KU Online Education Graduate Programs Blog

Explore how graduate programs in ASD support improved outcomes for individuals with ASD.

Discover the transformative power of supplementary education, unlocking new opportunities for professionals to excel in their fields.

Deepen your understanding of the key trends and issues in educational administration that are currently shaping the field of education.

Discover the stories of perseverance, innovation, sports legacy, and academic excellence that have shaped the University of Kansas into the prestigious institution it is today.

Learn about the specific challenges and obstacles experienced by individuals and students with ASD to shed light on the reasons behind these behaviors and offer classroom strategies to help these students thrive.

Discover five highly effective teaching habits that can dramatically boost reading skills—especially among students who are learning to read.

Explore a comprehensive analysis of the US education system in comparison to countries worldwide and discover actionable strategies for improvement.

Meet Dr. Jennifer Bessolo, KU's online ELPS master's program coordinator and Professor of the Practice. Read about her inspiring journey and discover how her visionary leadership is shaping the future of education.

Are you looking to take your teaching skills to the next level? Look no further than the Science of Reading. These evidence-based learning strategies can help your students develop strong literacy skills that will last a lifetime.

Discover why and how today's principals are finding career fulfillment as leaders in an evolving and challenging educational environment.

Heidi Hallman, Ph.D., has always been concerned with the student experience and how instructors can work to meet the needs of diverse groups. Hear from Hallman, Chair and Professor in the Department of Curriculum and Teaching, about why she’s passionate about the evolution of the program to stay relevant for the sake of educators of all types.

Do you think you would like to become a principal? Making the move from being a teacher to being a school principal is a chance to make a positive impact on a much larger group of people in your school and community. You will also face new and challenging responsibilities.

Are online education degrees respected? Chances are if you've considered enrolling in an online learning program, this is a question you've mulled over. Earning an online education degree offers many benefits: flexibility in your schedule, the ability to earn a degree without moving, working while...

Learn more about what a learning dis/ability is, the types of learning dis/abilities that exist, which classroom methods are most effective, and how learning dis/abilities differ from autism.

Read on to learn about the highest paying special education careers that are available to educators who have the right experience and skills which can be learned in a top-ranked special education master’s programs from a leading university.

Learn more about the rewarding careers and annual salaries that are available for those who have earned a special education master’s degree.

Learn about low-incidence versus high-incidence dis/abilities, what approaches can help teach students, and how you can gain the knowledge and experience to help students in your classrooms

Sydney Castonguay, M.S.E, '21, shares how KU’s Autism Certificate is improving her teaching career and her student's learning outcomes.

Learn how you can build a growth mindset in your own classrooms and how doing so creates a more positive learning environment that can help your students.

In today’s data-rich, analytics-capable classrooms, both quantifiable and qualitative evidence can be used by educators to show evidence of learning (EOL) by students.

Learn how earning both her graduate certificate in ASD and her master’s degree in high incidence disability, from top-ranked KU, has helped Sydney Castonguay find a renewed interest in education that has launched a new career focus and propelled her to pursue her doctorate in special education at KU.

Teaching certifications provide additional training for someone interested in teaching English as a second language (ESL). Read on to learn the basics about the most common teaching certifications and the benefits of a TESL certification.

People are drawn to teaching as a profession because it gives them an opportunity to make a difference in the lives of others. Teachers are role models who inspire their students. More importantly, teachers impart the valuable skills and knowledge that students need to excel in their course work and go on to have meaningful careers.

The COVID-19 pandemic upended global classrooms in early 2020 and forced many schools to move to a distance learning model. The adoption of more technology to keep students and teachers connecting during this crisis was an acceleration of tech trends already in motion.

Imagine your classroom is full of students. You are at the front of the room, marker in hand, about to wax eloquent on the whiteboard. Whether your students are unruly or listening intently, the most important thing is that you are imparting knowledge and making a difference in their lives.

Although classroom teachers make just $59,346 a year on average—more if you decide to pursue a master's degree—they bear tremendous responsibility. Teachers have the power to change lives by inspiring and motivating individuals in their formative years.

Higher education has become a necessity for many people who want to pursue a career in today’s job market. In an increasingly competitive landscape for top jobs, getting a bachelor’s degree might not be enough.

Discover how to become an independent student and unlock more financial aid opportunities for your higher education. Learn about the qualifications and requirements. Don't let finances hold you back.

Unlock the potential of your students with Visible Thinking Routines! Delve into the benefits of these powerful teaching techniques. Discover how they can transform the learning experience and help your students excel.

Enhance your classroom review sessions with these 10 teacher-approved review games! Our latest guide provides an overview of each game and helps you choose the best fit for your curriculum, budget, and students' educational needs. Say goodbye to dull review sessions and engage your students like never before.

To succeed, businesses need planning and oversight … and schools need educational management. The people in leadership positions set their institutions’ academic standards by choosing and evaluating their faculty and developing faculty skills. They’re responsible for determining whether an institution fulfills its educational mandate, creating solutions if it doesn’t, and, if it does, maintaining and improving upon the current standards.

Who would have thought that memes—those images, videos, and pieces of text that are copied, often modified, and spread via internet—have roots in ancient Greek?

Read an interview with two lifelong friends who met as online graduate education students at KU. Apply today.

Explore educational transition specialization and several careers available within it. Apply to the online graduate education programs at KU.

Explore whether or not the concept of learning styles is a neuromyth and discover how evidence-based practices can provide better approaches to education.

In the last decade, HyperDocs have made a big splash in education. Explore some of the reasons why. Apply to the online graduate education programs at KU.

You may be looking for ways to get to know your students quickly at the start of the school year. You might be getting ready for parents’ night or working to spark kids’ interest in numbers. For these reasons, and to infuse a sense of personal immediacy into your curriculum at any point in the year, Math About Me activities can be highly useful.

In September 2020, a fifth grade teacher named Dana began a product review on an educators’ resource website by saying, “After distance learning last year, I knew that I needed to start this year with explicitly teaching how to navigate Google Classroom.” She was reviewing a guide of activities...

Karrie Shogren, associate professor of special education and associate director of the Kansas University Center on Developmental Disabilities, and Michael Wehmeyer, professor of special education and executive director of the Kansas University Center on Developmental Disabilities, are at the forefro...

This is another installation in our Teacher Blogger feature, here is a profile of Free Tech 4 Teachers. When it comes to educating students in classrooms, teachers can use all the helpful resources they can get their hands on. No two students are alike and it would be irresponsible for teache...

The story of the 20% Project goes back nearly a century. In 1923, while at an auto body shop in St. Paul, Minnesota, 3M engineer Richard Drew noticed a car painter struggling with tape that ineffectively kept paint from bleeding into ar...

This is another installation in our Teacher Blogger feature, here is a profile of Leading Successful and Dynamic Schools. To say that Scott Taylor is an accomplished educator would be an understatement. Not only does he hold a bachelor’s degree in English, but he also has a master’s in educat...

When most people think of education, they think about teachers at the front of classrooms full of students. However, when the Coronavirus pandemic radically changed the way we do most things (including learning), the future of education started to look different. In the 2017-2018 school year, 2...

A school’s principal is one of the most important positions in education administration. Principals are responsible for overseeing the operations for elementary, middle and high schools. This includes classroom instruction, budget management, grant applications, and working with parents, teachers,...

By Lisa Barrett Mann, MSEd Every teacher wants their students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) to succeed—to learn, to have friends, to eventually have careers, and to live independently. The big question, though, is how do you help them achieve that? “Students with ASD often struggle with...

Voices of the online master’s in secondary special education program: Tim Wealton, Graduate of the Program As a high school teacher who worked in a life skills program with students with low incidence disabilities, KU graduate Tim Wealton realized what he really wanted was to be able to focus on t...

Summer 2020 marked the 30th anniversary of the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) being signed into law by President George H.W. Bush. This landmark civil rights law prohibited discrimination against individuals with disabilities, much as the Civil Rights Act of 1964 made it illegal to discrimi...

COVID-19 has upended many areas of our lives, not the least of which is education. Due to the pandemic and worldwide shutdown, distance education became a necessity at lightning speed. More than 1.5 billion students, or 91.3 percent of global enrollments, were directly affected by school closures...

Did you ever imagine that teaching could be this hard? We’ve all embraced challenges that inspire and excite us, but teaching keeps throwing curve balls. Whether you’re an educator whose classes have abruptly moved online or a parent of kids now learning from home, 2020 has already packed more tha...

There are moments in world history when social justice issues come to the forefront of global consciousness. This is such a time. The coronavirus pandemic has uncovered and exacerbated social inequities, especially in the United States.1 Closely related, due to its social justice component, is t...

“Great teaching can be compared to great dancing,” says Suzanne Robinson, Associate Professor in the Department of Special Education at the University of Kansas. A professional ballet dancer needs to master specific steps, but also “needs to dance complicated choreography, flowing between steps...

The recent closing of 124,000 schools nationwide due to the coronavirus pandemic affected more than 55 million K-12 students1, throwing teachers and parents into unplanned remote learning scenarios. This was a particularly brutal blow to the parents and teachers of the 7.1 million students ages...

Teaching can be tough. Each class, each day, brings new hurdles. In the last few months alone, protocols have changed so rapidly that it feels hard to keep up. Even on a good day, it’s a challenge to keep students motivated. How much harder is it to do so through remote learning, when the classroo...

Special education teachers follow many paths into teaching but they often share some personal characteristics, including creativity, enthusiasm and a passion for social justice. Some people enter the field right out of college, sometimes because...

Voices of the online master’s in secondary special education program: Tim Wealton, Graduate of the Program As a high school teacher who worked in a life skills program with students with low incidence disabilities, University of Kansas graduate Tim Wealton, saw the value of attaining a master’s de...

Voices of the online master’s in secondary special education program: Tim Wealton, Graduate of the Program KU graduate Tim Wealton, fell in love with the niche subject of transition in special education while working as a high school teacher in a life skills program for students with low incidence...

If you’re thinking of becoming a teacher, you’re likely weighing the pros and cons of the job. No job is perfect, life and careers have unavoidable stressors and tasks that you may like less than others. But if you’re considering a career in education, it’s important to ask yourself why you want t...

What do turnover and advocacy have to do with National Principals Month? Well, each October, the American Federation of School Administrators (AFSA), the National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP) and the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) band together t...

By Monica Simonsen, Ph.D. Every October since 1988, the U.S. has celebrated National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM)! NDEAM efforts are coordinated by the Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP). First recognized in 19...

By Glennda McKeithan, Ph.D. and Jason Travers, Ph.D., BCBA-D Effective instruction is a primary expectation of teachers across subjects and settings. Quality instruction is tightly linked to student achievement for all learners, and the provision of good instruc...

When the University of Kansas Department of Special Education decided to offer an online master's in high incidence disabilities,* we had to discover how to perform practicum supervision from a distance. We started with the idea of video, because the power of video as a means of examining...

Autism Spectrum Disorder Students in Inclusive Classroom Settings Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a multifaceted neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by unusual patterns of behavior as well as deficits in social and communication skills. Autism is commonly referred to as a "spectrum" diso...

What does linguistic diversity have to do with National Literacy Month? Well, it all started back in 1966 when the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) officially proclaimed September 8th as International Literacy Day (ILD). Since then, International Literacy D...

In jobs ranging from special education teacher to program director, those who work in the fulfilling field of special education transform the lives of children every single day. If you're considering pursuing one of many special education jobs—or you currently work in the field but want to shift...

By Dr. Monica Simonsen and Dr. Cynthia Mruczek University of Kansas Department of Special Education Positioning Ourselves in the Dialogue We enter the conversation around person-first language vs. identity-first language as simultaneous “insiders” and “outsiders” in the dialogue.1 First, we...

By Leslie Ann Bross, Special Education PhD Candidate at the University of Kansas Approximately 50,000 transition-age youth with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) turn 18 each year and exit the K-12 school system. These individuals will seek to participate in a variety of adult outcomes, such as...

Are you considering becoming a teacher? Teaching is a noble profession and one that can have a positive lasting effect on individuals, families and communities. Think about your own educational journey: Who was your favorite teacher? Why did they make an impression on you? How did they help you th...

Did you know that April 2, 2019 is the 12th annual World Autism Awareness Day? In fact, April is World Autism Month! This international effort is designed to promote autism awareness, inclusion and self-determination for all, and assure that each person with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is p...

When it comes to preparing special education professionals for the unique circumstances they'll face in the classroom, the University of Kansas School of Education and Human Sciences has distinguished itself as the gold standard. As U.S. News & World Report's No. 1 Department of Special Education...

In 2000, only one in 150 children was diagnosed with autism. By 2010, that number had nearly doubled. Today, according to estimates from CDC’s Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring (ADDM) Network, about 1 in 59 children has been identified with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and many exp...

Each November, the National Education Association (NEA) hosts American Education Week to celebrate public education and the individuals whose passion for teaching transforms the lives of students. In honor of American Education Week, Dr. Rick Ginsberg, dean of the University of Kansas School of E...

Parents and teachers of children with autism know that the keys to success in their education are patience, collaboration and mutual support between home and school. They also know that finding the time to review the latest research, as well as developing the skills to understand how to apply it, ca...

The U.S. Department of Labor reports that among individuals with disabilities between 20 and 24 years of age, the employment-population ratio was 36.9 percent in 2017. In contrast, the employment-population ratio for individuals without a disability in this age cohort was 67.3 percent In order...

Response to Intervention (RTI) is a system of supports that schools put in place to provide high-quality education to students with disabilities. It was originally developed as an overall framework for prediction, remediation and prevention of negative outcomes common for students with disabilities....

School principals are crucial to student outcomes. They’re the ones holding the organizations together, ensuring students are prepared for their academic challenges and that teachers have the support and tools they need to run classrooms effectively. Yet, as our infographic below expresses, our scho...

Even if you’ve known for years that you want to be a reading specialist, knowing what academic credentials you need to have to achieve that goal can be challenging. It can be even more confusing if this is a new field you’ve only recently decided to transition into. Regardless of where you stand i...

Course Spotlight: SPED 756 Special Education Leadership Whether you’re a teacher, school administrator or educational policy advisor, leadership plays an integral role in the classroom—particularly the special education classroom. Standing up, advocating for and empowering disabled or disadvantage...

As an online student at the University of Kansas School of Education and Human Sciences, you’ll experience a number of innovative tools and resources that are designed to enrich your overall learning experience. One of the most unique aspects of our online programs is our Reading Room, a customiza...

The classroom of today looks much different than even twenty years before. Blackboards have been replaced by digital whiteboards, and interactive technology is often used as a tool to make the classroom more collaborative and to enhance students’ ability to learn critical-thinking, communication an...

Uncover the fascinating history of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) with our insightful infographic! From its inception to its evolution, learn about the milestones and impact of this landmark legislation.

This is another installation in our Teacher Blogger feature, here is a profile of A Principal’s Reflections. You could say that Eric Sheninger has a special knack for thought leadership. For seven years, he served as principal of New Milford High School in New Milford, Connecticut with one g...

In November of 2015, we celebrated the 40th anniversary of landmark legislation that removed barriers for children with learning disabilities to attend the same public schools as those who didn’t require unique educational accommodations.

This is another installation in our Teacher Blogger feature, here is a profile of The 21st Century Principal. During his time as an educator, John Robinson was always looking for ways to not only help his students learn and retain information better, but also keep them engaged during classroom...

This is another installation in our Teacher Blogger feature, here is a profile of E-Learning Queen. Although Susan Smith Nash may be a petroleum geologist by trade, her stamp on the educational sector is unmistakable. Since 1994, she has been an adjunct professor at the University of Oklahom...

This is another installation in our Teacher Blogger feature, here is a profile of Ms. Jordan Reads. To Jordan Riley, literacy and technology go hand-in-hand. The educator from Grand Island in Upstate New York runs the social media network, and serves as the co-chair for The Niagara Frontier R...

That fact that being a teacher is often a thankless job doesn’t mitigate the fact that it is still one of the most important and vitally needed professions in America. The job of educating the next generation of future leaders who have the ability to move our world forward is certainly no easy task....

Discover 7 principles for becoming a successful principal in your school.

Technology extends far beyond the administrative offices in today’s educational environment. Surveys of K-12 schools show that more than 75 percent of classrooms have access to the Internet, and more than 95 percent of schools are connected. However, that has not translated into classrooms to succ...

Creating a safe and inclusive classroom environment is crucial to prevent bullying in schools. Explore practical ways to build a non-bully zone in your classroom. Learn effective strategies from KU experts to ensure that all students feel respected and valued.

There is a new brand of teacher that is bridging the gap between the traditional classroom teacher, the administrator and the educational policy maker: the teacherpreneur. In the past, most schools have relied on a hierarchy that separates the people who create schools’ educational policies (adminis...

School administrators provide the structure, framework and support for all teaching activities. As an administrator, you can plan, develop and implement strategies designed to improve student literacy and resulting test scores. Given that early literacy is critical for academic success, starting l...

An IEP (Individualized Education Program) is a written plan for students with identified disabilities which sets the conditions for the specific accommodations, materials, and instructional approaches needed in order for the students to learn effectively. A federal law called IDEA (the Individuals...

Co-teaching occurs when two instructional professionals work with the same group of students, in the same classroom, at the same time. Co-teaching may occur for a number of reasons. Sometimes, teachers in different disciplines work together to integrate their discipline knowledge in one seamless cou...

Parental involvement plays a critical role in students’ academic success. When you work with parents, you get the extra support needed to help struggling children turn around their performance. You also encourage a lifelong love of learning in every student, creating more engaged and excited learner...

Teaching literacy to students means that they are given the ability to communicate clearly and effectively and form the foundation of modern life. Students that can’t read effectively fail to grasp important concepts, score poorly on tests and ultimately, fail to meet educational milestones. Literac...

America is often described as a “nation of immigrants”. Not only do we have cultures from all over the world, we create our own. Children grow up learning the customs of their heritage as well as the cultural practices prevalent in America today. In some parts of the country, the multicultural class...

High-incidence, adaptive, cross-categorical or multi-categorical--is there a difference? Special Education licensure and endorsement varies from state to state, as does the terminology used in describing the knowledge that is required and the students to whom it applies. In general, the terms “hig...

We live in a tech-savvy world. There is an app for everything. There are machines that can track the number of steps you take in a day. Information is at everyone’s fingertips and it is constantly updated. Gone are the dusty days of encyclopedias, and as much as some of us may reminisce for actually...

Writing a recommendation letter can be a bit of a daunting task. On the one hand, you might be flattered, excited and eager to help; on the other, you might be stressed out and unsure of how best to go about it. There are a number of factors to take into account when writing a letter of recommendati...

Requesting a recommendation letter can be intimidating. You’re asking someone to do you a significant favor, and want to simultaneously make sure that they are entirely aware of what your application is about and inconvenience them as little as possible. This thinking—though understandable—needs to...

Virtual schools and courses are increasing in popularity across the country, and a new study from the University of Kansas shows that teachers in online settings prefer approaching education intellectually, socially and emotionally, while brick-and-mortar teachers are increasingly limited from doing...

Every October, anti-bullying organizations ramp up efforts to counter the negative effects of bullying across grade levels and ages. Initiatives span from STOMP Out Bullying’s “Blue Shirt Day” to simply encouraging students to reach out to peers who may be left out or isolated at school. PACER—the f...

Dr. Joe Novak is the coordinator of the Educational Leadership and Policy Studies (ELPS) Master’s program in Educational Administration, director of the Professional Development School program and senior lecturer at the University of Kansas School of Education and Human Sciences. Novak worked as a h...

There are a variety of graduate degree programs offered to educators. Though they might seem interchangeable, there are more differences than you might think. Knowing the differences will help you find the right education you need to advance your career. Read on for some general guidelines about t...

Bullying and harassment is a not a new problem that school communities face, but it is one whose long-term effects are drawing public attention and encouraging real efforts towards improving the lives of all students. Many education professionals are more and more concerned with how to prevent bully...

Are you considering earning your graduate degree online? Learning in an online environment is different than learning in a traditional one. Prior to starting your first online course, it’s important to consider the differences and how you can get the most out your online experience. Here are some ti...

The words to define a leader aren’t far off from the same words that might describe an excellent educator. Many of the same traits that are valued in a teacher are invaluable in a leader trying to create a better school or community environment. As teachers are at the heart of the classroom inspirin...

Dr. Hyesun Cho is an assistant professor at the University of Kansas. She has been at KU since the fall of 2011. She earned her B.A. degree from Korea University in Seoul, Korea, and upon graduation, started working as an English teacher at a middle school in 1995. She then earned her M.A. in Englis...

The decision to go to graduate school is an exciting, rewarding and, sometimes, scary one. Graduate education can open doors to better professional opportunities – and an increased salary – and make you better at what you do. Though graduate school can seem overwhelming, with the right strategies, i...

The ALTEC (Advanced Learning Technologies in Education Consortia) division of KU’s Center for Research on Learning recently hosted a Summer Technology Camp. The camp served as a meeting point for educators across the state to discuss, share and experience technology-related education practices. The...

“The Emily Taylor Center for Women & Gender Equity has announced 27 honorees for the 2014-15 Women of Distinction calendar. The women were selected for their outstanding contributions to the university and community." One of the women chosen was Dr. Sally Roberts. Dr. Roberts is the associate dean...

Thomas DeLuca, assistant professor of educational leadership and policy studies, authored a study in which he analyzed Michigan’s efforts to consolidate noninstructional services such as accounting, payroll, transportation, human resources, food service and custodial services. While he found the arr...

Writing a personal statement when applying to graduate school can be daunting. There are a lot of guides that dictate rules on structure, form and content that often do more harm than good. This post offers advice on how to write a personal statement rather than inflexible “rules” that may help you...