Educational Leadership Program

Foundations and Social Advocacy Department
Maria Timberlake, chair
Joseph Menard, graduate coordinator
Cornish Hall, Room 1213
607-753-2447
Fax: 607-758-5007

Overview

Expand your capacity to envision district-wide impact and improvement in education as you learn to integrate theory and practice to effectively develop schools and other learning communities. If you hold a master's degree and permanent or professional teaching certification in New York, you can advance your career in educational leadership by choosing the school district leader C.A.S. program at SUNY Cortland.

Student Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this program, students will be able to:

1. Work with school and community constituencies to articulate a mission, vision, and core values that are tailored to a program, school, or district's needs to promote student learning, achievement and citizenship. 
2. Use student, teacher and program data to guide the planning, delivery, assessment, and improvement of instructional activities within the programs, buildings, and districts for which they have responsibility.
3. Skillfully implement the tools of school program, building, and district management common to practice in New York State, including the management of resources and the management of change.
4. Cultivate inclusive, caring, and supportive school communities in which teacher leadership is fostered, and in which real, rather than nominal, parental involvement is actualized.
5. Demonstrate an understanding of the nuanced decision-making necessary to practice in a consistently ethical manner concomitant with established professional norms aligned with those of state and national associations.
6. Advocate for student needs as priority areas for professional practice, playing active roles in enhancing equity and excellence for all students in the provision of services and programs.
7. Attain significant field experience through the clinical internship such that they are well grounded in systems, processes, procedures, decision-making, and actions which they are likely to encounter in the performance of their duties at multiple levels within a program, school building, district or BOCES administrative structure. 

Program Highlights

Under the direction of our expert educational leadership faculty, you'll investigate critical topics in finance, special education, curriculum and organization. You'll also explore important legal issues, the elements and value of strategic supervision and key qualities for guiding a school district. This program will prepare you for New York state's School District Leader Assessment.

Culminating Experience

In addition to completing an internship in educational leadership, you'll participate in a culminating seminar that merges your classroom and practical experiences.

Career Potential

With your successful completion of the school district leader C.A.S. program, you're well prepared for the responsibilities of positions such as subject and content area supervisor, director of athletics and physical education, director of special education, curriculum coordinator, superintendent or central office administrator.

To further enhance your marketability in the work force, we strongly suggest you apply, if qualified, for the school building leader/school district leader degree.

Graduate Admissions

Evaluation Policy

At the State University of New York College at Cortland, we seek a diverse and academically strong student body. Our admission policy and practice will not discriminate on the basis of age, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, disability, national origin or marital status.

Required Materials

1. Completed online Graduate School Application – Apply Now
2. Official transcripts from all institutions of higher learning attended to be forwarded directly to SUNY Cortland Graduate Admissions Office, indicating the master's degree already conferred
3. Proof of permanent or professional New York state teaching certification
4. Evidence of a minimum of three years classroom teaching service and/or pupil personnel service such as speech therapist, school psychologist, etc. in a P-12 school setting
5. Recommendations: 
   1. from an administrator in your district's central office
   2. from your immediate supervisor
   3. from another educational supervisor/administrator of your choice
6. Essay: A written essay (one-to-two pages only, word processed, double-spaced with 12-point type) that addresses the following question: What is your vision of the school leader in American public schools of the 21st century?
   1. This essay is due with all other application materials and becomes part of the application file; this paper should not be handed in at a separate time
   2. This paper should be well written in the form and quality that a future school leader would proudly provide a superintendent and/or board of education for review.

      GRE scores are not required.

Admissions Criteria

Preference will be given to candidates with a graduate grade point average of 3.0 and above and a satisfactory rating of the supporting documents as determined by the department. All candidates must have a minimum of three years classroom teaching service and/or pupil personnel service such as speech therapist, school psychologist, etc. in a P-12 school setting.

Deadlines

Fall semester applications: July 1
Spring semester applications: Dec. 1
Summer semester applications: April 1

Applications submitted after the deadline may be considered on a space availability basis.
Please contact the Graduate Admissions Office at 607-753-4800 to check availability.

Transfer Credit Guidelines for Educational Leadership Programs

Per College policy, graduate students may transfer up to six credit hours of graduate course work from another institution with the approval of the graduate coordinator. For the C.A.S. programs in school building, school district and school district business leadership, the graduate coordinator will closely review proposed course work to be sure the content aligns with the content of the equivalent course work at SUNY Cortland. This is to ensure that any course content taken at another institution is situated in the context of educational leadership within New York state, which has unique policies and laws governing the processes of P-12 schooling. Candidates are strongly encouraged to seek to transfer only those courses offered at accredited institutions of higher education in New York state within a state-registered educational leadership program. No course work should be taken at another institution without prior written permission of the educational leadership graduate coordinator.