"I was wondering about..."

Listed below are some of the most commonly questions asked about the TATERS program. The listed FAQ's are related to the TATERS post-baccalaureate teaching certification online program, the TATERS mentor network, and the field of special education. Please take a moment to read through the TATERS FAQ’s page to learn more about the program and answer questions you may have.

If you have a question about TATERS that is not answered on this page, please contact Carrie Semmelroth, Project Coordinator, carriesemmelroth@boisestate.edu, (208) 426-2818 or you may submit a request for more information.

Besides for the positive, meaningful relationships you will build with your students, students’ parents and fellow special educators and staff, the field of special education offers opportunity as it is experiencing significant growth. Due to the rising enrollments of special education students and the national shortage of qualified teachers, the Bureau of Labor Statistics cites the outlooks for special education job prospects as “excellent.” Please refer to the U.S. Department of Labor more information: http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos070.htm

Additionally, the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) notes that being a special educator “gives you the opportunity to use many talents and skills creatively and to grow both professionally and personally.” The CEC website is an informative and extensive website for most topics related to special education. If you would like to read more from the CEC, please go to: http://www.cec.sped.org/am/template.cfm?section=Home

No. Unlike other teaching programs offered in Idaho, TATERS is the first fully online alternate route special education teaching certification program. All program courses are offered online and there are no requirements for brick-and-mortar, or on-campus classes, academies or institutes. In the TATERS program, there will never be a course requirement for you to ever come to the BSU main campus in Boise. Of course, if you are ever in town, we love having visitors and our doors are always open.

The TATERS post-bac special education teaching certification is a 30-credit program. Estimated costs can be calculated by multiplying semester credit loads by the part-time per credit rate. For example, for the 2009-2010 school year, the part-time per credit rate (1-9 credits) = $252 per credit.

$252 per credit multiplied by 7 credits (Fall 2009) = $1764 Fall 2009 semester.

Please budget $50 to $100 per class for books. Please check the BSU admissions website for further information: http://admissions.boisestate.edu/tuition.shtml

Similarly, the Idaho Special Education Mentor Teacher Network courses is a 12-credit graduate program. Please visit the BSU Graduate College website for more information about current fees and tuition: http://www.boisestate.edu/gradcoll/

The TATERS special education teaching certification online program is a two-year (four semester) sequence of coursework. Please review the course sequence guide for more information.

TATERS Sequence of Courses

Upon sucessful completion, the Idaho Special Mentor Teacher Network courses will lead to an Institutional Recommendation for a Consulting Teacher Endorsement from the Idaho State Department of Education. Please review the sequence of courses for the 2010-2011 school year.

Idaho Special Education Mentor Network Sequence of Courses

The PRAXIS tests are recommended by the Professional Standards Commission and approved by the Idaho State Board of Education to “ensure qualified teachers are employed in Idaho’s classrooms” (IDAPA 08, Title 02, Chapter 2). Registration for and more information about the PRAXIS tests can be found on the ETS website: http://www.ets.org/praxis

The TATERS program, in alignment with the Idaho State Department of Education, Division of Teacher Certification, requires three PRAXIS tests for recommendation for special education certification: PRAXIS II: Elementary Content Knowledge (Test #0014); PRAXIS II Education of Exceptional Students: Core Content Knowledge (Test #0353); PRAXIS II: Education of Exceptional Students: Mild to Moderate Disabilities (Test #0542).

The Idaho Special Education Mentor Teacher Network is a collaborative effort between BSU and the Idaho State Department of Education to establish a virtual professional network of special education teachers across the state. The goal of this network is to provide a resource for special education teachers working in rural areas to discuss, receive advice and establish professional contact with other special educators. The mentor network is currently being developed, and more information will be available as this component of TATERS continues to grow.

Idaho Special Education Mentor Teacher Network Brochure

Along with the valuable professional relationships you will develop, The Idaho Special Education Mentor Network courses through BSU culminates in an Institutional Recommendation for a Consulting Teacher Endorsement.

The consulting teacher coursework offered through BSU provides the necessary skills and knowledge for special education teachers to work within a response-to-intervention (RTI) and/or positive behavior support (PBS) model within their schools. Idaho State Department of Education is currently expanding its use of both of these frameworks across K-12 settings. Special education teachers who complete the consulting teacher coursework will be uniquely positioned to play an important role in facilitating the implementation of these frameworks within their schools.

For more information about RTI in Idaho, please visit the Idaho State Department of Education RTI website.

As a new special education teacher, you will probably find yourself in situations for which you do not feel fully prepared. If you are a special education teacher in a smaller school and district, you may not have a strong network of teachers with whom you can consult with about tough situations. Reaching out to an experienced special education teacher who is not directly involved in your school setting is a terrific way to receive objective advice and to expand your professional network to increase your overall satisfaction with the teaching profession.

In short, yes, special education certification should count as credits on the pay scale, however, please check with YOUR school district to verify this or if you need more information.

The TATERS post-baccalaureate online teaching certification program is an alternate certification program. The TATERS program was designed and created as an alternative to other teaching certification programs; i.e., some of these other programs sometimes require almost the equivalent of an additional bachelor’s to earn special education certification.

In contrast, the TATERS program accounts for the education you’ve earned in a bachelor’s program, and consists of specific coursework for a total of 30 credits over a two-year period. As a result, the TATERS program has been condensed to include only the most practical, relevant and applicable special education teaching certification coursework, in alignment with the requirements from the Idaho State Department of Education and the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE).

While no rule is absolute, the TATERS program will generally not issue credit for those already teaching in special education positions. However, this is not to say that exceptions will never be made as the TATERS program recognizes that each individual comes from a background of unique circumstances. If you would like more information about receiving credit for teaching in a special education position, please contact Carrie Semmelroth, (208) 426-2818, carriesemmelroth@boisestate.edu.

There are currently no scholarships available specifically through the TATERS program. However, there is financial assistance available through financial aid loans and scholarships. Please refer to BSU’s financial aid website for more information: http://financialaid.boisestate.edu/

Additionally, certified special educators are eligible for specific loan forgiveness programs. Please refer to the Federal Loan Forgiveness for Special Education Majors program for more information: http://studentaid.ed.gov/PORTALSWebApp/students/english/cancelstaff.jsp

For eligible military personnel, the Troops To Teachers (TTT) offers support for those intersted in beginning a second career in public education as a teacher. For more information about the TTT program, go to: http://www.dantes.doded.mil/dantes_web/troopstoteachers/index.asp

The fingerprint background check is a requirement that the TATERS program is held to by state and federal standards. The fingerprint background check is conducted through BSU’s College of Education by running an individual’s information through the state of Idaho’s database.

However, many of our TATERS applicants are employed in school settings and have already successfully completed (and paid for) the fingerprint background check process. Thus, the TATERS program does not require a repeat of the background check if official verification can be provided through the applicant’s school district. To waive the fingerprint background check requirement, you must submit an official letter from your school district’s Human Resources representative that you have successfully passed the fingerprint background check. The letter must meet the following criteria:

1. The letter must be signed by the Human Resources representative with contact information for possible follow up.

2. The letter must be on official school district letterhead.

3. The letter must include the date of your fingerprint background check.

4. The letter must include the current dates of employment in the school district.

5. The letter must include the title of your position in the school district.

If you have been employed by multiple school districts over the past few years, please submit verification from the most current school district. If you are currently employed in a job that required a fingerprint background check upon hiring, but you are not working in a school setting (e.g. police officer), please contact Carrie Semmelroth, (208) 426-2818, carriesemmelroth@boisestate.edu for more information about possibly waiving the fingerprint background check requirement.

Yes, there are Title I and Title IIA funds available for currently certified special education teachers who would like to obtain a Consulting Teacher of Special Education endorsement through the TATERS program. These are funds provided by the Idaho State Department of Education with the intent that once the consulting teacher endorsement is obtained, the special educator will become a part of the Idaho Special Education Mentor Teacher Network. The Idaho Special Education Mentor Teacher Network provides support and guidance for Idaho’s rural pre-service and new special educators. Please consult your school administrator for more information about disbursement of these funds.