Mar 28, 2024  
Graduate Studies Catalog 2015-2016 
    
Graduate Studies Catalog 2015-2016 [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Superintendent Letter of Eligibility/Assistant Superintendent Letter of Eligibility


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IMPORTANT NOTE:  Applications to the Superintendent Letter of Eligibility/Assistant Superintendent Letter of Eligibility/Assistant Superintendent Letter of Eligibility Program are not currently being accepted. 

The program in Superintendent Letter of Eligibility/Assistant Superintendent Letter of Eligibility (SLE) is an online program.

The superintendent of a school district is the chief educational leader of a dynamic educational organization. In his/her role there are specific functions which must be performed. Each person brings his/her own unique personality to this role. Much of the skills and knowledge necessary to function are similar from setting to setting while others are site-specific. The objective of this program is to provide both general and unique competencies.

The superintendent is the chief executive officer of a school district. He/she must serve as the educational leader of the community and as the manager of the human and fiscal resources of the school district. As managers, superintendents succeed by cooperating with staff, board, and community. Therefore, the traditional skills of management must be coupled with human relations skills and sensitivity to socio-economic forces within the community. Superintendents must have technical, human, and conceptual ability.

This program is designed to develop superintendents and assistant superintendents competent to plan, to monitor, and to evaluate activities touching many roles. Leaders must delegate. Therefore, the goal is not that program participants be experts in all areas but rather that they be competent to provide leadership and to accept accountability for all activities. Courses and experiences emphasize that education is a human process requiring group support and involvement if administration is to be successful.

Admission Requirements

In addition to meeting the departmental requirements  in the Education section of this catalog, the candidate must meet the following requirements for acceptance into the program:

  1. Possess a Master’s degree with a GPA of 3.50;
  2. Hold or be eligible for a Pennsylvania elementary/secondary principal or supervisor certificate at the point of application for initial Superintendent’s Letter of Eligibility;
  3. Submit a resume, including educational background, work experiences, references, and any additional pertinent material;
  4. Submit a statement of purpose for enrolling in the program;
  5. Have provided evidence of at least three years of instructional, educational and supervisory or administrative service of which at least three must have been in a supervisory or administrative capacity;
  6. Be an active certified administrator/supervisor in a public or private school district during the first two semesters of course work in the SLE program of studies.

Program Requirements


It is expected that applicants have certain specific courses in their educational background. To ascertain what courses may be required in addition to the course requirements for the superintendent sequence, please see the program director.

The course sequence specific to the preparation of superintendents and assistant superintendents represents 21 credits, three of which are the Superintendent’s Role Seminar and Internship. These experiences place students into an educational setting under the immediate supervision of a practicing superintendent. A contracted program of role-related experience will be developed which considers the needs of the candidate. Candidates will function in para-administrative capacities during this year-long sequence of field-related clinical experiences.

The course requirements for the Superintendent Letter of Eligibility/ Assistant Letter of Eligibility are as follows:

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