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Graduate Admissions212-875-4404
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Director, Early Childhood and Childhood Special Education Programs OnlineAffiliated Faculty, Straus Center for Young Children & Families
Early Childhood Special Education Advanced Certificate (On Campus or Online)
Non-Degree
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Program Overview
In the Early Childhood Special Education Advanced Certificate program, you will transform your passion for equity into a specialized teaching practice centered on young children with disabilities. The program prepares educators who already hold a valid New York State certification in Childhood Education, Grades 1-6 or Early Childhood Education, Birth – Grade 2 to earn a certification to teach young children with a wide range of developmental strengths and needs, including those requiring individualized supports. Rooted in Bank Street’s signature developmental-interaction approach, you will deepen your understanding of child development and disability while designing differentiated, modified, and goal-informed learning environments. Through this work, you will develop the skills to create responsive, inclusive classrooms that support each child’s growth and participation.
In our highly interactive, relationship-centered program, whether studying online or on-campus you actively engage in live classes built on dialogue, collaboration, and reflection. When you graduate, you join an enduring Bank Street network that fosters ongoing professional connections, mentorship, and leadership opportunities across your career.
In This Program You Will
- Advance your expertise in child development and disability to implement and lead research-based inclusive teaching practices that support children with and without disabilities
- Refine your observation skills and use those insights to guide instructional decisions, enhancing responsive child-centered environments that create engaging learning experiences for all children
- Build strategies that support learning through play, social interaction, and sensory experiences based on each child’s unique profile
- Prepare for leadership and specialized roles within the birth to grade 2 age range
- Synthesize your formal and informal assessment skills to better understand and support children’s learning and design targeted interventions
- Foster young children’s growth in literacy, math, and critical thinking while helping them cultivate a deep understanding of—and curiosity about—the world around them
What Makes Bank Street and This Program Distinctive
- Integration of Theory and Practice: You will collaborate with practitioners and advisors who bring real-world, experience-based learning into your courses and intensive fieldwork, emphasizing adaptability, problem-solving, and a joy for learning.
- Responsive and Differentiated Pedagogy: You will learn to design accessible curricula and partner with families to help every child reach their full potential.
- Collaborative Learning Model: Join a community that honors diverse identities, centers strengths, values peer collaboration, and is rooted in strong, caring relationships.
- Commitment to Equity and Advocacy: We prepare you to be a changemaker who leads, influences, and innovates while centering equity and access for all children and families.
- Flexibility for Working Professionals: Designed to meet the needs of today’s educators, our program is structured so most students can maintain their current teaching position or obtain a paid teaching position that can serve as a fieldwork placement during the program.
- Student Teaching Support: If you are not already employed, Bank Street will find you placements with expert mentor teachers for your supervised fieldwork. You will have the opportunity to work with different ages and across a range of school settings under the guidance of an experienced mentor teacher, many of whom are Bank Street graduates.
Enrollment Options
Program Format Certification Credits Timing Early Childhood Special Education Advanced Certification On Campus Teaching Students with Disabilities in Early Childhood, Birth-Grade 1 Initial or Professional Certification
15-21 Available now for Fall 2026. This option will not be available after Fall 2026.
Advanced Certification in Teaching Students with Disabilities in Early Childhood Online Teaching Students with Disabilities in Early Childhood, Birth-Grade 1 Initial or Professional Certification
12 Available now for Fall 2026. On-campus option expected Fall 2027.
Please note that transfers between program options are not permitted. Once courses begin, you are required to complete the program option in which you are enrolled.
Who Should Apply
- Current educators who embrace collaborative learning, reflective inquiry, and culturally responsive practice
- Individuals who want to work with children from birth through grade two in inclusion, and/or special education settings
- Individuals who already hold a valid New York State certification in Childhood Education, Grades 1-6 or Early Childhood Education, Birth-Grade 2. If you are certified in Childhood Education, Grades 1-6, there may be additional Early Childhood tests you need to take to become certified in working with Students with Disabilities, Birth-Grade 2.
We find that the most successful online students are students who thrive in collaborative group work done during synchronous meetings, and who are also independently driven to complete asynchronous work on their own time.
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Admissions & Tuition
This program has options to begin in the fall, spring, and summer.
Program Format Certification Credits Timing Early Childhood Special Education Advanced Certification On Campus Teaching Students with Disabilities in Early Childhood, Birth-Grade 1 Initial or Professional Certification
15-21 Available now for Fall 2026. This option will not be available after Fall 2026.
Advanced Certification in Teaching Students with Disabilities in Early Childhood Online Teaching Students with Disabilities in Early Childhood, Birth-Grade 1 Initial or Professional Certification
12 Available now for Fall 2026. On-campus option expected Fall 2027.
Please note that transfers between program options are not permitted. Once courses begin, you are required to complete the program option in which you are enrolled.
The fall application is currently open.
Application Deadlines
- Applications are reviewed in rounds to ensure you receive a timely decision.
- You will have five business days after the application deadlines to finish providing any missing required materials. Incomplete applications will be moved to the next round for consideration.
- In some cases, applications submitted after the final deadline will be reviewed on a space available basis.
- We strongly encourage you to submit your application as early as possible. This guarantees the most timely admissions decision and the broadest consideration for scholarships and financial aid.
Fall
Round Application Deadline Materials Deadline Decision Release 2 March 1, 2026 March 6, 2026 April 2, 2026 3 April 1, 2026 April 6, 2026 May 2, 2026 4 May 1, 2026 May 6, 2026 June 4, 2026 Admissions Criteria
In addition to meeting other admissions requirements, if you are applying to the on campus 30 credit option, to be eligible for admission to the Advanced Certification in Teaching Students with Disabilities program you must:
- Have a master’s degree in education with a 3.0 GPA or higher from an accredited institution of higher education
- Hold a valid New York State certification in Childhood Education, Grades 1-6 or Early Childhood Education, Birth – Grade 2. If you are certified in Childhood Education, Grades 1-6, there may be additional Early Childhood tests you need to take to become certified in working with Students with Disabilities, Birth – Grade 2.
If you are applying to the 38 credit online option, the requirements above do not apply to you. For applicants to all program options, review How to Apply for full details on the application process, admissions criteria, and application requirements.
Tuition
At Bank Street, tuition is charged per credit. The Advanced Certification in Teaching Students with Disabilities online program requires 12 credits for completion and the Early Childhood Special Education Advanced Certification on campus program requires 15-21 credits for completion. Read more on our Tuition page
Financial Aid
The majority of Bank Street students receive some type of financial aid. We strongly recommend applying early and submitting your FAFSA at the time you apply for the broadest consideration for scholarships and financial aid. Read more on our Financial Aid page
Technology Requirements
This program is fully online, and you must secure access to the following required technology for all online courses:
- A personal computer with:
- Broadband Internet access
- Speakers, microphone, and camera
- Headphones, if participating from a public or shared space
- An updated version of the Chrome or Firefox browser and a free Zoom account
- For Supervised Fieldwork: A recording device (such as a smartphone, laptop, iPad, or camcorder) suitable for use in classrooms
These are required components of your program. It is your responsibility to ensure you have access to each item on this list. Bank Street does not provide or lend access to these devices and platforms.
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Curriculum & Courses
Our Approach
Our curriculum centers on active, inquiry-driven learning that mirrors how children learn best — through exploration, collaboration, and reflection. We engage you in rigorous study of educational theory, human development, and inclusive practice while you apply that learning immediately in classroom settings. Through rich dialogue, purposeful assignments, and collaborative projects, you will refine your ability to think critically, teach responsively, and support diverse learners. By the end of the program, you will have deepened your professional judgment, strengthened your reflective capacities, and grown as an educator ready to lead and innovate in early childhood contexts.
Time Commitment
In the online options, each course typically meets once per week in a live, synchronous online session from 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM ET. In some cases, a class session may be replaced with asynchronous coursework assignments for that week, which are completed on your own schedule and must be submitted by the posted deadlines. Classes are not held on Fridays. Students should plan to dedicate approximately 10 hours per week to program-related study and activities.
In the on campus option, each course typically meets once per week, either from 4:45 PM to 6:45 PM or 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM ET. Classes are not typically held on Fridays. Depending on a student’s course schedule for that term, you can expect to dedicate approximately 10 hours per week to program-related study and activities. Over the summer, classes typically meet twice a week from 5:15 PM to 9:00 PM ET.
Course Plan for Advanced Certification in Teaching Students with Disabilities in Early Childhood: 12 Credits
Spring Start (Begins Spring 2027 Only) Fall Start (Begins Fall 2027) Online and On Campus Spring (5 credits) EDUC 629 Supporting Autistic Students in Inclusive and Special Education Settings (1 credit)
EDUC 525 Assistive Technology as a Tool for Educational Access (1 credit)
EDUC 896 Assessment, Differentiation, and Instructional Supports for Early Childhood Students with Disabilities (3 credits)
Fall (5 credits) EDUC 629 Supporting Autistic Students in Inclusive and Special Education Settings (1 credit)
EDUC 525 Assistive Technology as a Tool for Educational Access (1 credit)
EDUC 896 Assessment, Differentiation, and Instructional Supports for Early Childhood Students with Disabilities (3 credits)
Summer 1 (3 credits) Sample Elective: EDUC 868 Approaches to Teaching Decoding to Diverse Learners (1 credit)
Sample Elective: SPED 585N The Essential Orton-Gillingham (1 credit)
Sample Elective: EDUC 521 Supporting Students & Families through Advocacy & Wraparound Planning (1 credit)
Spring (3 credits) Sample Elective: EDUC 868 Approaches to Teaching Decoding to Diverse Learners (1 credit)
Sample Elective: SPED 585N The Essential Orton-Gillingham (1 credit)
Sample Elective: EDUC 521 Supporting Students & Families through Advocacy & Wraparound Planning (1 credit)
Summer 2 (4 credits)
EDUC 994 Extended Field Experiences (1 credit)
EDUC 608 Collaboration and Implementation of Specialized Instructional Programs (3 credits)
Summer 1 (3 credits) EDUC 608 Collaboration and Implementation of Specialized Instructional Programs (3 credits)
Summer 2 (4 credits) EDUC 994 Extended Field Experiences (1 credit)
Course Plan for Early Childhood Special Education Advanced Certification: 15-21 Credits
Fall Start (Available Now On Campus)
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Supervised Fieldwork
Advisement
Advisement is the heartbeat of Bank Street’s curriculum, and in this Advanced Certification program, our commitment to mentorship continues through a collaborative model. If you are continuing from a Bank Street master’s program, you will maintain your existing advisor, preserving an important mentoring relationship. If you’re a new student, you’ll receive primary support from the Program Director. Throughout the program, every instructor serves as a mentor, offering ongoing professional guidance that builds directly upon your prior learning. Your courses integrate structured opportunities, such as group meetings and observation-based assignments, that encourage you to reflect on your practice and meaningfully extend your initial certification into the specialized field of teaching students with disabilities.
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Certification & Careers
Certification
When you successfully complete the program, you will be eligible for New York State Certification in Students with Disabilities, Birth – Grade 2, provided you complete all other state certification requirements. Read more on our Certification page
Careers
After graduation, students pursue a range of career opportunities including:
- Teaching in early childhood special education or inclusion classrooms in public, charter, or independent schools
- Working as an early-interventionist in social service or education-based agencies, as well as in hospitals or daycare settings
- Working one on one as a Special Education Itinerant Teacher (SEIT) in home, classroom, and daycare settings
- Designing and assessing educational programming, curriculum, and policy
- Pursuing doctoral degree programs
As a student at Bank Street, you have full access to our robust Career Services, including the CareerConnect job site, job fairs and workshops, and connections to our alumni network nationwide.
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Faculty
Carmen ColónSupervised Fieldwork Advisor & Course Instructor212-875-4616
Soyoung ParkDirector, Early Childhood and Childhood Special Education Programs OnlineAffiliated Faculty, Straus Center for Young Children & Familiesspark2@bankstreet.edu