School District Leadership and Technology Internship Manual

Preface

The mission of the NYIT Educational Leadership and Technology Internship Program is to connect leadership theory to practice. The district-level internship is a supervised experience in a school setting, for graduate students pursuing credentials and expertise to become school district leaders. It is an essential component for the preparation to become a competent educational leader. The program is designed to build on academic and experiential learning. During the internship, supervised educational leadership experiences are required in order to:

• Integrate professional experience with theory for more authentic and complete learning.
• Determine suitability, aptitude, interest, and skills for becoming a P–12 School District Leader.
• Develop and expand professional competencies, skills, interests and expectations in preparing for a position as a School District Leader and/or Educational Technology Specialist.
• Fulfill requirements and expectations for School District Leader certification including the applicable NYS School Leader Examination as well as the Educational Technology Specialist certification and exam.

This handbook is a guide to facilitate a successful partnership for the internship experience. The foundation of the Program is a three-way collaboration that includes the NYIT field supervisor, the cooperating district administrator, and the intern. In order for this triad to be effective, all three partners must clearly understand their respective responsibilities and the policies of the Department of Educational Leadership and Technology. The various functions within the triad are specifically outlined so that each partner may be fully aware of his or her role in the internship experience. It is essential that each member effectively communicates, cooperates, and collaborates to assure success.

Please read this guide carefully so that you may fully understand the role expectations, responsibilities, and recommendations that will enrich the internship. It is our hope that your shared experiences will provide you with personal and professional growth as well as a rewarding relationship. NYIT and the Department of Educational Leadership and Technology faculty trust that you will find this guide to be helpful in guiding you through the internship experience. For further information or individual concerns, please contact Dr. Robert Feirsen, rfeirsen@NYIT.edu.

Dr. Robert Feirsen

Director, School Leadership and Technology Program

Mission of the Educational Leadership and Technology Program

Educational leaders in the 21st century must be prepared to articulate a coherent vision that assures quality education for all P–12 students and they must be able to implement this vision using effective strategies, processes, and policies. The School District Leader Advanced Certificate provides the content and skills base for such leaders to infuse technology with all aspects of educational leadership. As a result, the program not only prepares leaders for educational institutions, it prepares leaders who will help shape the future of educational technology in their schools, districts, and state.

We believe effective educational leaders need a strong foundation in theories and constructs, and our courses are designed to accomplish this. We further believe that theory and practice must be brought together as a clinical experience to prepare candidates for School District Leader certification in order to support, promote, and enhance student achievement and success in schools.

Conceptual Framework

Effective practice | Professionalism | Content expertise | Standards-based education

Diversity
Our commitment to diversity is evident in all we do. Our candidates learn to recognize the individual needs of diverse P–12 student populations and to create and customize educational experiences necessary for success in the 21st century global environment.

Technology
Our commitment to technology integration is woven seamlessly through our beliefs and actions. Technology is an integral part of our curriculum, pedagogy and delivery systems. Our candidates learn to make meaningful connections between technologies and their applications for all learners.

Field Relations
Our commitment to collaboration with schools, agencies, community organizations, businesses, and policymakers enriches our programs, our candidates, our partners, and the educational community.

Purpose, Goals, and Objectives of the Internship

The purpose of the School District Leadership Internship is to facilitate performance-based field experiences for candidates seeking state certification as a School District Leader. This approach relies on a strong conceptual base of knowledge, skills and dispositions of professional practices established by the Educational Leadership Constituent Council standards (ELCC) Standards 2011 for school district leadership, the New York State School District Leader Assessment Framework, and the NYIT School Leadership and Technology Program Outcomes. The shared resources of the field settings will enable candidates to participate in a closely supervised experience by the NYIT field supervisor and the cooperating school administrator.

The goal of the internship is to provide the intern with the opportunity to apply theoretical knowledge and skills acquired during graduate study in such educational settings as traditional public schools, charter schools, and independent schools. Candidates are expected to seek opportunities to gain experiences in every level of school district leadership.

Upon successful completion of this internship, candidates will demonstrate proficiency in the following: Educational Leadership Constituent Council (ELCC) standards, the New York State School District Leader Assessment Framework, and NYIT School Leadership and Technology Program Learning Outcomes.

Standards for Advanced Programs in Educational Leadership

2011 ELCC District Level Standards

Standard 1.0: A district-level education leader applies knowledge that promotes the success of every student by collaboratively facilitating the development, articulation, implementation, and stewardship of a shared district vision of learning through the collection and use of data to identify district goals, assess organizational effectiveness, and implement district plans to achieve district goals; promotion of continual and sustainable district improvement; and evaluation of district progress and revision of district plans supported by district stakeholders.

Standard 2.0: A district-level education leader applies knowledge that promotes the success of every student by sustaining a district culture and instructional program conducive to student learning through collaboration, trust, and a personalized learning environment with high expectations for students; creating and evaluating a comprehensive, rigorous and coherent curricular and instructional district program; developing and supervising the instructional and leadership capacity across the district; and promoting the most effective and appropriate technologies to support teaching and learning within the district.

Standard 3.0: A district-level education leader applies knowledge that promotes the success of every student by ensuring the management of the district's organization, operation, and resources through monitoring and evaluating the district management and operational systems; efficiently using human, fiscal, and technological resources within the district; promoting district-level policies and procedures that protect the welfare and safety of school students and staff across the district; developing district capacity for distributed leadership; and ensuring that district time is focused to support high-quality instruction and student learning.

Standard 4.0: A district-level education leader applies knowledge that promotes the success of every student by collaborating with faculty and community members, responding to diverse community interests and needs, and mobilizing community resources for the district by collecting and analyzing information pertinent to improvement of the district's educational environment; promoting an understanding, appreciation, and use of the diverse cultural, social, and intellectual resources throughout the district; building and sustaining positive district relationships with families and caregivers; and cultivating productive district relationships with community partners.

Standard 5.0: A district-level education leader applies knowledge that promotes the success of every student by acting with integrity, fairness, and in an ethical manner to ensure a district system of accountability for every student's academic and social success by modeling district principles of self-awareness, reflective practice, transparency, and ethical behavior as related to their roles within the district; safeguarding the values of democracy, equity, and diversity within the district; evaluating the potential moral and legal consequences of decision making in the district; and promoting social justice within the district to ensure that individual student needs inform all aspects of schooling.

Standard 6.0: A district-level education leader applies knowledge that promotes the success of every student by understanding, responding to, and influencing the larger political, social, economic, legal, and cultural context within the district through advocating for school students, families, and caregivers; acting to influence local, district, state, and national decisions affecting student learning; and anticipating and assessing emerging trends and initiatives in order to adapt district-level leadership strategies.

Standard 7.0: A district-level education leader applies knowledge that promotes the success of every student through a substantial and sustained educational leadership internship experience that has district-based field experiences and clinical internship practice within a district setting and is monitored by a qualified, on-site mentor.

NYIT School Leadership and Technology Program Learning Outcomes

The School Leadership and Technology Program will prepare candidates to become accomplished school district leaders with the following knowledge, skills, and dispositions:

1. Commitment to a vision of learning shared by all stakeholders for comprehensive initiatives to promote the success of every student.
2. Application to organizational theory for developing, implementing and sustaining 21st century educational community that supports the success of all students.
3. Demonstration of instructional leadership in curriculum, instruction, assessment, and technology programs supportive of diverse learners.
4. Supervision with fair, equitable, comprehensive and transparent accountability system.
5. Nurturing a culture of collaboration conducive to safe learning and an environment for student growth and staff development.
6. Promotion of technology that supports all aspects of teaching and learning to prepare students to be productive global citizens of the 21st century.
7. Management and operation of the organization with efficiency to meet the educational goals of all students.
8. Distributed leadership to maximize resources for excellence in teaching and learning.
9. Use of data driven decision making in instructional and management leadership.
10. Mobilization of a diverse educational community in the political, social, legal, and cultural context.
11. Protection of the values of democracy, equity and diversity in a 21st century global community with safeguards for safety, privacy, and confidentiality.
12. A professional code of ethics acting with integrity and fairness as a professional educator in a leadership role.
13. Advocacy for all constituents of the educational community, students, families, faculty and staff.
14. Preparation for anticipated change and emerging trends in education, technology, students and teaching and learning support systems.

Requirements for Application to the Internship in Educational Leadership and Technology

Advanced Diploma in School District Leadership and Technology Program Degree Map (42 credits)

1. The candidate must be matriculated and must have completed a minimum of 24 credits of the required courses in the NYIT Leadership and Technology Program credits and cumulative GPA of 3.0.
2. The candidate must attend an Internship Orientation prior to submitting the Internship Proposal. The orientation will familiarize the candidate with the requirements for the internship and discuss how to write the proposal.
3. To obtain school district certification, candidates are responsible for passing the NYS CST for School District Leader.
4. To obtain the Educational Technology Specialist Certification, candidates are responsible for passing the NYS CST for Educational Technology Specialist.
5. The candidate must obtain a copy of the Internship Handbook that includes all required forms.
6. The candidate must submit an Internship Proposal and Internship Activity Plan for the internship experience (Appendix A) before the end of the semester prior to registering for EDLT 845 Administrative Internship and Seminar. This proposal should contain:
7. An Internship Plan of activities for accomplishing the ELCC Standards.
8. Signatures of the school district administrator and university supervisor.
9. The candidate must be prepared to engage in a 250-hour internship at district level. Up to 100 hours may be accrued in advance of the semester registering for EDLT 870.
10. The candidate must have subscription to TaskStream to create an electronic portfolio that demonstrates attainment of each standard (Program Code ZKHASP).
11. The candidate must attend regularly scheduled seminar sessions led by the university supervisor to discuss the internship experiences.

Responsibilities of the Participants

Responsibilities of the Intern

The internship program requires the intern to work under the supervision of a Cooperating District Administrator (CDA). The intern will be assigned a wide range of administrative duties and responsibilities with corresponding authority. Intern responsibilities will be developed through collaborative dialogue that involves the intern, the NYIT supervisor, and the CDA and will reflect ELCC standards, the scope of the New York State licensing examinations, and NYIT's Program Learning Outcomes. Opportunities for the intern to assume leadership roles or to participate and observe the decision-making process are vital to a successful internship experience. The intern is required to provide weekly reports comprised of the Activity Log (Appendix B) and Weekly Reflection Journal (Appendix C) to the NYIT supervisor. The CDA may request copies of these reports. The NYIT supervisor will conduct periodic site visits to observe intern and consult with the CDA.

Internship experiences are opportunities to gain knowledge and skills at new levels of leadership above and beyond job responsibilities.

Interns must realize that they may find themselves "in-between" teachers and administrators. Interns who serve as building union representatives or as district level union representatives may want to consider not serving in those capacities during the internship.

It is essential that interns keep privileged information confidential. If difficulties or problems arise during the internship, the issue should be brought to the attention of the NYIT supervisor as soon as possible. The NYIT supervisor will consult with Program Director for resolution.

The Intern will conduct a mid-term and final self-evaluation (Appendix E and F), which will be submitted to the NYIT Supervisor and discussed in seminar sessions. The information will be shared with the Director of the Leadership and Technology program.

The intern will:

1. Develop an electronic portfolio using TaskStream to demonstrate knowledge and skills gained during the internship. Details and scoring rubric for e-portfolio are provided in Appendix G. Documents required for submission to TaskStream e-portfolio system include the following:
   • Resume or Curriculum Vita
   • Philosophy of Education with Autobiographical Statement
   • Artifacts to demonstrate competencies for each ELCC standard
     
   Electronic submission (according to Professor):
   
   • Seminar assignments
2. Submitted to NYIT Supervisor weekly:
   • Activity Log. The intern must maintain an Activity Log recording the required 250 hours of administrative experience. The Activity Log is a record of time spent on significant tasks congruent with the ELCC Standards, NYSSBL Frameworks, and NYITSLAT Program Learning Outcomes.
   • Weekly Reflection Journal: The Intern will maintain a Weekly Reflection Journal as a narrative of significant experiences throughout the internship experience. The Journal is the personal account of reflections and must be maintained throughout the internship experience.
3. Final Presentation: The intern will prepare a 15–20 minute presentation describing highlights of the experience to present to peers, NYIT faculty, and invited special guests. Responsibilities of the Host Cooperating District Administrator:
   • Recommend individuals for admission to the internship
   • Work with NYIT staff to determine the scope of the internship and the specific duties, tasks, and responsibilities to be assumed by the intern
   • Supervise the intern onsite
   • Serve as a mentor and model for administrative roles
   • Meet and communicate with the university supervisor
   • Guide the intern in administrative processes and procedures
   • Assess the progress of the intern

The CDA may wish to introduce the intern to district level staff (and building level administrators, faculty and staff, as appropriate) to explain the function and duties of the intern as well as the administrative expectations for administrators, faculty, and staff cooperation with the intern. It is important that the CDA and Intern have many opportunities to communicate with each other.

The CDA faces both challenges and opportunities in sponsoring an Intern. The opportunities lie in being able to make a significant contribution to the education field by modeling best leadership practices for the Intern, who is an aspiring future administrator. The challenges lie in facilitating experiences in order for the Intern to make valuable contributions to the school district's operation while supporting the Intern's mastery of the many important competencies of the school district leader. The CDA will assist the intern with proposed activities that meet the each standard required for School District Leader certification. To facilitate the internship, the CDA will provide the following:

• A wide range of experiences that help the intern develop a district-level leadership perspective
• Opportunities to observe the mentor in a variety of situations
• Duties of increasing responsibility as the Internship progresses
• Experiences with a variety of personnel and educational services

Responsibilities of the NYIT Field Supervisor

Faculty of the Department of Educational Leadership and Technology will provide overall guidance and supervision for the internship program. This includes overseeing the intern's experiences, on-site visitations, and facilitating on-campus or on-site seminar sessions. Any issues or concerns that may arise related to the success of the Intern should be brought to the attention of the program director immediately.

The NYIT Supervisor will facilitate the seminar discussions with a variety of activities and experiences designed to complement the internship, develop the e-portfolio, and to prepare interns for the NYSSBL certification test. The NYIT supervisor will conduct meetings with the intern for mid-term evaluations (Appendix E) and for a final grade for EDLT 870.

The final grade will be based on:

• Final presentation
• Activity Log
• Reflective Journal
• E-portfolio listed in Appendix G
• Participation, written assignments, and attendance at seminar

All assessment scores will be recorded on score sheets and provided to interns at end of the internship/EDLT 870 (Appendix H).

Responsibilities of Director of the NYIT School Leadership and Technology Program

The Director of the NYIT School Leadership and Technology Program will provide the Internship Handbooks and conduct Internship Orientation meetings for each cohort with the Internship Seminar Instructor. The Director of the NYIT School Leadership and Technology Program will oversee the field placement with cooperating CDA, assign and supervise the NYIT Supervisors, and monitor the internship process. The Director of the NYIT School Leadership and Technology Program will provide clarification of the requirements, as needed, and information about the School District Leader certification examination. The Director of the NYIT Leadership and Technology program will resolve any issues that may compromise a successful internship experience, and will provide information about opportunities and events that may supplement the internship experience.

Program Faculty

• Dr. Robert Feirsen, Director of School Leadership and Technology Program

Adjunct Faculty

• Jared Rosoff
• Gail Sachs
• Madelene Taub-Chen
• Thomas Troisi
• Michael Tromblee
• Lois Small
• Dana DiCapua

Department of Educational Leadership and Technology Staff

• Kristen Schaefer, Director of Field Placement and Certification 516.686.7492 (Long Island)
• Erin Fabian, Staff Associate 212.261.1529 (New York City)
• Elizabeth Pirri, Administrative Assistant 516.686.7777 (Long Island)

Appendix

All forms are also available on the shared Google Drive:

• Internship Proposal and Plan
• Weekly Activity Log
• Weekly Reflection Journal
• Internship Log
• Midterm Evaluation
• Internship Log Documentation for e-portfolio
• Contents for ELCC Standards-Based TaskStream e-Portfolio
• Scoring Rubric for the Internship Portfolio
• Suggested Internship Activities