A special task force of ACSA members has developed a position paper for the association on the issue of administrative credentialing.
An excerpt from the position paper’s summary states:
“The Administrative Services Credential must provide a strong and secure gateway to ensure that those seeking to be school leaders in California possess the knowledge and have the skills required to lead the high quality systems that California’s students deserve. Multiple pathways to receive the credential must be based on the same program standards as defined in the California Professional Standards for Educational Leaders. Awarding the Preliminary Credential should be based on acquiring and demonstration essential knowledge whereas the Clear Credential should be awarded after that knowledge has been applied in meaningful leadership that leads to high level of student success.”
The paper came in response to a decision by the state Commission on Teacher Credentialing to review the administrative credentialing program, particularly focusing on the Preliminary Administrative Services Credential.
The reason for CTC doing this was that ETS, the testing vendor that administers the School Leaders Licensure Assessment currently used for candidates earning the preliminary credential, was undergoing a process to revise the SLLA, and potentially shorten some portions of it.
At that point, CTC decided to take up the question of whether to continue utilizing a newly revised SLLA or to develop a new assessment more closely representing California’s diversity, standards and needs.
When the question came up during the October CTC meeting, ACSA strongly supported a California-specific exam. At that meeting, CTC decided to move ahead with the development of the California exam.
ACSA CTC Liaison Sharon Robison said she worked closely with Assistant Executive Directors Karen Stapf-Walters and George Manthey on this issue.
“(As CTC liaison) I encouraged ACSA to review the current credential standards and structure and develop our organizational position that would guide all of our work with the CTC as well as the Legislature,” Robison said. “As the premier state organization, ACSA needs to lead in the development of the certification process.”
Robison said that to the best of her knowledge, this is the first time that a professional organization has presented a position paper of this nature.
“It is the professional organization speaking to policy makers in a clear, coherent and unified voice,” she said.
Once it was decided to develop an association position paper, a group of representatives was drafted from the Superintendency, Human Resources, Elementary Education, Middle Grades Education and Secondary Education councils, along with the Co-Administration Committee, to provide input on the key issues CTC would be reviewing in the administrative credentialing assessment.
Over the course of three months of input from the group led by ACSA Vice President Bob Noyes, a position paper was drafted and sent to all group representatives to share with their respective committees and councils to receive even more input.
From all this input a final paper was drafted, then approved by the ACSA Board of Directors Oct. 17.
“It was a very quick but inclusive process and I am very proud of the position paper that came from the group,” Robison said.
Robison said that now the paper will be presented to CTC and ACSA will use it as a guideline for future commission discussion and potential legislation.
View the position paper in its entirety.