Education Division
Programs of Study in Education
SKC’s Division of Education offers associates and bachelor’s degrees in the following areas:
- Early Childhood Education (birth to age 8)
- Early Childhood Education: P-3 (preschool to Grade 3)
- Elementary Education (Kindergarten to Grade 8; also available with a Native Language Emphasis)
- Secondary Education – Broadfield Science (Grades 5-12)
- Secondary Education – Mathematics (Grades 5-12)
- Native Language Teacher Education
Please see the descriptions and program overviews in subsequent sections.
Background Checks
Students pursuing a degree in Early Childhood, Elementary, or Secondary Education at Salish Kootenai College are required to submit to state, federal and CPS background checks during their program of study. Candidates are required to submit a fingerprinted background check as soon as possible after enrolling in an education program, and maintain an updated background check every two years. Background checks are required by many school districts and early childhood programs before candidates may have contact with students, and before the Montana Office of Public Instruction will issue licensure.
Licensure
Licensure is the process of obtaining your teaching certificate. Licensure is not automatic with College graduation, and students must initiate the process with forms available from the Montana Office of Public Instruction (online at www.opi.mt.gov ).
To teach out-of-state, contact the specific state for appropriate procedures. Licensure requirements vary among states, but SKC graduates usually find they are initially qualified to teach in states other than Montana.
Degree programs in Elementary Education, Early Childhood P:3, and Secondary Education lead to licensure in Montana. Students applying for licensure must have passed the Montana Assessment for Content Knowledge (MACK), and successfully passed the Praxis II exam.
Teacher Education Program (TEP) Portfolios and Conferences
The TEP portfolio is evidence to SKC faculty that a teacher candidate has successfully completed the requirements of their education degree program. Candidates are assessed via portfolio review at three stages of their education program. Candidates’ writing skills are assessed within the portfolio, as well as teaching knowledge, skills and dispositions. Evidence of accomplishment is linked to the artifacts that the candidate selects to highlight his or her development and performance in the Teacher Education Program. The portfolio is a continuous, performance-based process, and is the assessment tool for evaluating candidates’ strengths and weaknesses throughout the program.
Near the end of Stage I of the TEP, when the student applying for TEP candidacy has completed the general and portfolio requirements, the candidate presents the portfolio during an Initial Conference with a 2-member faculty team. The program faculty and Department Chair sign off on the portfolio, indicating whether or not the candidate is ready to be formally admitted to the TEP.
As an expression of Stage II, candidates will participate in a unique Showcase event with their peers to highlight their evolving knowledge, skills, and professional dispositions in relation to the Division’s Central Beliefs. This event will include PreK-12 teaching professionals, DOE faculty and students, and others so that the candidate may feature their growth as preservice educators prior to student teaching.
Stage III is the final phase for seniors and is closely linked to student teaching and the capstone course, EDUC 495. At the end of Stage III, following student teaching, the candidate will present his or her portfolio for review in a Final Conference in conjunction with EDUC 495. In addition to providing evidence of successful completion of program requirements, the Stage III portfolio includes self-reflections, action research, and evidence of learning experiences developed and taught during student teaching.
Professional Behavior
SKC teacher candidates must exhibit dispositions and behaviors befitting a professional educator. Any actions that indicate the candidate may be unfit to work with children or perform in school settings will not be tolerated. Among these behaviors are the following:
• Substance abuse of any kind
• Inappropriate disclosure or breach of confidential information
• Inappropriate physical contact or communication including digital communication through social networks, texting or emailing with a student, peer, instructor, or school personnel
• Criminal activity