Degrees for Education

Accreditation Information :
Pre Requisite Courses :
Qualifying Exams :

Tution Fees :
Financial Aid / Scholarship Offered :
Courses :

The mission of WSU’s Field-Based Superintendent’s Certification Program is to prepare school district leaders with the leadership and management skills needed to lead their organizations to the improvement of student learning. The Field-Based Superintendent’s Certification Program is specifically designed to prepare current building principals and mid-level administrators to meet the leadership challenges to be faced by school superintendents in the twenty-first century.

The program content is organized around four major semester topics and four seminar sub-topics for each. The tentative themes and topics are as follows:

First year - Fall Semester: EdAd 587-Seminar in Educational Leadership (Effective Leadership)
Seminar #1: Role & Behavior of Superintendents
Seminar #2: Focus on All Students Learning
Seminar #3: Socially Just and Democratic School
Seminar #4: Dynamic & Distributed Leadership

First year - Spring Semester: EdAd 587-Seminar in Educational Leadership (Quality Teaching & Learning)
Seminar #5: High Expectations and Accountability for Adults (Personnel)
Seminar #6: Coordinated and Aligned Curriculum and Assessment
Seminar #7: Coordinated & Embedded Professional Development
Seminar #8: Quality Classroom Instruction

Second year - Fall Semester: EdAd 581-Politics in Education (Support for System-wide Improvement)
Seminar #9: Effective Use of Data
Seminar #10: Strategic Resource Management
Seminar #11: Policy and Program Coherence
Seminar #12: Governance

Second year - Spring Semester: EdAd xxx-School Superintendent (clear and Collaborative Relationships)
Seminar #13: Professional culture & Collaborative Relationships
Seminar #14: Clear Understanding of School & District Roles & Responsibilities
Seminar #15: Interpreting and Managing the External Environment
Seminar #16: Partnerships

Washington State University, the College of Education, and this program share a strong commitment to diversity and social justice. We encourage applications from women and members of minority racial and ethnic groups. We firmly believe that a diverse program cohort will provide an enriched experience for all participants, and will ultimately result in a stronger cadre of leaders for our state’s and nation’s schools.

The WSU Spokane Principal and Program Administrator Professional Certificate programs provide course work in Spokane and Wenatchee.

Program faculty have a strong commitment to providing an exemplary preparation program for beginning school administrators in a high-stakes accountability environment. There is a strong nexus between intended student outcomes of the preparation program and the expectations for administrators to lead highly effective schools. The “Nine Characteristics of High Performing Schools” as endorsed by the Washington State Board of Education provides an overall framework for the purposes of Washington State University’s administrative preparation program. The program is committed to preparing school leaders who have a passion about the importance of quality leadership and a clear understanding of how to positively impact student learning and achievement.

To prepare school leaders with the leadership and management skills needed to improve student learning in a variety of school environments the program includes the following principles:
Provide relevant and rigorous coursework that closely aligns with expectations for school building and district leaders.
Provide a rigorous field-based internship organized around the six professional standards from Interstate School Leaders Licensure Consortium (ISLLC).
Collaborate closely with school district mentors to plan and supervise internship experiences.
Encourage and facilitate networking among administrative candidates through participation in seminars and workshops with interns from other institutions.
Deliver instruction by faculty members who have experience, skills, and knowledge as school building and district leaders.
Academic Expectations

Courses and seminars, while closely linked to the ISLLC standards and problems of practice, also reflect the academic standards of WSU graduate programs. Program participants are expected to successfully complete all academic course requirements and to demonstrate their ability to write and think clearly through the completion of course papers and other assignments.
Washington State-Funded Educational Leadership Intern Program

It is very important that an intern has release time from his or her other responsibilities to experience and practice the role of the principal, to be involved in the day-to-day operation of the school, and to participate in leadership professional development opportunities.

The Washington State-Funded Educational Leadership Intern Program provides funds to school districts for release time for individuals participating in an administrative intern program. The program is managed by the Washington School Principals Education Foundation, an affiliate of the Association of Washington School Principals (AWSP), in cooperation with the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI).

Grants are awarded each year through a competitive grant application process. Applications are distributed to school districts, universities and educational service districts in mid January from OSPI and due back to AWSP in mid March. Successful grant recipients are usually notified in May regarding release time funding for the following academic year. Grant recipients are also expected to respond to various surveys and data collection processes conducted by AWSP.

Spokane and Wenatchee interns are expected to apply for this grant in January of the first year of the two year internship to support their second year internship activities.

Funding for the Washington State-Funded Educational Leadership Program is dependent on legislative appropriations.

The objectives of the internship activities are: (1) to assist the candidate to acquire the skills identified for each of the standards, and (2) to provide additional valuable learning experiences relative to the administrative position as jointly determined by the mentor, the candidate and the university supervisor. During the course of the program, candidates should be sure to complete at least one major project related to each of the six program standards as described in the “Washington State Certification Performance Indicators.”
Alignment with degree programs

Education courses taken in Spokane may be used as supporting course work for students admitted to a WSU degree program, such as the Ed.M or Ed.D.
Program admittance requirements

Prerequisite Experience: Applicants must hold or have held a valid teaching certificate or an ESA certificate with appropriate documentation of successful school-based experience in an instructional role with students.

Academic requirement: Applicants must have a master’s degree from an accredited institution in order to apply for the administrative certificate. Students may work on the master’s degree and the certificate at the same time, and most of the course work in the principal certificate program may be applied to the Ed.M. in Educational Leadership offered through WSU Spokane.

Moral Character: Applicants who do not hold a valid Washington certificate at the time of application (See WAC 180-79A-155) must complete Fingerprinting, Washington State Patrol and FBI background check.

The MIT program is for an individual who holds a baccalaureate degree in a field other than education and who wants to become a teacher. Students are selected through a careful screening process that seeks those who are not only academically capable but who are especially devoted to the education of children.

The degree is available through a full-time, cohort-based program. When you join the MIT program, you join a group of students who continue through the program together, providing a supportive learning environment.

The MIT program at Washington State University Spokane is an intensive, integrated course of study and field experiences (51 graduate credits) that is completed in 12 months and provides:
all coursework to meet the state of Washington K-8 certification;
a Constructivist approach to teaching and learning; and
a range of diverse-learner experiences.

This graduate degree is delivered from the Washington State University Pullman campus via live, interactive courses broadcast over the Academic Media System (AMS). Some instruction will be live in Spokane and your faculty advisor and clinical supervisor for your internships in the public schools will be Spokane faculty.

Students begin their coursework in summer session, continue with classes and add pre-internship experiences at school sites during the fall semester, do their full-time student teaching (11-week internship) in the spring semester, and complete additional coursework the following summer.

Effective teaching in today’s schools requires that teachers draw upon students’ social, cultural, linguistic, and academic strengths in the teaching and learning process. In order to accomplish this complex task, teachers must have an understanding of learners, learning and teaching, and be reflective in their practice.

WSU Spokane, in collaboration with WSU Pullman, is pleased to offer two master’s degrees with specialization in Curriculum and Instruction. The specialization offers students rigorous and highly individually tailored programs of study. The degree programs are designed for students with bachelor degrees who have an interest in deepening their knowledge in a specific content area (in or outside the College of Education) as well as educational research in curriculum and instruction. The specialization emphasizes applying research, theory, and evidence-based practices to improve education. The Ed.M. degree in Curriculum and Instruction works nicely with the WSU Professional Certification Program for teachers, and offers several avenues for study on the Spokane campus including online coursework in the areas of literacy and special education.

WSU Spokane, in collaboration with WSU Pullman, is pleased to offer two master’s degrees in Educational Leadership designed for current educators who wish to pursue careers in leadership positions in the field of education. The programs provide a balance of practical experience, research, and theory to prepare practitioner-scholars for leadership positions in K-12 school settings or for continued study and research in the field of Educational Leadership. WSU’s Educational Leadership programs focus on the theme of leadership for school improvement. The Ed.M. degree fits nicely with the WSU field-based principal and program administrator certification programs, allowing students both the degree and the certification simultaneously, maximizing their courses of study with courses that meet the requirements of both programs.

The MIT program is for an individual who holds a baccalaureate degree in a field other than education and who wants to become a teacher. Students are selected through a careful screening process that seeks those who are not only academically capable but who are especially devoted to the education of children.

Accreditation Information :
Pre Requisite Courses :
Qualifying Exams :

Tution Fees :
Financial Aid / Scholarship Offered :
Courses :

Leadership for school improvement: A statewide doctor of education (Ed.D.) program offered by WSU’s College of Education Department of Educational Leadership and Counseling Psychology features coursework that is primarily available on the Spokane campus. This is a cohort-based program focusing on the themes of collaborative leadership and school improvement.

The Ed.D. in educational leadership is designed to prepare students whose primary interest is in the practice of education as K-12 administrators and is typically taken by those who will occupy positions of leadership and applied specialties in public or private educational organizations or related fields. Program delivery requires that students attend two summer institutes on the Pullman campus.

Many students completing the field-based principal’s and superintendent’s certification programs go on to apply credits earned in those programs to this Ed.D.

Who Should Complete a Professional Certificate Program (PCP)?
On September 1, 2000, a new teacher certificate structure was implemented in the state of Washington. The first-level certificate, called the Residency Certificate, is valid for five years. Teachers who possess a Residency Certificate must complete requirements for the Professional Certificate, within five year or apply for a renewal of the Residency Certificate.
Teachers who wish to improve their classroom techniques and explore personal growth opportunities.

Admission Requirements
Valid Residency Teaching Certificate.
Current employment in a Washington State public or approved private school.
Completion of provisional status as a teacher. (Note: Teachers may begin a PCP while in provisional status, but will not be considered officially admitted into the PCP until provisional status is successfully completed. However, admission of teachers on provisional status will not obligate WSU to officially admit the teacher at a later time).
Applicants wishing to pursue a master’s degree along with their Professional Certificate must meet the admission criteria of the WSU Graduate School and the Department of Teaching and Learning.

Note: Out-of-state teachers who do not qualify for the Professional Certificate may request a review of their qualifications.

Teachers who have completed Washington State approved PCP courses at other institutions of higher education will be allowed to transfer those credits upon evaluation and approval by the PCP Coordinator.

Professional Growth Team

Teachers will assist in selection of a Professional Growth Team (PGT). The PGT will consist of the teacher, a colleague specified by the teacher, a Washington State University advisor, and a school district representative. The PGT will review the evidence for each standard and make a determination of successful or unsuccessful completion. The PGT assists the teacher in the development of the Professional Growth Plan (PGP).

Pre-Assessment Seminar (3 credits)
Professional Education Seminar, T&L 541

Teachers will identify their Professional Growth Team (PGT) and prepare an initial draft of a Professional Growth Plan. By the end of the course, candidates will submit their completed Professional Growth Plan (PGP).

Core Research and Development (5-6 credits)

Teachers, in collaboration with their PGT, will identify the learning opportunities that will enable them to acquire the competency to demonstrate successful performance of all Professional Certificate standards. These learning opportunities can include university course work, professional conferences, independent study with faculty members, and professional development activities sponsored by outside agencies. WSU offers advanced course work in most content areas, including teaching methods in the content areas as well as courses that address the various standards under effective teaching, professional development, and leadership.

Culminating Seminar (2 credits)
Professional Education Capstone Seminar, T&L 543

The Culminating Seminar provides the opportunity for teachers to synthesize the evidence and supporting materials they will provide in a portfolio to the PGT. Teachers will work in teams to refine their portfolios and provide peer review of portfolio materials. Additionally, the Culminating Seminar will conclude with a review of the requirements for certification by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards.

Successful Program Completion

To complete the Professional Certificate Program teachers must provide evidence of meeting the Professional Certificate Standards. Successful completion will be based on the standards outlined in WAC 180-78A-540 and as included in the OSPI Professional Certificate materials. This evidence includes the following:
Professional Growth Plan
Positive Impact Plan
Family Involvement Plan
Comprehensive Learning Instructional Plan
Classroom Inquiry/Action Research Plan
Classroom Inquiry/Reflective Analysis Plan
Leadership Activities Plan
Advocacy Statement
Other evidence identified by the teacher and Professional Growth Team (PGT)

This innovative, streamlined program offers you the best possible training for the principalship AND a network of colleagues and mentors who will help you get that first job! This program was designed by an Advisory Committee of working administrators and is team taught by highly successful administrators and WSU faculty. Thus, we offer the best of both worlds—current, practical knowledge and skills along with high quality academic courses. Participants are eligible for state funds to support their internships.

Unique features include:
A cohort model that allows you to develop a close, professional network
A two-year internship that gives you a solid background in essential skills
A faculty with extensive professional experience
A cumulative portfolio to present at interviews

This is a two-year program that is closely aligned with the Master’s in Education (Ed.M.) so both can be completed within the two years. Credits earned in the certification program can be used on the master’s or doctoral degrees. The centerpiece of the Field-Based program is a two-year internship with a successful school principal, in combination with a series of bi-weekly seminars. Participants enroll in three hours of internship credit each semester (EdAd 590) and a three hour seminar in educational administration. Two additional required courses are offered each summer (EdAd 585—Finance; EdAd 588—Law and Education).