Exhibit S5.24

NEW MAJORS and PROGRAMS in the EDUCATION UNIT

Since 2007

Department / New Major / First Began / Where Offered / Why Developed
Early Childhood
Special Education / ECSE – combined major in Early Childhood and Special Education; certification in PK-3 general education and PK-3 generic special education. Courses aligned with National Association for the Education of Young Children and the Council for Exceptional Children. / Fall 2012 / On campus; off campus in Harford County in a 2+2 program between Towson University and Harford Community College. On campus program will graduate 18 interns in spring 2014; off campus program will graduate 12 interns in spring 2014. / To meet critical shortages in the field of Special Education, identified for several years (and currently) in the Maryland Teacher Staffing Report.
Special Education / Master of Education: Teacher as Leader in Autism Spectrum Disorders. The program is designed for professionals certified in special education or a closely related field who seek specialized knowledge to work with ASD students. / Fall 2011 / The degree is offered off campus in cohort groups in the following counties:
Baltimore
Carroll
Harford
Howard / The degree was developed to meet the needs of the increasing number of students identified with autism spectrum disorders. This program addresses a critical shortage need as identified in the state’s Teacher Staffing Report.
Secondary Education / Middle School Major: MSED.
The MSED major is a dual content major; students select two content areas from math, science, social studies, and English. Certification in the state of Maryland is for grades 4-9. This Middle School major was the first in Maryland at a public university. / Fall 2010 / The Middle School major is offered on campus and is intended for undergraduate majors. / When the Maryland State Department of Education identified certification for Middle Grades 4-9, there was only one middle school major in the state, at a private institution. The middle school major addresses the critical shortage areas of programs at the middle grades level and also addresses the shortage of middle level math and science teachers.
Instructional Leadership and Professional Development Department / Post-baccalaureate Certification: Action Research for School Improvement in Writing. This is a four course certificate which grounds teachers in action research methods to investigate problems related to teaching and learning, especially in writing. / Spring 2014 / The post-bac program is offered in cohort sections off campus in the following locations:
Baltimore County Public Schools
Baltimore City Public Schools / The post-baccalaureate certificate program was developed to address the needs of knowing how to teach writing related to the implementation of the Common Core State Standards.
Kinesiology Department / Master of Science in Kinesiology. The major is designed for the PK-12 physical education teacher who wants to strengthen teaching performance in ways that positively impact student learning. Students in the program must have an undergraduate degree in physical education or a post-baccalaureate teacher certification. / Fall 2008 / The major is offered on campus.
A cohort group also meets in Baltimore County Public Schools. / Physical education teachers in Baltimore County Public Schools did not have a Master’s program in Kinesiology and therefore, took Master’s programs not directly related to their teaching. This major was a direct request from personnel in BCPS for meeting a need the school district had.