A Letter to Special Education Directors

Dear District Administrator:

Special Education faculty at the University of North Texas are pleased to offer an alternative route to special education through our IMPACT Program. IMPACT stands for an Instructional Model to Prepare Adept and Certified Teachers. IMPACT is approved by the State Board of Educator Certification (SBEC) and may be completed in one calendar year.

Candidates admitted to IMPACT must hold at least a Bachelor’s Degree and meet admission criteria to the Toulouse School of Graduate Studies. Candidates will complete 24 hours of graduate level coursework that can be applied to a Master’s Degree if they so desire. They may also apply these hours through a non-degree seeking path to certification only. Distance learning formats for course delivery will make it convenient for students located near the UNT campus, or in close proximity to the UNT Systems Center in Dallas, to participate in the program.

Six of the hours in the course sequence will be completed in the fall and spring semesters during which time candidates must be employed as a "Teacher of Record" and be assigned a qualified mentor by the hiring district. We consider the practicum/mentorship semesters to be critical components of the program. Our goal is to collaborate with local districts to recruit, train, and retain high quality individuals in the profession. Therefore, we hope you will consider hiring our candidates as you begin to fill special education vacancies in your district.

Acceptance into the IMPACT program means that a candidate is eligible to receive a Probationary Certificate from the State Board of Educator Certification. This certificate will be activated prior to the first practicum/mentorship semester and is good for one calendar year. Qualified individuals who make a commitment to continue their education through a Master’s Degree in Emotional/Behavioral Disorders may also be eligible to receive financial funding through a federal grant to support their enrollment in the program.

To learn more about IMPACT, we have prepared an informational flyer. . Feel free to make as many copies as you wish in order to share our new program with potential employers and candidates. You may also access program information and application forms from our IMPACT web page. We look forward to working with you in the future through our IMPACT program.

Sincerely,

Dr. Mary Estes
Program Administrator
Mary.Estes@unt.edu
940-565-2579