Special Education Certification

Experienced working with special needs children? Ensure every student receives a quality education, regardless of ability with the American Board’s Special Education Certification. This program includes the American Board’s Elementary Education Certification as well to guarantee that certified teachers are highly qualified to teach multiple subject areas. Your program includes candidate services, exams, online coursework, practice exams, and more!

REQUIREMENTS TO EARN YOUR CERTIFICATION

In order to earn an ABCTE certification in Special Education, you will need to meet the following requirements: 1. Hold a Bachelor’s degree or higher. 2. Submit your official college or university transcripts to ABCTE. 3. Pass a national background check. 4. Pass the Professional Teaching Knowledge exam (PTK). This exam will be taken on a computer and must be completed at a Pearson VUE testing center. The exam will consist of 100 multiple choice questions and a writing component. We suggest you take this exam before your subject area exam. 5. Pass the ABCTE Special Education exam. This exam will be taken on the computer and must be completed at a Pearson VUE testing center. We suggest taking this exam after you complete your PTK exam.

THE AMERICAN BOARD CERTIFICATION PROGRAM

The American Board currently offers two Special Education certification programs: Special Education Plus and Special Education Premium. Both programs will take the same exams. Read below to learn what is included with these programs.

The Special Education Plus Certification Program includes the following:

Study Plans: Our study plans are based on best practices and recommendations from students that have already completed our program. Prepare to Teach Workshops: Familiarize yourself with teaching concepts and practices using online lessons, video case studies, and printable resources. Online Refresher Course: Explore over 300 pages of material, dedicating more time to topics that need intense review and breezing through what you already know. Practice Exams: Practice in the same format as the real test on more than 300 sample questions. These include full-length tests, topic quizzes, timed and untimed modes, and complete explanations of the answers. Exams: Take exams when you are ready, according to your own schedule. Testing is available year-round at Pearson VUE centers, Monday-Saturday. PTK Workbook: Did you know you need to learn one hundred different standards in order to pass the ABCTE Professional Teaching Knowledge (PTK) exam? We’ve designed a one hundred page workbook to help maximize studying for the PTK exam. It provides a concrete way to navigate and learn the exam’s standards. PTK Quiz Bank I: This quiz bank focuses on the topics that students have the most difficulty with on the actual exam. This tool is designed so that candidates can avoid test pitfalls and succeed the first time they test. PTK Quiz Bank II: A perfect complement to Quiz Bank I, this study resource ensures that candidates will also focus on the remaining topics that must be mastered in order to pass the PTK exam.

The Special Education Premium Certification Program includes everything listed above, plus the following additions not offered with the Plus program:

Special Education Workbook: This workbook is an organizer of ALL of the standards that will be included on the Special Education exam. Special Education Quiz Bank: This quiz bank focuses on the topics that students have missed the most on the actual exam. The Job Counseling Webinar: This webinar walks you through the job hunting process. From searching for a job right down to the interview, you’ll learn a variety of best practices that will help you land your dream job. The Job Counseling Workbook: This workbook has various templates to help you format your resume, cover letter, and other documents that will be used to apply for teaching positions. The workbook also provides students with tools to evaluate their strengths and weaknesses and advice on how to best present their skills in job interviews.

ELEMENTARY EDUCATION

The American Board’s Special Education Certification is automatically bundled with the American Board’s Elementary Education Certification at no additional cost. States that accept the American Board Special Education Certification also require a candidate to be certified in Elementary Education. Completion of both programs will be required before receiving your first temporary teaching license from your state’s board of education.

RECOMMENDED READINGS

Please note: Due to state regulations, the American Board’s Special Education Certification program does not contain a “refresher” or knowledge based course. Instead, you will be provided with an outline of the subjects you need to know in order to pass the exam and a list of approved recommended readings (most of which are online) on Special Education topics to read in order to learn the knowledge necessary for the exam. Your certification program will contain the full Elementary Education program and the full Professional Teaching Knowledge program. Please call 1-877-669-2228 (option 1) for more information.

TEACH SPECIAL EDUCATION IN YOUR STATE

The American Board Special Education Certification is currently offered in the following states. Click a state below to learn of the specific requirements to become a teacher in that state: Florida Idaho Tennessee Utah Private Schools

 PRICING

Note: Promotional pricing is not available to 3rd party vendors. View our policies for information on refunds, test retakes, and more.

ENROLL IN SPECIAL EDUCATION PLUS

ENROLL IN SPECIAL EDUCATION PREMIUM

OR CALL 1-877-669-2228 (OPTION 1) TO SPEAK WITH A REPRESENTATIVE FROM THE AMERICAN BOARD FOR MORE INFORMATION