Become an Effective Instructional Leader
School Principal

Applicants who wish to pursue graduate study directed toward developing leadership knowledge and skills can pursue an M.Ed. in Educational Administration with focus on EC-12 School Administration.

The admission criteria will be reviewed holistically to assess the potential of the applicant. The successful applicant would typically have an undergraduate upper division GPA of 3.0 or higher that demonstrates focus on academics, twelve hours of undergraduate coursework in professional education that demonstrates basic knowledge in this area of study, and a written statement that demonstrates maturity and commitment to educational leadership.

How to Apply

Applicants seeking admission to the M.Ed. in Educational Administration must complete the following prior to the semester in which they first plan to enroll.

• Application for admission to the UTEP Graduate School;
• Completion of a bachelor’s degree from an accredited university;
• Undergraduate Transcripts: Attainment of an undergraduate cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA) of at least 3.00; or attainment of an undergraduate GPA of no less than 3.00 in all upper division undergraduate coursework;
• Evidence of successful completion of at least 12 semester hours of coursework in upper-division undergraduate coursework in professional education;
• Written Letter of Intent: A written statement by the applicant describing personal and professional goals as related to the focus of the M.Ed. in Educational Administration; and
• An updated curriculum vitae/resume;
• TOEFL (if applicable): International applicants for whom English is not a primary language also must provide evidence of acceptable scores (minimum of 550) attained on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). With permission of the department, students scoring lower than 550 may apply to the program providing they are attending formal English classes and attain a score of 550 within a year.

Transfer Courses on the Program of Study

Upon recommendation of the Graduate Advisor or Program Director, students pursuing an M.Ed. in Educational Administration with a focus on EC-12 School Administration may transfer up to nine semester credit hours from an accredited institution towards fulfillment of the master’s degree.

Applicants seeking the Principal Certification in addition to the M.Ed. in Educational Administration, will also need to meet the admission requirements for the certification.  

Screen 1 – Application Packet Review: The admission criteria will be reviewed holistically using a rubric to assess the potential of the applicant in terms of maturity and commitment to leadership at the superintendent level. 

Screen 2 - Interview: Successful applicants of Screen 1 will be invited for an interview. The interview will determine commitment to the superintendent certificate program as well as fit to the program.

Principal as Instructional Leader Certification (already have a master’s degree)

For applicants who already have a M.Ed. in Ed. Administration or related field, a separate application and review process must be completed. Applications from students with master's degrees in related fields, will be reviewed by a faculty committee to determine course credit, if applicable.  

On a case-by-case basis, graduate-level coursework completed during the certification program that has not been used to meet other degree requirements can be recommended by the departmental Graduate Advisor to the Graduate School to count toward an advanced degree under certain circumstances. These courses are limited to a maximum of nine (9) semester hours in which a grade of B or higher has been earned within the time limits and other restrictions detailed in this Graduate Catalog.

Eligibility

Minimum Requirements for Admission to a Principal Preparation Program. Prior to admission to an educator preparation program leading to the Principal Certificate, an individual must hold a baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution of higher education that at the time was accredited or otherwise approved by an accrediting organization recognized by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. For more information please visit http://ritter.tea.state.tx.us/sbecrules/tac/chapter241/ch241.pdf.

Required Documents Needed for Application

When applying to the Principal Certification Program students must submit the following:

• Written Letter of Intent: A written statement indicating why you are interested in the Principal as Instructional Leader program in addition to describing personal and professional goals as related to the focus of the M.Ed. in Educational Administration;
• Interview: An interview will be conducted after the application review;
• Three professional letters of recommendation from current or recent supervisors;
• Valid Texas teaching certificate;
• District Service record showing a minimum of two years' teaching experience

Screen 1 – Application Packet Review: The admission criteria will be reviewed holistically using a rubric to assess the potential of the applicant in terms of maturity and commitment to leadership at the superintendent level. 

Screen 2 - Interview: Successful applicants of Screen 1 will be invited for an interview. The interview will determine commitment to the superintendent certificate program as well as fit to the program.

TEA Required Fee

Candidates will pay a $35 Technology fee for the Texas Education Accountability System for Educator Preparation Programs Fee and paid to the TEA as required by TAC 229.9.7.

Admission Deadlines

The Department of Educational Leadership and Foundations accepts applications for admission throughout the year according to the following priority deadlines:

• Fall Admission – July 1
• Spring Admission – November 1
• No Summer Admissions

Criminal Background Information

Students who participate in internships with agencies or school districts requiring background checks must successfully pass the background check in order to complete this requirement.

Pursuant to the Texas Education Code TEC, §22.0835, candidates must undergo a criminal history background check prior to student teaching; and pursuant to the TEC, §22.083, candidates must undergo a criminal history background check prior to employment as an educator. A candidate may be ineligible for issuance of a certificate on completion of the EPP if an individual has been convicted of an offense.

A person who is enrolled or planning to enroll in an educator preparation program or planning to take a certification examination may request a preliminary criminal history evaluation letter regarding the person's potential ineligibility for certification due to a conviction or deferred adjudication for a felony or misdemeanor offense. https://tea.texas.gov/texas-educators/investigations/preliminary-criminal-history-evaluation-faqs

The 36-credit hour Master of Education (M.Ed.) degree program in Educational Administration with emphasis on K-12 Administration is designed to meet the needs of applicants seeking to develop the knowledge, skills, and mindsets essential to becoming effective K-12 educational instructional leaders. The program requires completion of a set of Foundation courses, General Administration courses, and Specialized Preparation courses.

Students enrolled in the M.Ed. program can also seek admission into the Principal Certification Preparation Program, which culminates with principal certification in the state of Texas (See section on Principal Certification.)

Foundation Courses

All Foundation Courses must be taken prior to completing courses at the next level. All four courses will be offered every term throughout the academic year:

Course List

General Administration Courses

The General Administration Courses will be completed by all students admitted into the program. Prerequisites for registration include the successful completion of at least three of the four Foundation Courses. The fourth Foundation Course can be in progress while the student registers for General Administration courses. These courses include:

Course List

Specialized Preparation Courses

The Specialized Preparation Courses can be completed while the student is also enrolled in one or more of the Advanced Administration Courses. These courses include:

Course List

 *Note: The additional six semester credit hours are for students seeking the master’s degree only. Students pursuing the principal certification will take six credit hours of practicum. The purpose of these course offerings is to enable students without sufficient background and/or experiences to better understand major issues, trends, and practices associated with school administration in the areas of Special Education and Bilingual Education.

For those students who opt to add the Principal as Instructional Leader certification, then their plan of studies will require the following courses instead of the last six hours of specialized coursework. Their degree plan will incorporate the field-based experience courses described below:

Field-Based Experience Courses

The Principal Certification Program requires two additional internships. The internship courses are EDAD 5375 School Management Internship I and EDAD 5376 School Management Internship II.

The Field-Based Courses are completed at the end of all other coursework. Six credit hours are required, and these courses include:

Course List

Are you Ready to Test?

Candidates pursuing certification for Texas Principal as Instructional Leader must complete the requirements to include passing the appropriate Texas Examinations for Educator Standards (TExES). To ensure that candidates have developed the knowledge, skills, and mindsets to perform successfully on the state certification exams, the EPP requires candidates to first pass a qualifying exam. In addition to completing all other program requirements, candidates must successfully complete all TExES exams required for the Principal as Instructional Leader.

Candidates will take three exams - a qualifying exam, the 268 – TExES Principal as an Instructional Leader; and the 368 – Performance Assessment for School Leaders (PASL).

• Qualifying Exam – Principal as Instructional Leader
• 268 – TExES Principal as Instructional Leader
• 368 – Performance Assessment for School Leaders (PASL)

Texas Principal as Instructional Leader Certification Information

Upon completion of program coursework and successfully passing the 268 – Principal as Instructional Leader and the Performance Assessment for School Leaders (PASL) exams, candidates will meet with their major advisor during the final semester to verify that all principal certification requirements have been completed.

Students pursuing the Texas Principal Certification will be required to complete program requirement, training certificates, and professional documents before applying for the TExES Principal as Instructional Leader Certificate to include the following: 

• Master’s degree in Educational Leadership;
• Curriculum vitae / resume;
• Texas teaching certificate;
• Service record reflecting two years of teaching experience;
• Successful mastery (>=70%) on the TExES qualifying exam;
• Successful mastery (>=240 scale score) on the 268 TExES Principal as Instructional Leader examination;
• Successful mastery on the Performance Assessment for School Leaders (PASL);
• Advanced Educational Leadership (AEL) @ Region 19;
• Texas Teacher Evaluation and Support System (T-TESS) @ Region 19

268 – TExES Principal as Instructional Leader

Candidates take two exams to be certified as a Texas as an Instructional Leader – the (268) Principal as Instructional Leader and the Performance Assessment for School Leaders (PASL).

The exam framework for the Principal as Instructional Leader (268) exam is included in the preparation manual  at http://www.tx.nesinc.com/Content/Docs/268PrepManual.pdf

During a preparation program, each candidate should expect to experience multiple opportunities to demonstrate proficiency in coaching teachers. Preparation program instructions should include course assignments that allow candidates to plan coaching conferences, video record themselves, reflect, and receive feedback from instructors and/or peers. Candidates should visit with instructors and/or program directors if additional authentic experiences are desired as part of the program.

The interactive practice exam provides candidates with test-taking experience that simulates the operational exam, and with automated results reporting on the selected-response questions.

Candidates who attempt the 268 exam will receive their scores within four weeks. This exam can be retaken after 45 days. The score for your best attempt on each Subject Exam is always retained. You are required to pay the exam fee when registering to retake an exam. You are limited to five attempts to take a certification exam. The five attempts include the first attempt to pass the exam and four retakes. If you are unable to successfully pass the examination after five attempts, you will not be allowed to take the examination again unless the Texas Education Agency approves a test-limit waiver .

Performance Assessment for School Leaders (PASL)

School leadership candidates are now required to submit a performance assessment, the 368 Performance Assessment for School Leaders (PASL) developed by the Educational Testing Service (ETS). The PASL assessment allows the candidate to demonstrate the application of knowledge and skills identified as relevant and important for beginning school leaders.

The assessment contains three tasks requiring written commentary and submission of required documents called artifacts. A video of the candidate facilitating a collaborative team during your internship experience is required as one of the components for Task 3. Task responses can be created throughout the clinical experience rather than at the end, allowing the candidate to continually refine your professional practice.

This assessment is administered twice per year during pre-established submission windows. Candidates have approximately two months to upload and submit their task responses in the online submission system. Dates and deadlines can be found at https://www.ets.org/ppa/test-takers/school-leaders/register/dates-deadlines

Additional Requirements for Certification

Texas Teacher Evaluation and Support System (T-TESS)

Texas has developed a new evaluation system for teachers, the Texas Teacher Evaluation and Support System (T-TESS). The system consists of an evaluation rubric, a goal-setting and professional development plan, and a student growth measure embedded in processes of support that encourage professional growth, goal identification, and the establishment of strengths, as well as professional development needs.

T-TESS was designed to extend beyond the current teacher evaluation system, the Professional Development and Appraisal System (PDAS), so that the evaluation process promotes professional growth at all levels of the organization.

Advancing Educational Leadership (AEL) Training

Administrators must be knowledgeable in curriculum and instruction, must be skillful in data gathering and analysis, must be able to set goals, must be skillful in conducting effective conferences, must have team-building skills and conflict resolution skills, and have mentoring and coaching skills. In order to meet these expectations, the Texas Education Agency and ESC Region 13 have developed Advancing Educational Leadership (AEL). This three-day engaging and research-based training is required for teacher appraisers along with T-TESS evaluation training.

For any additional information, please contact the Educational Leadership Program Advisor at 915.747.5300.