Saint Rose, Fulton-Montgomery Community College Partner to Expand Training of New Special Education Teachers

ALBANY (September 16, 2015) — New transfer agreements between The College of Saint Rose and Fulton-Montgomery Community College (FMCC) in Johnstown will greatly expand the training of new special education teachers to meet current special education teacher shortages, particularly in high-needs urban inclusive middle and high school classrooms.

Seven new “articulation agreements” between the two colleges offer Mohawk Valley region students who want to become special education teachers the ability to earn three degrees in five years and save on tuition. Students may now begin their teacher training at FMCC, earn an associate degree after two years, then transfer seamlessly to a dual-degree education program at Saint Rose without loss of credit. The agreements spell out the specific courses that students must complete at FMCC and their equivalents at Saint Rose.

Students who successfully complete the required coursework at FMCC will enter Saint Rose with junior status. After three more years, graduates will earn bachelor of arts and master of science in education degrees from Saint Rose and be eligible for New York state certification for grades 7 to 12 both in one of seven content areas – biology, chemistry, earth science, English, mathematics, social studies and Spanish – and as a special education generalist.

Saint Rose has developed agreements with community colleges under “Project ASPIRE” (Adolescence Special Education Preparation for Inclusive and Reflective Educators), a U.S. Department of Education-funded program to improve the training of teachers who will work with students in special and general education classrooms in grades 7 to 12. Saint Rose received the grant in 2010 to develop a five-year dual-degree teacher education program to train highly qualified teachers who have the knowledge and skills to teach a core academic subject area in high-needs urban classrooms with students with high-incidence disabilities, such as learning disabilities, emotional disturbance and mental retardation. The rigorous program developed through Project ASPIRE enables undergraduate students studying to be middle and high school teachers to begin their professional training in special education much earlier.

To help transfer students financially, Saint Rose offers guaranteed two-year undergraduate academic scholarships to those who have achieved superior grade-point averages for all previous college work. Scholarships range up to $14,500 per year. Transfer students who are current members of Phi Theta Kappa national honor society are eligible for an additional $1,000 each year.

Saint Rose now has more than 80 articulation agreements with community colleges and other institutions throughout the Mohawk and Hudson valleys, Capital Region and beyond in such fields as education, business, computer science, music, art and psychology. All are designed to help provide a clear path for students seeking to continue their education.

Saint Rose and FMCC continue to explore opportunities for agreements between additional programs of study.

For more information about these and other transfer agreements, visit www.strose.edu/transfer or contact the Office of Undergraduate Admissions at 518-454-5150 or by e-mail.

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The College of Saint Rose (www.strose.edu) is a dynamic, progressive college in the heart of New York’s capital city where teaching is the first priority. With 59 undergraduate programs, nine undergraduate certificates, 37 master’s degrees and 26 graduate certificates, and a mission of service to the urban community, the Saint Rose experience empowers students to improve themselves and the world around them.

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