Standards for Initial and Continued Approval of Educational Leadership Preparation Programs
October 2008
These standards and associated indicators reflect statutory requirements of section 1012.986, Florida Statutes, and revisions to Chapter 6A-5.081, F.A.C., adopted by the Florida State Board of Education in May 2007. Additional information concerning the program approval process may be obtained through the Educator Preparation Program Approval Section of the Bureau of Educator Recruitment, Development and Retention, 850.245.0435. 

Standard 1. Core Curriculum Content The curriculum content delivered in each approved program is based on competencies aligned with the Florida Principal Leadership Standards and includes all other state-mandated requirements.	
Criteria for Initial Program Approval in Standard One 	Criteria for Continued Program Approval in Standard One 	
1.1 The institution or district incorporates all required curriculum content and the needs of the state and school district(s) into required courses or professional development offerings. 	1.1 The institution or district consistently implements all required curriculum content and the needs of the state and school district(s) into required courses or professional development offerings. 	
1.1.1 Course work or professional development documentation indicates where all curriculum components are taught in the leadership preparation program or university’s or college’s modified program. 	1.1.1 As course work or professional development offerings are modified, documentation is maintained that indicates where all required curriculum components are taught in the leadership preparation program or university’s or college’s modified program. 	
1.1.2 The program courses or professional development reflect the needs identified by the school district(s) and the state. 	1.1.2 The program courses or professional development continue to respond to needs identified by the school district(s) and the state. 	
1.1.3 The overall course design places the greatest emphasis on the school leader’s role in improving curriculum, instruction, and student achievement. 	1.1.3 The overall course design continues to place the greatest emphasis on the school leader’s role in improving curriculum, instruction, and student achievement.	
1.2 The program includes field experiences designed to provide opportunities for candidates to apply program knowledge anddemonstrate required leadership competencies in a collaborative K-12 school setting. 	1.2 Field experiences provide opportunities for candidates to apply program knowledge and demonstrate required leadership competencies in a collaborative K-12 school setting. 	
1.2.1	Field experiences are integrated within the overall program courses or an internship is provided. 	1.2.1 	Field experiences are documented throughout the program courses or an internship is provided. 	
1.2.2 	Field experience activities are designed to provide application, practice, and reflection on required standards and competencies focusing on school improvement and improving student achievement. 	1.2.2 	Field experience activities provide application, practice, and reflection on required standards and competencies focusing on school improvement and improving student achievement. 	
1.2.3 	There is a plan for candidates to receive feedback and coaching from their supervising faculty and district personnel on their performance of essential competencies during their field experiences. 	1.2.3 	Candidates receive feedback and coaching on their performance from their supervising faculty and district personnel of essential competencies during their field experiences. 	
1.3. 	The program design incorporates appropriate elements of the William Cecil Golden Program for School Leaders (WCG). 	1.3. 	The program incorporates appropriate elements of the William Cecil Golden Program for School Leaders (WCG). 	
1.3.1 	Program design incorporates tools and/or resources offered through the WCG to enhance curriculum content or delivery. 	1.3.1 	WCG Tools and/or resources utilized in the program enhance the substance and/or delivery of curriculum content. 	
1.3.2 	A plan is included for candidates to utilize the resources available through the WCG program, including web tools and resources. 	1.3.2 	Candidates utilize resources offered through the WCG program, which may include web-based resource and tools. 	
1.4. 	Courses are taught and field experiences are supervised by qualified personnel. 	1.4. 	Courses are taught and field experiences are supervised by qualified personnel. 	
1.4.1 	Faculty/instructors have the appropriate education background and experience to deliver the courses and professional development required in the program. 	1.4.1 	Faculty/instructors have the appropriate education background and experience to deliver the courses and professional development required in the program. 	
1.4.2 	Field experiences are designed to be supervised by faculty/instructors who have successful experience in the areas addressed during the field placements. 	1.4.2 	Field experiences are supervised by faculty instructors who have successful experience in the areas addressed during the field placements. 	
Standard 2.  Candidate Performance Each candidate in the approved program will demonstrate all competencies identified in Statute and Rule. 	
Criteria for Initial Program Approval in Standard Two	Criteria for Continued Program Approval in Standard Two	
2.1. Methods and procedures have been established to assess candidates’ admission requirements and progress in meeting outcomes of the program competencies aligned with the required curriculum as the candidate matriculates through the leadership preparation program or  university’s or college’s  modified program. 	

	2.1. Methods and procedures are used to assess candidates’ admission requirements and  progress in meeting outcomes of the program competencies in the required curriculum as  the candidate matriculates through the leadership preparation program or  university’s or college’s modified program. 	
2.1.1     State-mandated admission requirements are consistently applied for the modified program. 	
	2.1.1    State-mandated admission requirements are consistently applied for the modified program. 	
2.1.2     Assessments have been placed within each program design to collect data on candidates’ progress in meeting outcomes of the required curriculum competencies. 		2.1.2     Assessments are used to collect data on candidates’ progress in meeting outcomes of the program competencies aligned with each programs required curriculum competencies. 	
2.1.3 A systematic process is in place to provide candidates with feedback on their mastery of assessments given throughout each program and a remediation plan is developed if mastery is not achieved. 		2.1.3 Candidates are provided feedback on their mastery of assessments given throughout each program and a remediation plan is developed if mastery is not achieved. 	
2.1.4 An assessment system is put in place by the University faculty and district staff to review the candidates’ adequate progress in meeting the outcomes of each program’s competencies. 		2.1.4 University faculty and district staff use the assessment system to evaluate the candidates’ adequate progress in meeting outcomes of each program’s competencies. 	
2.2     A process is in place to determine and record whether candidates have successfully demonstrated mastery at the initial certification level of the competencies required in the curriculum. 		2.2      A system is used to verify that candidates have successfully demonstrated mastery at the initial certification level of the competencies required in the curriculum. 	
2.2.1   The institution or district has developed an assessment system that can assess demonstration of mastery on the required competencies for each candidate through course work, field experiences and the Florida Educational Leadership Examination (FELE). 	2.2.1   The institution or district utilizes an assessment system that can assess demonstration of mastery on the required competencies for each candidate through course work, field experiences and the Florida Educational Leadership Examination (FELE). 	
2.2.2  The program publishes program completion requirements for a full program and a modified program as appropriate, including degree completion, competency demonstration, and passing scores on the FELE, and documents that only candidates who meet these requirements will receive an endorsement. 	2.2.2 The program publishes program completion requirements for a full program and a modified program as appropriate, including degree completion, competency demonstration, and passing scores on the FELE, and only endorses candidates who meet these requirements. 	
2.3   The institution and district will develop a collaborative plan to address the remediation of program completers’ who do not meet district employers’ satisfaction in their first two years in an educational leadership position 	2.3   The institution and district will develop a collaborative plan to address the remediation of program completers’ who do not meet district employers’ satisfaction in their first two years in an educational leadership position. 	
2.3.1   A collaborative process has been developed to identify program completers who have not met their employers’ satisfaction. 	2.3.1   A collaborative process has been implemented that identifies program completers who have not met their employers’ satisfaction. 	
2.3.2   A collaborative process is established by university faculty and district staff to determine the remedial action needed when program completers have not met their employers’ satisfaction. 	2.3.2   A remediation process developed by university faculty and district staff is executed when a program completer has not met his/her employer’s satisfaction. 	
2.3.3   A process is established for assessing the remediation. 	2.3.3   The results of the remedial process are documented. 	

Standard 3.  Continuous Improvement The approved program implements processes to ensure continuous program improvement. 	
Criteria for Initial Program Approval in Standard Three	
Criteria for Continued Program Approval in Standard Three	

	Criteria for Continued Program Approval in Standard One 	
3.1     A formal partnership is established between the program and the school district or institution for designing and implementing a leadership preparation program or university or college modified program that exemplifies the collaborative partnership. 		3.1   The approved program maintains a formal partnership(s) with a Florida school district(s) or institution(s) for implementing and improving the leadership preparation program or university or college modified program that exemplifies the collaborative partnership. 	
3.1.1 The partnership is designed to be formal, definitive and institutionalized. 	3.1.1 The partnership is formal, definitive and institutionalized. 	
3.1.2     The program addresses state and school district needs. 	3.1.2    The program remains responsive to the needs of the state and districts served. 	
3.1.3     Resources and conditions support the candidates’ success and may include a joint system for candidate recruitment and selection. 	3.1.3    Resources and conditions continue to support the candidates’ success and may include a joint system for candidate recruitment and selection.	
3.2  Methods and procedures are in place to assess program completers’
and district employers’ satisfaction with the completers’ preparedness for serving in a school based leadership position in the first year of such employment after completing the program. 	3.2   Methods and procedures are used to assess program completers’ and district employers’ satisfaction with the completers’ preparedness for serving in a school-based leadership position in the first year of such employment after completing the program. 	
3.2.1     A process has been established to determine program completers’ satisfaction with their level of preparedness for the first year of serving in a school leadership position. 	3.2.1    Program completers indicate satisfaction with the level of preparedness for the first year of serving in a school leadership position. 	
3.2.2     A process has been established to determine district employers’ satisfaction with the level of preparedness of program completers for the first year of serving in a school leadership position, including rehire rates of program completers. 	3.2.2   District employers of program completers indicate satisfaction with the level of preparedness for the completers first year of serving in a school leadership position, including rehire rates of program completers. 	
3.3  A systematic process for monitoring faculty’s K-12 professional development experiences and evaluating faculty’s current standards of teaching and supervising are implemented and maintained on a yearly basis for continuous improvement purposes. 	3.3   A systematic process is established and maintained on a yearly basis for monitoring faculty’s K-12 professional development experiences and evaluating faculty’s current standards of teaching and supervising for continuous improvement purposes. 	
3.3.1  A plan is in place for university faculty to participate annually in activities or research within K-12 school settings in the curriculum area(s) they teach. 	3.3.1  University faculty participate annually in activities or research within K-12 schools in the curriculum area(s) they teach. 	
3.3.2     The program documentation includes systematic procedures to obtain candidates’ feedback on the quality of teaching and field experience supervision. 	3.3.2  The program utilizes systematic procedures to obtain candidates’ feedback on the quality of teaching and field experience supervision. 	
3.4     A formal process is in place for continually monitoring whether the program is being implemented as designed and the desired outcomes are being achieved each yeardocumented through the Institutional Program Evaluation Plan (IPEP). 	3.4    A formal process is established to continually monitor whether the program is being implemented as designed and the desired outcomes are being achieved each yeardocumented through the Institutional Program Evaluation Plan (IPEP). 	
3.4.1     A process has been established for collecting and analyzing data each academic year from Standards 2 and 3, and candidate admission, enrollment, completion and placement rates. 	3.4.1    Data from Standards 2 and 3, and candidate admission, enrollment, completion and placement rates are collected and analyzed within each type of leadership program each academic year. 	
3.4.2 A plan is created for university/district faculty and advisory board members review and use the results of this process to refine the design and delivery of the program to meet quality standards and make continual improvements. 	3.4.2 University/district faculty and advisory board members review and use the results of this process to refine the design and delivery of the program to meet quality standards and for continuous improvement.