College of Education News

Missouri State offers one of the most affordable master’s in education

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Best Value Schools recognized Missouri State University’s master’s in elementary education program as one of the most affordable online master’s in education.  

Having a master’s degree can open many opportunities in the field of education.  

“Earning an advanced degree in elementary education provides teachers with a pay increase and the knowledge and skills to delve deeper into content,” Dr. Denise Cunningham, head of the childhood education and family studies department, said.  

“It can also open doors for becoming an instructional coach, curriculum director, gifted and talented teacher or simply a teacher leader in your school.” 

Explore MSU’s master’s in elementary education program 

About the ranking 

Missouri State was ranked number 26 among the most affordable programs in the U.S. 

Best Value Schools emphasizes that MSU’s program “bridges research and practice, and helps teachers gain the knowledge to manage classrooms for learning, and to meet the needs of all elementary-level learners.” 

How the ranking is determined 

Best Value Schools researched and ranked accredited universities that offer master’s in education degrees in an online format.  

The cost per credit hour and the length of the program were both considered in determining the most affordable programs.  

MSU was also recognized for the master’s in school counseling program.  

About the program 

The master’s in education program at MSU provides flexible options that students can customize to reach their career goals.  

Several graduate certificate options provide further opportunities to build specialized knowledge.  

Certificate options include:  

Learn more about earning your master’s in education

Serving individuals with autism

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Finding your passion within a field can make all the difference in motivating you to pursue your dreams.  

As a freshman at Missouri State University, Taylor Janota worked as a nanny for a young boy who had autism. In this role, she observed certified speech language pathologists, physical therapists and behavioral analysts as they worked with their client.  

Janota working in her role as a board-certified behavior analyst

“This little boy didn’t have any way of communicating with others, but we were able to work with him to build that skill set,” Janota, now a board-certified behavior analyst for Emergent Learning Center in St. Louis, Missouri said. “It was cool to see the collaborative process and the critical thinking that had to happen in order to set this child up for success.” 

With a passion for autism and language, Janota pursued her bachelor’s in speech language pathology and started in a graduate program.  

She soon discovered that she missed the behavioral side of working in therapy, so she refocused her graduate path to a master’s in special education with an autism emphasis.  

She also set her sights on applied behavior analyst (ABA) credentials, which she could prepare for with the experiences from her graduate program.  

Professional experiences  

As a graduate student, Janota worked closely with her professors, collaborated across departments and did practicums in school and clinical settings.  

“I was able to conduct research and do a lot of different things within the realm of autism,” Janota said. “I got experience working with kids, practicing intakes and data collection – all the skills that I use now in my career.”  

The ABA credentials are acquired after passing a national certification exam, which is taken separately from the typical classwork.  

“The exam is known as ‘the beast,’ and it is a little nerve-racking,” Janota laughed. “It definitely took some studying, but I was very surprised with how well prepared I felt for it.” 

Celebrating little victories  

In her career, Janota has learned to appreciate growing with her clients.  

“When you’re going into this field, you are going to learn a lot about these individuals who you’re serving and you’re going to learn a lot about yourself,” Janota said. “I’m someone who likes to see progress quickly, but I’ve realized that’s not life.” 

Janota works consistently with the same clients in a clinical setting, so she gets to see her clients in each step of their journey.  

“This work has given me a new lens for looking at progress,” Janota said. “Even if it’s just a little bit of progress, that’s progress, and that’s something to be celebrated.” 

Explore autism spectrum disorder graduate programs

Creating pathways for paraeducators

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Missouri is facing a teacher shortage.  

Information from Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) shows that special education teachers rank in the top three certification areas in need of fully certified teachers to fill vacancies across the state. 

Faculty in Missouri State’s  College of Education are striving to create a solution to this shortage. They developed Pathways for Paraprofessionals, an alternative pathway to certification for paraeducators in Missouri schools.  

Paraeducators assist special education teachers throughout the school by supporting individualized education plans across academic and behavioral realms. 

“Paraeducators are already working in special education and already have a desire to work with kids with special needs,” said Dr. Reesha Adamson, associate professor in the department of counseling, leadership and special education (CLSE) at MSU. “We had to think about how we can support this population of individuals in accessing a degree.” 

Eliminating barriers 

The Pathways for Paraprofessionals program is funded as part of the Workforce Innovation Opportunity Act. It’s designed to remove many of the barriers that prevent paraeducators from returning to college and completing their degree. 

“Pathways for Paras is a great way to ‘think outside of the box’ as we attempt to increase the number of people who will become teachers,” Dr. Jon Turner, associate professor in the CLSE department, said.  

Learning at work 

While it is not uncommon for paraeducators to be in the traditional degree program, the traditional path is not always conducive to students who work full-time.  

“We created a track where school districts partner with us to develop cohorts within their districts,” Adamson said. “The track is unique because about half of the classwork for those final two years is taught at the school district.”   

Bringing the classwork to the districts has several benefits, allowing teachers to focus on the curriculum in the schools where they already work. 

“They’re able to talk about best practice as it applies to their school district’s curriculum and then walk out the door and immediately apply those practices to the job that they’re doing every day,” Adamson said.  

Finding financial resources 

One of the biggest barriers for nontraditional students is a lack of financial assistance.  

“Many potential teachers cannot travel the traditional route to get a teaching degree,” Turner said. “They need a job while they pursue their degree and just can’t afford to attend college full-time.”   

The U.S. Department of Labor recognizes paraeducator as a skilled apprenticeship, allowing Pathways for Paraprofessionals to be designated as an apprenticeship program. 

This opened funding opportunities, making higher education achievable for nontraditional students who are already working as paraeducators.  

“For paraeducators who are interested in this program: Do not let anything stop you from achieving your dreams of higher education,” Adamson said. “There are so many resources out there. Our goal is to try to make this as affordable as possible for each individual in this program.” 

Explore the Pathways for Paraprofessionals track 

Supporting English language learners

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When Dr. Kennedy Ongaga, assistant professor in the department of counseling, leadership and special education, found out he won the Spencer Foundation research grant, he ran to his front yard and shouted, “Thank you, God!”  

“When we have a crisis, marginalized students and English learners are always left behind,” Ongaga said. “During COVID-19, our homes, our students’ homes, became the schools when schools moved to remote. The question becomes, what resources are available or did schools leverage to support student learning?” 

Ongaga’s research seeks to assess the education of English language learners (ELL) in Springfield Public Schools (SPS) during the pandemic. 

The data he collects will serve as a foundation for improving and creating support services for ELLs in times of crisis.  

Working in social justice 

Ongaga’s work in SPS specifically addresses ELLs. Many of them are refugees from around the world including Afghanistan, Congo, Iraq, Malawi and Tanzania.  

“I try to acculturate them and help them to understand what life is like in America,” Ongaga said. “I also do interpretation for students who don’t speak English for the K-12 schools within this region.” 

The pandemic caused transitions in class delivery, communication and the structure of school. Ongaga’s research questions address how accommodations were made to assist ELLs during this transition and the ongoing pandemic.  

Asking the right questions  

Ongaga will officially begin this research project in October 2021 and plans to conclude it in September 2023. 

The data collection will occur in four phases: 

  • Surveying students, administrators, EL specialists, teachers and other staff members.  
  • Interviews with counselors, school nurses, social workers and psychologists.
  • Focus groups with parents, teachers and students.
  • Secondary data including assessment results and test scores from DESE. 

“Using secondary data, in connection with the qualitative data that we’ll get from the participants, we should be able to make evidence-based projections of what is going on,” Ongaga said. 

He hopes this data will help answer questions such as:  

  1. What services, strategies and special accommodations did SPS implement to support ELLs learning during the pandemic? 
  2. To what extent do ELLs perceive that their academic needs were actually met during the pandemic? 
  3. What is communication like between the school, teachers and parents to keep the momentum of student learning going? 
  4. What guidance and supports are educators provided with to address EL learning needs?   

“For some students, school is where they take their breakfast, their lunch and sometimes that’s where they get that sandwich that they take home for dinner,” Ongaga said. “I want to know what services and programs have been used to mitigate the impact of the pandemic on the ELL’s social-emotional development and their family’s wellbeing.” 

Ongaga hopes to make research-based recommendations for SPS and other K-12 districts so they can be more specific in addressing the needs of such sub-groups and marginalized students.  

“We have a lot of resources to rehumanize education in times of crises – if only we can know how to leverage those resources to reach students,” Ongaga said. 

Spencer Foundation Funding  

Ongaga’s research is funded in part by the Spencer Foundation research grant that he won this fall. The Spencer Foundation awards grants nationally and applicants have only a 5% chance of receiving funding.  

Ongaga submitted the application himself, but he is grateful for the support he found in his department. 

“Dr. Reesha Adamson, who was my answering department head, was absolutely helpful in calming me down,” Ongaga said. “She’s very good with grant writing and shared sort of a toolbox of what I needed to do.” 

The pandemic continues to reveal inequities that ELLs and children from immigrant families experience in U.S. schools and their communities.  

Support from the Spencer Foundation is an acknowledgment of how important this kind of work is in making a difference in the lives of students.  

“I’m very sure, through these small grants, we will be able to make an impact and meaningfully partner with our K-12 school districts in addressing challenges of reaching vulnerable populations,” Ongaga said. 

Making a difference 

Ongaga’s research connects to the ways Missouri State is working to improve the community through the public affairs mission. Ongaga hopes the work he is doing will inspire others.  

He referenced a well-known quote: “You don’t get harmony when everyone sings the same note. Only notes that are different can harmonize. The same is true of people.”  

Ongaga encourages people to find their own ways to help the people around them.  

“When you look at what’s going on around the world and see what people are going through – they’re not worse than me and you. They’re just human beings caught up in some kind of mess,” Ongaga said. “We have a moral responsibility to be our brother’s keeper, and I’m very sure we can do it.” 

Learn more about the public affairs mission   

Giving teachers input on rural school policy

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The Rural Imperative Initiative aims to give a voice to rural schools across the nation. Missouri State University is partnering in this effort to bring the needs and concerns of rural schools to the attention of state, regional and national policymakers.  

The initiative is a collaborative effort between Rural Schools Collaborative (RSC), National Rural Education Association (NREA) and Community Foundation of the Ozarks (CFO). The initiative is funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. 

The Rural Imperative Initiative will help teacher-leaders connect policy to place in five rural regions: Appalachia, Black Belt, Borderlands, Rust Belt and Northern California. 

The College of Education (COE) at Missouri State University is spearheading the rural school initiative program for the Rust Belt region.  

“We’ll be working with school partners to identify teachers to participate in this initiative,” COE Interim Dean Barri Tinkler said. “The COE is very excited to be a part of this work to engage teacher’s voices in contributing to policy formation.” 

Each of the five regions will create their own rural-teacher caucus. These groups will work together to create a “policy playbook” of local recommendations based on the specific challenges and opportunities in their area. 

Each partner organization receives $10,000 in funding to support their regional teacher caucus. 

Other regional partners include:  

“Advocating for rural education has been a long-standing priority for each of these organizations,” RSC Executive Director Taylor McCabe-Juhnke said. “We are honored to work with such high caliber partners to create a meaningful platform for teacher advocacy.” 

Over the coming school year, the policy playbook partnership will support these five partners in exploring the opportunities and challenges faced by teachers in their region. RSC, in partnership with the NREA, will then compile these recommendations and advocacy guidelines into a useful resource to benefit teachers and policymakers everywhere.