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Your Career Path
A Newberry College education reaches beyond classroom walls, city limits, pre-conceived notions of higher learning, and definitions of success. A Newberry education is a personal challenge to every student in pursuit of knowledge who possesses the drive to live and learn with purpose. It is a new model for education – a living and learning community that transforms study into action through personal and professional interaction.
Teacher Education
Educate the Next Generation
The Newberry College Teacher Education community provides each candidate the opportunity to become a highly-qualified teacher who is a caring, reflective, life-long learner with the knowledge, skills and dispositions necessary to instruct future generations of students. Graduates of Newberry College’s education program have become leaders throughout South Carolina. Many have been recognized by their peers as Teacher-of-the-Year, and some hold National Board Certification. Currently, more than 1,700 Newberry graduates teach in elementary, middle and secondary schools across the state.
Available Majors, Minors and Concentrations
Majors:
Early Childcare Management (Birth to age 5)
Early Childhood Education (Primary/kindergarten through Grade 3)
Elementary Education (Grades 2-5)
Middle Level Education (Grades 6-8)
Music (PK-12 Certification)
Physical Education (PK-12 Certification)
Secondary Education (Grades 9-12) concentrations
Biology
Chemistry
English
History
Mathematics
Career Possibilities
- Elementary School Teacher
- Childcare Center Director / Teacher
- Middle School Teacher
- Kindergarten Aide in Public School
- School District-Level Administration
- High School Teacher
- Early Childhood Therapist
Overview
The Department of Teacher Education is committed to the growth of its students. We do not expect our students to find their way on their own. We are here as teachers, mentors, and advisors to guide and push students toward optimum performance and success. We have in place several gateways that guide our teacher candidates from the early education courses, through methods, field experiences and finally, to their internship. The intent of our program is to foster each candidate to develop his or her own teaching style, begin networking within the education community, and incorporate knowledge, skills and dispositions learned in the curriculum into a successful classroom experience.
RETAIN Center of Excellence for Mentoring and Induction of Teachers
The RETAIN Center of Excellence was created at Newberry College in 2010 to focus on the issue of retaining the state's in-service teaching professionals. RETAIN seeks to increase teacher retention in South Carolina by providing quality professional development, mentoring, and support for new teachers. RETAIN hosts the annual statewide New Teacher Induction Symposium each summer for teachers in their first three years of teaching, impacting hundreds of South Carolina teachers over the last several years. Additionally, RETAIN hosts the annual GROW Symposium for college education majors from multiple schools to collaborate, network, and learn from one another. For more information about RETAIN and all of our events and programs, please click here.
Newberry Education Society
All Teacher Education majors are granted membership in the Newberry Education Society. Students admitted to the major are honored at an annual pinning ceremony sponsored by NES.
Call Me MISTER
The Mentors Instructing Students Toward Effective Role Models (MISTER) program is a national initiative designed to address the shortage of male teachers from diverse backgrounds in elementary schools. Newberry College joined the Call Me MISTER initiative in 2010 and graduated its first student member in 2013. Students selected to be MISTERs receive tuition assistance and ongoing professional development opportunities through conferences and internships.
Requirements
Admission to the Teacher Education Program
Candidate admission to the Teacher Education Program is administered through the Department of Teacher Education. Admission will be granted as soon as the student meets all admission requirements listed below, including successful completion or exemption of the Core Academic Skills tests of reading, mathematics, and writing. Passing standards are established by the State of South Carolina. Students must be admitted by the second semester of the sophomore year to graduate in the standard four years.
Requirements for Admission to the Teacher Education Program
- Satisfactory completion of 45 semester hours of Education courses with a grade of C or better.
- Passing scores on Core reading, mathematics, and writing tests, or evidence of exemption via college entrance exams (22 or higher on the ACT, 1100 or higher on the two part SAT, 1650 or higher on the three part SAT).
- Minimum overall grade point average (GPA) of 3.0.
- Reflective essay following a specified writing prompt. The essay will deal with learning in Core and education classes and field experiences, and how these have informed the candidate.
- Evidence of positive professional dispositions for teaching.
Admission to the Internship
- A candidate must apply and be approved to student-teach by the Coordinator of Clinical Experiences prior to the intended student-teaching semester.
- Failure to follow required college and state deadlines will result in a delay of one or more semesters in a candidate’s program graduation.
- South Carolina state law requires that all candidates for the internship submit official fingerprint cards and be cleared through SLED (South Carolina Law Enforcement Division) and the FBI before being allowed to intern. Fingerprints may not be submitted after state deadlines have passed. All candidates must understand that prior criminal records will likely prevent them from participating in the internship and completing an education program. Those with questions should request a meeting with the Chair of the Department of Teacher Education early in their college program.
- Required GPA of at least 3.0 in major/content area.
Completion of the Teacher Education Program
To complete the program and be recommended for licensure, teacher education candidates must meet the following requirements:
- Successful completion of all College degree requirements.
- Successful completion of all Core, subject area, education, and education-required courses with an overall GPA of at least 3.0.
- Successful completion of Internship and Internship Seminar with at least "C" grades.
- Recommendation by the Newberry College Department of Teacher Education for state certification.
- Successful completion of all required Praxis II exams in the candidate’s area of specialty, and of the Principles of Teaching and Learning (PLT) test.
Early Childcare Management Major (B.A., does not lead to licensure)
The B.A. in Early Childcare Management is for candidates seeking to work and lead in private or public childcare after graduation. Students will gain a strong foundation in the developmental stages of children from birth to age five, developmentally-appropriate practices, environmental design, administration, and marketing.
In addition to Education and Early Childcare core courses, candidates will also take courses in Business Administration and Accounting.
Early Childhood Education Major (B.S., can lead to licensure)
The B.S. in Early Childhood Education is for candidates aspiring to teach Primary / Kindergarten through Third Grade. Required courses include those in Early Childhood Education, Physical Education, Biology, English, History, Mathematics, Sociology and Science.
Elementary Education Major (B.S., can lead to licensure)
The B.S. in Elementary Education is specifically for teaching Grades 2–5. Required courses include those in Elementary Education, Physical Education, History, Geography, English, Mathematics, Science and a Biology lab.
Middle Level Education Major (B.S. degree, can lead to licensure)
The B.S. in Middle Level Education prepares candidates for teaching in Grades 6–8. Middle Level majors must be highly-qualified in two content areas (English, Math, Science, or Social Studies), and coursework beyond Middle Level core will be centered around students' subject concentrations.
Secondary Education Major (B.S. degree, can lead to licensure)
The B.S. in Secondary Level Education prepares students for teaching in Grades 9–12. Candidates for high-school level education concentrate in one subject area. For requirements specific to each concentration, follow the links below:
- Biology (Secondary Concentration)
- Chemistry (Secondary Concentration)
- English (Secondary Concentration)
- Mathematics (Secondary Concentration)
- Music (PK-12)
- Physical Education (PK-12)
- Social Studies (Secondary Concentration)

Center for Teacher Education
The new Center for Teacher Education serves as an innovative and interactive space for training teacher candidates, and for offering professional development for in-service teachers through the RETAIN Center of Excellence. The facility allows Newberry College students to learn and collaborate more effectively, and serves as a hub for Department collaborations with school districts and community leaders.

Newberry College Among Region's Best
Newberry College is among the South’s most affordable institutions, and one of the best colleges in the region, according to a review released today by U.S. News & World Report.
Newberry appeared on the following 2020 rankings lists:
Best Value Schools – Regional Colleges South (No. 6)
Best Regional Colleges – South (No. 16)
Newberry College is best in the South for social mobility and a regional leader in ethnic diversity, according to a recent review by U.S. News & World Report.
Top Performers on Social Mobility
In a new category to the collegiate ranking publication, Newberry took the No. 1 spot for Social Mobility among colleges in the South. The list measures graduation rates of students who received federal Pell Grants.

Title II Reports
This website provides information about Title II (Sections 205 through 208) of the Higher Education Act. This website includes secure portals for states and institutions with teacher preparation programs to report Title II data; public access to data about teacher preparation and certification; technical assistance (TA) materials to support the collection, analysis and reporting of Title II data; and contact information for the states and testing companies involved in the Title II data collection process.

Student Learning Outcomes Scores
Standard 4.1 Newberry College Graduates Impact on Student Learning
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Melissa Awenowicz
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Chair, Department of Teacher Education
Office: CTE 101A
Office Phone: 803.321.5684
Email:
melissa.awenowicz@newberry.eduBio:
Dr. Melissa Awenowicz joined Newberry College on July 15 as chair of the Department of Teacher Education.
She came to Newberry College from the Department of Education at Ohio Wesleyan University. She joined OWU… Read More
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Angelia Bedenbaugh
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Adminstrative Assistant for Teacher Education
Office: CTE 101A
Office Phone: 803.321.5201
Email:
angelia.bedenbaugh@newberry.edu
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Annette Hunter
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Assistant Professor of Teacher Education
Office: CTE 106D
Office Phone: 803.321.5603
Email:
annette.hunter@newberry.eduBio:
Dr. Annette Hunter has been in the state of South Carolina for 29 years, and she is so blessed to have joined Newberry College as a Visiting Assistant Professor in the Department of Teacher Education. Hunter received… Read More
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Don Lawrimore
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Assistant Professor of Teacher Education
Office: CTE 106E
Office Phone: 803-321-5609
Email:
don.lawrimore@newberry.eduBio:
With over 30 years in education, Professor Lawrimore has served at every level of the public education spectrum. Starting as a classroom teacher in a small rural schools, he taught secondary and middle school mathematics before finishing… Read More
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Deborah Poston
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Assistant Professor of Teacher Education
Office: CTE 103A
Office Phone: 803-321-5201
Email:
Deborah.poston@newberry.eduBio:
Ms. Poston started her education career in 1985 after graduating from Winthrop University. She received her Master’s Degree from the University of South Carolina in Elementary Education and has completed a variety of courses… Read More
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Jared Woolstenhulme
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Assistant Professor of Teacher Education
Office: CTE 106B
Office Phone: 803.321.5202
Email:
jared.woolstenhulme@newberry.edu
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Download the 2018-2019 Academic Catalog
Download the 2017-2018 Academic Catalog
Download the Addendum to the 2017-2018 Academic Catalog
Download the 2016-2017 Academic Catalog
Download the 2015-2016 Academic Catalog

CAEP ANNUAL REPORTING MEASURES (2018-2019)
CAEP's (Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation) eight annual reporting measures with supporting evidence for each measure. Click the links below for reports on Teacher Education compliance.
Measures of Program Impact
MEASURE 1: Impact on P-12 Learning and Development
MEASURE 2: Indicators of Teaching Effectiveness
MEASURE 3: Satisfaction of Employers and Employment Milestones
MEASURE 4: Satisfaction of Completers
Measures of Program Outcome and Consumer Information
MEASURE 5: Graduation Rates
MEASURE 6: Ability of Completers to Meet Licening (Certification) and Any Additional State Requirements
MEASURE 7: Ability of Completers to be Hired in Education Positions For Which They Have Prepared
MEASURE 8: Student Loan Default Rates and Other Consumer Information