Special Education Guide

  • Special Education Career Paths
    • Behaviorist
    • Early Intervention Specialist
    • Educational Diagnostician
    • Instructional Assistant
    • Special Education Administrator
    • Special Education Teacher
  • Teacher Certification
    • Alabama
    • Alaska
    • Arizona
    • Arkansas
    • California
    • Colorado
    • Connecticut
    • District of Columbia
    • Delaware
    • Florida
    • Georgia
    • Hawaii
    • Idaho
    • Illinois
    • Indiana
    • Iowa
    • Kansas
    • Kentucky
    • Louisiana
    • Maine
    • Maryland
    • Massachusetts
    • Michigan
    • Minnesota
    • Mississippi
    • Missouri
    • Montana
    • Nebraska
    • Nevada
    • New Hampshire
    • New Jersey
    • New Mexico
    • New York
    • North Carolina
    • North Dakota
    • Ohio
    • Oklahoma
    • Oregon
    • Pennsylvania
    • Rhode Island
    • South Carolina
    • South Dakota
    • Tennessee
    • Texas
    • Utah
    • Vermont
    • Virginia
    • Washington
    • West Virginia
    • Wisconsin
    • Wyoming
  • Master’s in Special Education Programs
    • Alabama
    • Alaska
    • Arizona
    • Arkansas
    • California
    • Colorado
    • Connecticut
    • Delaware
    • District of Columbia
    • Florida
    • Georgia
    • Hawaii
    • Idaho
    • Illinois
    • Indiana
    • Iowa
    • Kansas
    • Kentucky
    • Louisiana
    • Maine
    • Maryland
    • Massachusetts
    • Michigan
    • Minnesota
    • Mississippi
    • Missouri
    • Montana
    • Nebraska
    • Nevada
    • New Hampshire
    • New Jersey
    • New Mexico
    • New York
    • North Carolina
    • North Dakota
    • Ohio
    • Oklahoma
    • Oregon
    • Pennsylvania
    • Rhode Island
    • South Carolina
    • South Dakota
    • Tennessee
    • Texas
    • Utah
    • Vermont
    • Virginia
    • Washington
    • West Virginia
    • Wisconsin
    • Wyoming

Find us on:

  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • About This Site
  • Read Our Blog

Special Education Master’s Programs in Tennessee

FIND SCHOOLS
1
2
3
4
Sponsored Content

Featured Programs:
Sponsored School(s)

Sponsored School(s)

All school search, finder, or match results, as well as colleges and universities displayed as "Featured School(s)" or "Sponsored Content" are advertisers that compensate us for placement on this site. The resources, editorial content, and school evaluations published on this site are developed independent of the schools that advertise here.
Grand Canyon University Logo
Grand Canyon University
Featured Program: B.S. in Elementary Education / Special Education and M.Ed. in Special Education
Request Info
Purdue University Logo
Purdue University
Featured Program: Online MSEd in Special Education
Request Info
Liberty University Logo
Liberty University
Featured Program: (B.Ed.) in Special Education, M.A.T. in Special Education, and Doctoral Curriculum and Instruction – Special Education
Request Info
George Mason University Logo
George Mason University
Featured Program: Master's and Graduate Certificate Programs in Special Education
Request Info
Arcadia University Logo
Arcadia University
Featured Program: Online Graduate Certificate in Autism
Request Info
Regis University Logo
Regis University
Featured Program: Earn your M.Ed in Special Education Licensure, MAE in Culturally & Linguistically Diverse Education and more at Regis University. Build your skills to teach students with the greatest needs.
Request Info
Arizona State University Logo
Arizona State University
Featured Program: Special Education, MEd
Request Info

Tennessee Takes on Autism and Other Disabilities with Master’s-Educated Teachers

Tennessee’s 137 school districts have a big job when it comes to taking care of an expanding special needs student population. More than 12 percent of the state’s almost 1 million K-12 student population are in Individual Education Programs (IEPs), a common designation for students with special learning requirements.

As of 2016, per pupil spending on IEP students was just over $9,000 each (over and above the general per student cost of $8,600), a number that covers the cost of supplies, facilities, accommodative technologies and, most importantly, the master’s-trained educators who teach them.

Accountability and Public Involvement Characterize the Tennessee Approach to Special Education

The Tennessee state Department of Education’s Division of Special Education is committed to working with the public to inform its approach to special education in the public schools. The same program is designed to push for accountability among teachers and school districts, assuring the state taxpayers that their money is being spent appropriately on students with disabilities.

FIND SCHOOLS
Sponsored Content

So far, the approach has been working—90 percent of parents report that the schools have reached out to involve them productively in their student’s education plan. And the state has a 94 percent success rate in identifying and bringing disabled children into IEPs to meet their special needs.

Autism Hits Hard in Tennessee; Master’s-trained Teachers Hit Back

The state, like most other states, has been hard-pressed when it comes to dealing with an influx of students diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) over the past two decades. For every 264 students in the system, 1 will have an ASD diagnosis, ranging from mild Asperger’s Syndrome to devastating childhood disintegrative disorder. An equally broad spectrum of approaches is required to successfully teach those students.

The state proactively commissioned a special report on the autism epidemic in 2010 through its Offices of Research and Education Accountability, devoting one entire section to the educational aspects of serving students with ASD.

Like other disabilities, the management of ASD is regulated under the 2004 federal IDEA (Individuals with Disabilities Education Act) legislation. IDEA controls both funding and benchmark reporting for all disabled individuals in IEPs. The state identified difficulties getting diagnoses for those students and called for more highly trained, master’s-degree educated teachers to help in the classroom.

The report also recommended an approach known as least restrictive environment, which is the practice of keeping special needs students in the same classrooms as their general education peers. Outcomes have generally been better for disabled students who have not be sequestered in separate special education classrooms.

FIND SCHOOLS
Sponsored Content

Instead, co-teachers, consisting of one regular subject matter expert and a master’s-trained special education teacher, lead integrated classrooms. The general education teacher presents the class materials as normal, while the special education teacher provides whatever additional accommodation is required for the disabled students in the class.

The report notes that this inclusive approach is particularly successful with ASD students. But it also warns that the methods that work best for autistic students are complex and difficult for teachers to implement. Master’s-trained teachers are vital for such programs to succeed.

Our site does not feature every educational option available on the market. We encourage you to perform your own independent research before making any education decisions. Many listings are from partners who compensate us, which may influence which programs we write about. Learn more about us


Copyright © 2013-2023 Special Education Guide. All Rights Reserved.

Privacy Policy / Terms of Use

Related Pages

  • Masters in Special Education programs in Virginia
  • Masters in Special Education programs in Alabama
  • Masters in Special Education programs in Arkansas
  • Masters in Special Education programs in Georgia
  • Masters in Special Education programs in Kentucky
  • Masters in Special Education programs in Missouri
  • Masters in Special Education programs in Mississippi
  • Masters in Special Education programs in North Carolina
  • Masters Degrees
  • Teacher Certification
  • Career Paths
  • Early Intervention
  • Pre-K to 12
  • Disability Profiles

Recent Articles

  • Is Special Education Teaching Right for You?
  • Give Students with Print Disabilities Access to Free Ebooks
  • How to Help Students and Families with Transition Planning
  • Closing the Gap: Moving Mountains Without Lowering Expectations
  • 9 Tips for Special Education Teachers Becoming Administrators