Ga. Comp. R. & Regs. R. 505-3-.76 - Alternative Preparation for Educational Leadership Program
(1)
Purpose. This rule states specific content standards and
requirements for approving Tier I and Tier II alternative preparation programs
designed for the preparation of individuals to serve in educational leadership
positions in P-12 schools and Local Units of Administration (LUA), and it is
designed to meet recruitment and hiring needs in various areas of the state.
This rule supplements requirements and definitions of terms in GaPSC Rule
505-3-.01 REQUIREMENTS AND STANDARDS
FOR APPROVING EDUCATOR PREPARATION PROVIDERS AND EDUCATOR PREPARATION PROGRAMS.
Implementation guidelines accompany this rule.
(2)
Definitions.
(a)
Alternative
preparation is defined as a post-baccalaureate program designed
for individuals who have not prepared as leaders in a traditional leadership
preparation program. These preparation programs, which lead to an Educator
Preparation Provider's verification of meeting requirements for Georgia
certification, but not a degree, recognize candidates' earlier academic
preparation and life experiences.
(b)
Certificate
Levels are assigned to Georgia educator certificates based on the
degree(s) an educator holds. See GaPSC Rule
505-2-.02 CLASSIFICATION.
(c)
The term leadership
position refers to those positions requiring leadership
certification as determined by the employing LUA for placement on the state
salary schedule.
(d)
Tier I prepares candidates for entry level leadership
positions that include P-12 school level positions below the principal and
system level positions that do not supervise principals.
(e)
Tier II prepares
candidates for advanced leadership positions that include P-12 school level
principals or the equivalent, superintendents, or other LUA staff who supervise
principals.
(3)
Requirements.
(a) The standards
and requirements set forth in this rule are intended to guide the development
of an alternative preparation program in two phases of preparation (Tier I and
Tier II). The goal is to ensure completers of each tier are able to demonstrate
knowledge of leadership content, skills, and dispositions to positively impact
teacher performance and student growth. Each tier includes a minimum one-year
residency which provides opportunity for candidates to experience guided
practice of skills in authentic leadership situations.
(b) To receive approval for the Alternative
Preparation for Educational Leadership program, a Georgia Professional
Standards Commission (GaPSC)-approved educator preparation provider (EPP) shall
offer a preparation program described in program planning forms, websites,
catalogs, and syllabi conforming to the Georgia Educational Leadership
Standards, which are adapted from the Professional Standards for Educational
Leaders (PSEL) published in 2015 by the National Policy Board for Educational
Administration. Programs will be assessed at the standard level; elements
listed under each standard give guidance regarding the breadth and depth of
each standard and are adapted from PSEL. Although programs shall be designed
upon the PSEL Standards and as required by Rule
505-3-.01, the Teacher Assessment on
Performance Standards (TAPS) in relation to instructional leadership (see
505-3-.01 paragraph (3) (e) 4. (i)),
EPPs are advised to consider additional standards in developing program
curricula and clinical experiences at the appropriate level (Tier I or Tier
II), such as the Learning Forward Standards for Professional Learning, Georgia
Teacher Leadership Standards (GaPSC Rule
505-3-.72 TEACHER LEADERSHIP PROGRAM),
the Model Principal Supervisor Standards, the evaluation standards comprising
the Georgia Teacher Keys Effectiveness System (TKES) and the Georgia Leader
Keys Effectiveness System (LKES), and the standards delineated in GaPSC Rule
505-3-.03 FOUNDATIONS OF READING,
LITERACY, AND LANGUAGE. GaPSC and Georgia Department
of Education (GaDOE) rules are often focused on implementation of such
standards; candidates shall complete preparation programs prepared to implement
programs and processes that address such standards. Professional learning as
described in the GaPSC certificate renewal rule (GaPSC Certification Rule
505-2-.36 RENEWAL REQUIREMENTS) and
continuous improvement as described in GaDOE rules and processes shall be
addressed in the leadership preparation curriculum and clinical experiences.
Effective educational leaders:
1.
Develop, advocate, and enact a shared mission, vision, and core
values of high-quality education and academic success and well-being of each
student. Education leaders build consensus among all stakeholders
to develop an educational mission, vision, and core values of what students
should know and do as a consequence of their schooling, as well as what it
means for students to become well-adjusted, contributing members of society.
Building such a vision supported by core values can require reconciling
possibly competing perspectives among all members of the school community.
Based on this vision, leaders work with school and community members to
establish the school's mission, and to plan, implement, monitor, and evaluate
impact to promote continuous and sustainable improvement. Effective leaders:
(i) Using relevant data and in collaboration
with school and community members, develop an educational mission, vision, and
statement of core values for the school to promote student success and
well-being.
(ii) In collaboration
with members of the school and the community and using relevant data, develop
and promote a vision for student success and well-being by articulating,
advocating, and cultivating core values that define the school's culture, and
stress the imperative of child-centered education; high expectations and
student support; fair access, opportunity, and advancement for all students;
openness, caring, and trust; and continuous improvement.
(iii) Utilize best practices to strategically
identify, implement, and evaluate actions to achieve the vision, mission, and
core values for the school.
(iv)
Ensure core values support processes and procedures that allow all students
access to the most effective teachers and an instructional program that will
ensure they are college and career ready.
(v) Develop a systematic, inclusive, and
comprehensive process to review, revise, and communicate the school's mission,
vision, and core values, and respond to changing expectations and opportunities
for the school, and changing needs and situations of students.
(vi) Develop shared understanding of and
commitment to mission, vision, and core values within the school and the
community.
(vii) Monitor
communications and actions to build and sustain school and community alignment
with the shared vision, mission, and core values.
(viii) Model and pursue the school's mission,
vision, and core values in all aspects of leadership.
2.
Act ethically and according to
professional norms to promote each student's academic success and
well-being. Educational leaders are professionals who ensure
personnel are equipped with professional understanding of the school's mission
and the professional norms that must be followed to ensure student success and
well-being. Leaders have an understanding of ethical principles to guide
actions and decision-making, which must be within the boundaries of
professional practice. Leaders foster the development of a school culture that
nurtures understanding of professional conduct and ethics, and have a
professional responsibility to take an intentional approach to ensure not only
regulatory enforcement, but also ethics education, outreach, and prevention.
Effective leaders:
(i) Act ethically and
professionally in personal conduct, relationships with others, decision-making,
stewardship of the school's resources, and all aspects of school
leadership.
(ii) Act according to
and promote the professional norms of integrity, fairness, transparency, trust,
collaboration, perseverance, learning, and continuous improvement.
(iii) Place children at the center of
education and accept responsibility for each student's academic success and
well-being.
(iv) Safeguard and
promote the values of democracy, individual freedom and responsibility, and
fairness.
(v) Lead with
interpersonal and communication skill, social-emotional insight, and
understanding of all students' and staff members' backgrounds and
cultures.
(vi) Provide moral
direction for the school and promote ethical and professional behavior among
faculty and staff.
3.
Strive for fairness of educational opportunity and responsive
practices to promote each student's academic success and
well-being. Education leaders create a school culture that values
learner differences. Students are known, accepted, valued, and empowered to
reach their full potential. The school's culture supports a climate in which
students are healthy, safe, and supported. The culture defines high
expectations, encourages trust, and expects all to be responsible participants;
as a result, all students thrive. Effective leaders:
(i) Ensure that each student feels a sense of
belonging, is treated fairly and respectfully, and is accepted and valued as an
active member of the school community.
(ii) Recognize, respect, and employ each
student's strengths, differences, and culture as assets for teaching and
learning.
(iii) Analyze data to
ensure that each student has equitable access to effective teachers, learning
opportunities, academic and social support, and other resources needed for
college/career readiness.
(iv)
Develop and communicate expectations and codes of conduct to address student
behavior in a positive and fair manner.
(v) Eliminate barriers associated with race,
class, culture and language, gender and sexual orientation, and disability or
special status.
(vi) Utilize a
variety of strategies to examine and address assumptions and beliefs that may
conflict with vision, mission, core values, and goals.
(vii) Incorporate knowledge of the social,
cultural, leadership, and political dynamics of the school community to
cultivate a positive academic learning environment.
(viii) Promote the preparation of students to
live productively in and contribute to the varied cultural contexts of a global
society.
(ix) Act with cultural
competence and responsiveness in their interactions, decision making, and
practice.
4.
Develop and support intellectually rigorous and coherent systems of
curriculum, instruction, and assessment to promote each student's academic
success and well-being. Effective educational leaders develop and
support intellectually rigorous and coherent systems of curriculum,
instruction, and assessment to maximize each student's growth and learning.
Education leaders promote the use of rigorous curricula, which set high
expectations for students and are aligned to academic standards. They seek to
maximize student learning through authentic and differentiated pedagogy,
systems of support, and effective assessment strategies that inform
instruction. They develop and coordinate these systems in ways that create
opportunities to personalize the academic program to meet individual student
needs. The effectiveness of implementation and the impact of these systems on
student learning are evaluated. Effective leaders:
(i) Promote the mission, vision, and core
values of the school, embody high expectations for student learning, and align
curriculum, instruction, and assessment with academic standards that are
responsive to the needs of all learners.
(ii) Align and focus systems of curriculum,
instruction, and assessment within and across grade levels to promote student
academic success, love of learning, the identities and habits of learners, and
healthy sense of self.
(iii)
Promote instructional and assessment practice that is consistent with knowledge
of learning, learner growth and development, effective pedagogy, and the needs
of each student.
(iv) Guide the
selection and implementation of evidence-based teaching strategies, curricular
materials, educational technologies, and other resources appropriate to address
all student populations.
(v) Ensure
instructional practice that is intellectually challenging, authentic to student
experiences, aligned to student strengths, and is differentiated and
personalized.
(vi) Collaboratively
model and promote with all stakeholders a culture of high expectations for all
students.
(vii) Promote the
effective use of technology.
(viii)
Employ valid assessments that are consistent with knowledge of child learning
and development and technical standards of measurement.
(ix) Monitor and evaluate the use of
diagnostic, formative, and summative assessment to provide timely and accurate
feedback to students and parents, and to inform instructional
practices.
5.
Cultivate a welcoming, caring, and supportive school community that
promotes the academic success and well-being of each student.
Education leaders build a school culture and climate that supports students
being known and valued. The learning environment is personalized so students
feel encouraged to engage with others as active learners. In such an
environment learners are willing to take chances in their learning since a
support system has been built to reinforce student learning. Effective leaders:
(i) Build and maintain a safe, caring, and
healthy school environment that meets the academic, social, emotional, and
physical needs of each student.
(ii) Create and sustain a school environment
in which each student is known, accepted and valued, trusted and respected,
cared for, and encouraged to be an active and responsible member of the school
community.
(iii) Provide coherent
systems of academic and social supports, services, extracurricular activities,
and accommodations to meet the range of learning needs of each
student.
(iv) Promote
adult-student, student-peer, and school-community relationships that value and
support academic learning and positive social and emotional
development.
(v) Cultivate and
reinforce student engagement in school and positive student conduct.
(vi) Infuse the school's learning environment
with the cultures and languages of the school's community.
6.
Develop the professional
capacity and practice of school personnel to promote each student's academic
success and well-being. Education leaders support the professional
learning of effective, caring teachers and leaders who are able to work with
students productively in the classroom and who can collaboratively lead a
school or district. Building an effective staff requires careful personnel
recruitment, selection, assignment of responsibilities, support, evaluation,
and retention. Developing the professional skills of educators involves such
activities as coaching, creating supportive conditions, and fostering a
professional learning community. Effective leaders:
(i) Recruit, hire, assign, support, develop,
and retain effective and caring teachers and other professional staff and form
them into an educationally effective faculty in an equitable manner based on
school needs, and local, state, and federal requirements.
(ii) Plan for and manage staff turnover and
succession, providing opportunities for effective induction including mentoring
of new personnel by carefully selected and trained mentors.
(iii) Develop teachers' and staff members'
professional knowledge, skills, and practice through differentiated
opportunities for learning and growth, guided by understanding of professional
and adult learning and development.
(iv) Foster continuous improvement of
individual and collective instructional capacity to achieve outcomes envisioned
for each student.
(v) Deliver
actionable feedback about instruction and other professional practice through
valid, research-anchored systems of supervision and evaluation to support the
development of teachers' and staff members' knowledge, skills, and
practice.
(vi) Empower and motivate
teachers and staff to the highest levels of professional practice and to
continuous learning and improvement.
(vii) Recognize the achievements of highly
effective teachers and others by developing the capacity, opportunities, and
support for teacher leadership and leadership from other members of the
school.
(viii) Promote the personal
and professional health, well-being, and work-life balance of faculty and
staff.
(ix) Address their own
learning and effectiveness through reflection, study and improvement,
maintaining a healthy work-life balance.
7.
Foster a professional
community of teachers and other professional staff to promote each student's
academic success and well-being. Education leaders promote each
student's academic success and well-being by creating and supporting a
professional community of teachers. Building a community of teachers and other
professional staff includes creating effective workplace conditions, promoting
collective engagement and responsibility, and mutual accountability. Creating
professional communities of teachers and other professional staff includes
job-embedded opportunities that promote collaborative examination of practice
and focuses on improvement of programs and practices. Effective leaders:
(i) Foster supportive workplace conditions
for teachers and other professional staff that promote effective professional
development, practice, and student learning.
(ii) Empower and entrust teachers and staff
with collective responsibility for meeting the academic, social, emotional, and
physical needs of each student, pursuant to the mission, vision, and core
values of the school.
(iii)
Establish and sustain a professional culture of engagement and commitment to
shared vision, goals, and objectives pertaining to the education of the whole
child; high expectations for professional work; ethical and equitable practice;
trust and open communication; collaboration, collective efficacy, and
continuous individual and organizational learning and improvement.
(iv) Promote mutual accountability among
teachers and other professional staff for each student's success and the
effectiveness of the school as a whole.
(v) Develop and support open, productive,
caring, and trusting working relationships among leaders, faculty, and staff to
promote professional capacity and the improvement of practice.
(vi) Design and implement job-embedded and
other opportunities for professional learning collaboratively with faculty and
staff.
(vii) Provide roles,
structures, opportunities, and norms to support collaborative examination of
practice, collegial feedback, and collective learning.
(viii) Encourage faculty-initiated
improvement of programs and practices.
(ix) Use data, including student performance
data, to evaluate the impact professional learning has on the faculty and
staff, the school/district, and student learning.
8.
Engage families and the
community in meaningful, reciprocal, and mutually beneficial ways to promote
each student's academic success and well-being. Education leaders
build and sustain productive relationships with families and other community
partners in the government, non-profit, and private sectors. They promote
understanding, appreciation, and use of the community's cultural, social, and
intellectual resources. They communicate regularly and openly with families and
community partners, and seek their input and support for continuous improvement
efforts. Effective Leaders:
(i) Are
approachable, accessible, and welcoming to all families and community
members.
(ii) Create and sustain
positive, collaborative, and productive relationships with families and the
community for the benefit of students.
(iii) Engage in regular and open two-way
communication with families and the community about the school, students,
needs, challenges, and accomplishments.
(iv) Maintain a presence in the community to
understand its strengths and needs, develop productive relationships, and
engage its resources for the school.
(v) Create means for the school community to
partner with families to support student learning in and out of
school.
(vi) Build and sustain
mutually beneficial productive partnerships with public and private sectors to
share resources and promote school improvement and student learning.
(vii) Create an environment that values
differences, serves as a resource for families and the school community, and
welcomes family engagement in school activities.
(viii) Understand, value, and employ the
community's cultural, social, intellectual, and political resources to promote
student learning and school improvement.
(ix) Advocate publicly for the needs and
priorities of the school, district, students, families, and the
community.
(x) Work with the
community to collect and analyze data on economic, social, and other emerging
issues that impact district and school planning, programs, and
structures.
9.
Manage school operations and resources to promote each student's
academic success and well-being. Education leaders are responsible
for the effective, efficient, equitable, and ethical management of schools and
districts. Their responsibilities include garnering and allocating resources,
monitoring and addressing internal and external regulatory requirements,
developing organizational policies and practices, and other administrative
duties that maintain the continued viability of the school or district.
Effective leaders:
(i) Institute, manage, and
monitor operations and administrative systems that promote the mission and
vision of the school.
(ii)
Strategically manage staff resources, assigning and scheduling teachers and
staff to roles and responsibilities that optimize their professional capacity
to address each student's learning needs.
(iii) Seek, acquire, and manage fiscal,
physical, and other resources to support curriculum, instruction, and
assessment; student learning community; professional capacity and community;
and family and community engagement.
(iv) Are responsible, ethical, and
accountable stewards of the school's monetary and nonmonetary resources,
engaging in effective budgeting and accounting practices.
(v) Protect teachers' and other staff
members' work and learning from disruption.
(vi) Employ technology to improve the quality
and efficiency of operations and management.
(vii) Develop and maintain data and
communication systems to deliver actionable information for classroom and
school improvement.
(viii) Know,
comply with, and help the school community understand local, state, and federal
laws, rights, policies, and regulations to promote student success.
(ix) Develop and manage relationships with
feeder and connecting schools for enrollment management and curricular and
instructional articulation.
(x)
Develop and manage productive relationships with the central office and school
board.
(xi) Develop and administer
systems for fair and equitable management of conflict among students, faculty
and staff, leaders, families, and community.
(xii) Manage governance processes and
internal and external politics toward achieving the school's mission and
vision.
10.
Act as agents of continuous improvement to promote each student's
academic success and well-being. Educational leaders foster an
environment among stakeholders where data are analyzed and used to continuously
improve the academic and social success of the students, staff, and the
community of learners. Leaders ensure a systematic and collaborative process
that promotes a culture of school improvement and accountability. This plan,
do, check, act process is created with input from all stakeholders. The leader
uses current and relevant research and effectively gathers, analyzes, and
interprets student data from multiple sources to promote a shared vision for
instructional improvement that engages all stakeholders in decision-making that
drives and sustains school improvement for each student. Effective leaders are
willing to make difficult decisions and confront adverse situations to promote
student academic success and well-being. Effective leaders:
(i) Use a systematic continuous improvement
process to achieve the vision, fulfill the mission, and promote the core values
of the school.
(ii) Create a
continuous improvement culture within the school and community that promotes
mutual commitment and accountability for student success.
(iii) Develop the capacity of staff to
effectively lead strategic teams in a systematic process of school
improvement.
(iv) Employ
situationally-appropriate strategies for improvement, including
transformational and incremental, adaptive approaches and attention to
different phases of implementation.
(v) Build the capacity of staff to assess the
value and applicability of emerging educational trends and the findings of
research for school improvement.
(vi) Develop systematic processes of data
collection, management, and analysis to determine root causes and inform the
decision-making process.
(vii)
Adopt a systems perspective ensuring alignment among improvement efforts and
within all aspects of school organization, programs, and services.
(viii) Manage uncertainty, risk, competing
initiatives, and politics of change with courage and perseverance, providing
support and encouragement, and openly communicating the need for, process for,
and outcomes of improvement efforts.
(ix) Develop and promote leadership among
teachers and staff for inquiry, experimentation and innovation, and initiating
and implementing improvement.
(c) In addition to meeting the standards
listed above, program requirements must include the following:
1.
Tier I Program
Admission.
(i) Non-educator
candidates seeking admission to a Tier I program must:
(I) Receive from a LUA a recommendation for
admission to the program and assurance the candidate works in a leadership
position at least one-half day or more, each day;
(II) Hold, at a minimum, a master's degree
from a GaPSC-accepted accredited college or university;
(III) Document five (5) or more years of
successful leadership experience and related leadership training, preferably in
an executive management, supervisory, or leadership role;
(IV) Provide references documenting evidence
of successful performance in a leadership role;
(V) Exhibit professional leadership
dispositions through an assessment, developed and/or adopted by the educator
preparation provider; and
(VI)
Provide evidence of experience in engaging employees in organizational
development or professional learning opportunities.
(ii) Candidates currently employed as
educators and seeking admission must:
(I)
Receive the recommendation of a Georgia LUA for participation in the program
and assurance the candidate works in a leadership position at least one-half
day or more, each day;
(II) Hold a
master's degree or a GaPSC Level 5 or higher professional type certificate;
candidates who also have national board certification, the Teacher Leadership
endorsement, Coaching endorsement or the Teacher Support and Coaching
endorsement are ideal. The master's degree must have been earned from a
GaPSC-accepted accredited institution.
(III) Provide evidence of successful teacher
leadership experience;
(IV) Exhibit
professional leadership dispositions through an assessment, developed and/or
adopted by the educator preparation provider;
(V) Provide evidence of experience in
engaging colleagues in professional learning opportunities; and
(VI) Provide evidence of successful
teaching.
(iii) Upon
admission, candidates accepted into the Tier I Alternative Preparation program
are issued a Three (3)-Year Non-Renewable Leadership Certificate upon request
from the employing LUA, which may be converted to a professional leadership
certificate when requirements are met.
(iv) Candidates who enroll in a Tier I
Alternative Preparation program must pass the Georgia Ethics for Educational
Leadership Assessment prior to beginning program
coursework.
2.
Tier II Program Admission.
(i) Candidates must be employed in a
leadership position in a LUA requiring Performance-Based Professional
Leadership Certification at Tier II.
(ii) In addition, practicing educators
seeking admission must:
(I) Receive the
recommendation of the employing LUA for participation in the program and
assurance that the system will support the work of the candidate in the
program;
(II) Hold a level 5 or
higher Standard Professional Educational Leadership Tier I Certificate or hold
a valid, Standard Professional L Certificate in Educational Leadership Tier II
based on completion of a non-performance-based program; and;
(III) Provide references documenting evidence
of successful performance in a leadership position that requires Tier I
leadership certification.
3.
Candidate
Support. All alternative preparation programs require structured
supervision and guidance by a team of qualified mentors and coaches for a
minimum of a twelve (12) month cycle during Tier I and a minimum of a twelve
(12) month cycle during Tier II. The LUA shall provide a mentor with successful
leadership experience at the Tier II level relative to the candidate being
mentored. The alternative preparation program shall provide coaching by
qualified individuals who demonstrate competencies in the knowledge, skills,
and dispositions required for accomplished leadership. It is incumbent upon the
program provider to ensure individuals providing developmental support (coach
and mentor, for example) have successfully completed appropriate
training.
4.
Program
Requirements. The alternative preparation program shall develop a
performance-based program addressing the following:
(i) Tier I Program.
(I) A Pre-Residency component shall address
through courses, modules, seminars or other modes of content delivery, at a
minimum school law, the Georgia Code of Ethics for Educators, and
organizational leadership with a focus on teaching, learning, and using data in
the school improvement process. The pre-residency Educational Leadership
requirements are described in program approval documents submitted to the GaPSC
as part of the program approval process for educator preparation
programs;
(II) Residency
requirements must be successfully completed while employed by a regionally
accredited LUA or regionally accredited private school in a Tier I leadership
position full-time or part-time, for at least a half day every day for a
minimum of a twelve (12) month cycle. Residency requirements for Tier I include
the following:
I. Candidates shall
participate in carefully designed experiences in addition to completing
appropriate coursework, during an extended residency [minimum of a twelve (12)
month cycle], providing significant opportunities for candidates to apply the
knowledge and guided practice to develop the skills and dispositions identified
in the program standards through substantial, sustained, standards-based work
in actual Tier I settings;
II.
Candidates shall participate in a residency incorporating a continual
assessment of candidate application of knowledge, skills, and leadership
dispositions. Candidates' performances shall be planned and guided
cooperatively by a candidate support team, throughout the program, to provide
inclusion of appropriate opportunities to demonstrate knowledge, skills, and
dispositions reflective of current leadership research and program standards.
At a minimum, the candidate support team shall be composed of the candidate, a
trained and qualified leadership coach, a P-12 school-based leader and/or LUA
mentor/coach, and a supervisor from the approved program provider;
and
III. The residency experiences
shall provide candidates with substantial responsibilities that increase over
time in amount and complexity, and involve direct interaction and involvement
with appropriate staff, students, parents, and community leaders. The
preponderance of experiences shall engage candidates in leading rather than
observing or participating. Candidates shall demonstrate the ability to lead,
facilitate, and make decisions as school leaders. Assessment of candidate
performance shall be the responsibility of the approved program provider and
shall include multiple formative and summative measures used throughout the
residency to measure candidate progress in acquiring knowledge, demonstrating
skills, and refining dispositions. Data from these assessments shall be shared
with the candidate, instructors, mentors/coaches, and candidate support team in
order to make informed decisions regarding candidate performance, program
effectiveness, and EPP operations.
(ii) Tier II Program.
(I) Alternative preparation program advanced
residency requirements shall be completed while employed by a regionally
accredited LUA or regionally accredited private school in a Tier II level
leadership position full-time or part-time, for at least a half day every day
for a minimum of a twelve (12) month cycle. Residency requirements for Tier II
shall include the following:
(II)
Candidates shall participate in performances developed by the candidate support
team based on individual performance assessment data, during an extended
residency [minimum of a twelve (12) month cycle], providing significant
opportunities for candidates through guided practice to apply knowledge,
develop skills, and refine dispositions identified in the program standards
while engaged in substantial, sustained, standards-based work in actual P-12
school/ system settings;
(III)
Candidates shall participate in a performance-based residency incorporating a
continual assessment of candidate application of knowledge, skills, and
leadership dispositions. Candidates' performances shall be planned and guided
cooperatively by a candidate support team, throughout the program, to provide
inclusion of appropriate opportunities to demonstrate knowledge, skills, and
dispositions reflective of current leadership research and program standards.
At a minimum, the candidate support team shall be composed of the candidate, a
leadership coach, a P-12 school-based leader and/or LUA mentor/coach, and a
supervisor from the approved program provider; and
(IV) The residency experiences shall provide
candidates with substantial responsibilities that increase over time in amount
and complexity, and involve direct interaction and involvement with appropriate
staff, students, parents, and community leaders. The preponderance of
experiences shall engage candidates in leading rather than observing or
participating. Candidates shall demonstrate the ability to lead, facilitate,
and make decisions as P-12 school leaders. Assessment of candidate performance
shall be the responsibility of the approved program provider and will include
multiple formative and summative measures used throughout the residency to
measure candidate progress. Data from these assessments shall be shared with
the candidate, instructors, mentors/coaches, and candidate support team in
order to make informed decisions regarding candidate performance, program
effectiveness, and EPP operations.
5.
Certification
Requirements. Upon admission, candidates accepted into the Tier II
Alternative Preparation program are issued a Three (3)-Year Non-Renewable
Leadership Certificate upon request of the employing LUA, which may be
converted to a professional leadership certificate when requirements are met.
If the Georgia Ethics for Educational Leadership Assessment was not passed upon
enrollment in a Tier I program, it must be passed prior to beginning Tier II
coursework. An educator working in a Tier II position who does not hold Tier I
certification will be issued a Non-Renewable Professional Certificate in each
tier. If the Tier I certificate is converted to a Standard Professional
Certificate, the Non-Renewable Performance-Based Professional Certificate in
Educational Leadership - Tier II may be extended for an additional three (3)
years. While in the program, candidates shall demonstrate continual
progress.
6.
Exit
Requirements. Exit requirements for successful completion of the
alternative preparation program at each tier shall provide candidates an
opportunity to demonstrate a foundation of knowledge, skills, and dispositions
necessary for work in leadership positions in P-12 schools and LUAs.
Requirements for each tier shall include the following:
(i) Successful defense of their leadership
work before the candidate support team;
(ii) A successful evaluation of the
candidate's performance by the superintendent or the superintendent's designee;
and
(iii) A passing score on the
GACE content assessment for Educational Leadership for Tier I candidates; for
Tier II candidates, a passing score on the Georgia Performance Assessment for
Educational Leadership (PASL).
7.
Notification of Program
Completion. Upon successful completion of all program exit
requirements, the GaPSC-approved program provider shall notify the GaPSC that
the candidate has met all program requirements and is qualified for a
professional Performance-based Tier II certificate.
8.
Continuous Improvement as Part
of the Program Approval Process.
(i) As part of the continuous improvement
cycle required by GaPSC Program Approval Standards (2023), EPPs are advised to
engage partner school districts in regularly reviewing program effectiveness.
In addition, as a formative measure, EPPs are advised to engage in a mid-cycle
review using peers and partners as reviewers; such reviews will have no
regulatory consequences. Mid-cycle formative reviews will use a valid and
reliable process such as Quality
Measures.
(4)
Eligible Program Providers.
The Alternative Preparation for Educational Leadership program may be proposed
by any GaPSC-approved EPP that can verify, through the program approval
process, the ability to provide an alternative preparation program complying
with the definitions, standards, and requirements of the Alternative
Preparation for Educational Leadership program as delineated in this rule. The
eligible provider shall create a preparation program for both Tier I and Tier
II; however, a provider is not required to offer a Tier II program.
GaPSC-approved educator preparation providers at LUAs, private schools, or
charter schools shall offer an approved alternative preparation program only to
those candidates employed by that LUA or P-12 school.
Notes
State regulations are updated quarterly; we currently have two versions available. Below is a comparison between our most recent version and the prior quarterly release. More comparison features will be added as we have more versions to compare.
No prior version found.