Dual Certification Makes the Grade
January 23, 2007 - Leah Harris
When Holli Atwater graduates from Georgia State's College of Education, she will be better prepared to help students with disabilities learn in today’s classrooms.
Atwater is one of 30 students in the College of Education's new dual certification program in Early Childhood and Interrelated Special Education that launched this past fall.
"This concentration is designed primarily to prepare pre-service teachers to facilitate learning for children with and without disabilities in general education classrooms," said Joya Carter, assistant professor of early childhood education and coordinator of the program.
"Students who successfully complete this program will be especially well-qualified to teach in schools that fully include children with varying abilities."
According to the Georgia Department of Education, the term "inclusion" means that students with disabilities participate in the same activities as their peers without disabilities.
The dual certification program has been fused into the existing early childhood education courses, although five of the courses are taught by special education faculty.