Rio Salado College (RSC) offers online Teacher Education Programs for working adults who wish to enter the teaching profession. The programs incorporate the teacher certification requirements for the State of Arizona into a curriculum that offers the essential skills students need to become highly effective teachers.
All RSC Teacher Education Programs have four major components: online coursework, site-based practicums, student teaching, and Master Teacher seminars. The online teacher education coursework begins weekly for easy scheduling and can be completed in 14 weeks or as few as six weeks with instructor approval.
The practicums range from 10-30 hours and weave course content together with “real” world experiences through required observation and interaction in K-12 classrooms. In addition, Virtual Practicums are provided to enhance school-based content.
The Master Teacher Seminars provide current education topics presented by Master Teachers. For students residing outside of Maricopa County, out of state, and out of country, RSC provides videotapes of the meetings.
More than 4,000 students from across the nation and throughout the world have enrolled in teacher education coursework at RSC, with the number growing daily.
RSC offers Arizona Department of Education-approved online post-baccalaureate teacher preparation programs for those who already have a four year degree from a regionally accredited post secondary institution. The post-baccalaureate programs lead to elementary, secondary, special education or early childhood teacher education certification.
RSC continuously works to develop partnerships with higher education institutions that will enable our students to pursue bachelor’s degrees that will meet the workforce and personal needs of the early care and education practitioner. RSC will only establish partnerships that truly exemplify our philosophy of seamless articulation.
RSC has established an online collaboration educational partnership with Northcentral University (NCU) to offer our undergraduate early childhood education students two pathways that lead to a bachelor’s degree: Early Childhood Education (leads to a B.S.Ed) and Early Childhood Business Administration (leads to a B.B.A). Students who wish to earn a bachelor’s degree now have the opportunity to transfer up to 90 semester hour credits from RSC to NCU. The remaining 30-33 undergraduate upper division semester credits of course work needed to complete the Bachelor’s of Education degree are taken 100% online from NCU.
RSC also offers an Associate Degree in Transfer Partnership (ATP) with Northern Arizona University. This degree includes general education courses as well as specific early childhood education content coursework. The partnerships with Northcentral University and Northern Arizona University were developed in response to student requests, the mandates of No Child Left Behind, and the new state requirement that the Early Childhood Education Teacher Certification be attained by all individuals teaching in public school early childhood programs (birth-K) by July 1, 2009.
RSC has established an online collaborative educational partnership with Northcentral University (NCU) to offer RSC undergraduate teacher education students several degree pathways leading to a Bachelor of Education (B.Ed) degree. Students who wish to enter into the field of teaching now have the opportunity to transfer up to 90 semester hour credits from RSC to NCU. The remaining 30 undergraduate upper division semester credits of course work needed to complete the Bachelor of Education degree are taken 100% online from NCU. RSC and NCU faculty and staff are prepared to ensure a smooth transition and a successful educational experience for students taking advantage of this unique partnership.
RSC has established an educational partnership with regionally accredited Ashford University to provide a flexible and non-traditional means to earn the credits necessary for Arizona Teacher Certification. The “Bridge” Program allows students access to a Bachelor’s degree that is a requirement for certification as a teacher in elementary, secondary, or special education through Ashford University. Additionally, students are able to include some of RSC’s Level I teacher certification courses into their baccalaureate degree plan of study.
Upon receiving a baccalaureate degree and following successful completion of all Level I coursework, students are eligible to submit an application for formal acceptance into one of RSC’s Arizona Department of Education (ADE) approved Post-Baccalaureate Teacher Preparation Programs.
RSC has established educational partnerships with Northcentral University and Plymouth State University. These educational partners are regionally accredited institutions of higher learning. Through these special partnerships, 18 credit hours of the RSC State Approved Post Baccalaureate Teacher Preparation Programs can be transferred and applied toward the Northcentral University and Plymouth State University’s Master’s Degree programs, and up to 12 credit hours toward the Master’s Degree programs at Walden University.
RSC offers unique courses for classroom teachers working toward specific endorsements and/or professional advancement. These courses are based on current national education and technology standards and are accepted by the Arizona Department of Education. The endorsements in ESL/Bilingual, Structured English Immersion (SEI), Computer Science, Math Specialist, Reading and Middle Grade were developed by ‘teachers-for-teachers’ and are offered on-line.
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