To earn the sixth-year diploma in educational leadership, candidates must take six required courses, complete an internship and pass the Connecticut Administrator Test (CAT). After successfully completing the first 21 credits (EDLD 601, 603, 605 and 607) and passing the CAT, candidates are eligible for the Intermediate Administration or Supervision (092) certificate from the Connecticut Department of Education. Upon completion of an additional three courses in educational program evaluation, school law and public school finance, candidates are eligible to receive the sixth-year diploma in educational leadership.
Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
EDL 601 | Leading and Managing the Contemporary School | 6 |
EDL 603 | Leading and Managing the Instructional Program | 6 |
EDL 605 | Leading and Managing School Improvement | 6 |
EDL 607 | Internship in Educational Leadership | 3 |
EDL 609 | Educational Program Evaluation | 3 |
EDL 611 | Educational Law | 3 |
EDL 613 | Public School Finance | 3 |
| Total: | 30 |
Successful candidates can expect to complete the requirements for the Intermediate Administration or Supervision (092) certificate within four semesters. Students can complete the requirements for the sixth-year diploma in educational leadership within six semesters.
Internship
To provide students with guided, hands-on professional practice and experience as a school leader, an internship is required for both the 092 certificate and the sixth-year diploma. The internship consists of a primary leadership experience cooperatively developed by the student, a faculty member and a school district mentor. When applying for admission to the program, the student must obtain signatures from both a school- and a district-level administrator indicating their agreement to cooperate with the applicant and the University in developing, implementing and supervising the internship experience.
The internship engages each candidate in a significant project related to the improvement of student learning. Other experiences are developed, as necessary, so that each student has an opportunity to engage in work related to all Connecticut standards for school leaders. Each student must demonstrate these standards through self-assessments, assessments by faculty and the district mentor, a reflection journal summarizing work during the internship, and artifacts from the field work.
The internship is scheduled only during the fall or spring semester to ensure the most authentic experience possible. Candidates are required to complete the internship activities before, during and/or after the regular school day. A minimum of 216 hours over a six-month period is required, or approximately nine to 12 hours per week.