Educational Leadership and Administration

The School Building Leader (SBL) advanced certificate program prepares students to assume roles in school buildings or single building departments as instructional leaders.  Typical roles may include Subject Director for a Building; Assistant Principal, and Building Principal. Students choose the courses and speed of program completion, and will work with a variety of other students.  Courses are usually offered weekday evenings, some occasional Saturdays, and full days during the summer for those interested. The size and design of our program ensures students will likely work and study with many familiar faces helping create a colleague support system that often lasts an entire leadership career.  Students may begin either in Fall, Spring, or Summer semester. Program completion can range from 18-24 months but may be longer depending upon student speed of schedule and student background and preparation.  At the conclusion of the program and to qualify for the SBL New York State certificate, students must have the advanced certificate, a Masters degree and at least three years of grade P-12 full time teaching experience, public or private, or three years of Pupil Personnel Services. (PPS).

The SBL program features a 24-credit hour program including 6 core courses and a 6-credit hour internship experience of 600 in-district hours. Core courses include: EDA 503, Curriculum Revision; EDA 505, Introduction to Leadership; EDA 510, Supervision; EDA 540, School Law; EDA 550, School Finance; EDA 590 Critical Issues in Educational Leadership; and the two part internship, EDA 546 and EDA 547.  The program can be completed, depending upon the time availability and need of the student, in as little as 18 months or longer depending upon frequency of courses taken, etc.  Most students complete in 24-36 months.  Students must also take and pass the New York State School Leadership Assessment for School Building Leaders towards the completion of a student’s program.  Although students usually are able to conduct internships in the schools in which they are already employed, the College can assist those seeking internship placements.

The School District Leader advanced certificate prepares students to assume most district-wide or multiple building responsibility leadership roles.  Typical district leadership titles might include Director of a Subject Area for multiple locations or levels; Director of Instruction, Assistant Superintendent, or Superintendent of Schools.  Program completion requires students to meet New York State SDL qualifications for certification including a Masters Degree, 60 graduate hours, and at least three years of grade P-12 full time teaching experience, public or private, or three years of experience in Pupil Personnel Services (PPS), or school leadership.

The number of credits required depends upon several variables, including possessing a Masters Degree and what institution the student completed the SBL certification preparation. If a student came from The College of Saint Rose Educational Leadership program and met other requirements, the student can complete our program in as little as 6 credits (EDA 601 District Level Leadership & Management, and EDA 602 School District/Community Policy & Politics).  In addition to these two courses,  students completing SBL administrative work at other colleges will likely need a minimum of 6-9 additional credits to meet the SDL preparation requirements. The course requirements for these students are determined at the time of application and depend upon background and preparation.  Students may furnish a copy of the transcript for review by departmental faculty who can provide pending course requirements after student acceptance into the program.  The cornerstone courses for the SDL program (EDA 601 & EDA 602) are typically offered in the summer over 9 full-days as part of a Summer Leadership Institute.   Students with school administration preparation backgrounds from other institutions would be required at a minimum to take EDA 505, Introduction to Leadership, and EDA 590, Critical Issues in Educational Leadership in addition to the course requirements described above.  The courses are typically offered in the fall semester.

The School District Business Leader advanced certificate program is a fully on-line format.  The program prepares students to assume school business and school financial district wide leadership roles including Business Administrator, Director of Finance or Business, or Assistant Superintendent for Finance or Business.   The first class cohort class began in January 2016.  Each January, a new cohort begins. Application for this program is competitive. The program is a collaboration between the New York State Association of Business Officials (NYSASBO) and The College of Saint Rose Educational Leadership  program.  Dues paying members of NYSASBO also receive a special membership tuition reduction.

The on-line program is a rigorous combination of asynchronous (learn at your own rate and convenience) and synchronous learning (scheduled on-line live sessions).  There is no on-campus in person requirement. Each cohort studies and progresses through course work together.  Cohorts take two courses per semester and a single course during the summer session. Since each session on-line can be recorded, students who cannot attend the synchronous class at the scheduled time may be able to view the class asynchronously.   An administrative internship in a school district business or financial office over one to two semesters is the capstone activity.  In meeting New York State internship requirements, the internship must include a minimum of 600 hours for this field based experience.  The program may assist students in locating a school district business office internship placement.  The 24 credit hour program leads to New York State certification as a School District Business Leader (SDBL) after meeting other New York requirements.  Courses all focus on leadership and management of financial and district resources that support learning.  Courses include: EDA 506 Introduction to Leadership; EDA 540 School Law;  EDA 543 Personnel Administration; EDA 551 School Finance; EDA 589 Management Practicum; EDA 591 Critical Issues; and EDA 596/597 Internship.

Prior to certification by New York State, candidates will need to accumulate a minimum of 60 graduate hours (36 hours plus the 24 from the on-line program) and pass the NYSTCE SDBL Assessment.  Obtaining a New York State SDBL certification provides graduates with greater career opportunities, geographical flexibility, and leadership enhancement and better serves school districts.

  NYSASBO Discount Application

The Masters Degree in Education, with a concentration in Educational Leadership, provides students with the required Masters Degree to meet New York State administrative certifications, as well as prepares students not pursuing certification, with a broad perspective of school leadership and improving student outcomes.

The program is a combination of 24 credit hour program in school leadership (SBL or SDBL) and 12 additional credits, six credits in educational research tools and six credits in electives meeting student interest and linked to school leadership.  The 12 credits may be taken on-line depending upon course availability and student course requirements.

Students who wish to pursue administrative certification in New York State must take the internship, EDA 546 and EDA 547, a 600-hour in-district internship.  Students who do not wish or do not qualify for administrative certification will complete a 3-6 credit clinical field experience, EDA 586 Field Based Experience.

For admission to the program, applicants must provide the following:

1. A completed application from The College of Saint Rose;
2. Official transcripts from all colleges/universities attended;
3. Verification of permanent or professional certification status;
4. For SBL admission verification of at least three years of approved teaching and/or pupil personnel experience in a P-12 school setting (exceptions to the three-year teaching requirement are made in special circumstances upon the recommendation of the educational leadership program faculty; these candidates will not be eligible for New York State SBL certification until and unless the experience requirement is met);
5. Verification of at least three years of approved administrative experience in a P-12 school setting may be substituted for the teaching and/or pupil personnel experience for SDL certification but not for SBL certification; and
6. At least two letters of recommendation: one from a school administrator, which must attest to the individual’s good character and potential as an administrator; and one from a professional who is qualified to evaluate the applicant’s scholarship. It is expected that the school administrator who acts as a reference for the applicant will be willing to mentor the applicant throughout the applicant’s administrative program at The College of Saint Rose.

For more information regarding application and admission, please visit the web page:  http://www.strose.edu/admissions/graduate-students/.

Master’s Level Students – The Comprehensive Examination Option

IMPORTANT THINGS TO REMEMBER

• Carefully study the Comprehensive Examination directions found in the Educational Leadership Handbook or on the Educational Leadership web page.
• Discuss when to take the Comprehensive Examination with your adviser.
• Register for EDA 999 (0 credits) in the semester you plan to take the exam.
• Discuss with your adviser when you will take the exam (5 hour block needed).
• Schedule the comprehensive examination date and time with your adviser.
• Prior to the exam, collect all materials, textbooks, notes, etc. to be used in responding to questions in the exam.
• Prior to exam, ensure you have a reliable computer with internet connections and Microsoft Word
• Prior to exam, review the actual directions on Blackboard under EDA 999 for the current semester (if they are available).
• Take the exam within the date and window requested.

For Master’s level students choosing to take the Comprehensive Examination (EDA 999) in lieu of the development and presentation of a comprehensive Master’s Thesis. Students should register for EDA 999 typically in the last semester of study after consultation with the adviser. Students should contact her/his adviser to schedule the examination. Prior to the scheduled examination date, students should carefully review directions found on-line in Blackboard for the course EDA 999. The Comprehensive Examination is administered through Blackboard. Any student who has registered for EDA 999 for this semester will have automatic access to the examination directions on Blackboard under the course titled:   Comp Exam SECTION 01 – (Name of semester)   For more information on the Comprehensive Examination, refer to the Education Leadership web site: http://www.strose.edu/educational-leadership-and-administration/ .

The Comprehensive Examination will last approximately 4-5 hours. Students may use any other notes, textbooks, or other materials.  Students are cautioned however, to carefully monitor time to ensure each performance task is addressed. During the exam, a student may not speak with or share any materials or information with others. It is a violation of The College of Saint Rose Academic Integrity Regulation to share, copy or distribute any portion of the Comprehensive Examination, or to accept any external assistance from anyone in the completion of the Comprehensive Examination. Any violation could lead to academic dismissal from the College, and failing grade on this examination.

The Comprehensive Examination is based upon the ELCC Leadership standards. It partially parallels the format of portions of the New York State SBL Assessment. All or a majority of ELCC Leadership standards are addressed in the exam. The examination is divided into two types of tasks: Extended Performance Task, and Constructed Responses. For each Extended Performance Task (EPT), there will be a series of documents provided that relate to a school situation described. Students should read all documents carefully and respond to each of the questions at the end of the task completely on a laptop or tablet device. Responses should be in an essay form integrating all the elements of each question. Students may also use bullets but should be sure to fully explain all answers. Students should use Word in 11 or 12 point type and should label each question. Students should keep questions in the order appearing in the examination questions in Blackboard. A typical response would be 600-800 words, single spaced is preferred. Each EPT will be allotted a maximum of 90 minutes for completion. Students should typically complete this task in approximately 60-80 minutes. There are two EPT’s in the Comprehensive Examination, and three shorter Constructed Response items.

The Constructed Response questions are shorter in length and time is allotted to a maximum of 60 minutes. Some questions may be shorter or longer. These questions may provide several shorter documents or simply a school situation. Questions will relate to the situation. A typical response will be 200-300 words. Students should select TWO of the 3 Constructed Response Questions.

The Comprehensive Examination includes the following:

* Student only need to complete TWO of the 3 Constructed Response Questions.

The exam will be scored as either Pass, or Fail.  The examination will be typically scored within 2-4 weeks of the administration.  The professor or other program representative will contact the student by e-mail indicating the status of the examination.

This is a timed exam for each task. Once a student begins the writing portion of this performance task, the time automatically begins counting down. Each of the Extended Performance Tasks will have a maximum of 90 minutes to complete. The shorter Constructed Response tasks will be 60 minutes each. The allotted time should be more than sufficient for students to complete all areas and tasks if the student is sufficiently prepared.

Students should carefully study all directions and information regarding the Comprehensive Examination prior to taking the exam. The Comprehensive Examination has a controlled time available window. Students reserve a time block on a certain date with permission of the professor. Students may take the comprehensive examination in any convenient, quiet location provided they have a reliable high speed internet connection, and computer that includes Microsoft Word. The Comprehensive Examination will then be available and accessible only for the period requested. Outside the approved test widow, the Comprehensive Examination performance tasks are not available or accessible to students. Students may take this examination at their own convenience from any location they choose.