How to Become a Special Education Teacher in Virginia

<h2 id="section---OverviewOfSpecialEducationTeachingInVirginia">Overview of Special Education Teaching in Virginia</h2> <p>Special education teachers can work at all levels of the K-12 system and work primarily with students with disabilities. These can be physical, developmental and/or intellectual. Special education teachers may work with a single student or multiple students, depending on the students' needs or the school's resources. Check out our table below for a brief overview of the profession: </p> <p /> <table border="1"><tr><td><b>Degree Required</b></td><td> Bachelor's</td></tr> <tr><td><b>Preferred Degree Field</b></td><td> Education with courses in Special Education</td></tr> <tr><td><b>Licensing Requirements</b></td><td> Completion of an accredited teaching preparation program</td></tr> <tr><td><b>License Term</b></td><td> 5 Years</td></tr> <tr><td><b>Required Tests</b></td><td> VCLA, PRAXIS Series Reading for Virginia Educators (RVE)</td></tr> <tr><td><b>Average Salaries (2018)</b>* </td><td> $66,790 (Kindergarten and Elementary School), $72,960 (Middle School), $61,890 (Secondary School)</td></tr> <tr><td><b>Expected Job Growth (2018-2028)</b>*</td><td> 3%</td></tr> </table><p><i>Source: *U.S. Bureau of Labour Statistics</i> </p> <h3 id="section---StepsYouCanTakeInHighSchool">Steps You Can Take in High School</h3> <p>Virginia's state government runs a program called the Virginia Teachers for Tomorrow Program (VTFT). The program seeks out high school juniors and seniors who are interested in teaching careers. This includes opportunities for those interested in special education and allows students to gain hands-on experience and allow them to see if this is the correct career choice for them. </p> <p>To be considered for this program students must have: </p> <ul><li>a 2.7 GPA or an equivalent and be able to maintain it </li><li>Three references from teachers </li><li>Completed a brief essay and application </li></ul><h3 id="section---GettingYourEducationDegree">Getting Your Education Degree</h3> <p>Completing an education degree is the most common way of becoming a special education teacher. When applying to college, be sure to check the school's catalog to see if they offer special education courses, or an option to specialize in special education, as not all schools do. If you want to work with people with a specific disability, then certain courses may be required. For instance, if you want to work with children who are deaf, you will have to learn sign language. </p> <p>There may be some requirements needed to complete the degree; these include courses in the sciences, humanities and mathematics. There will also be required courses related directly to working with students; material will include child development and behavior management. Courses related to special education will allow you to learn some of the methods available to you to educate your student(s), how to build IEPs and prepare your student(s) for transitional periods. </p> <p>Special education teachers do not necessarily need an education degree. Virginia accepts some alternative certification programs that can be done at the graduate level. If this is the path you are pursuing, make sure it meets the requirements to attain your teaching license, as that will still be required to work in a school. </p> <h3 id="section---BecomingASpecialEducationTeacherWithGraduateWork">Becoming a Special Education Teacher with Graduate Work</h3> <p>If you have attained a bachelor's degree in teaching but did not take any classes in special education or you got a non-teaching degree, there are still options available to you to become a special education teacher. For instance, professional experience (of at least five years) can be used to take the teaching licensing exams. You may also take supplemental courses to meet any requirements. There are also graduate-level certificates in special education that would allow you to pursue a career in special education. </p> <h3 id="section---TakingYourTests">Taking Your Tests</h3> <p>You need to take a couple of tests to become a special education teacher in Virginia. These are the PRAXIS RVE and the VCLA Teaching exam. </p> <h4 id="section---PraxisRVE">Praxis RVE</h4> <p>The Praxis RVE exam is required in Virginia. You will only need to take one Praxis RVE exam unless you want to work with someone with visual disabilities, in which case you will also need to take an exam on Braille proficiency. </p> <p /> <table border="1"><tr><th>To Be Certified For</th><th> Test to Take </th><th> Test Code </th><th> Passing Score</th></tr> <tr><td>General Curriculum </td><td> Reading for Virginia Educators: Elementary and Special Education </td><td>5306</td><td>157</td></tr> <tr><td>Hearing Disabilities </td><td> Reading for Virginia Educators: Elementary and Special Education </td><td>5306 </td><td> 157</td></tr> <tr><td>Visual Disabilities </td><td> Reading for Virginia Educators: Elementary and Special Education </td><td>5306 </td><td> 157</td></tr> <tr><td> --- </td><td> AND Braille Proficiency </td><td> 0633 </td><td> 157</td></tr> </table><ul><li><i>Source: ETS Praxis</i> </li></ul><h4 id="section---VCLATeachingExam">VCLA Teaching Exam</h4> <p>The VCLA is an exam that is required for a teaching license in Virginia. The exam is split into two subsets, reading and writing. You can decide to take both sets together in one sitting or split it into two sittings. </p> <p>Passing Score: </p> <ul><li>Single Subset: 235 </li><li>Both Subsets: 470 </li></ul><h4 id="section---Note">Note:</h4> <p>Praxis II exams are not required in the state of Virginia to become a special education teacher. However, they may be required if you ever want to transition out of the role and become a teacher in another area or if you want to become a teacher at a school that works primarily with students with disabilities. </p> <h3 id="section---RequirementsForYourVirginiaTeachingLicense">Requirements for Your Virginia Teaching License</h3> <p>In addition to the above prerequisites, you may need to meet these requirements to get a teaching license in Virginia: </p> <ul><li>Completion of an application package, which is available on the Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) Website. </li><li>$100 fee if applying in-state, $150 if applying from out-of-state </li><li>Completion of a state-approved preparation program which must have included a practicum or internship </li><li>Any documentation you have for Emergency First Aid, AED Training and Certification or CPR (Requirement not necessary if the applicant has a disability which prevents them from taking these courses) </li><li>Proof of completion of a course in child abuse recognition and intervention </li><li>Dyslexia Awareness Training Certificate</li></ul>