External Certification in
Educational Leadership-Adm. Opt. School Principal

Standard graduate application requirements apply.

• Copy of your valid K12 teacher certificate.
• Resume: Limited to 2 pages, providing your name and contact information as well as postsecondary education (all degrees, years awarded, institution names, emphasis area), work experiences, education certifications, professional memberships. If you are seeking a P12 Administrator Certificate (principal or superintendent), be sure it’s clear within your resume that you have at least three years of full-time experience as a classroom teacher.

• Personal Statement: Please write 2-3 double‐spaced pages, word‐processed in either Times New Roman 12‐point or Arial 10‐point, page numbers and your name in upper right corner. If you cite literature/resources to support your comments, adhere to the academic writing guidelines provided in 6th edition of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association.Part I: Provide background about your experiences as an educational leader and share how these experiences have prompted you to enroll in a graduate program in educational leadership studies. Share your career aspirations and explain how completing an EDL program will assist you in achieving your professional goals.

  Part II: Articulate your beliefs, perceptions, and reflections about each of the following four themes related to effective educational leadership: (a) a vision of success, (b) a focus on learning and teaching, (c) an engagement of all stakeholders, and (d) a demonstration of ethical practice.

• Writing Sample: Prepare a Professional Reflection (2-3 double-spaced pages, word-processed in either Times New Roman 12-point or Ariel 10-point, page numbers and your name in upper right corner). Describe how your classroom evidences the components of highly effective teaching and learning (i.e., learning climate, classroom assessment and reflection, instructional rigor and student engagement, instructional relevance, knowledge of content). If you cite literature or resources to support your comments, then you must adhere to the academic writing guidelines provided in 6th edition of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association.
• Provide following supporting documentation with your application:
  • Statement of your dispositions for educational leadership
  • Evidence of your improving student learning
  • Evidence of your advanced knowledge of curriculum, instruction and assessment
  • Evidence of your leadership at the building level within a school
• Recommendations: Two recommendations from persons (e.g., principal, supervisor, superintendent or designee) who have direct knowledge of your skills/ability related to (a) leadership; (b) curriculum, instruction and assessment; and(c) improving student learning. One recommendation must be from your superintendent or their designee.