Dual Certification in
Early Childhood/
Special Education
(Birth -Grade 2)
As one of the premier teacher preparation
institutions in the Northeast, The College of Saint Rose has played
a fundamental role in the recent redesigning of the New York state
teacher education curriculum. Members of the Saint Rose School
of Education faculty have worked closely with the New York State
Board of Regents in discovering the best ways to prepare future
teachers for the challenging classrooms of the 21st century. They
began by asking the question: what do the schools of the future
need?
The schools of the future need teachers who are skilled in regular
early childhood education as well as special education. Rather
than simply combine the requirements of these two programs, the
School of Education created a fully integrated special education
and early childhood education curriculum.
As a Saint Rose graduate, you will be prepared to teach children
with diverse needs, at various learning levels and in urban, suburban,
rural and high-needs districts. You will be dually certified in
both early childhood education and special education, enabling
you to teach in regular and inclusive settings for birth through
Grade 2.
In other words, you will be better prepared to help all children
learn and enjoy learning. And isn't that what being a teacher
is all about?
THE SAINT ROSE DIFFERENCE
Early childhood/special education majors prepare for careers teaching
children from birth through Grade 2 by studying a variety of topics
ranging from language and learning in the classroom to the role
of technology in teaching and learning. Further, as a student
in this dual degree program, a portion of your coursework will
focus on students with severe disabilities, making you better
prepared for teaching in inclusive classrooms. In addition to
the major and liberal education requirements, early childhood/special
education majors select a concentration in either biology, earth
science, mathematics, Spanish, American studies, English/language
arts, general science or social studies.
OUR EXPERIENCED FACULTY
The Saint Rose early childhood and special education faculty members
are practitioners and informed scholars who have valuable classroom
teaching experience. They've been there, at the front of the class
looking out at a sea of young faces, each child at a different
learning level.
There is at least one early childhood/special education faculty
member with expertise in each of the disability areas, including
mental retardation, learning disabilities, and emotional disabilities.
Saint Rose faculty members regularly publish and present at regional,
state, national, and international conferences, providing you
with the opportunity to participate in research and exposing you
to various resources for continued professional development.
Clubs and Organizations
Many faculty members actively collaborate with others in their field
through organizations such as the Council for Exceptional Children
(CEC). You also will be nurtured through faculty coordinated organizations
such as Kappa Delta Pi, which sponsors events in the interest of
children. The School of Education holds a charter in Kappa Delta
Pi, the international honor society for educators-a prestigious
organization to which many Saint Rose education professors belong.
Students who are in the top 15-20 percent of their degree program
and who also are recommended by faculty are invited to membership
in Kappa Delta Pi.
FIELD EXPERIENCE
The hands-on, field experience that students complete is a hallmark
of the Saint Rose School of Education. Field placements include
early childhood and preschool programs, as well as elementary school
classrooms for Kindergarten, first and second grades, in a variety
of settings, such as urban, suburban, rural and high-needs districts.
Since several courses include field experience requirements that
range from five to 21 hours each, you will begin gaining observation
and hands-on experience during your sophomore year. Therefore,
you will complete more than 100 hours of fieldwork before you
begin your student teaching experience.
Student Teaching
Early childhood/special education majors complete two student
teaching experiences:
- 7 1/2 weeks in a Pre-K or Kindergarten setting; and
- 7 1/2 weeks in a Grade 1 or Grade 2 classroom.
One experience is conducted in a regular classroom, while the
other is conducted in an inclusive classroom and under the guidance
of an experienced special educator.
Each of the two student teaching experiences begins with an analysis
of the culture of the school and community and a study of the
students in the school and classroom, in regard to their diversity,
abilities, experiential backgrounds, language proficiencies and
special needs. This will assist you in your subsequent teaching
and planning and make you better able to help students learn the
required material.
FACILITIES
School of Education facilities include:
- Kenneth T. Lally Center for Technology
in Teaching—consists of computer classrooms containing
the most advanced hardware, software, and multimedia communications
and presentation equipment to help students develop the necessary
skills to provide technology instruction to children;
- Carl E. Touhey Forum—a venue
with seating for 250 people and the capacity for streaming video,
teleconferencing and other media necessary for panel discussions
and lectures;
- Joy S. Emery Education and Clinical Services
Center—a multi-disciplinary center providing services
for preschool children through adults in the areas of speech and
language, hearing, and learning disabilities that includes an
audiology laboratory, seminar room and treatment rooms;
- Patricia Standish Education and Curriculum
Library—houses instructional materials for preschool
through grade 12, including software, videos, literature, tests
and other hands-on materials; and
- Neil Hellman Library—contains
more than 203,299 volumes, 825 periodical subscriptions and a
collection of 282,304 microfilms. Membership in an online network
provides access to materials from libraries nationwide through
inter-library loan. The library is a wireless environment providing
laptop computers that can be checked out from the circulation
desk for use within the library.
CAREERS
As a Saint Rose early childhood/special education graduate, you
will fill an ever increasing and important need to provide quality
instruction and intervention to young children in New York state
and throughout the country. Since you will be certified to teach
in inclusive early childhood settings and elementary schools,
you will have an advantage over other candidates when applying
for positions as a kindergarten or pre-kindergarten classroom
or school-based teacher, or as a human services professional in
agencies that provide preschool special education services and
early intervention services. In addition, the College's Career
Center works closely with the School of Education to provide career
services, including teacher job fairs and workshops, that have
resulted in significant numbers of education graduates acquiring
teaching positions in the Capital Region and nationwide, since
New York has reciprocal certification agreements with numerous
states in the Northeast and in the country.
GRADUATE STUDY
The bachelor's degree in early childhood/special education that
you earn from Saint Rose will grant you initial certification in
this field. However, in order to gain professional certification,
you must earn a master's degree in early childhood education, special
education or a related field such as reading or elementary education
in order to obtain professional certification.
Saint Rose offers 11 Master of Science in Education (M.S. in
Ed.) degree programs. Many graduates choose to pursue their master's
degrees here at Saint Rose with the faculty they have come to
respect as mentors.
MODERATE PRICE AND AGGRESSIVE FINANCIAL
AID
The College of Saint Rose has one of the lowest tuitions of all
New York state private colleges and we offer a variety of scholarships,
including multicultural and academic talent. More than 90% of our
students receive several forms of financial
aid.
|
|
 |
|
The schools of the future need teachers who are
skilled in regular early childhood education as well as special
education. Rather than simply combine the requirements of these
two programs, the School of Education created a fully integrated
special education and early childhood education curriculum.
The Thelma P. Lally School
of Education
Saint Rose offers 11 Master of Science in Education (MS in Ed.)
Degree programs. Many graduates choose to pursue their master's
degrees here at Saint Rose with the faculty they have come to respect
as mentors.
|
