GCT-Superintendent Letter of Eligibility Certification

MISSION STATEMENT OF THE SUPERINTENDENT CERTIFICATION/LETTER OF ELIGIBILITY PROGRAM

The mission of Gannon University’s Superintendent Preparation Program is to prepare superintendents to be strategic system leaders who effectively and ethically bring about continuous system improvements that result in increased student achievement.

SUPERINTENDENT AS STRATEGIC SYSTEM LEADER

The Superintendent Letter of Eligibility Program is designed around the conceptual framework of The Superintendent as Strategic System Leader and is designed to meet the Pennsylvania Leadership Standards.

All courses in the certification program are approved to meet the Act 45 professional development requirement for practicing administrators.

PROGRAM DISTINCTIONS

Program Delivery Model for Working Professionals

Classes meet online. The 8- to 12-month online program allows for the complete flexibility required for busy educators to accommodate work and family. Travel to Gannon University is not required during the program.

Cohort

The design of Gannon’s program is based on effective models of adult learning. The program provides candidates in an online cohort community the opportunity to cooperate and collaborate throughout the sequence of three connected core courses, all having job concurrent internships. The online learning community formed becomes the basis of a strong professional network that continuously provides support and professional development for the candidates as they move through their leadership careers. 

Program Advisor

Every candidate has a Program Advisor who serves as the consistent point of contact and mentor throughout the candidate’s program.

Highly Qualified Faculty

Courses are taught by highly qualified content experts who are successful practitioners in their respective fields. These faculty members are either current superintendents or individuals who have relevant central office experience.

Concurrent Internships

The internships begin during the first course at the introductory level, continue through key skills areas at the developmental level and culminate during the last course in a mastery level capstone internship. This concurrent model allows candidates to have guided practice and formative feedback from university faculty mentors and experienced practitioners while they are enrolled in a course that is associated with the internship.

Length of Internships

The internship experiences take place throughout the program so that candidates are involved in critical leadership responsibilities involving students, faculty and staff, strategic planning, curriculum development, budgeting, and other key areas of district culture related to a superintendent’s position. The concurrent internships are 40 hours each and the Superintendent Mastery Internship is 240 hours, which equates to 360 total internship hours in the Superintendent Letter of Eligibility program per PDE requirements. 

Superintendent Professional Portfolio

Candidates develop a Superintendent Professional Portfolio throughout their courses and internship learning experiences and present the portfolio as a capstone activity. The portfolio is a very effective tool in career advancement.

ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

Applicants must:

• Complete an application for admission.

• Submit an official transcript from a regionally accredited college or university which verify a master’s degree in Education or a related field and a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale, plus transcripts showing any additional graduate-level coursework.

• Submit three letters of recommendation, including one from the current superintendent. The letter from the superintendent must speak to the candidate’s potential to become an effective system leader and acknowledge permission for the candidate to engage in internship activities throughout the year.

• Submit evidence of six years of satisfactory school experience of which at least three must be in a supervisory or administrative capacity.

CURRICULUM REQUIREMENTS

Transfer of credits:

Transferring credits to a program is done at the discretion of the program director. Minimum requirements are that they are graduate courses from an approved institution which have a grade of “B” or better and are recorded on an official transcript, and which are no older than five years at the time of submission for consideration. Generally, a maximum of six credits from an accredited university may be accepted.

1. This online program requires the candidate to take 15-17 credits based upon a transcript review, including evidence of prior course work in diverse learning. Individuals who do not provide evidence of prior course work in diverse learning are required to schedule GEDU 730 Diverse Learner Competencies for School Leaders (2 credits). *

2. Candidates must have completed required courses, have six years of school experience, of which at least three must be in a supervisory or administrative capacity, and attain a minimum GPA of 3.0 to be recommended for certification by Gannon University.

3.  Candidates are required to successfully complete a 240-hour Mastery Internship to be eligible for certification.

STEPS TO CERTIFICATION

1. Successfully complete all required coursework.

2. Pass required Praxis exam.

3. Apply for certification on the PA Teacher Information Management System (TIMS).

4. Gannon University recommends candidates for certification, and PDE approves and issues certification.

Important Note: Current Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) standards and regulations take precedence over any information described in this catalog. Should those standards and regulations change, Gannon University will change its requirements. Candidates will be responsible for meeting the new guidelines for certification. Please refer to the PDE website at https://www.education.pa.gov for changes in regulations.

ALTERNATIVE ROUTE TO SUPERINTENDENT PK-12 CERTIFICATION (Commission Qualification Letter Process)

In certain circumstances, a Commission Qualification Letter (CQL) may be issued to an applicant who holds a graduate degree from an accredited higher education institution in business, finance, or management, and provides evidence of four years of relevant business, finance, or management work experience in the fields of business, industry, or education. The CQL is not a credential. It is a letter that confirms that the candidate met alternative route requirements to be commissioned as a superintendent or assistant superintendent in Pennsylvania. The CQL requires, among other things, completion of a Leadership Development Program that meets the Pennsylvania School Leadership Standards under Section 1217 during the initial contract term as a superintendent or assistant superintendent in Pennsylvania. For more information, please contact the program director.