Sixth Year Certificate
Program Description
The Sixth Year Professional Certificate is a post-masters degree
program for experienced teachers seeking
Connecticut’s 092 or Intermediate
Administrator/Supervisor Certificate. It is designed to enable candidates to
shape organizational direction; effect institutional planning and development;
and influence organizational performance. Notable features of the program
include rigorous entry standards; a strong curriculum presented by resident
faculty and practitioner colleagues; a qualifying examination for certification;
and required field experiences. Our course of study exceeds the minimum
requirements established by the State of Connecticut for certification.
Related Career Goals
The sixth-year certificate program meets the needs of educators who
seek to acquire advanced career and professional development, and the leadership
skills and credentials necessary to function effectively in preK-12 school
settings under the Intermediate Administrator/Supervisor Certificate. Graduates
of the program who are certified as intermediate administrators or supervisors
will be eligible for such positions as elementary or secondary
principal/assistant principal, program coordinator, department head, and for
positions on the staffs of central offices (through the level of assistant
superintendent), regional educational agencies, and the state Department of
Education.
Conceptual Framework, Standards, and Program
Design
The CCSU theme and conceptual framework for programs, “Preparing
Leaders to Serve Their Communities”, identifies three roles of the education
professional: active learner, facilitator of learning for all students, and
reflective and collaborative practitioner. The department's conceptual
framework and outcomes for the educational leadership program have emerged from
the CCSU conceptual framework, and from our understanding of several core
documents: Standards for School Leaders (Connecticut State Department of
Education, 1998), Defining Effective Leadership for
Connecticut’s Schools
(Leithwood and Duke, 1997), and Principals
for our Changing Schools (National Policy Board for Educational
Administrators). As such, the work we do derives from several areas of
research: transformational school leadership, leadership and school
restructuring, leadership and effects on learning for all students, and the
literature of organizational learning. In addition, we have added our own
distinctive concerns about the preparation of leaders for diverse and
multicultural environments.
The sixth year program is nationally accredited (NCATE/Educational
Leadership Constituents Council) and is designed to meet Standards for Advanced
Programs in Educational Leadership published by the National Policy Board for
Educational Administrators. These standards are illustrated in Figure 1.
Figure 1. ELCC Standards (Educational Leadership Constituent
Council)
- Candidates who complete the program are educational
leaders who have the knowledge and ability to promote the success of all
students by facilitating the development, articulation, implementation and
stewardship of a school or district vision of learning supported by the
school community.
- Candidates who complete the program are educational
leaders who have the knowledge and ability to promote the success of all
students by promoting a positive school culture, providing an effective
instructional program, applying best practice to student learning, and
designing comprehensive professional growth plans for staff.
- Candidates who complete the program are educational
leaders who have the knowledge and ability to promote the success of all
students by managing the organization, operations, and resources in a way
that promotes a safe, efficient, and effective learning environment.
- Candidates who complete the program are educational
leaders who have the knowledge and ability to promote the success of all
students by collaborating with families and other community members,
responding to diverse community interests and needs, and mobilizing
community resources.
- Candidates who complete the program are educational
leaders who have the knowledge and ability to promote the success of all
students by acting with integrity, fairly, and in an ethical manner.
- Candidates who complete the program are educational
leaders who have the knowledge and ability to promote the success of all
students by understanding, responding to, and influencing the larger
political, social, economic, legal, and cultural context.
- The internship provides significant opportunities for
candidates to synthesize and apply the knowledge and practice and develop
the skills identified in Standards 1-6 through substantial, sustained,
standards-based work in real settings, planned and guided cooperatively by
the institution and school district personnel for graduate credit.
- The program also responds to Connecticut State Department of Education Standards for School Leaders (1998). The Connecticut Leader Standards are
presented in Figure 2.
Figure 2: CT State Department of
Education:Standards for School Leaders
- The Educated Person.
The school administrator
is a school leader who promotes the success of all students by facilitating
the development, articulation, implementation, and stewardship of a vision
of learning that is shared and supported by the school community.
- The Learning Process.
The school leader
possesses a current, research- and experience-based understanding of
learning theory and human motivation, helps develop such understanding in
teachers and parents, and uses that understanding to promote the continuous
improvement of student learning.
- The Teaching Process.
The school leader
possesses a knowledge of teaching which is grounded in research and
experience, and uses that knowledge to foster teachers’ reflection on the
impact of their professional beliefs, values, and practices on student
learning (i.e. Common Core of Teaching).
- Diverse Perspectives.
The school leader
understands the role of education in a pluralistic society, and works with
staff, parents and community to develop programs and instructional
strategies that incorporate diverse perspectives.
- School Goals.
The school leader
actively engages members of the school community to establish goals that
encompass the school’s vision of the educated person and in developing
procedures to monitor the achievement of those goals.
- School Culture.
The school leader
utilizes multiple strategies to shape the school culture in a way that
fosters collaboration among the staff and the involvement of parents,
students, and the community in efforts to improve student learning.
- Student Standards and
Assessment.
The school leader works
with the school community to establish rigorous academic standards for all
students and promotes the use of multiple assessment strategies to monitor
student progress.
- School Improvement.
The school leader works
with staff to improve the quality of school programs by reviewing the impact
of current practices on student learning, considering promising
alternatives, and implementing program changes that are designed to improve
learning for all students.
- Professional
Development.
The school leader works
with staff to plan and implement activities that promote the achievement of
school goals, while encouraging and supporting staff as they assume
responsibility for their professional development.
- Integration of Staff
Evaluation, Professional Development, and School Improvement.
The school leader works
with staff to develop and implement an integrated set of school-based
policies for staff selection, evaluation, professional development, and
school improvement that results in improved teaching and learning for all
students.
- Organization, Resources
and School Policies.
The school leader works
with staff to review organization and resources, and develops and implements
policies and procedures to improve program effectiveness, staff
productivity, and learning for all students.
- School-Community
Relations.
The school leader
collaborates with staff to create and sustain a variety of opportunities for
parent and community participation in the life of the school.
Finally,
throughout the program students are expected to develop and enhance their skills
in fourteen specific areas. The first twelve are the standards of the National
Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP); the last two are important
focal areas of CCSU’s sixth year program. When candidates write about
activities throughout their program, they should reflect about their growth and
learning in these skill areas. Candidate performance throughout the program
should reflect progress in developing the 14 skills. These are illustrated in
Figure 3.
Figure 3. Leadership Skill Areas
- Problem analysis. Ability to seek out relevant data
and analyze complex information to determine the important elements of a
problem situation; searching for information with a purpose.
- Judgment. Ability to reach logical conclusions and
make high quality decisions based on available information; skill in
identifying educational needs and setting priorities; ability to evaluate
critically written communications.
- Organizational ability. Ability to plan, schedule and
control the work of others; skill in using resources in an optimal fashion;
ability to deal with a volume of paperwork and heavy demands on one’s time.
- Decisiveness. Ability to recognize when a decision is
required and to act quickly and appropriately.
- Leadership. Ability to get others involved in solving
problems; ability to recognize when a group requires direction, to interact
with a group effectively and to guide them to the accomplishment of a task.
- Sensitivity. Ability to perceive the needs, concerns,
and personal problems of others; skill in conflicts, tact in dealing with
persons from different backgrounds; ability to deal effectively with people
concerning emotional issues; knowing what information to communicate and to
whom.
- Stress tolerance. Ability to perform under pressure
and during opposition; ability to think on one’s feet.
- Oral communications. Ability to make a clear oral
presentation of facts and ideas.
- Written communications. Ability to express ideas
clearly in writing and to write appropriately for different audiences
students, parents, teachers, etc.
- Range of interest. Competence to discuss issues
related to education, politics, current events, economics, finance, etc.;
desire to participate actively in events.
- Personal motivation. Need to achieve in all activities
attempted; evidence that work is important to personal satisfaction; ability
to be self-policing.
- Educational values. Possession of a well-reasoned
educational philosophy; receptiveness to new ideas and change.
- Leading for learning. Ability to focus all attention
on student learning.
- Multicultural awareness. Sensitivity to diversity and
equity in education.
Throughout the program, students are expected to reflect regularly and
deeply about their knowledge and understanding of, skill development in, and
dispositions toward the ELCC Standards, the seven Connecticut Leader Standards, and the fourteen specific NASSP skill
areas. This type of reflection is a critical component of the program and
incorporated into all courses. Students must clearly demonstrate their growth in
these areas in order to progress through and graduate from the program.
Admissions Standards and
Requirements
Admissions standards for this program
are competitive and not everyone who meets the admissions requirements can be
accepted. Only students admitted to this program will be eligible to apply for
institutional recommendation for the Intermediate Administrator or Supervisor
Certificate.
In addition to meeting the general
requirements for admission to the School of Graduate Studies, admission
decisions will be based on the following:
- A master's degree from a
regionally accredited institution of higher education
- A 3.0 minimum grade average
in post-baccalaureate courses and a 2.7 undergraduate GPA are required.
Students' with a 3.3 or higher post-baccalaureate GPA (on a four-point scale)
will receive first priority for admission into the program.
- A minimum of three years
teaching experience m.
- Possession of or
eligibility for a Connecticut teaching certificate
- Two letters of
recommendation from school administrators who can attest to applicant’s
strengths and weaknesses, interpersonal skills, intellectual ability, and
leadership potential.
- A well-written and
appropriate application essay that focuses on the reasons that led the
candidate to the area of school leadership as well as future career goals.
- Completion of EDL 590,
"Leaders as Learners," and successful portfolio presentation to search
committee
- An interview by a team of
Educational Leadership faculty
All applications and supporting
materials for admission to the program must be received at the Department of
Educational Leadership by April 1st for the summer semester and December 1st for
the following summer. Faculty members participating in the interview process
complete a standard form and make a recommendation to the chair, who considers
all information before rendering a decision. Students who do not meet
department standards are deferred or denied, with suggestions for remedying
their weaknesses.
Academic Advising
Once admitted to the program, a sixth
year candidate is assigned an advisor who is a full-time faculty member in the
Department of Educational Leadership. The student must contact the advisor soon
after acceptance to set a time for meeting and developing a Planned Program of
Study. In the appendices we have provided the Graduate School forms used to
document requirements and assess that each graduate has completed the planned
program. This form must be signed by the student, the advisor, and the Dean of
the Graduate School in order for the student to take more than one class.
Program of Studies
The degree program leading to
intermediate level certification is a 30 credit hour program and is designed to
scaffold learning opportunities for students. These learning opportunities
include both courses and benchmark assessment points. The courses are grouped
into three levels: introductory level coursework, intermediate level
coursework, and advanced level coursework. Students are allowed to proceed
through the program and take coursework in the next level only upon successful
completion of coursework and the benchmark assessments, or with the approval of
the student’s advisor. The courses and benchmark assessment points are
illustrated in Figure 4 and explained further in the student handbook.
Figure 4. Courses and Benchmark Assessments
for the Sixth Year Certification Program
Introductory Level Courses
- EDL 590 (3 credits)
- Benchmark Assessment 1: Prepared
presentation to the faculty on student’s vision as an educated person
Intermediate Level Courses
- EDL 605 and EDL 606 Leadership for
Teaching and Learning (6 credits)
- EDL 610 and EDL 611 (6 credits)
- EDL 615 and EDL 616 (6 credits)
- Benchmark Assessment 2: Portfolio
items from each of the core courses
Advanced Level Courses
- EDL 690-691 Internship in Educational
Leadership (4 credits)
- Benchmark Assessment 3: Leader
Portfolio
- Electives (5 credits)
The Intermediate Level and Advanced
Level courses are designed to be taken in pairs. Each pair of courses is taken
as two semester-long courses at 3 credits each. At the Intermediate Level,
paired courses may be taken in any order. It is recommended that they be taken
in the following way: EDL 605 and EDL 606; EDL 610 and EDL 611; EDL 615 and EDL
616. After completing two of these paired courses, some students do choose to
take the final pair at the same time as they take the internship (EDL 690 and
EDL 691). In order to be approved to take the internship, all students must
successfully complete all requirements for Benchmark Assessment 2 for the
courses they have completed.
Students must complete their program
of study by taking 5 credits worth of electives. These elective requirements can
be satisfied by taking one, two, or three credit courses taught by full-time or
clinical faculty (practitioners in leadership in local districts and educational
service centers). For example, we offer courses dealing with closing the
achievement gap; teacher evaluation in the context of new Connecticut
requirements for embedded professional development; multiple intelligences;
questioning strategies in the classroom; and conflict resolution. Students may
also fulfill their electives requirements with coursework from other subject
areas such as special education, educational foundations, reading, math, and
bilingual education.
Performance Assessment Embedded in
Courses: As a program and a department, we are committed to authentic and other
forms of performance assessment. Assessment strategies used across courses
include rubrics, rating forms, simulations, role playing, and applications of
knowledge gained in courses to authentic projects such as grant-writing,
evaluation studies, and action research.
Graduation Requirements
Connecticut Administrator Test
All candidates seeking administrative
certification must pass the Connecticut Administrator Test (CAT), which consists
of two school improvement case studies (three hours) and two instructional
analysis and teacher support exercises (three and one-half hours). Candidates
register to take this test through the Connecticut State Department of
Education. Students may begin taking modules of the CAT as they are ready at any
time during the program of studies but must pass all modules prior to receiving
institutional recommendation.
Recommendation for Certification
Recommendation for certification
occurs when students have completed all courses required in the planned program
with a grade of B or better, passed the qualifying examination, satisfactorily
completed the internship and passed the internship portfolio. In addition,
Connecticut certification requires a course in special education that addresses
exceptionalities (included giftedness) and inclusion and, for people who earned
initial certification out of state, Praxis I (a test of basic skills). The
department chair or designee recommends candidates to the School of Education
and Professional Studies certification coordinator who in turn makes
recommendations to the state.
Roles and Responsibilities
- Students are expected to:
- contact their assigned advisor
immediately upon admission to the program and meet to develop a Planned
Program of Study. This Planned Program must be approved by the faculty advisor
and the Dean of the Graduate School.
- maintain a 3.0 cumulative grade
point average
- demonstrate educational leadership
competencies, as defined by the standards that support the program, throughout
the coursework and benchmark assessments
- Advisors are expected to:
- be accessible during office advising
hours
- work with the student to develop the
Planned Program of Study
- monitor student progress, including
issues related to incompletes in courses
- confer regularly with the department
chair about student progress