Educational Diagnostician Preparation Coursework for Certification (Alternative Certification Route)

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**Pending final approval by TEA**

(Certificate Code: CEDDG; Program Code: CERT.ED.DIAG)

Admission Requirements:

A candidate must:

Complete a formal application and mandatory interview;
Meet University Graduate School admission requirements;
Hold a graduate degree in a related field within the last 5 years;
Have a 2.75 graduate grade point average;
Hold a valid teaching certificate;
Have three years’ experience teaching in the state of Texas, and
Secure an educational diagnostician mentor prior to enrolling in assessment courses.
Deadlines for Admission are: August 1 (fall); December 1 (spring); and May 1 (summer).

Educational Diagnostician Preparation Coursework for Certification (15 SCH):

Leveling Courses:

Graduate candidates who do not have a special education background at the undergraduate or graduate level or whose special education course work was not completed within 6 years of admission to the educational diagnostician program, are required to take the following leveling course in addition to 36 semester hours of required educational diagnostician courses to fulfill course work requirements of the M.Ed. in Educational Diagnostician:

EDSP 6341 - Assessment, Intervention, and Differentiation 3

Required Educational Diagnostician Certification Courses (15 SCH):

EPSY 6322 - Individual Mental Testing I 3
EPSY 6374 - Individual Mental Testing II 3
EDSP 6358 - Advanced Interpretation & Assessment in Educational Diagnostics 3
EDSP 6377 - Practicum in Diagnosis of Exceptional Students 3
EDSP 7364 - Legal Issues and Special Populations 3
(Required Diagnostician courses must be completed prior to enrolling in the Practicum course. The practicum is required for Texas certification and must be completed in a school accredited or approved by the Texas Education Agency and approved by WTAMU.)

Note:

All courses must be taken at West Texas A&M University; assessment course work from other universities will not be accepted. Experience in the field of Special Education will not be considered in lieu of course work.

Field Supervision and Observation:

A practicum is required for Texas certification and must be completed in a school accredited or approved by the Texas Education Agency and approved by WTAMU; the candidate is responsible for securing a practicum site, site supervisor and obtaining approval from the program director. The practicum includes 160 direct and indirect practicum hours, and 180 observation hours conducted by a TEA field supervisor.

State Certification Practice Examination:

In addition, alternative certification educational diagnostician students are required to pass a state certification practice examination during or after their last semester of taking courses. The practice exam will be arranged by the candidate’s faculty advisor. Three years of teaching experience as a classroom teacher and successful completion of the educational diagnostician certification exam are also required for certification.