School Building Leadership and School District Leadership, AC

Graduates go on to become:

• principal
• assistant principal
• superintendent
• district-level leadership

• Leadership Theory and Practice: Explore the principles of effective leadership and how they apply to both school building and district-level administration. Learn to develop and implement a strategic vision that drives improvement across schools and districts.
• Instructional Leadership: Gain expertise in curriculum design, instructional strategies, and assessment practices that promote high-quality teaching and learning. Learn how to support and evaluate teachers to ensure instructional excellence at both the school and district levels.
• School and District Management: Master the operational aspects of leadership, including budgeting, human resources, facilities management, and legal issues. Learn to manage the complex dynamics of both school buildings and entire districts.
• Community and Stakeholder Engagement: Develop skills to engage effectively with parents, community members, and other stakeholders. Learn strategies for fostering collaboration and building partnerships that support student success across schools and districts.
• Ethical and Reflective Leadership: Delve into the ethical considerations of educational leadership. Engage in reflective practices that enhance your ability to make sound, ethical decisions in both school and district leadership roles.
• Focus on Inclusion and Belonging: Engage with critical issues related to  inclusion and belonging in education. Learn how to create and sustain inclusive environments that support the success of all students, particularly those from underrepresented and marginalized groups.
  

• ELP 606 Changing Social Contexts for Education Leaders
• ELP 625 Studies in Educational Leadership

• ELP 647 Educational Planning, Budgeting and Data Analysis
• ELP 681 Curriculum and Instructional Leadership

• ELP 664 Teacher Evaluation and Supervision
• ELP 629 Human Resources and Labor Relations

• ELP 607 School District Capacity Building
• ELP 658 Clinical Seminar

• ELP 604 Law and Public Education
• ELP 659 Clinical Seminar

• ELP 652 Leadership for Policy and Inclusion
• ELP 635 Leading an Effective School District

• Master’s degree from an accredited institution
• Permanent or professional certificate in classroom teaching service or pupil personnel service
  
• Minimum three years of teaching experience

• Application fee: A $50 non-refundable application fee, submitted electronically through UB’s ePayment system.
• Contact information for at least three individuals who will each be asked to provide an electronic recommendation letter.
• Unofficial transcripts from all colleges attended. (UB transcripts are automatically submitted for current UB students and alumni.)
• Diversity Statement: In a personal essay (double spaced) of no more than 500 words, please share how you, as an educator, respond to issues pertaining to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). Be sure to include one or two specific examples from your current practice.
• Statement of education and career goals
  
• Resume

Former/Birth Name: Please provide us with your former/birth name if you have one. When requesting transcripts, please ask the sending institution to indicate your current name and former/birth name.

Admission Decision: The admission decision will be communicated to you as soon as review is complete. The decision is based on a number of factors and is the result of a thorough and deliberate process. All decisions are final and cannot be appealed.

Effective July 1, 2024, federal regulation requires institutions of higher education to make a determination whether a Title IV eligible academic program that leads to professional licensure or certification meets the educational requirements for licensure/certification in the U.S. State where the institution is located and the U.S. States where “distance education” students are located at the time of initial enrollment in the program, as well as U.S. States where the program is advertised as meeting such requirements, and if applicable, the U.S. State where students attest they intend to be licensed/certified. The school building leadership and school district leadership program at the University at Buffalo (UB) is registered by the New York State Education Department and thus meets the educational requirements for licensure/certification for New York State. Through a good faith effort, and for the purpose of complying with the federal regulation, we have determined that the school building leadership and school district leadership program at UB meets the educational requirements for licensure/certification in the state of New York; however, it is important to note that UB is not the licensure/certification authority in these U.S. States and cannot assess whether an individual candidate will be issued a license/certificate in these U.S. States and instead each individual candidate must contact the licensure/certification authority in the U.S. State in which they are seeking licensure/certification to obtain guidance on the application policies and procedures for licensure/certification.

UB offers the school building leadership and school district leadership program which leads to the certificates of advanced study in school building leader (SBL) and school district leader (SDL) license in New York State. The program also adequately prepares students to take the New York State school leadership assessments upon program completion. Upon passing the exam, our graduates have the opportunity to obtain an SBL and/or SDL license in New York State.