INDIANAPOLIS - The Indiana State Board of Education approved Trine University's Special Education Transition to Teaching program at its business meeting on Wednesday, May 10.

Like Trine's other Transition to Teaching programs, the new special education program will allow partner schools to provide cohorts that will allow qualified candidates to earn teacher certification over a 10-month period.

The program's learning modules align with what teacher candidates experience in the classroom throughout the school year.

"Special education is facing an acute shortage of teachers throughout the state," said Amy Heavin, Ph.D., director of Transition to Teaching at Trine University. "We're pleased to bring the model we've already successfully implemented with our partner schools to help meet this critical need."

Candidates for the program must be teaching in a special education classroom with an alternative special education license, and will earn 24 credit hours at Trine.

Trine University launched its Transition to Teaching program in 2022 and has partnerships with school districts across northern and central Indiana. The unique program partners with school districts to provide cohort-based training, taking the financial burden off individual teacher candidates and allowing them a more flexible schedule while providing greater retention for partnering districts.

Any Indiana school district may establish a partnership with Trine for special education or other Transition to Teaching programs. The university is still establishing partnerships for the 2023-24 school year.

For more information, contact Heavin at heavina@trine.edu or (260) 665-4555, or visit trine.edu/t2t.