Administrative Leadership, School Principal/Assistant Principal, PreK-6, 5-8, 9-12 (Post-Baccalaureate Leading to Initial Administrative License)

This program prepares educators for careers as Principals/Assistant Principals, Special Education Administrators, Superintendents/Assistant Superintendents, or School Business Administrators in the public schools, and prepares students for eligibility for the initial license in Administrative Leadership in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

Leadership preparation candidate in Massachusetts need to meet the requirements established for the Massachusetts Performance Assessment for Leaders (MA-PAL) in order to obtain your initial leadership license, in addition to completing the program. The MA-PAL assessment system is designed to provide clear evidence of your readiness for initial school leadership work. Preparation for the tasks to be completed towards the Massachusetts Performance Assessment are integrated into coursework, but evidence of completion of the PAL is a separate requirement for licensure in Massachusetts.

Coursework includes two modules:

• Core Module - 24 credits of diverse coursework general to all roles in Administrative Leadership. This coursework carefully follows the Standards and Indicators for Administrative Leadership in Massachusetts, and will provide students with a thorough grounding and introduction to leadership roles and responsibilities in schools. Each core course includes at least 20 hours of structured pre-practicum hours in schools. These pre-practicum ‘activities’ are carefully matched to each applicable Standard and Indicator for Administrative Leadership.
• License-Specific Module - 12 to 15 credits of in-depth coursework in the specific licensure area:
  - Principal/Assistant Principal [PreK-6, 5-8, 9-12]
  - Special Education Administrator
  - Superintendent/Assistant Superintendent
  - School Business Administrator

Each license-specific course also includes at least 20 hours of structured pre-practicum hours in schools; these hours are carefully structured in the specific role and responsibility of the license sought.

Prerequisites
• Baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited college or university
• Passing score on Communications and Literacy (Reading and Writing) MTEL
• Scores on the Millers Analogies Test (MAT) or the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) - this requirement is waived if applicant possesses an earned Master’s degree
• Completion of at least three years of school-based employment in which the candidates holds a license, or at least three years of equivalent  employment in another educational-related setting

Pre-Practicum Requirements
• Twenty out-of-class hours for each course (total of 200 hours) - with the exception of EA 510 for Sheltered English Immersion - is devoted to pre-practicum hours in the public schools. Satisfaction of this requirement is met through specified pre-practicum activities, completion of the out-of-class hours log sheet, and a detailed summary of the pre-practicum experiences for each course