FUTURE SCHOOL LEADERS ACADEMY

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1 FUTURE SCHOOL LEADERS ACADEMY Leads to certification as a School Building Leader and as a School District Leader Focuses on building leaders for school districts in Northern Westchester and Putnam counties

2 Future School Leaders Academy Educational Leadership Preparation for the Lower Hudson Valley Future School Leaders Academy (FSLA) is a dual-certifi cation educational leadership program leading to a master s degree in education. It is a partnership between Bank Street College of Education and Putnam/Northern Westchester Board of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES). Its aim is to develop highly effective and diverse school and district leaders for the Lower Hudson Valley Region, in collaboration with its local districts. An advisory committee of local superintendents of schools, other leaders, and representatives of Bank Street and P/NW BOCES guide the program. 1

3 Benefits for Aspiring Leaders Earn an advanced master s degree (Ed.M.) from Bank Street College in two years. Qualify for New York State certifi cations as a School Building Leader (SBL) and School District Leader (SDL). Gain intensive advisory support from Bank Street College faculty. Work closely with a community of aspiring leaders including a small conference group that meets on a regular basis throughout your program. Benefi t from the mentorship of building and district leaders. Attend program while continuing to teach. Enjoy a convenient location. Most classes are held at BOCES Yorktown Heights Campus. Benefits for School Districts Expand your leadership team without adding positions FSLA candidates can be certifi ed (with an internship certifi cate after completing 50% of the program) to supervise staff or serve as assistant principals. Interns can also serve in non-supervisory leadership positions such as: district CSE chair, department chair, team leader, staff developer or curriculum coordinator. 2

4 Benefit from candidate support for your school and districtwide improvement efforts. Strengthening curriculum and instruction: FSLA candidates have led grade-level teacher groups, in the development of common core units, creating formative assessments, coordinating data inquiry, providing teacher support, and addressing the needs of ELLs, as examples. Supporting school organization and management as well as unfunded state mandates: Candidates have been successful in coordinating testing administration, managing substitute teacher assignments, creating school and district outreach materials for the community, revising district policy manuals, serving as a parent or community committee ombudsperson, and leading school improvement efforts. Piloting new programs and initiatives: FSLA candidates have piloted programs for RTI, PBIS, academic intervention services for middle school students, video-conferencing for high school courses and teacher professional development, and mentoring. Take part in a leadership preparation program that reflects the educational priorities and changing needs of the Lower Hudson Valley Region. Since its inception, the program has prepared aspiring leaders from over 30 school districts, many of which supported candidates in three or more cohorts. Through its advisory committee, local districts provide input into educational priorities and changing needs which inform the program content and internship experiences. Bank Street College faculty and highly experienced educational leaders from the region serve as program instructors. Mentoring principals and program staff meet regularly to discuss internship experiences and priorities. Create a highly qualified leadership pool. Since beginning in 1999, there have been seven graduating cohorts of over 120 leadership candidates, and 23 more anticipated to graduate in May Over 80% of our graduates advanced into leadership positions, primarily in the region, as assistant principals, principals and assistant superintendents. 3

5 Program Objectives Develop candidates ability to lead and manage schools and districts as purposeful, effective, humane organizations, while fostering continuous growth, equity and excellence. Encourage candidates to clarify their values and use them constructively to be inspiring instructional leaders for teachers and students. Broaden and deepen candidates understanding of values, trends and issues that affect learning and teaching and schools and education, including competing demands and social and civic priorities. Help candidates acquire the theoretical and practical knowledge, skills and dispositions to be effective instructional leaders. An emphasis is placed on working to close the achievement gap among students of different racial/ethnic and income groups. Focus on the challenges of strengthening and developing learning communities and improving increasingly diverse districts and schools. Develop a culture of innovation, risk-taking, and refl ective practice. Foster the habits of continuous learning and mutual support. Program Requirements To earn the Ed.M. degree and successfully complete the program, candidates must: Earn 30 units of graduate credit through an approved course of study. Complete a 600 hour school and district leadership internship. Complete a culminating project and standards-based portfolio. To be certifi ed for building and district leadership, candidates must successfully pass the NYS School Building Leader Assessment (SBL), School District Leader Assessment (SDL) and the Educating All Students (EAS) Assessment. Assessment preparation is incorporated into the program. 4

6 Course of Study Coursework is aligned with state and national leadership standards and the program s core principles of leading learning. Courses are aligned in thematic units on: Leading curriculum and instruction, with attention to the role of values in educational leadership. Improving teaching and learning through teacher selection, supervision and professional development, with attention to adult development. Addressing the principles of school law and the principles of educational change. Investigating policy and organizational issues in leadership, with a focus on special education. Using research and data for continuous improvement through collaborative action research. Courses have a dual focus on building and district leadership woven through the learning. Organization Weekly course sessions: During the academic year, core courses are held in the late afternoon on Thursdays for 15 weeks a semester in Yorktown Heights. Summer session: During July following the fi rst academic year, participants take two highly intensive courses. Classes meet Monday through Thursday for the full day. Four Saturday seminars each semester, on specifi c issues. Conference group: Candidates meet in small groups three times a semester with their Bank Street advisor to discuss their internship experiences and related matters. On-site advisement: Each semester, the Bank Street advisor will visit the candidate s school regularly. Once a semester, all conference group candidates will meet at one school for a learning walk or other activity. Learning is supported by an electronic communications network. 5

7 Internship Candidates are to spend 600 hours (150 hours per semester) in a leadership internship, either while maintaining their full teaching load or by having a more extensive internship under the supervision of a designated mentor in the candidate s school district. Each candidate works with a Bank Street advisor who visits them regularly and facilitates conference group seminars. Topics include issues and opportunities arising from the internship and relating theory to practice. Eligibility Applicants must meet the Bank Street College admissions criteria for the Ed.M. program, as determined by the Bank Street Offi ce of Admissions. To apply, they must: Be employed by a participating district or at a BOCES. Be recommended by their superintendent. Have an initial master s degree from an accredited institution of higher education. Have three or more years of teaching and/or supervisory experience. Show promise of leadership ability in an educational setting, including a commitment to working with diversity, and implementing strategies to close the achievement gap Demonstrate teaching or student support effectiveness. 6

8 Application The application process begins with the superintendent's nomination of the candidate. After the nomination form is submitted to Putnam/Northern Westchester BOCES, the candidate will be invited to completes his/her application online through the Bank Street College website. Tuition The program is designed as a partnership in which costs are shared by the candidate, Bank Street College and sometimes his or her district as a regional partner. The college provides a tuition discount and a set tuition for the 2 year program. Some districts share the remaining costs with the candidates. Districts are expected to supervise their intern and provide quality leadership opportunities throughout their two year experience as an in-kind, nonfi nancial, contribution to the candidates and program. 7

9 For more information go to: Bank Street College Margaret Terry Orr PROGRAM DIRECTOR Joan Thompson PROGRAM DIRECTOR Dr. Lynn Allen ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENT, P/NW BOCES