Superintendent’s Letter of Eligibility

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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.

Superintendent LOE Program Learning Outcomes

A student who successfully completes the Superintendent Letter of Eligibility Certification Program is able to:

Understand and apply the skills and processes necessary to establish an organizational culture for learning, equity, fiscal responsibility, professional ethics, curriculum development, and strategic planning which provide purpose and direction for the achievement of all students.
Engage in research and organizational context analysis that leads to effective decision-making, collaboration within and among stakeholder groups, use of data in a systematic and systemic way, and the establishment of policies, processes, and systems of organization.
Understand and apply effective communication for sustaining and enhancing effective practices while drawing on strategic and visioning processes to lead stakeholders in system- and institutional-level change.

Program Design

This Superintendent’s Letter of Eligibility Program requires a total of 18 graduate credits, which are specified in the Program Curriculum. To be eligible for the Superintendent’s Letter of Eligibility certification students are required to complete 360 hours of field experience over a 12-month period. One hundred and eighty hours are embedded in the five-course sequence. Students complete the remaining 180 hours of field experience in a three-credit internship (EDU 801). The field experience requirements are guided by the PA Leadership Standards. EDU 801 is taken after all other 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); have a chief school administrator’s verificattion of six years of teaching or other professionally certified service, three years of which must be in either a supervisory or administrative position; and meet all other requirements stipulated by Commonwealth of Pennsylvania law.

Program Curriculum: 18 Credits

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

EDU 777 Superintendent as Learning Leader 3 Credits
EDU 781 Superintendent as Equity Leader 3 Credits
EDU 782 Superintendent as Human Resource and Professional Growth Leader 3 Credits
EDU 783 Superintendent as Strategic Leader 3 Credits
EDU 784 Superintendent as Legal and Fiscal Leader 3 Credits
EDU 801 Superintendent’s Letter of Eligibility Internship 3 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.