Education Specialist Degrees in Arkansas
Education Specialist Degrees in Arkansas
As America becomes more diverse, so does the range of learning needs represented in any given classroom. These needs span different ages, subjects, and abilities. An education specialist degree, which builds on the knowledge you gain at the Master’s degree level, can provide you with special insight into your chosen age range or subject area. This degree may even give you the chance to explore new career paths in administration, curriculum development, and leadership.
Upon becoming an education specialist, you should be in an excellent position to take on a leadership role and pioneer change in your specialty. For many teachers, this is a logical step in their career path. It gives you a chance to utilize your classroom experiences to deepen your knowledge and improve the learning experience for future students.
Role of Educators With an Ed.S Degree in Arkansas
Are you looking for a way to invest in your education career and do more for your students? Contact Ed.S degree programs below to find out how you can get started.
Legislators are always looking for ways to improve school performance, create a generation of more successful children, and do so without exorbitant costs. That is precisely what you can bring to the table as an educational specialist.
Arkansas public schools are in the midst of an overhaul of their school grading system. This change involves adaptations to student testing, challenge points, student readiness for college, and student readiness for the workplace (Education Week, 2016). With the focus of education switching from test readiness to life readiness, it is crucial for schools to have passionate, highly trained teachers.
In addition to learning more about your subject area, education specialist programs may show you how to teach in new ways. An initiative at a local Arkansas college, the ARTeacher Fellows Program, shows classroom teachers how to utilize art and creativity in all subjects, not just art classes (University of Arkansas News, 2016).
What impact do you want to have in your classroom? Discover how you can grow as a teacher and request information from Ed.S programs below.
Getting Your Educational Specialist Degree in Arkansas
A number of public and private colleges and universities in Arkansas have education specialist programs. First, it’s important to make sure you meet the criteria for this type of degree. You must have a current Arkansas teaching license and a Master’s degree in your area of education. Many Ed.S programs require a specific amount of teaching experience, due to the focus on high-end teaching techniques and theories at this level of education.
One of the benefits of this program is the fact that it is designed for working teachers. While earning an education specialist degree, Arkansas students are likely still working full-time in the classroom. For this reason, you may find that many programs allow you to take some or all of your courses online. Even if you attend an online program, make sure you are able to meet your school’s practicum and student teaching requirements.
These requirements differ between specialties, but you generally need at least two semesters of classroom work. Overall, this degree typically includes between 30 and 39 credits in Arkansas.
Choosing the right specialty is key to preparing yourself for the future of your career. In Arkansas programs, you may find specialties like educational leadership, curriculum and instruction, educational technology, autism spectrum disorders, lifelong learning, literacy studies, and special education leadership.
Your chosen specialty area determines the courses you take and the connections you build as a post-Master’s student. For example, an Arkansas educational leadership program commonly includes the following courses:
- Seminar in Systems Issues
- Building a Leadership Community
- Administrative Internship in Educational Facilities
- School Accountability Systems
- Educational Statistics and Data Processing
- Statistics in Educational Settings
On the other hand, an educational specialist program that delves into curriculum and instruction is more likely to include courses like:
- Curriculum Theory, Development, and Evaluation
- Analysis of Instruction
- Learner Assessment and Evaluation
- Models and Implementation
With so many program options in Arkansas, it’s important to spend some time evaluating your options and finding a school that truly fits your learning needs and schedule. Some programs run on an accelerated schedule, allowing you to work extremely hard for three to six weeks and get a break for several weeks before starting your next class. Others run on a more traditional semester timeline.
If you work as a teacher, as most applicants do, you may even be able to take more courses during summer and school breaks to maintain a calmer schedule during the school year.
Devoting several more years to your career is a big move, and you may be wondering if working as an education specialist is the right decision for you. Put simply, your continued investment in student education shows peers, parents, community members, and administrators that education is worth further investment. You only get a set amount of hours with your students every week.
The more information you have and the more you are able to use it, the more efficiently you can utilize those hours for your students’ benefit.
Working With an Education Specialist Degree in Arkansas
The job and career opportunities available to you upon completion of your education specialist degree depend on your previous experience and your area of concentration. Some specialties, such as educational leadership and educational administration, clearly lead to careers in management. Others may put you in a training capacity or simply empower you to do more in your role as a classroom teacher.
Popular career options are listed below with expected job growth through 2022 and their average salaries:
- Education administrators: 8% expected job growth; $75,800 average salary (O*Net, 2016)
- Instructional coordinator: 14% expected job growth; $60,600 average salary (O*Net, 2016)
- Middle school teacher: 16% expected job growth; $46,400 average salary (O*Net, 2016)
These programs are meant to build your confidence in your leadership skills, even programs that do not focus specifically on educational leadership. You may want to get more involved in local organizations, both those that relate directly to your teaching area and those that are relevant to the entire teaching field. Options in Arkansas include the Arkansas School Psychology Association and the Arkansas Education Association.
Childhood lays the foundation for a student’s life. Their learning experiences now can influence their post-secondary education and career choices, their overall quality of life, and how much they contribute to society in the future.
Reach out to education specialist programs below to find out how you can positively influence students’ lives.
