Dual Certification: Teacher Leadership and Educational Leadership Tier I

SPECIAL FALL 2024 COHORT OFFER - To receive an application fee waiver and apply for Fall 2024 admission, click HERE! This offer is only valid through June 30, 2024.

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This unique program in Georgia offers educators the opportunity to earn two leadership certifications in a single degree. Upon completion of this degree program and the required state certification tests, candidates will earn certification in both Teacher Leadership (T6 and S6) and Educational Leadership Tier I (L5).

The Education Specialist in Teacher Leadership is an advanced degree preparing educators to meet the GaPSC Teacher Leadership standards providing a foundation for effective collaboration with students, parents, and colleagues. These standards are related to curriculum and instruction, assessment, and a school culture fostering excellence in teaching and learning, modeling best practices in instruction, working with others to design assessments, and using data to work with colleagues in collaborative efforts to improve instruction for all students. By completing this online degree and passing the appropriate Georgia content assessment, candidates will be eligible for the new P-12 Service Certificate in Teacher Leadership (Level 6 certification).

Candidates can pursue Educational Leadership Tier I leader certification while enrolled in the 30-hour specialist program. After completing the degree and passing the Educational Leadership GACE and Teacher Leadership GACE, candidates will be eligible to add the Tier I Educational Leadership field and Teacher Leadership service field to their educator certificate. This program is in accordance with teacher leadership standards, educational leadership standards, and outcomes required for licensure by the GaPSC. 

Applicants can be admitted in fall, spring, or summer terms and can choose to take three 3-hour courses per semester to complete within four semesters or 16 months. This program is in accordance with teacher leadership standards and educational leadership standards required for licensure by the Georgia Professional Standards Commission.  

Admissions Requirements

1. Hold a master’s degree or higher from a regionally-accredited institution
2. Have a cumulative graduate GPA of 2.75 or higher
3. Hold a clear renewable (Induction, Professional, Advanced Professional, or Lead Professional Teaching certificate, leadership certificate, service) certificate at the bachelor's level 4 or higher. Individuals with certification from states other than Georgia must provide documentation of the appropriate certificate. Eligibility will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.
4. Have at least one year of successful classroom teaching experience as a certified educator at the Induction, Professional, Advanced Professional, or Lead Professional level
5. Submit the Superintendent Recommendation for Enrollment and Unified Partnership of Support document. The document will provide verification that your school superintendent or superintendent's designee:

• Supports candidate’s decision to pursue the degree
• Recommends candidate for participation in this program
• Agrees to provide the necessary resources for successful completion of the degree requirements, including
  • time and access to teachers and stakeholder groups so that candidate can observe, mentor, conduct research, and provide professional learning, among other things
  • mentoring by a leader who is actively employed in a leadership position in the P-12 school or LUA and who has been trained to be a leader mentor

6. Submit a passing score on the Georgia Leadership Ethics for Educators Assessment (Test 380)

 

Transfer Credit

Because of the intense nature of the degree program and state licensure requirements, no post master's work will be accepted for this dual certification program.

Field-Based Activities

This dual certification program is a performance-intense program that involves two clinical practice experiences where candidates apply their knowledge within field-based settings.

For the educational leadership Tier I certification preparation, candidates complete a field portfolio and complete 250 clock hours within LEAD 7930. Candidates synthesize, apply, practice, and develop the skills identified in the educational leadership standards through field experience activities embedded in the LEAD 7930 course. These experiences include observing and working alongside one or more leader mentors at the elementary, middle, high school, and central office levels. In addition to a school-based leader mentor, candidates receive EPP support through opportunities to interact with program staff and other candidates for reflection, feedback, and support related to their performances in the field.

For teacher leadership certification preparation, field experiences occur within courses with the prefix “EDET”, and candidates complete task-based activities across four different grade levels. They receive intensive support by a school-based mentor experienced in instructional leadership. Candidates complete an Individualized Growth Plan (IGP) collaboratively with their Candidate Support Team to set achievement goals, and complete mock portfolio tasks in preparation for the performance-based Teacher Leadership GACE Content test.

Program Progression, Completion, and Graduation Requirements

• Students must attempt the GACE Content Assessment (Test 311) to graduate with a Tier I concentration and must pass the test to become certified in Educational Leadership Tier I. Students must pass the Teacher Leadership GACE Content Assessment (Test 313) within one year of program completion for their Teacher Leadership field to convert from temporary to renewable.
• •Students must have intensive support by a mentor experienced in instructional leadership
• •Students must have an Individualized Growth Plan (IGP) developed and utilized collaboratively by the student and school mentor to achieve the student's IGP goals
• •Students must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and dispositions required for entry level educational leaders by demonstrating performance proficiency in the Georgia Educational Leadership Standards if seeking the Educational Leadership Tier I certification field
• •Students will be dismissed from the Graduate School if they accumulate three or more academic deficiency points unless otherwise indicated by individual program policy. A grade of “C” (although it may be credited toward a degree) equals one deficiency point. A grade of “D,” “WF” or “F,” or “U” (none of which will be credited toward a degree) equals two deficiency points unless otherwise indicated by individual program policy.
• •For candidates seeking Tier I certification, no post master's work will be accepted. Only transfer credit can be awarded for candidates working toward the Ed.S Teacher Leadership degree only. For teacher leadership, no more than 9 semester hours of post-master’s academic work may be transferred from another institution into the program. Transfer credit will be evaluated after admission by the department upon entry.
• •The maximum time allowed for completion of the education specialist degree is seven calendar years.  No work completed more than seven years prior to degree completion will be accepted toward the degree.
• •To graduate from this program, a student must have a minimum cumulative institutional graduate GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.

Priority Deadline

The deadline for applications is July 1.

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