Arizona Principal Certification

The course focuses on supervised field practice (practicum) for K-12 principals. The practicum is designed to provide the student with the working experience of the duties and responsibilities of the K-12 principal. Observations, hands-on experiences and applications of administrative principles will be practiced. Participation in actual situations, in cooperation with various educational organizations, is required. The practicum will require a minimum of 240 clock hours.

The course design is for the student to use their vision in creating a project that utilizes their leadership skills at the organization’s site. Implementation and assessment of the project is to be ongoing throughout the course work. Completion of the project will reflect the student’s previous and learning of administrative leadership theories, strategies and practices. A typed research document is to be submitted reflecting the components of the project.

The course focuses upon the principal’s role as leader in an elementary or high school organization. Problem and laboratory approaches will be applied to administrative activities in school settings. Process of leadership, student achievement, state and standardized assessments, conflict management, school budget, decision-making problem solving, school and district goal targeting, written and oral communication, special education, technology, school law, crisis management and group dynamics will be practiced and explored. Public relations with parents, communities and businesses will be covered. Evaluation of self and school personnel will be reviewed.

This course will explore various political, sociologic and philosophical perspectives concerning issues in educational administration. Issues will relate to present day school administrative functions including a cross section analysis as it pertains to multi-level administrators and their responsibilities. Educational trends both past to present will also be studied and compared. The influence of societal trends and the impact on educational institutions will be discussed.

The course will provide learning units regarding administrative influence to include: reciprocation, commitment, social proof, liking, authority, and scarcity. The participant will learn to identify appropriate situations and apply the skills of influencing to direct an appropriate outcome as an administrator.

This course examines the strategies and develops the skills to supervise and evaluate instruction. The student will experience a variety of evaluation approaches utilized by school administrators to improve instruction of teachers. The course will also examine the relationship between teaching and learning, different theoretical paradigms of teaching and the context of teaching. Pre-conference, observation and post conference strategies will be demonstrated. Construction of alternative models to current practices in the supervision of teachers will be presented.

The course will provide learning units regarding personnel procedures, practices, and policies as it pertains to certified and classified employees as an administrator. The Participants will develop multiple methods to conduct personnel functions.

Introduction to Administration is designed to explore and analyze the responsibilities and demands of the school administrator. Areas of responsibilities to be explored: School Law, Conflict Management, Time Management, Organization, Leadership Skills, Communication, Finance, Teacher Evaluation, Personnel Issues, Safety, Scheduling, and Interviewing.

Students will be involved in role-plays, simulations, small group presentations, and conflict management micro-world scenarios.

The course focuses upon the administrator’s role as leader in curriculum and instruction. Processes in Curriculum Mapping and Alignment, Essential Elements of Instruction, Authentic Assessment, Professional Development, Current Trends in Instructional Practices and Action Research will be explored and practiced. Fundamentals of leadership will also be covered.

The course design will examine the current legal framework of American school finance. Areas to be explored are: state law, federal law, common law, court decisions, case law, and attorney general findings and students first law. School finance will include sources and types of funding, maintenance and operations, capitol, soft capitol, budgetary procedures at site and district level and politics of school funding.

The course will provide learning units regarding marketing procedures, practices, and policies as it pertains to a school administrator of a K-12 system. Participants will apply a marketing strategy to a school and monitor the results.

The course focuses upon the Principal’s role as leader in a K-12 school. Problem and laboratory approaches will be applied to principal activities in school settings. Process of school improvement will focus on the following: (1) developing common mission, (2) gathering baseline data, (3) techniques for data collection, (4) data analysis, (5) goal development, (6) action plans, and (7) implementation and monitoring results.

This course is design for the school administrator to examine the current legal framework of Arizona State law, court decisions, and attorney general rulings as it relates to schools and districts.

The course will provide learning units regarding administrative leadership to include: personal qualities, analysis, environmental and structural decisions, staffing, momentum forces, and sustainability.

This course will provide students an opportunity to examine and practice relevant strategies and principles that enhance the skills of an athletic administrator. These strategies and principles will be delivered in this course for application in the field of administration of athletics.

The course will provide learning units regarding hiring procedures, practices, and policies as it pertains to certified and classified employees. Participants will apply these concepts in an educational field and report on outcomes as an administrator.