Department of Education - Salve Regina University

Department Chair: Dr. Martha Rose

Salve Regina University offers programs that prepare students to be certified as teachers in the state of Rhode Island in the major areas of Early Childhood Education, Elementary Education, Mild-Moderate Elementary/Middle Special Education, Music Education, Theatre Education, and Secondary Education in Biology, English, French, History, Mathematics, and Spanish. Minors are available in Special Education and Secondary Education.

The University began offering a program for the preparation of elementary teachers in 1951. In 1957 programs in secondary education were added, followed by a program in special education in the late 1960s. Finally, the Early Childhood program evolved from the elementary program in 1995. Prior to that date, early childhood teachers were prepared through the elementary program.

Like the University in general, 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, a distinctive element, of all programs. In 1951 the Education programs at Salve Regina were inaugurated through a partnership with the Newport schools, and such partnerships continue to enhance the sense of service in our programs to this day.

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 Rhode Island Professional Teacher Standards, which are based on the national INTASC standards, and appropriate content area (e.g., math) standards.