At the Sacramento County Office of Education (SCOE) conference center on August 24, a group of 63 aspiring administrators attended an orientation for SCOE’s Leadership Institute Preliminary Administrative Services Credential Program.
The Leadership Institute, which launched for the 2010–11 school year, provides leadership development and training for those interested in becoming an administrator in education. Candidates must have a valid California teaching credential or service credential, plus five years of full-time teaching experience. Participants also have an opportunity to earn a master’s degree in applied leadership through a partnership with National University.
Classes for the year-long program are held on Saturdays. Courses involve practical fieldwork activities, end-of-course papers, and online instruction. The curriculum is based on the California Professional Standards for Educational Leaders (CPSELs). Candidates must also present a project at the end of the year that demonstrates how they put the leadership concepts they studied into practice at their school sites.
The Leadership Institute is part of SCOE’s School of Education, which includes programs to help new teachers get their credentials and aspiring leaders to become administrators. The School of Education offers programs approved by the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CTC) to support the preparation and development of high-quality teachers and leaders for the Capital region.