Registration and Reimbursement
Admission
- Candidates who hold a Michigan teaching certificate and who are currently living in Michigan are eligible to apply for the Deaf/Hard of Hearing Consortium. Candidates who do not currently hold an endorsement in an area of special education are required to take a course in foundations of special education prior to beginning the Deaf/Hard of Hearing coursework.
- The Application for Admission [PDF] must be completed and submitted to Consortium Coordinator Elizabeth Flores with the following documents:
- Official Transcripts
- Copy of current Michigan Teaching Certificate
- Candidates work with the Consortium Coordinator to discuss endorsement requirements and professional goals. The candidate and the Coordinator develop an individualized Plan of Study that meets endorsement requirements.
Course Requirements
- Information on Universities and Courses for each semester is available on the website. Students must follow the standards set by each university. Students should complete the course requirements within seven years of taking the initial course. Students are required to maintain an overall grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 or higher. A grade of C or higher is required in each course.
- Enrolled students must take one course from each of the following categories (Foundations of Deaf Education must be taken first; subsequent courses may be taken in any order):
- Foundations of Deaf Education (must be taken first)
- Audiology and Instructional Auditory Management
- Curricular Content Knowledge
- Assessment and Intervention
- Deaf Studies
- Instructional Planning and Learning Environments
- Practicum (final course)
- AND students must take two courses from the following categories (each course must be from a different category):
- Consultation and Collaboration
- Early Intervention
- Skill Specific DHH Areas of Concentration
- Additionally, students must demonstrate competence in American Sign Language (ASL) by either completing ASL I and ASL II courses at universities on the approved list or by documentation of a Level 2 or higher on the American Sign Language Proficiency Interview (Gallaudet University). The ASL requirement must be met and proper documentation submitted to the Coordinator before applying for the Practicum.
Registration and Reimbursement
- The Consortium Coordinator notifies students of the course offerings at the participating universities each semester. Projected courses are also listed on the website. Tuition and fees vary depending on the university. After reviewing this information, the student contacts the Consortium Coordinator for assistance with enrollment and registration. The student pays the tuition and fees required directly to the institution. Students must abide by all academic and financial policies at each institution.
- To request reimbursement: After successfully completing a course, a tuition bill showing the student’s name, university name, course name, semester, and itemized charges must be submitted to the Consortium Coordinator. Grades for DHH courses are sent by the participating university to the Coordinator. Students will not receive reimbursement for a course with a grade of less than a C.
- For ASL courses, students must submit both a billing statement and an official transcript to the Consortium Coordinator.
- Upon receipt of the required documents, the Coordinator will request reimbursement and a check will be mailed directly to the student.
- Check with the Coordinator for the current reimbursement rate.
- All tuition reimbursement requests must be submitted within the state fiscal year (October 1 to September 30) of taking the courses.
Practicum
- The Practicum is the final course in the Deaf/Hard of Hearing (DHH) endorsement program. All other courses, including the ASL requirement, must be successfully completed prior to enrolling in the practicum. The Practicum must be taken during the FALL (September) or SPRING (January) semester.
- The Practicum consists of an eight-week, full day teaching experience. Candidates will be required to secure their own placement in a school setting with students who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing. If candidates are working in their own classrooms, then the practicum is extended to one semester to allow candidates more time to complete required assignments.
- Practicum requirements include on-site visitation by the Saginaw Valley State University (SVSU) supervisor, evaluation of teaching and dispositions, regular meetings via an online platform, uploading of additional written assignments/assessments, and uploading and self-reflection of video clips of teaching via an online platform. A syllabus will be provided once enrolled. Candidates must have availability to Internet connection and must check their SVSU email regularly.
- To Apply for the Practicum: To ensure preferred practicum enrollment, students must submit a written request to the Consortium Coordinator at Aquinas College for Fall by January 30 (plans finalized by June 1) and for Spring, by August 1 (plans finalized by December 1). The Coordinator will review student records and determine eligibility to enroll in the practicum. Upon approval, practicum candidates will be directed to contact Dr. Lively ([email protected]) who will review practicum responsibilities/requirements and assist with enrollment at Saginaw Valley State University (SVSU).
State Testing
- Students must take and pass the Praxis Special Education: Education of Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students (5272) and have the results sent directly to the Michigan Department of Education Office of Special Education, P.O. Box 30008, Lansing, MI 48909 prior to applying for the endorsement.
- Preparation materials for the Praxis test are available on the ETS website.
- Contact the Coordinator regarding partial reimbursement for the cost of the Praxis test.
- As of January 2024, the Michigan Test for Teacher Certification (MTTC) will be required. Students must take and pass the Deaf or Hard of Hearing test (MTTC test code: 128). Detailed information is available on the MTTC website. Please contact the Program Manager with questions.
Endorsement
- When the student has successfully completed the Practicum, the DHH Consortium Coordinator will email detailed instructions for applying for the DHH endorsement.
- Students must apply for the endorsement through the Michigan Online Educator Certification System (MOECS). The student will be applying as an out of state applicant. On the MOECS application, he/she will need to answer “no” to the Michigan college or university question, select “United States/US Territory” for the country where the program was completed and then select “MDE Special Ed Consortium” for the state where the program was completed.
- The following documents will be submitted for final audit to Michigan Department of Education, Office of Special Education, 608 West Allegan, Lansing, MI 48909.
- Praxis Scores (sent directly from Praxis as directed by student).
- Completed Plan of Study (sent by Consortium Coordinator).
- Official transcripts reflecting all DHH coursework (requested by student from each institution).
- ASL transcripts or ASLPI score (official documentation requested by student).
- Once the application is approved through MOECS, the student must pay the fee for adding the endorsement.
Master's Degree Option
After completing the Consortium endorsement program, you can work directly with any of the following universities to obtain a Master’s Degree (University of Northern Colorado, Minot State University, St. Joseph University, and Valdosta State University). Each university has credit transfer criteria. The consortium will provide no coordinating or financial support.