Conceptual Framework
The mission of the Esteves School of Education is to prepare highly effective educators, school counselors, and school leaders who believe in full inclusion, who value diversity, who are reflective, and who are knowledgeable about best practices. Therefore, we ask Sage educators, counselors, and leaders to consider two essential questions throughout their studies and field experiences: Who am I in the lives of those with whom I work? Who am I in the life of my educational community? We expect all Sage candidates to demonstrate leadership and create optimal educational outcomes for all learners.
The motto, “To Be, To Know, To Do,” informs the educational purpose of Russell Sage College, where the common effort is to translate learning into action and application, within a framework that recognizes the obligation of educated persons to lead and serve their communities. In the School of Education, this motto is extended to form the basis for our programs.
Conceptual Framework: An underlying structure in a professional education unit that gives conceptual meanings through an articulated rationale to the unit’s operation, and provides direction for programs, courses, teaching, candidate performance, faculty scholarship and service, and unit accountability. T-BIRDS the key concepts of the conceptual framework:
- Technology: a vehicle for learners to acquire information, practice skills, use higher order thinking skills, and participate in collaborative projects.
- Best Practices: the pedagogical knowledge, skills and practices that have been shown through research and evaluation to be effective and/or efficient and that candidates use to teach all learners.
- Inclusion and Diversity: the ability to collaborative and team with other professionals in developing and implementing strategies to accommodate diverse learners; the ability to develop solutions that will enhance the learning experiences of all children; and, the ability of candidates to be aware of and sensitive to diversity issues and to use culturally and socially responsive pedagogy.
- Reflection: the ability to reflect and assess one’s own effectiveness, and to systematically make adjustments to improve and strengthen areas needing attention.
- Dispositions: the demonstration of respect for learner differences, commitment to own personal growth, and engagement in short and long-term planning.
- Service Learning: the strategies that integrate meaningful community service with instruction and reflection to enrich children’s learning experience, teach civic responsibility, and strengthen communities.
These elements are interrelated and integrated to prepare teacher candidates to assume roles as reflective facilitators of learning, combining knowledge and skills to exemplify those qualities and dispositions that characterize effective teachers.
Academic Standards
- Admission: admission to physical education program requires a cumulative GPA of 2.750 or higher.
- Graduation: cumulative GPA of 3.000 or higher and a major GPA of 2.750 or higher is required for graduation.
- The School of Education requires all students to subscribe to Live Text, an electronic portfolio system.
School of Education Attendance Policy
While individual instructors may approach attendance and participation in varied ways in their grading policies, students in the School of Education should be aware that missing 1/4 or more of class sessions MAY result in AUTOMATIC class failure. Class content and participation are vital to meeting the objectives of School of Education courses.
