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:

1. A master's degree from a regionally accredited institution of higher education
2. 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.
3. A minimum of three years teaching experience m.
4. Possession of or eligibility for a Connecticut teaching certificate
5. Two letters of recommendation from school administrators who can attest to applicant’s strengths and weaknesses, interpersonal skills, intellectual ability, and leadership potential.
6. 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.
7. Completion of EDL 590, "Leaders as Learners," and successful portfolio presentation to search committee
8. 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

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.