|
Supervisor Certificate---Get with the Program! |
|
|
|
|
Written by Mary Arredondo, Ph.D., NCSP
|
|
Monday, 18 May 2009 |
On April 28, 2008, the Arizona State Board of Education gave final approval to recommended changes in Administrative Certificates. There are three levels of Administrative Certificates in Arizona: the Supervisor Certificate, the Principal Certificate and the Superintendent Certificate. The one most directly affecting speech-language pathologists is the Supervisor Certificate. In the past, three years of teaching were required, along with a valid teaching certificate, to obtain the Supervisor Certificate. With the newly approved changes, experience as a speech-language pathologist and the speech-language pathologist certification will count toward meeting the requirements of the Supervisor Certificate. These changes will also apply to certified school psychologists and school guidance counselors, in that all of us are now certified under the category of “Other Professional Certificates.”
The new requirements to obtain a Supervisor Certificate are:
- a valid speech-language pathologist certificate in Arizona (in your case);
- a master’s or more advanced degree;
- three years experience as a school-based speech-language pathologist (or teacher);
- completion of a program in educational administration, consisting of at least 18 semester hours of coursework in educational administration, to include three hours of school law and three hours of school finance;
- a practicum in educational administration or two years verified educational administrative experience;
- a passing score on the Arizona Administrator Proficiency Assessment;
- fingerprint clearance card;
- 45 clock hours of SEI training (with 45 more within 3 years);
- Arizona Constitution (course or examination); and
- U.S. Constitution (course or examination).
There is some allowance for choice of courses, although school finance,
school law and a documented practicum must appear on the transcripts.
The practicum course can count as part of the required 18 credit hours
in educational administration. Should you waive the practicum course
because you have been an administrator for two years, you will still
need to accumulate 18 hours of educational administration courses. Be
sure that any courses you start taking in hopes of counting them toward
your required 18 hours have an EDA or Educational Administration course
number. Depending on the university, the department name may be
different, such as “Educational Leadership.” Also, although you have
some leeway in course selection, be sure you take courses with a
variety of names or areas of emphasis, showing a true course of study.
This year has brought nothing but bad news for education monies in
Arizona. These deep budget cuts have affected the state universities as
well. Earlier in the year, we were able to initiate conversations with
several of our universities about developing Supervisor Certificate
training cohorts or about bundling courses to constitute a Supervisor
Certificate training program. State budget cuts after the first of the
year, however, halted much of the conversation about expanding
university programs or developing new ones. Nonetheless, it is very
possible for those of you interested in pursuing administrative
positions to obtain the Supervisor Certificate, and with several
convenient options. The good news is that you are allowed to be
creative in combining coursework from several different universities,
as long as you simply submit your transcripts to show you meet all the
requirements. For example, should you take some online courses through
University of Phoenix or Grand Canyon and other “ground” courses
through ASU, NAU or U of A, it is not necessary to “transfer” courses
to one place, in that you are not asking a university to grant you a
degree. You are only asking the State Department for a non-degree
certificate. Note, however, that each university has rules about the
limit of undeclared courses you can take or transfer without enrolling
in a “program.” ASU, for example, allows you to take six hours that
transfer from another program; but you must take 12 of the 18 hours in
their “program,” in order to constitute program completion. In
contrast, the University of Phoenix has no limit on the number of
“continuing education” courses a person can take, nor does Grand Canyon
University. Be sure to ask up front, as you plan your course of study,
how many hours you need to take at a given university in order to
enroll in the practicum course.
Likewise, you are allowed to collect your Structured English Immersion
(SEI) hours wherever you can get them, noting that the courses must be
state approved. Although non-teaching professionals have not been
required to have the endorsement hours in SEI required of all teachers
and administrators, those requirements will apply on the Supervisor
Certificate. As someone holding an Arizona certificate already, you
will need to have 45 clock hours of State Board approved training in
SEI to submit with your application for the administrative certificate.
Then, you have three years to obtain 45 more hours of training, for a
total of 90 hours. That training can be in the form of professional
development or a three-unit class (one credit hour = 15 clock hours).
Many of the approved SEI courses are available online. Also, many
school districts offer their own training. Non-teaching professionals
have often been excluded from these sometimes free classes, in that the
SEI training is not required for the Speech-Language Pathologist
Certificate. However, you should make your district aware that you are
working toward the Supervisor Certificate, in hopes of being included
in the SEI district training. Hang on to your training certificates
until you submit your application for the Supervisor Certificate. Don’t
forget to hang on to your next 45 hours of SEI training, as well, for
your certificate renewal three years later. For a listing of State
Board approved university SEI training courses, consult this website:
http://www.ade.az.gov/oelas/downloads/InstitituesofHigherLearning.pdf
Click on the link below to download more information on some
recommended avenues to explore for obtaining administrative coursework,
considering your preferred style of learning, cost of courses and
scheduling convenience. Many of you may be more interested in pursuing
a Ph.D. or Ed.D. in Educational Leadership, with enough hours to also
obtain state certification as a superintendent. Speech-language
pathologists are now eligible to pursue this certificate, as well as
the Supervisor level certificate, in that both of these certificates no
longer require classroom teaching experience, nor a teaching
certificate. You are NOT allowed, however, to obtain a Principal
Certificate without three years teaching experience and the
prerequisite teaching credential.
Click here to download information on administrative coursework opportunities!
Click here to download a flier on a SEI Endorsement opportunity!
|
|
|
|
|
