Educational Administration – Director of Special Education Certificate

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Program Description

The Educational Administration – Special Education Director Graduate Certificate program is designed for students who already have earned a master’s degree to develop school administrative leadership and management skills. Minnesota State requirements for special education directors are embedded in the courses. The curriculum is practitioner-focused with an emphasis on applying organizational leadership theories with practical skills needed by school administrators to become leaders of effective learning organizations.

Program Outcomes

The following outcomes are state-identified competencies for educational administration in special education director preparation.

Core Program Outcomes

The following outcomes are state-identified core competencies for educational administration:

A.   Leadership

1. demonstrate leadership by collaboratively assessing and improving a professional culture of engagement, ethical and equitable practice, and systems perspective;
2. demonstrate leadership by the development of an educational mission for the school or district, which provides purpose and direction for individuals and groups;
3. demonstrate shared leadership and decision-making strategies and empower and entrust teachers and staff with collective responsibility for meeting the academic, social, behavioral, emotional, and physical needs of each student pursuant to the mission, vision, and core values of the school;
4. understand how education is impacted by historical, local, state, national, and international events and issues;
5. through a visioning process, formulate strategic plans and goals with staff and community to promote the academic success and well-being of each student;
6. set priorities in the context of stakeholder needs;
7. serve as a spokesperson for the welfare of all learners in a multicultural context to ensure high expectations,
8. understand the dynamics of change and demonstrate the ability to implement change and educational reform.          

B.   Organizational Management

1. demonstrate an understanding of organizational systems, including structural and cultural dynamics;
2. define and use processes for gathering, analyzing, managing, and using data to plan and make decisions for program evaluation;
3. plan and schedule personal and organizational work, establish procedures to regulate activities and projects, and delegate and empower others at appropriate levels;
4. demonstrate the ability to analyze need and allocate personnel and material resources;
5. develop and manage budgets and maintain accurate fiscal records;
6. demonstrate an understanding of facilities development, planning, and management; and
7.  understand and use technology as a management tool.

C.   Equity and Culturally Responsive Leadership

1. ensure that each student is treated fairly, respectfully, and with an understanding of each student’s culture and context;
2. recognize, respect, and employ each student’s strengths, diversity, and culture as assets for teaching and learning;
3. ensure that each student has equitable access to effective teachers, learning opportunities, academic and social support, and other resources necessary for success;
4. ensure policies and practices are in place that prevent problem behavior, encourage positive behavior, and respond to student behavior not aligned with expectations in a positive, fair, and unbiased manner;
5. promote the preparation of students to live productively in and contribute to a diverse and global society;
6. address matters of equity in all aspects of leadership; and
7. ensure policies and practices are in place that address student and staff mental and physical health and trauma.

D.   Policy and Law

1. understand and implement policy to meet local, state, and federal requirements and constitutional provisions, standards, and regulatory applications to promote student success;
2. recognize and apply standards of care involving civil and criminal liability for negligence, harassment, and intentional torts; and
3. demonstrate an understanding of state, federal, and case law, and rules and regulations governing general education, special education, and community education.

E.   Political Influence and Governance

1. exhibit an understanding of school districts as a political systems, including governance models;
2. demonstrate an understanding of involving stakeholders in the development of educational policy;
3. understand the role and coordination of social agencies and human services to develop productive relationships and engage resources for the school community; and
4. demonstrate an understanding of processes to align constituencies in support of school and district priorities.         

F.   Communication

1. understand the need to develop shared understanding of and commitment to mission, vision, and core values within the school and the community;
2. demonstrate individual and team facilitation skills;
3. recognize and apply an understanding of individual and group behavior in all situations;
4. demonstrate an understanding of conflict resolution and problem-solving strategies relative to communication;
5. make presentations that are clear and easy to understand;
6. respond to, review, and summarize information for groups;
7.  communicate appropriately, through speaking, listening, and writing, for different audiences, including students, teachers, parents, the community, and other stakeholders; and
8. understand and utilize appropriate communication technology.

G.   Community Relations

1. articulate organizational purpose and advocate publicly for the needs and priorities of students, families, and the community;
2. demonstrate the ability to engage the extended community;
3. effectively generate and respond to various forms of communication through media;
4. promote a positive image of schools and the school district;
5. monitor and address perceptions about school-community issues; and
6. demonstrate the ability to identify and articulate critical community issues that may impact local education.

 H.   Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment for Success of All Learners

1. implement state academic standards, a coherent systems of culturally responsive curriculum, instruction, and assessment that promote the mission, vision, and core values of the district to embody high expectations for student learning.
2. develop, assess, and support teachers’ and staff members’ professional knowledge, skills, and practice through differentiated opportunities and emerging trends for learning and growth, guided by understanding professional and adult learning and development;
3. apply research and best practices on integrating curriculum, technology, and relevant resources to help all learners achieve at high levels;
4. understand and assess the implementation of alternative instructional designs, curriculum, positive approaches to behavior management, and assessment accommodations and modifications as appropriate in all programs;
5. demonstrate the ability to use data from valid assessments that are consistent with knowledge of child learning and development and technical standards of measurement to monitor student progress;
6. lead and assess instructional practice that is consistent with knowledge of child learning and development, effective pedagogy, and the needs of each student; and
7. promote instructional practice that is consistent with knowledge of child learning and development, intellectually challenging, authentic to student experiences, recognizes student strengths, and differentiated and personalized.

I.       Human Resource Management

1. demonstrate knowledge of effective personnel recruitment, selection, and retention;
2. demonstrate an understanding of staff development to improve the performance of all staff members;
3. demonstrate the ability to select and apply appropriate models for supervision and evaluation;
4. describe and demonstrate the ability to apply the legal requirements for personnel selection, development, retention, and dismissal;
5. demonstrate an understanding of management responsibilities to act in accordance with federal and state constitutional provisions, statutory and case law, regulatory applications toward education, local rules, procedures, and directives governing human resource management;
6. demonstrate an understanding of labor relations and collective bargaining;
7. demonstrate an understanding of the administration of employee contracts, benefits, and financial accounts.

J.     Values and Ethics Leadership

1. demonstrate an understanding of the role of education in a democratic society;
2. demonstrate an understanding of and model democratic value systems, ethics, and moral leadership;
3. demonstrate the ability to balance complex community demands in the best interest of learners;
4. help learners grow and develop as caring, informed citizens; and
5. demonstrate an understanding and application of the code of ethics for school administrators under part 3512.5200.

K.   Judgment and Problem Analysis

1. identify the elements of a problem situation by analyzing relevant information, framing issues, identifying possible causes, and reframing possible solutions;
2. demonstrate adaptability and conceptual flexibility;
3. reach logical conclusions by making quality, timely decisions based on available information;
4. identify and give priority to significant issues;
5. demonstrate an understanding of and utilize appropriate technology in problem analysis; and
6. demonstrate an understanding of different leadership and decision-making strategies, including but not limited to collaborative models and model appropriately their implementation.

 L.    Safety and Security

1. demonstrate the ability to develop and implement policies and procedures for safe and secure educational environments;
2. demonstrate the means to address emergency and crisis situations.  

Special Education Director Specific Outcomes

SEDA.   Policy and Law

1. demonstrate an understanding of state and federal laws, rules, and procedures governing special education finance, budgeting, and accounting; and
2. demonstrate an understanding of state and federal regulations governing the monitoring of special education services.

SEDB.   Organizational Management

1. demonstrate knowledge of statutory regulations relative to school districts affecting board meetings, policies, communications, procedures, and practices that affect special education governance; and
2. demonstrate an understanding of special education administrative models used in Minnesota.

SEDC.   Resource/Fiscal Management

1. demonstrate an ability to apply state and federal laws, rules, and procedures governing special education finance, budgeting, and accounting to school district funding structures;
2. demonstrate an understanding of special education program development including needs assessment, design, implementation, and evaluation; and
3.  demonstrate an understanding of the resources available, along with the agencies and organizations that serve students with a disability and their families.

Program Structure and Delivery

Students may transfer a maximum of six graduate semester credits from a regionally accredited institution if those credits were earned during the five years prior to admission, are administrative in nature, have been approved by the program director and the dean, and have not been used as a part of another degree program. After acceptance into the program, all courses must be earned at Saint Mary’s University.

At the end of their certificate coursework and in consultation with an adviser, students host an exit assessment wherein they present their evidence of achieving each of the outcomes using their portfolio. The portfolio addresses each of the 12 core program outcomes and the special education director outcomes required by the State of Minnesota for licensure. All students must successfully demonstrate quality performance in the competencies in order to receive endorsement from Saint Mary’s University for their Minnesota School Administrative license.

The program is offered in a flexible format to meet the needs of working adults. Classes are scheduled primarily in the evening and on the weekends during the school year, and at various times in the summer. Students are requested to remain with their cohort for the duration of the program. Instruction focuses on applying organizational leadership theories with practical skills needed by school administrators to become leaders of effective learning organizations. Courses in the program are delivered in blended format, integrating face-to-face classroom meetings and online activities or interactions in a planned, instructively valuable manner.