Superintendent’s Letter of Eligibility

Program Overview

The Superintendent’s Letter of Eligibility Program, approved by the Pennsylvania Department of Education, qualifies professionals to serve as chief school administrators. This program, which prepares individuals to serve as superintendents and assistant superintendents, offers the knowledge and skills and fosters the dispositions that are necessary to direct, operate, supervise, and administer the organizational structures and educational activities of a school system.

Mission

Neumann University educates a diverse community of learners based upon the belief that knowledge is a gift to be shared in the service of others and that learning is a lifelong process.

The Division of Education and Human Services recognizes that learning, teaching, and collegiality are fundamental activities of all educational organizations, and that knowledge and active inquiry form the basis of teaching and administrative practice. The Division further affirms that these qualities and activities are linked inextricably to the moral and ethical imperatives that drive leadershp behavior.

The mission of the Superintendent’s Letter of Eligibility Program is to help leaders develop the knowledge and understanding required to create and continuously improve standards-aligned instructional systems, equitable learning opportunities, leadership for results, data-driven cultures, results-focused planning, targeted assistance, professional learning communities, and professional accountability.

Program Outcomes

A student who successfully complete the Superintendent’s Letter of Eligibility Program is able to:

Demonstrate knowledge of and competence in instructional leadership, which provides purpose and direction for the achievement of all students.
Demonstrate the organizational skills to implement plans of action efficiently and effectively for student achievement.
Collaborate with students, faculty, staff, and parents to create a school climate that fosters student achievement.
Understand the importance of a clear, detailed vision and explicitly stated philosophy in shaping a coherent curriculum and fostering an effective school.
Use data in a systematic way to assess the needs and accomplishments of students, faculty, and staff.
Think systematically about practice; learn from experience; seek the advice of others; draw upon educational research and scholarship; and actively seek opportunities to grow professionally.

Program Design

This Superintendent’s Letter of Eligibility Program requires a total of 42 graduate credits, which are specified in the Program Curriculum. To be eligible for the Superintendent’s Letter of Eligibility certification, a six-credit internship (EDU 801 ), in addition to the 12 other required courses listed below in the Program Curriculum, is required. EDU 801 consists of a 360-hour learning experience, guided by the PA Leadership Standards, which includes classroom and field activities, the latter of which requires a 180-hour site-based internship experienced over a 365-day period. EDU 801 is taken after all program requirements have been successfully completed. In addition to these curricular requirements, The student must also satisfactorily complete the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania mandated assessment (School Superintendent Assessment [SSA]; Test Code # 1020), a student must have a chief school administrator’s verification of six years of teaching or other professionally certified service, three years of which must be in either a supervisory or administrative position, as well as meet all other requirements stipulated by Commonwealth of Pennsylvania law.

Program Curriculum: 42 Credits

The following courses comprise the required course for the Superintendent’s Letter of Eligibility Program:

EDU 700 Leadership in Education 3 Credits
EDU 705 Ethics and Educational Leadership 3 Credits
EDU 725 Instructional Supervision 3 Credits
EDU 730 Contemporary Issues in Education and Educational Leadership 3 Credits
EDU 735 Development Of Curriculum and Instruction 3 Credits
EDU 740 Organizational Development and Change Theory 3 Credits
EDU 745 Fiscal Management in the Educational Environment 3 Credits
EDU 750 School Code and School Board Policies 3 Credits
EDU 755 School Business Management 3 Credits
EDU 765 Strategic Planning for the Diverse Learning and Teaching Environment 3 Credits
EDU 766 Program Evaluation 3 Credits
EDU 777 The Superintendent as Instructional Leader 3 Credits
EDU 801 Superintendent’s Letter of Eligibility Internship 6 Credits

Admission Requirements: PK-12 Superintendent Letter of Eligibility

Applicants with a baccalaureate and master’s degree from a regionally or nationally accredited, degree-granting institution who have successfully completed all prerequisite courses are eligible for entrance to the Superintendent Letter of Eligibility program, subject to the approval of the Program Director. Acceptance is based on the fulfillment of the admissions requirements and the successful completion of an interview.

All applicants must submit the following:

A completed Graduate Student Application online through the Neumann University web site at www.neumann.edu/admissions
Official transcripts from all institutions attended
- Required minimum undergraduate and graduate GPA is 3.0
Resume or Curriculum Vitae which documents work and leadership experiences in education or a related field
Two official letters of recommendation from professional references
Formal responses to the following questions:
- “How does an administrator, in their role as instructional leader, foster successful teaching and learning in schools and district-wide?”
- “How does an administrator, in their role as administrative leader, foster successful leadership and management in schools and district-wide?”

Applicants who meet the above requirements will be invited to interview with the Program Director.

Students must maintain a minimum 3.0 GPA throughout the entirety of the program.

To earn this Pennsylvania Department of Education certification, a student:

Holds a baccalaureate degree from a regionally or nationally accredited college/university.
Satisfies the requirements set forth in 24 P.S. § 12-1209 relating to good moral character.
Provides verification of six years of satisfactory school experience, of which at least three must be in a supervisory or administrative capacity.
Completes a Pennsylvania-approved, graduate-level superintendent certification program that includes an internship/practicum or an equivalent out-of-state program. A 3.0 Grade Point Average (GPA) is required.
Provides evidence of satisfactory achievement on the Pennsylvania-required test.

Admissions requirements into the Superintendent Letter of Eligibility program partially fulfill admissions requirements into the Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership program.

If you are interested in applying to the Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership program, please view the Doctor of Education Admissions Requirements.