Friday, September 30, 2011

Staying ahead in education: professional development programs allow administrators to stay on top of their game.

Staying ahead in education: professional development programs allow administrators to stay on top of their game. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] WHEN CHARLES SORIANO ENROLLED IN classes Educational Leadershipprogram at the University of Pennsylvania (body, education) University of Pennsylvania - The home of ENIAC and Machiavelli.http://upenn.edu/.Address: Philadelphia, PA, USA. , he was already anaccomplished school administrator. Assistant superintendent of schoolsin the East Hampton East Hampton or its variants is the name of several places in the United States: East Hampton, Connecticut East Hampton (town), New York East Hampton (village), New York East Hampton Hospital Trust, the setting for the British sitcom Green Wing (N.Y.) Union Free School District, Soriano had twomaster's degrees--in English literature English literature,literature written in English since c.1450 by the inhabitants of the British Isles; it was during the 15th cent. that the English language acquired much of its modern form. and educationalleadership--and had served on state panels and advisory committees. Hewasn't satisfied and chose to pursue professional development."I really believe school leadership is a craft," he says."I wanted that challenge to strive to get to the next level of mycareer. I do want to be a superintendent at some point, and while Idon't think it's necessary to have a doctorate, I think thedegree and the level of learning required is helpful in enhancing yourchance of success." Administrators trying to keep up with developments in 21st-centuryeducation are finding that leadership at the school and even districtlevel is changing. The three-year doctoral program at Penn'sGraduate School of Education offers working professionals the tools tostrengthen educational outcomes at K12 districts, with a rigorousworkload and a curriculum based on instructional, organizational,public, and evidence-based leadership. Harvard's Graduate School ofEducation is also launching a doctor of education leadership programnext summer. "We find there are a lot of people hungry for theexperience," says Mike Johanek, director of the program at Penn."We have people with responsibilities for running a building or adistrict, people who run the technology for a district, a statecommissioner of education. You can't ask people at this level tostop their career for three to five years to do a program like this;that's not going to happen." Daniel Domenech, executive director of the American Association ofSchool Administrators, says it's probably more important today thanever for top-level administrators to get more professional development,be on top of energy conservation and human resources The fancy word for "people." The human resources department within an organization, years ago known as the "personnel department," manages the administrative aspects of the employees. issues, be amanager and be trained in the very latest pedagogical ped��a��gog��ic? also ped��a��gog��i��caladj.1. Of, relating to, or characteristic of pedagogy.2. Characterized by pedantic formality: a haughty, pedagogic manner. approaches toteaching. "So much attention is being paid to accountability andclosing the achievement gap," he says. "They are essentiallyCEOs in the school system." But professional development does not have to be a doctoral programat an Ivy League Ivy LeagueGroup of eight universities in the northeastern U.S., high in academic and social prestige, that are members of an athletic conference for intercollegiate gridiron football dating to the 1870s. school. Administrators can attend programs that covereverything from integrating technology into a curriculum to improvingEnglish-as-a-second-language courses. Professional development hasbecome so valuable that even Boston Public Schools has created its ownin-house professional development institutions to develop managementskills among staff. And the Association of School Business OfficersInternational will launch a new certification program for schoolbusiness officials next fall. It is designed in part to strengthencareers and show stakeholders that such officials have the know-how tosupport them. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] "The need for continuing education continuing education:see adult education. continuing educationor adult educationAny form of learning provided for adults. In the U.S. the University of Wisconsin was the first academic institution to offer such programs (1904). is as great or greater thanever before," says Tim Sloate, director of research at theUniversity Continuing Education Association. "As baby boomersretire, employers will have a harder time finding administrators who areas ready. Professional development can help." The Programs The University of Washington's professional developmentprograms in leadership offer the skills to maneuver around thecomplicated job of administrator, which in the 1960s was viewed as thedomain of persons who simply kept an eye on the budget and kept programshumming along, according to according toprep.1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians.2. In keeping with: according to instructions.3. Mike Copland, an associate professor and thechair of education leadership and policy studies at the University ofWashington. "Now we understand that leading instruction is a much morecomplex endeavor," Copland says. "What does qualityinstruction look like, how do you lead to improve quality instruction,how can you grow teachers' skills?" Professional development programs cover technology in theclassroom, No Child Left Behind requirements, data-driven decisions, anddifferentiated learning. Such K12 trends challenge administrators daily,and ongoing professional development provides district leaders with thestate-of-the-art thinking on how a district can best approach suchissues. At Eastern Kentucky University Student LifeThe Eastern Kentucky University Office of Student Life works closely with Registered Student Organizations (RSO's), Greek Life, and Thursday Alternative Getaway (TAG). , for example, K12 administratorscan attend an annual diversity conference that is a professionalworkshop on successful team building strategies. Seton Hall University Seton Hall University is a private Roman Catholic university located 14 miles from Manhattan in historic South Orange, New Jersey. Founded in 1856 by Archbishop James Roosevelt Bayley, Seton Hall is the oldest diocesan university in the United States. offers options in professional development,including an executive doctoral program much like the one at Penn, andmaster's degrees in issues such as school psychology and bilingual/bicultural bi��cul��tur��al?adj.Of or relating to two distinct cultures in one nation or geographic region: bicultural education.bi��cul education. The university also operates the New JerseySuperintendent Study Council, a group with more than 130 members whomeet monthly to explore topics such as how to conduct a threatassessment and how to develop and implement a districtwide strategicplan. "Leading a school district today is like working in a level 5hurricane. From high stakes High Stakes is a British sitcom starring Richard Wilson that aired in 2001. It was written by Tony Sarchet. The second series remains unaired after the first received a poor reception. testing to the different family structuresthat children grow up in today--it's different than in thepast," says Charles P. Mitchel, Seton Hall's College ofEducation and Human Services associate dean. Pennsylvania now requires that school and system leaders, from viceprincipals to superintendents, take professional development coursesdesigned to promote leadership standards. Some programs include how tocreate a strategic organizational vision and how to access and useappropriate data to inform decision making at all levels of the system.At the Harrisburg campus of Penn State University, school administratorscan take full-day workshops on topics such as data analysis for informedinstruction and special education. "It's designed to keepwell-informed leadership in our schools," says Miguel Hernandez,the manager of new programs at Penn State's department ofcontinuing and professional education. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Moving in the Same Direction Professional development for school administrators tends to be anindividual decision--to bolster knowledge and beef up a resume. But somedistricts are start ing to see professional development foradministrators like it is approached for teachers--as a requirement toensure that staff are on the same page about pedagogical decisions."Our theory is that districts need to develop expertise aroundprofessional learning. We coach principals, central office leaders. Theunit of change, we feel, has to be the district," says StephenFink, executive director of the Center for Educational Leadership at theUniversity of Washington, which works with such districts as the AtlantaPublic Schools Atlanta Public Schools is a school district based in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. APS is run by the Atlanta Board of Education with superintendent Dr. Beverly L. Hall. Currently, the system has an active enrollment of 57,000 students, attending a total of 85 schools: 59 elementary , the Marysville (Wash.) School District and theNorwalk-La Mirada (Calif.) Unified School District. The center works with a cadre of administrators from a specificdistrict for a year or more, focusing on how each can bring out the bestin each school's faculty. The district's principals learninstructional leadership, giving them a toolkit to help their teachersimprove classroom instruction. And they form a cohort of likemindedadministrators, building a shared philosophy of the importance ofsupporting teachers, finding avenues to improve instruction, andfocusing on equity. Boston Public Schools believes in developing management skillsamong central office staff and recently created the ManagementInstitute. It will include three cohorts of 25 senior and mid-leveloperations managers from the district working with executive coachesfrom the District Management Council, a network of public schooldistrict leaders that represents 3 million students in 28 states, onskills like customer management, leadership development and programmanagement. "We want to build the capacity of leaders across oursystem," says William Horwath, assistant superintendent for humanresources. "The idea is to get a return on the investment that willbe many multiples of the money we put in." Going Online Beyond the in-person programs at higher education institutions,online professional development is also available. At Seton Hall, forexample, some of the master's programs are blended--with courseworkboth in the classroom and online--and some are strictly online. Bothoptions are designed so that students can work on their degree while onthe job. At Northcentral University, all the courses are online. Teachers,counselors assistant principals and district office staff take coursespart-time toward a master's degree. Principals, assistantsuperintendents and department heads work for an Ed.D. or a Ph.D. ineducation. Northcentral offers its students courses with a tight focus, suchas athletic department administration, curriculum design, or educationaltechnology. The school also offers certificates of advanced graduatestudies, which are earned with six courses in a specific topic. "Ifthey want, learners can even elect to take just a course or two tosharpen their skills," says Clinton Gardner, Northcentral'spresident. Immediate Payoffs For administrators who commit to a professional development course,the payoff can be immediate. Soriano discussed strategy for how hisdistrict could get the votes for a $79 million bond referendum withfaculty and colleagues in the Penn program, for example, and he creditstheir ideas and support as a factor in its passage. "We wouldsimulate a problem in one of our districts and think about it withtheoretical lenses, then apply what we learned to the real world onMonday when we were back in the office," says Soriano, whograduated from the program in 2007. "There was a vibrant exchangeof ideas--it was so enriching." Soriano gained an appreciation in creating "a culture ofongoing learning, that IT managers and principals can keep learning aswell," he says. "Whatever job title you hold, you can learn alot when you bring together professionals with similar experience andwork together to answer an organizing question." Programs to Bolster Your Career ADELPHI UNIVERSITY Adelphi University(ədĕl`fī), at Garden City, N.Y.; coeducational; chartered 1896 as Adelphi College. Originally in Brooklyn, the school moved to its present location in 1929 and in 1963 achieved university status. , Garden City, N.Y. Program Title: Non-Credit Continuing Education Course Description: University College partnered with faculty members fromthe Ruth S. Ammon School of Education to offer a noncredit professionaldevelopment program for K12 administrators. The program covers contractnegotiations, human resources, board of education meetings andelectronic records management. Upon completion, a noncredit certificateis given. Format: Online and classroom academics.adelphi.edu/universitycollege/noncred/schooladmin.php ASSOCIATION FOR SUPERVISION AND CURRICULUM DEVELOPMENT The Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, or ASCD, is a membership-based nonprofit organization founded in 1943. It has more than 175,000 members in 135 countries, including superintendents, supervisors, principals, teachers, professors of education, and , Alexandria,Va. Description: Classes for administrators cover various topics,including contemporary school leadership, conflict resolution andeffective leadership. Interactive, self-paced courses provideflexibility. Courses are up-to-date with instructional stratagies andlearning theories and include video and audio clips, tips from expertsand actual classroom examples, as well as instructional strategies andlearning theories. Format: Online www.ascd.org/professional_development/PO_Online_Courses.aspx THE BROAD FOUNDATION, Los Angeles Los Angeles(lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. , Calif. Program Title: The Broad Superintendents Academy Description: Prepares executives who have successfully led largeorganizations and have a passion for public service and places them inurban districts to dramatically improve the quality of education.Operates like an executive training program. Participants attend weekendsessions over 10 months while continuing to work in their current jobs.Sessions cover CEO-level skills and the best practices in educationreform leadership. Format: Weekend sessions broadacademy.org/about/overview.html CHAPMAN UNIVERSITY Chapman University is a private, nonprofit university located in the city of Orange in Orange County, California, USA. Mission statementThe mission of Chapman University is to provide personalized education of distinction that leads to inquiring, ethical and productive , Irvine, Calif. Description: Professional development credits used for professionaladvancement. Offers follow-up seminars, independent study courses, andworkshops for administrators. Format: Online, workshops and conferences www.chapman.edu/exed/k-12 COLLEGE BOARD, New York New York, state, United StatesNew York,Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of , N.Y. Program Titles: Building an AP Program: A Workshop forAdministrators, Pre-AP Instructional Leadership Through AP VerticalTeams Description: Workshops for K12 administrators touch on topicsrelated to developing, managing, coaching and coordinating an APprogram, pre-AP strategies, AP vertical teams, and the PSAT/NMSQT PSAT/NMSQTA trademark used for a preliminary standardized college entrance examination. .Participants learn leadership and administrative techniques and tactics. Format: Online and classroom professionals.col/egeboard.com/prof-dev/workshops/k-12 COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY Columbia University,mainly in New York City; founded 1754 as King's College by grant of King George II; first college in New York City, fifth oldest in the United States; one of the eight Ivy League institutions. , New York, N.Y. Description: Provides professional development in integratingtechnology into the classroom for K12 technology coordinators,principals and superintendents. Includes a combination of essentialhands-on and theoretical work and is designed to make use ofnewtechnologies. Format: Online ci.columbia.edu/ci/ecourses/education.html ED2GO Offered through the University of Wisconsin, Black Hills StateUniversity, and North Dakota State University North Dakota State University,at Fargo; land-grant and state supported; coeducational; chartered and opened 1890 as North Dakota Agricultural College, achieved university status in 1960. , among others Program Titles: Leadership, Podcasts in the Classroom Description: Offers a range of highly interactive courses onlineand geared toward professional development. Courses are designed to helpadministrators improve professional skills as well as learn about newtechnology and processes. Format: Online www.ed2go.com EDTECH LEADERS ONLINE, Newton, Mass. Description: Offers high-quality online professional developmentworkshops for K12 administrators focused on specific subject areas andgrade levels. Standards-based, project-based workshops are keptup-to-date by leading experts in educational technology. They includesix sessions and an online overview to learning. Format: Online www.edtechleaders.org/programs/workshops/catalog.asp THE ECONOMICS CENTER FOR EDUCATION AND RESEARCH, Cincinnati, Ohio “Cincinnati” redirects here. For other uses, see Cincinnati (disambiguation).Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Hamilton County. Description: Provides professional development for K12administrators, as well as courses and workshops for graduate creditthrough the University of Cincinnati The University of Cincinnati is a coeducational public research university in Cincinnati, Ohio. Ranked as one of America’s top 25 public research universities and in the top 50 of all American research universities,[2] or for noncredit participation.Educators obtain lesson plans, activities and cross-curricular contentwhile enhancing instruction, planning and student performance. Format: Classroom www.economicscenter.org/educator/pd HOLYOKE COMMUNITY COLLEGE Holyoke Community College (HCC) is a state-funded public two-year college located in Holyoke, Massachusetts. As of fall 2004, HCC offers 91 associate degree options and 45 certificate programs, as well as non-credit and workforce development courses. , Holyoke, Mass. Program Titles: Understanding Aggression in the Classroom, AdvancedClassroom Management Description: Provides courses with VirtualEducation Software for administrators consisting of interactiveinstruction on strategies for teaching students with special behavioraland learning needs. Courses allow K12 administrators to work on theirown schedule, and independent study options exist. Format: Online www.hcc.edu/programs/noncredit.html NORTHCENTRAL UNIVERSITY, Prescott Valley, Ariz. Program Titles: Non-Degree Studies, Education Certification Description: Offers degree and nondegree programs through theSchool of Education and provides courses and degree specializationsdesigned to meet the needs of education professionals. Format: Online www.ncu.edu/academics/welcome_fromeducation.aspx NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY Northeastern University,at Boston, Mass.; coeducational; founded 1898 as a program within the Boston YMCA, inc. 1916, university status 1922, fully independent of the YMCA 1948. , Boston, Mass. Program Title: Elementary and Secondary School Administration Description: The Professional Development Program offers a range ofprograms and workshops, consulting services, graduate level courses anddegrees to educators. Format: Online and classroom www.ace.neu.edu/pdp/about/about_programs NOVA SOUTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY, North Miami Beach North Miami Beach,residential and resort city (1990 pop. 35,359), Dade co., SE Fla., on the Atlantic coast; inc. 1931. It is a major office and retail area. , Fla. Program Titles: Institutional Technology, Distance Education Description: The Fischler School of Education and Human Servicesprovides programs in leadership, teaching and learning, humandevelopment and family studies, training and professional development,instructional technology and distance education, and communicationsciences and disorders. Format: Online and classroom www.schoolofed.nova.edu PENN STATE UNIVERSITY, State College, Pa. Description: The College of Education offers credit and noncreditcourses for K12 administrators, principal licensing programs andprofessional development opportunities. The Law and Education InstituteConference aims to educate participants on prevalent legal issues. Format: Classroom, conferences and workshops www.ed.psu.edu/educ/pssc/professional.development-opportunities SCHOLASTIC RED, New York, N.Y. Program Title: Developing Foundations for Early Childhood Success,High School Literacy Description: Combination of online learning and site-based studygroups that aim to improve classroom instruction and raise studentachievement Format: Online and classroom teacher.scholastic.com/red/index.htm SETON HALL UNIVERSITY, South Orange, N.J. Program Titles: Continuing Education, Professional Studies Description: The Division of Continuing Education and ProfessionalStudies works with Seton Hall University's colleges and schools toprovide opportunities for working professionals to continue theireducation. Format: Online and classroom www.shu.edu/events/introducing.ceps.cfm UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA, Huntsville, Ala. Description: The Department of Educator Programs designs, developsand conducts quality credit and noncredit professional developmentprograms to meet in-service needs of K12 administrators and staff. Format: Online and classroom catalog.uah.edu/preview_entityphp?catoid=1&ent_oid=66&bc=1 UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND, Baltimore University of Maryland, Baltimore, (also known as UMB) was founded in 1807. It is one of the oldest universities in the United States and comprises some of the oldest professional schools in the nation and world. , Md. Description: Continuing and Professional Studies department offersprofessional development programs for administrators. Format: Online and classroom www.cps.umbc.edu UNIVERSITY OF MISSISSIPPI The University of Mississippi, also known as Ole Miss, is a public, coeducational research university located in Oxford, Mississippi. Founded in 1848, the school is composed of the main campus in Oxford and three branch campuses located in Booneville, Tupelo, and Southaven. , Oxford, Miss. Program Title:Professional Development for School Administrators Description: The Instructional Coaching Institute is designed tohelp principals and school leaders learn to coach faculty members toembed standards-based education into systems and practices of theirschools. Participants practice how to coach others in "learning howto learn" through relationships, collaboration and commitment, witha focus on increasing teaching effectiveness. Format: Online and classroom www.outreach.olemiss.edu/ProfDev/ili.html UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA (body, education) University of Minnesota - The home of Gopher.http://umn.edu/.Address: Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA. , Twin Cities, Minn. Program Title: Education Policy and Administration Description: Professional development courses ranging fromlicensing K12 administrators to become superintendents to courses forimproving administrative skills. The administrative licensure program isdesigned to address the competencies the state requires for variouslicenses. Format: Classroom www.cehd.umn.adu/adpa/default.html UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA, Philadelphia, Pa. Program Titles: Principal Licensing, Educational Leadership Description: A comprehensive professional development andcurricular enhancement program for pre-K12 educators. Format: Workshops, conferences, online and classroomwww.gse.upenn.edu/inphilly/leadership UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA The U.S. News & World Report ranked USC 27th among all universities in the United States in its 2008 ranking of "America's Best Colleges", also designating it as one of the "most selective universities" for admitting 8,634 of the almost 34,000 who applied for freshman admission , Rossier School of Education, LosAngeles, Calif. Program Titles: School Business Management Certificate,Professional Preparation for Reading, Differentiated Curriculum forGifted and High-Ability Learners Description: Provides programs designed to meet continuing learningneeds of practitioners and academics, and in administration andleadership for all education fields. Content includes administration,leadership and educational psychology. Format: Online and classroom rossier.usc.edu/academic/prodev/kl21eadership/index.html UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA, Richmond, Va. Program Titles: Technology Leadership, Adolescent Literacy Description: The Center for K-12 Education at the University ofVirginia School of Continuing and Professional Studies The School of Continuing and Professional Studies (SCPS) is the University of Virginia's adult continuing education and distance learning program. It reaches about 15,000 non-traditional students annually at academic centers located in Charlottesville, Hampton Roads, Northern delivers courses,conferences, degree programs, endorsements, licensure programs andworkshops. Courses and programs can be tailored to fit a school'sneeds. Format: Online, classroom and workshops scps.virginia.edu/educators/educators.php UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON, Seattle, Wash. Program Titles: PrincipalCertification, Educational Leadership and Policy Studies,Custom-Designed Professional Development Description: The Center for Educational Learning's offeringsare custom designed around the needs of principals and central officeleaders through one-day or multiday sessions. Format: Classroom and online www.k-121eadership.org/profesaional.development Carl Vogel is a freelance writer based in Chicago.

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