Education
Department Chair: Jennifer Booth, Ed.D.
Coordinators:
Early Childhood/Special Education: Pamela O’Day, Ph.D.
Elementary Education/Special Education: Elizabeth McAuliffe, RSM, Ed.D.
Secondary Education: Tracy Pelkowski, Ph.D.
Music Education: Peter Davis, M. Mus.
Salve Regina University offers programs that prepare teacher education candidates to apply for certification as teachers in the state of Rhode Island in the major areas of Early Childhood Education, Early Childhood & Special Education, Elementary Education, Elementary Education & Special Education, Music Education, World Languages, and Secondary Education in Biology, Chemistry, English, Social Studies, and Mathematics. Minors are available in Special Education and Secondary Education.
Consistent with the University mission, the education programs at Salve Regina are marked by a commitment to service. Active participation in the life of children and schools is a hallmark of all programs. Teacher Education was one of the inaugural programs when Salve opened in 1947. In 1951, when the first teacher education candidates were ready to work in area schools, a partnership was initiated with the Newport schools. Since that time, additional partnerships have formed to support Salve's teacher education candidates.
The Education faculty has designed its programs with four major components: a general, liberal, and humanistic education; a content-oriented curriculum in the academic disciplines to be taught; a comprehensive study of pedagogy, including foundational studies and specialized pedagogical knowledge, and a program of expanding field experience that culminates in student teaching. All programs are aligned to the R.I. Professional Teaching Standards, which are based on the national Interstate Teacher Assessment and Support Consortium (INTASC) standards, and appropriate content standards.
Certification and Accreditation
Eligibility for application for Rhode Island teacher certification is dependent on two criteria: the successful completion of programs and the completion of required state testing. The education programs at Salve Regina are approved by the State of Rhode Island Department of Education. Rhode Island is a member of the National Association of State Directors of Teacher Education and Certification (NASDTEC), and through NASDTEC's Interstate Agreement, Salve Regina University graduates can submit their R.I. teaching credentials to 47 states, Washington D.C., Department of Defense, and Guam. Graduates must keep in mind that while the submission of the R.I. teaching credentials is generally seamless due to the Interstate Agreement, individual states do retain the right to have additional requirements, usually in the form of a state-specific teacher exam. Graduates should always check with a state's Department of Education to get the most recent changes to certification requirements prior to applying.
Because a teacher is entrusted with the education and care of young students, personal behavior may impact one's ability to obtain licensure and/or employment. This includes obtaining licensure to student teach in the state of RI. We value responsible behavior, and work with candidates to enhance their reflective skills and personal responsibility.
Teacher education candidates are responsible for knowing the updated curriculum, guidelines, and meeting the requirements as clarified and promulgated through the Assessment Handbook and the Student Teaching Handbook, both of which are available on the Education Department website. Changes in state requirements for teacher certification may necessitate program changes that supersede the programs as described in this catalog.
Title II
The University reports educational statistics in accordance with the provisions of Title II of the Higher Education Act (P170) of 1988. Timely and accurate data regarding the Institutional Report Card on the Quality of Teacher Preparation, including program pass rates and program information may be obtained at: www.ride.ri.gov. Salve Regina University's Teacher Education programs are currently approved by the State of Rhode Island Department of Education, Office of Educator Quality and Certification.
Early Childhood, Elementary, Special and Secondary Education Student Learning Outcomes
At the completion of the program, students will be able to:
- Acquire a body of knowledge unique to Education.
- Develop skills appropriate to a professional scholar.
- Engage in the on-going process of preparation for a career in Education.
- Foster within themselves and their students’ moral insights and commitment to service.
- Engage in continuing professional development.
- Demonstrate a positive impact on students’ learning.
- Demonstrate their understanding and application from their university experience.
Admissions
Although students may be accepted into Salve Regina University as education majors, this is a provisional acceptance into the education department. Students applying to the education program must meet or exceed recommended scores on SAT, ACT, or Praxis Core in order to gain full acceptance into the program. Recommended scores are set by the Rhode Island Department of Education for all education programs in the state and the scores are determined annually. Students whose scores fall below the recommended scores may be required to take additional course work and/or tutoring before being formally accepted. Students must formally apply to the education department, usually during the second semester of their sophomore year. To gain formal admission to the department, students must have a minimum 2.75 overall grade point average1, earned a "C" or better in all education courses, successfully meet the Readiness for Admission Criteria, and provide a packet of evidence required for admission into the department (see Assessment Handbook). Once formally admitted to the education department, teacher education candidates must continue to maintain a minimum 2.75 GPA, earn "C" or better in all education courses, meet the specific requirements for Readiness for Student Teaching(C) and Prior to Licensure(P) assessment points (see Assessment Handbook).
Transfer students must meet the same formal admission requirements as students who enter Salve Regina in their freshman year. This means that grades for all courses completed at prior institutions count toward a transfer student's overall GPA in calculating the minimum 2.75 admission requirement.
1 Prior to their formal admission to the education department, students may utilize the undergraduate pass/fail policy for no more than two courses.