The Program Leading to Principal Certification (Grades K -12)
Option 1 Program Self-Study
The professional education program has well-defined criteria for admission which assesses the candidates’ potential for leadership through an examination of their oral and written communication skills, academic preparation, qualifying work experience, and organizational ability. The program has been created and taught collaboratively with the masters in public administration program in the
department of political science. I. Knowing the Content
The professional education program provides evidence that School Principal
certification candidates demonstrate their knowledge of and competence in working in the elementary and secondary public school settings including:
I.A. Theories of educational leadership including:
• leadership styles, systems theory, and decision making models, • staff selection, supervision, evaluation, and dismissal procedures, • staff induction, support, mentoring, and development,
• team building and cultivation of school culture that promotes learning
The pre-service School Principal candidate, in the graduate educational leadership program at Villanova University, must take for this guideline MPA (Masters of Public Administration) 8002 Structure and Theory of Organizations, MPA 8100 Decision Making. Structure and Theory of Organizations delves into various theories of
organizational structure as well as focuses on organizational paths of change to improve the functioning of the organization. Students must write two theory explanations and applications as well as formulate a path of change for the particular organizations in which they work. At the culmination of the course, students write a statement of leadership highlighting how the study of organizational theory helps them hone their leadership skills.
applied to real-life situations through case-study analysis and memos of understanding. Again, theory is practically applied to each student’s professional situation to enhance personal professional development.
In addition to the aforementioned courses, EDU 7250 and 7251 Seminar in Educational Leadership I and II, respectively, require that students prepare and revise philosophies of leadership. Seminar I in Educational Leadership (EDU 7520) introduces students to the theory and practice of school leadership. The course emphasizes the core assumptions of adult learning theory, the formation of learning communities, reflection-on-practice, content-based decision-making, and leadership ethics. Students begin organizing their school leadership statement and professional portfolio which they complete in Seminar in Educational Leadership II, taken in the final semester of the Masters program. Seminar in Educational Leadership II is a writing-intensive seminar that integrates the interdisciplinary learning experiences of the Educational Leadership Program.
These courses coupled with EDU 8677, The Principalship and EDU 8696, Practicum, insure the complete development of the educational administrator.
Syllabi for these courses are included with this self-study and will be available in the evidence room. Samples of students’ work will be available in the evidence room. I.B. The role of the principal as an instructional leader who focuses on teaching and learning including:
• curriculum development, including for special needs students, • data driven decision making and problem solving,
• instructional scheduling, • instructional technology,
• teaching skills, differentiated instruction, and exclusionary practices, • learning theory and student motivation
These standards are addressed through the following courses: EDU 7250/7251 Seminar in Educational Leadership I and II, EDU 8672 Instructional Leadership, EDU 8677 The Principalship, EDU 8679 Curriculum and Instruction in Schools and EDU 8696 Practicum as well as MPA 8002 Structure and Theory of Organizations.
EDU 8672, Instructional Leadership, develops a foundation for aspiring school leaders to synthesize research in social science, curriculum and instruction, as well as human resources and leadership with their experiential perspectives about effective teaching. Reflective practice, teacher advocacy, instruction and learning, as well as supervisory techniques are emphasized not only to assist aspiring instructional leaders to understand observed behaviors and events in classrooms but, more importantly, to enable them to assist their colleagues to interpret how their behaviors and events impact learning in their classrooms.
Syllabi for these courses are included with this self-study and will be available in the evidence room. Samples of students’ work will be available in the evidence room. I.C. School organizations and structure within a social and political environment including:
• local school boards and community organizations, • state boards of education and state government, • special interest groups,
• professional organizations and labor unions
This guideline is addressed through the following courses: EDU 7250/7251 Seminar in Educational Leadership I and II, EDU 8672 Instructional Leadership, EDU 8664 Politics of Education, EDU 8677 The Principalship, EDU 8679 Curriculum and Instruction in Schools and EDU 8696 Practicum as well as MPA 8002 Structure and Theory of Organizations, MPA 8100 Decision Making, and MPA 8200 Administrative Communication.
Politics of Education, EDU 8664, discusses the local, state, and national political context and philosophical and historical antecedents of the political processes in the nation’s educational systems. It also touches on the political model of organization theory (also discussed in MPA 8002) and how that theory applies to educational systems.
Syllabi for these courses are included with this self-study and will be available in the evidence room. Samples of students’ work will be available in the evidence room. I.D. Historical and contemporary issues in school law and the legal responsibilities of school administrators including:
• special education, due process, least restrictive environments, and student medications,
• discipline, suspension and expulsion,
• record keeping, assessment data, and privacy,
• safe schools, drug-free schools, and sexual and physical abuse/harassment, • labor relations/contract management, and due process
This guideline is addressed through the following courses: EDU 7251 Seminar in Educational Leadership II, EDU 8656 School Law, EDU 8664 Politics of Education, EDU 8677 The Principalship, and EDU 8696 Practicum.
School Law examines the relation of law, politics, and education within the framework of the American legal system. Legal concerns, interests, and issues that dominate American jurisprudence and the interpretation of education-related laws as they relate to both the public and nonpublic schools are surveyed. The course addresses each of these topics through reading and discussion of laws pertaining to court cases in
education. Students also choose one topic of interest to further explore and share with the class in a 30 minute presentation.
• strategic planning for school improvement, • budget planning and resource allocation • facilities management,
• technology selection and utilization
The pre-service School Principal candidate, in the graduate educational leadership program at Villanova University, must take for this guideline EDU 7251 Seminar in Educational Leadership II, EDU 8658 Business Aspects of School Administration, EDU 8677 The Principalship, as well as MPA 8002 Structure and Theory of Organizations and MPA 8100 Decision Making.
Business Aspects of School Administration, EDU 8658, provides an overview of the structure and functions of a school’s business office as well as how these support the achievement of the school’s primary purpose, the education of youth. The goals of the course include learning techniques and concepts in order to participate in the evaluation of the non-educational functions of school systems, understanding the essential steps in planning, developing, and managing a school district budget, assisting in the collective bargaining process related to schools and becoming acquainted with sources of literature available in the field of business management and educational finance.
Syllabi for these courses are included with this self-study and will be available in the evidence room. Samples of students’ work will be available in the evidence room. I.F. The proactive role of the principal in school/community relations including: • promoting parental participation,
• articulating and marketing the school program, media relations, and public relations,
• interpreting student performance data to parents and community,
• understanding the roles of parents, community and business leaders, school boards, and taxpayers,
• understanding human behavior,
• seeking and using community feedback,
• mediating concerns of students, staff, parents and the community
This guideline is addressed through the following courses: EDU 7250/7251 Seminar in Educational Leadership I and II, EDU 8672 Instructional Leadership, EDU 8677 The Principalship, EDU 8696 Practicum, as well as MPA 8002 and primarily MPA 8200 Administrative Communication.
Administrative Communication studies the role of communication and social skills in creating better relations among individuals and among organizations, with particular attention to the ways in which listening skills, writing skills, speaking skills, and delegation lead to better management. The overall goal of this course is to
understand how communication functions in the establishment and maintenance of organizations and organizational cultures. It will be structured so that the theoretical constructs offered in print and in lecture will be reinforced by classroom practice.
More specifically, upon completion of this course, students will be able to
incongruent messages, explain the transactional theory of self-concept development, describe interpersonal strategies and explain healthy communication transactions, define and describe the process of organizational communication, identify and discuss the three schools of organizational theory, describe and discuss organizational communication climates, explain how information is exchanged within the organization, understand the concept of organizational culture and how it impacts on organization function, explain how small groups may function more effectively within organizations, identify the components of informative and persuasive public presentations and explain how to stimulate effective organizational change.
Syllabi for these courses are included with this self-study and will be available in the evidence room. Samples of students’ work will be available in the evidence room. II. Performances
The professional education program provides evidence that School Principal Certification candidates demonstrate their knowledge of and competence in applying the fundamental concepts of school administration during a minimum of 360 hours of participation in authentic simulations, field experiences, and an internship including:
• completion of identified role expectations and competencies,
• performances at diverse settings and secondary and elementary educational levels, • customized projects that address identified needs of the candidates,
• use of current research and best practices, • participation in a 180 hour internship
The pre-service School Principal candidate, in the graduate educational leadership program at Villanova University, must take for these guidelines: EDU 7250/7251
Seminar in Educational Leadership I and II, EDU 8672 Instructional Leadership, EDU 8677 The Principalship and EDU 8696 Practicum as well as MPA 8002 Structure and Theory of Organizations MPA 8100 Decision Making, MPA 8200 Administrative Communication and MPA 8300 Leadership Ethics.
In the Practicum course, EDU 8696, taken during the final semester of the Masters program, students spend a total of 180 hours shadowing three school principals in three different school settings (public, private, and urban/suburban) to observe school leadership behavior in practice and to construct a practice-based school leadership model. This course, taken in conjunction with EDU 7251, Seminar in Educational Leadership II, integrates theory and practice and is the culmination of the Masters degree.
III. Professionalism
The professional education program provides that each certification candidate demonstrates knowledge and competencies that foster professionalism and ethical practices in school/community settings including:
III.A. Professional organizations, professional literature, resources and advocacy groups
program at Villanova University, must take for this guideline: EDU 7250/7251 Seminar in Educational Leadership I and II, EDU 8658 Business Aspects of Educational
Administration, EDU 8664 Politics of Education, EDU 8672 Instructional Leadership, EDU 8677 Principalship, and EDU 8696 Practicum as well as MPA 8002 Structure and Theory of Organizations.
Syllabi for these courses are included with this self-study and will be available in the evidence room. Samples of students’ work will be available in the evidence room. III.B. Integrity and ethical behavior, professional conduct as stated in
Pennsylvania’s Code of Professional Practice and Conduct for Educators; and local, state, and federal laws and regulations
The pre-service School Principal candidate, in the graduate educational leadership program at Villanova University, must take for this guideline: EDU 7250/7251 Seminar in Educational Leadership I and II, EDU 8672 Instructional Leadership, EDU 8677 Practicum, as well as MPA 8002 Structure and Theory of Organizations, MPA 8100 Decision Making, MPA 8200 Administrative Communication, and MPA 8300 Leadership Ethics.
Syllabi for these courses are included with this self-study and will be available in the evidence room. Samples of students’ work will be available in the evidence room. III.C. Communicating effectively (orally and in writing) with students, colleagues, faculty, families, paraprofessionals, related service personnel, outside agencies and the community
The pre-service School Principal candidate, in the graduate educational leadership program at Villanova University, must take for this guideline: EDU 7250/7251 Seminar in Educational Leadership I and II, EDU 8672 Instructional Leadership, EDU 8677 The Principalship, and EDU 8696 Practicum as well as MPA 8002 Structure and Theory of Organizations and MPA 8200 Administrative Communication
Syllabi for these courses are included with this self-study and will be available in the evidence room. Samples of students’ work will be available in the evidence room. III.D. Recognizing the professional responsibilities of administrators’ and teachers’ roles as collaborators, team members, advocates, and service coordinators
The pre-service School Principal candidate, in the graduate educational leadership program at Villanova University, must take for this guideline: EDU 7250/7251 Seminar in Educational Leadership I and II, EDU 8672 Instructional Leadership, EDU 8677 The Principalship, EDU 8696 Practicum as well as MPA 8002 Structure and Theory of Organizations.
