Columbia College

"Delivering The Promise"

Special education is about students - their present educational needs and their future lives. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) says special education is "a free and appropriate education, which emphasizes special education and related services, designed to meet the unique needs of students with disabilities."

Special education provides a wide variety of services to families and children with disabilities. The field is individualized and maintains high expectations that students with disabilities will achieve reasonable outcomes. Special education provides the support and services that allow children to progress in the curriculum and deliver on the promise that all children will learn.

Are You Ready to Deliver On The Promise? If so, Become a Special Educator!

Graduates of the Columbia College Special Education program demonstrate mastery of national standards for beginning teachers. In addition, they meet the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) standards for Special Educators and qualify as CEC Professionally Recognized Special Educators.

Meeting these competencies ensures their quality and effectiveness as caring, committed professionals. Detailed information on job availability in South Carolina and nationwide is available through the National Clearinghouse for Professions in Special Education. Also, through the National Clearinghouse, prospective special educators may contact practicing professionals and explore their commitments to making a difference in children’s lives through individualized instruction.

Special Education Program

We, the education faculty, are committed to preparing teachers as Collaborative Professionals (see the Teacher Education Handbook, pg. 4) who are knowledgeable in the content and practice of their respective discipline. The collaborative professional believes the student’s capacity for learning is most fully developed through the participation of a group of individuals sharing their collective knowledge.

Graduates of the program will be educators who embody the attitudes and skills of dedicated professionals and are committed to working with others to provide a quality education for all students. As collaborative professionals they will be prepared to teach in elementary, middle and secondary programs for l students with mild to moderate disabilities.

For more information on the Special Education Program at Columbia College please contact Dr. Tracy West, Program Leader, at 803-786-3320 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.