Accomplished License (for those who have completed an advanced performance assessment). Applications for these licenses can be downloaded at the KSDE website. Individuals can add teaching endorsements to their credentials if they complete approved programs or pass tests. Available endorsements in the area of special education include adaptive, functional, visually impaired and deaf or hard of hearing.

Reciprocity

While the KSDE does offer reciprocity to out-of-state teachers and those from other countries, these teachers must meet several requirements. To qualify for an Initial License, out-of-state educators must have a bachelor’s degree and much have completed an accredited teacher preparation program; they must also demonstrate “recency,” which involves providing proof of a minimum number of credit hours or amount of teaching experience within the past six years. Candidates may have to take additional courses or pass a pedagogy exam to meet KSDE requirements. The KSDE’s guide for foreign applicants outlines similar requirements as those specified for out-of-state applicants. In addition to these requirements, foreign teachers must submit their credentials for review by a certified educational credential evaluator.

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Special Education Degrees in Kansas

U.S. News & World Report named the graduate program in special education at the University of Kansas (KU) the number two program of its kind in the nation, and the number one public program in this area. In addition, the cost per credit for this program is 50 to 75 percent less expensive (depending upon your Kansas residency status) than the top-ranked program at Vanderbilt University in Nashville. The KU Department of Special Education offers a range of programs for both new and experienced special educators. At the undergraduate level, KU’s Unified Early Childhood course of study prepares students to work in special and general education settings for children ages 0 to 8. Graduate degrees awarded include master’s degrees in Early Childhood Unified, Autism Spectrum Disorders, Low Incidence Disabilities (Functional), High Incidence Disabilities (Adaptive) and Secondary Special Ed Transition (a fully online program); KU also offers a special education doctorate program.

For profiles of all the schools in Kansas that offer master’s in special education programs, click here.

Special Education Teacher Groups in Kansas

KNEA, the state teacher’s union, is open to teachers, administrators, retired teachers and teachers in training, and is involved in advocacy work.
The Kansas Special Education Advisory Council (SEAC) interprets special education policy at the state level. Members include people with disabilities, their families, representatives from state special services agencies and other stakeholders in the community.
The American Federation of Teachers-Kansas focuses on national and regional policy of interest to Kansas educators.

Alternatives to Certification

KSDE offers the Restricted Teaching License Alternative Pathway for mid-career professionals who have undergraduate or graduate degrees in content areas they would like to teach. Qualified candidates receive a restricted license and can enter Kansas public school classrooms immediately. While teaching with the restricted license, they must complete teacher preparation coursework that qualifies them for full licensure.

Special Education Jobs in Kansas

Public schools

The KSDE employment webpage provides links to open positions for various educator positions throughout the state. One of these links directs job seekers to the Kansas Teaching Jobs website, a special educator recruiting project of the Kansas Education Employment Board (KEEB).

Private schools

Located in the Kansas City metro area, Horizon Academy offers day programs for children with learning disabilities.

Other programs

The Kansas branch of Connections Academy provides free virtual classes for students in grades K-12 and hires certified special education teachers.

Professional Development

The Kansas University Center on Developmental Disabilities (KUCDD) provides ongoing training opportunities for students, educators, psychologists and others involved in the special education community. The Kansas National Education Association has a roster of events, conferences and trainings of interest to general and special educators.

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Blogs by Kansas Special Educators

Kansas Special Education Advocate: Navigating IEP meetings, exploring Kansas special education policy changes and working with special educators in the Kansas school system are the topics of this blog.
SPEDEXPRESS: While not officially a blog, this KSDE Special Education Department message board connects the Kansas public special education community. You can subscribe to receive updates or browse the archives.