1.5 Combining forces in the development of programs and services:  (Page 5/7)

Meeting standards

Standards for educational administration preparation programs and professional practice are a topic ofintense interest continually being discussed by professional organizations and university preparation programs across thenation. Numerous articles, books, and presentations have addressed the topic of applied standards such as those by Beyer&Ruhl-Smith (2000), Capasso&Daresh (2001), Hoyle, English,&Steffy, (1998), Murphy, Hawley,&Young (2005), and Wilmore, E. L. (2002). The State of Michigan does not offer acertificate in school administration. From 1995 to 2004, the educational administration strand of the public administrationprogram was developed and patterned after previous Michigan Department of Education (MDE) program standards for schooladministrators, which were eliminated by the State in 2000, and the National Policy Board for Educational Administration Knowledge andSkill Base for School Principals (NPBEA, 1993). Both the required and elective courses in the MPA program addressed the NPBEAessential knowledge and skills base for effective school principals (Thompson, 1993). In 2004, the Michigan Department of Education(MDE) approved a new set of program standards for the preparation of school principals. This program is patterned after two specificsets of existing national standards. First, is the Interstate School Leader Licensure Consortium Standards for School Leaders(ISLLC) (Council of Chief State School Officers, 1996) which specifically address the topics of leadership and vision,instruction and student academic success, allocation of resources, school and community relations, ethics, and the political, social,legal, and cultural context of leading schools. The Technology Standards for School Administrators (TSSA, 2004), is the second setof standards incorporated into the new MDE preparation guidelines. These are defined as:

I. Leadership and Vision - Educational leaders inspire a shared vision for comprehensive integration oftechnology and foster an environment and culture conducive to the realization of that vision.

II. Learning and Teaching - Educational leaders ensure that curricular design, instructional strategies,and learning environments integrate appropriate technologies to maximize learning and teaching.

III. Productivity and Professional Practice - Educational leaders apply technology to enhance their professionalpractice and to increase their own productivity and that of others.

IV. Support, Management, and Operations - Educational leaders ensure the integration of technology to supportproductive systems for learning and administration.

V. Assessment and Evaluation - Educational leaders use technology to plan and implement comprehensive systemsof effective assessment and evaluation.

VI. Social, Legal, and Ethical Issues - Educational leaders understand the social, legal, and ethicalissues related to technology and model responsible decision-making related to these issues (TSSA, 2004).

The educational administration portion of the MPA program has been revised to meet the Michigan Department ofEducation Program Standards for the Preparation of School Principals (Michigan Department of Education, 2004). Thispreparation program is based on the ISLLC Standards and Technology Standards for School Administrators, as described above, with theaddition of an internship requirement in a school setting providing the educational administration student with the opportunity toapply the newly acquired knowledge and skills to practice: