Overview
Contact: Dr. R. Daniel Cunningham
McDaniel College’s Administrator I Certification Program is accredited by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) and was awarded “Nationally Recognized” status by the Educational Leadership Constituent Council (ELCC). It also is approved by the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) and the Maryland Higher Education Council (MHEC). In order to achieve this level of approval, it is necessary for the courses and the internship to be closely aligned to the ELCC Standards. As a result it is necessary for students to be well grounded in the knowledge, skills, and dispositions of the ELCC Standards, ISLLC Standards, and the Maryland Instructional Leadership Framework and/or the Pennsylvania Inspired Leaders Standards. The Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) has also awarded “Out of State Comparable Initial Program Approval.”
The program embraces the Maryland Instructional Leadership Framework and The Pennsylvania Inspired Leadership Standards and is designed to provide students/candidates with opportunities to study and apply theories, standards, and practices in educational leadership and to prepare them for leadership positions in public and private schools and schools for special populations. The program further instills the theories and practices of the discipline while providing multiple paths for certification and career change. In this program, students will interact with students preparing for positions in public schools, private schools, or schools for special populations, as well as with those progressing toward jobs in higher education. Clearly aligned with state licensing recommendations and recommended highly by educators in the field, the McDaniel College program offers a chance for knowledge, preparation, and application that are the hallmarks of outstanding administrators and educational leaders.
Completers also have the option to transfer all of the courses in this certificate to an M.S. in Curriculum and Instruction as an area of specialization.
Maryland certification as an Administrator I (assistant principal or supervisor) and Pennsylvania certification as a K-12 principal require completion of an administrative internship in addition to having completed a master’s degree. In addition, Maryland certification as an Administrator II (Principal) and Pennsylvania certification as a K-12 principal require evidence of a qualifying score (MD-165, PA-163) on the School Leaders Licensure Assessment (SLLA).
Administrator I Certificate Only Program (Maryland)
In order to begin taking courses for certification purposes, students must:
- submit an Application for Graduate Study with the nonrefundable application fee
- submit official transcripts verifying completion of a Bachelor’s Degree and a Master’s Degree from a accredited colleges or universities
- develop a program plan in consultation with the academic adviser
Acknowledgement of Graduate Credit Toward K-12 Principal Certification: Certification is the domain of the Maryland State Department of Education, so courses taken at other higher education institutions are subject to approval by certification personnel in either the MSDE Certification Office or in the local school system Human Resources Office. In order for McDaniel College to permit registration and completion of the required Internship/Practicum, candidates must show evidence of completion of courses in each of the following areas with a minimum of three completed through McDaniel College: School Leadership, Management, and Administration; Development, Observation, and Evaluation of Staff; Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment; and Legal Issues and Ethical Decision-making.
In Maryland, teachers who already possess a Master’s Degree can qualify for the Administrator I certification statement by satisfactorily completing the five required courses and the internship at McDaniel College.
