Pathway Programs
Pathways to Teaching: Continuing Your Education at DASD
Downingtown Area School District (DASD) is excited to offer three unique Pathways to Teaching programs, fully funded by DASD to support Teamsters support staff in advancing their educational careers. Through a valuable partnership with the Chester County Intermediate Unit and participating universities, DASD staff can choose from three specialized pathways:
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For those with a high school diploma or equivalent: Pursue an Associate’s Degree in Special Education or Social Services.
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For those with an Associate’s Degree: Earn a Bachelor’s Degree and Teaching Certification in Special Education.
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For those with a Bachelor’s Degree: Obtain a Teaching Certification in Special Education.
Programs and requirements are outlined below, supporting our commitment to professional growth and educational excellence in the DASD community.
Explore Our Programs
Associate's Degree
Paraeducator Pathway
Earn an Associate of Arts (A.A.) degree while on the job in your current DASD support staff role with 100% district-paid tuition. A high school diploma or equivalent is required to apply for this program.
Program Key Features:
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Starts on January 21 2025; complete in two years
- Cohort model for collaborative learning
- Tuition reimbursement and grant funding provided by DASD to cover 100% of tuition cost
- Please refer to Article 26 of the Teamsters Collective Bargaining Agreement for more information on reimbursement and repayment conditions.
Associate’s Degree in Special Education (Northampton Community College)
This program combines job-embedded coursework and classroom experience through virtual, synchronous evening courses, enabling aspiring educators to earn an Associate’s Degree through Northampton Community College. The CCIU Talent Development Center will assist with enrollment, monthly mentoring, and ongoing participant progress monitoring. Each participant will earn 62 credit hours.
Pathway to:
Continued education toward a bachelor's degree and special education teaching certification.
Associate’s Degree in Social Services (Immaculata University)
This program combines job-embedded coursework with classroom experience, including virtual, in-person, synchronous, and asynchronous courses, allowing aspiring educators to earn an Associate’s Degree through Immaculata University. The CCIU Talent Development Center will assist with enrollment, monthly mentoring, and ongoing participant progress monitoring. Participants will earn 63 credit hours, with 15 credits based on experience.
Pathway to:
Careers in education, psychology, and social work, with credits transferable to related bachelor's programs.
To apply for these programs, contact Talent@cciu.org.
Associate's Degree in Social Services Course Schedule (Immaculata University)
| Course | Credits | Semester | Year | Format | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FYS 100 | Community - First Year Seminar | 3 | Spring | 2025 | A/S |
|
EDU 290 |
Multicultural Education | 3 | Spring | 2025 | S |
| EDU 207 | Cooperative Education Social Services | 3 | Spring | 2025 | A/S |
| COM 250 | Community - Creativity - Public Speaking | 3 | Summer | 2025 | A |
| SOC 202 | Community - Social Consciousness - Introduction to Sociology | 3 | Summer | 2025 | A |
| ENG 106 | Inquiry - Composition I (pre-requisite to ENG 107) | 3 | Fall | 2025 | A |
| EDU 302 | Educational Psychology | 3 | Fall | 2025 | S |
| EDU 207 | Cooperative Education Social Services | 3 | Fall | 2025 | A/S |
| EDU 381 | Introduction to Special Education | 3 | Spring | 2026 | S |
| ENG 107 | Inquiry - Composition 2 | 3 | Spring | 2026 | A |
| EDU 207 | Cooperative Education Social Services | 3 | Spring | 2026 | A/S |
| PSY 205 | Child Development | 3 | Summer | 2026 | A/S |
| PHI 100 | Vision - Pursuit of Wisdom | 3 | Summer | 2026 | A |
| EDU 384 | Adapting Instruction | 3 | Fall | 2026 | S |
| THE 109 | Vision - Pursuit of Faith | 3 | Fall | 2026 | A |
| EDU 207 | Cooperative Education Social Services | 3 | Fall | 2026 | A/S |
| MATH 109 | Inquiry - Quantitative Reasoning - Math Fundamentals for Educators 1 | 3 | Spring | 2027 | A |
| EDU 207 | Cooperative Education for Social Services | 3 | Spring | 2027 | A/S |
| PSY 250 | Health Psychology | 3 | Spring | 2027 | A |
| THE 314 | Vision - Pursuit of Faith | 3 | Summer | 2027 | A |
| SOC 306 | Sociology of the Family | 3 | Summer | 2027 | A |
Format:
A = asynchronous
S= synchronous
A/S = synchronous and/or asynchronous
Bachelor's Degree
Teacher Apprenticeship Program (TAP)
Earn an Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) Degree and Teaching Certification while on the job in your current DASD support staff role with 100% district-paid tuition. An Associate's Degree or equivalent is required to apply for this program.
Program Key Features:
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Starts on January 21, 2025
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Cohort model for collaborative learning
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Tuition reimbursement provided by DASD to cover 100% of tuition cost
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Please refer to Article 26 of the Teamsters Collective Bargaining Agreement for more information on reimbursement and repayment conditions.
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This program offers job-embedded coursework, coaching, and classroom experience for aspiring educators who hold an Associate’s Degree. Participants will complete the necessary credit hours to earn a Bachelor’s Degree in Special Education and PA Special Education Teaching Certification from BloomBoard Point Park University. The CCIU Talent Development Center will assist with enrollment, monthly mentoring, and ongoing participant progress monitoring. Each participant will earn 60 credit hours by completing 20 courses.
Pathway to:
Teaching career in special education.
To apply, contact Talent@cciu.org.
| BA in Special Education |
Fall Terms |
Spring Terms | Summer | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st 8-weeks | 2nd 8-weeks | 1st 8-weeks | 2nd 8-weeks | 8 weeks | ||
| Year 1 |
EDUC 120 Building Family Partnerships |
SPED 280 Positive Behav Int/Supp |
SPED 180 Special Ed & Inclusive Practices | |||
| EDUC 210 Intro to Residency | SPED 281 High Incidence | SPED 282 Low-Incidence | ||||
| Year 2 |
SPED 380 Diff Inst Prac Incl Classroom |
EDUC 305 Methods of Mathematics I
(preK - 1)
|
EDUC 321 Literacy in Middle |
EDUC 434 Student Teaching 1 (3) |
EDUC 250 Working w/ English Lang Learners |
|
| EDUC 422 Data-Driven Instruction | EDUC 302 Reading Methods I (preK - 1) | EDUC 401 Differ Reading for Devel. Child | SPED 481 In Read/Write/Math | SPED 220 Instr/Assist Tech | ||
| Residency I: 65 hours (about 1 hour per day) | Residency III: 160 hours (about 2 hours per day) | |||||
| Year 3 | SPED 381 Secondary Transitions | EDUC 435 Student Teaching 2 (Sci and Soc)(6) | ||||
| EDUC 432 Seminar (3) | ||||||
| Residency IV: 260 hours (about 2 hours per day) +4 weeks full time | ||||||
Teaching Certification
ASPIRING TEACHER PATHWAY PROGRAM
Earn a Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) Special Education PK-12 Teaching Certification while working in your current DASD support staff role with 100% district-paid tuition. A Bachelor's Degree or equivalent is required to apply for this program.
Program Key Features:
- Starts January 21, 2025
- Cohort model for collaborative learning
- Tuition reimbursement provided by DASD to cover 100% of tuition cost
- Please refer to Article 26 of the Teamsters Collective Bargaining Agreement for more information on reimbursement and repayment conditions.
- Includes DASD field experience and student teaching
This program combines job-embedded coursework and classroom experience through virtual asynchronous courses, enabling aspiring educators to earn a PDE Special Education PK-12 Teaching Certification. The CCIU Talent Development Center will assist with enrollment, monthly mentoring, and ongoing participant progress monitoring.
Program Structure:
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18-month program with six modules
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Next module begins on January 21, 2025
- 10 total courses, earning 27 credits (up to six transferable credits)
Pathway to:
Teaching career in special education.
Upon program completion and passing the certification exam, students will be eligible to apply for the Instructional I in Special Education (PK-12) Certificate.
Program Completion Requirements:
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Complete the 27-credit coursework including field experiences
- Earn GPA of 3.0 or higher
- Satisfy the requirements set forth in 24 P.S. §12-1209 relating to good moral character
- Pass the certification exam: Special Education: Core Knowledge and Applications (5354)
To apply, contact Talent@cciu.org.
| 2024-25 Academic Calendar | Module & Course(s) | Classes Begin |
|---|---|---|
| Fall 2024 |
MOD 1 (MED 505, MED 605) |
8/26/24 |
| MOD 2 (MED 605, MED 515) | 10/11/24 | |
| Winter/Spring 2025 |
MOD 3 (MED 542) |
1/21/25
|
| MOD 4 (MED 544) | 3/20/25 | |
| Summer 2025 |
MOD 5 (MED 535) |
5/19/25 |
| MOD 6 (MED 545) | 7/7/25 |
Fall 2025 class start dates TBD (Student Teaching included in coursework):
MOD 1: MED 522
MOD 2: MED 671, MED 673 (FINISH IN DECEMBER 2026)
PK-12 SPECIAL EDUCATION CERTIFICATION PROGRAM COURSE LIST
| Course | Course Title | Credits |
FIELD HOURS
(TO BE COMPLETED
ON-THE-JOB)
|
|---|---|---|---|
| MED 505 | Intro. to Special Education | 3 | 5 |
| MED 515 | Differentiated Instruction in the Inclusive Classroom | 3 | 5 |
| MED 522 | Practicum in Special Education | 2 | 40 |
| MED 535 | Collaboration and Legal Issues for Special Education | 3 | - |
| MED 542 | Assessment and Instruction of Students with Development Disabilities | 3 | 10 |
| MED 544 | Transition and Instruction Secondary Education Special Needs Students | 3 | 10 |
| MED 545 | Social Development and Behavior Support in Inclusive Classrooms | 3 | - |
| MED 605 | Enhancing Literacy for the Special Needs Students | 3 | 20 |
| MED 671 | Student Teaching in Summer Seminar | 1 | - |
| MED 673 | Student Teaching in Special Education | 3 | 210 |