Academics > Colleges and departments > College of Education > Educational Studies, Leadership & Counseling > School Administration Program

School Administration

School Administration Coordinator

Robert Lyons, Ed. D.

Educational Studies, Leadership, and Counseling

3201 Alexander Hall, Murray, KY  42071

270-809-6471

270-809-3799 (Fax)

School Administration offers a Master of Arts and an Education Specialist degree in Educational Administration, as well as several Kentucky administrative endorsements.  The programs are designed for certified teachers who are interested in leading schools and districts in the state of Kentucky.  The College of Education at Murray State University is NCATE accredited and therefore the degree programs meets the certification requirements in most other states.

 

New School Administration Program Launched, July 1, 2011
For the past three years, school administration faculty from across Kentucky have met to develop curricula and assessments for a redesign principal certification program.  This move to a redesigned program was driven in part by a shift in normative practices in school administration programs nationwide, and in part by a change in state law.  Our new program maximizes field-based learning and is structured to address the needs of the instructional leader.  These changes affect anyone applying to our program after July 1, 2011.

Information for New Students
School Principal Certification
Our new program, the Regional Partnership for Principal Preparation is a 30-hour, cohort-based program that culminates in a second master’s degree and Level 1 School Principal certification. Admission requirements include: (1) a master’s degree, (2) three years of teaching experience, (3) successful completion of an application and interview during the recruitment period, and (4) a letter of support and MOA from your school district.  The TENTATIVE cohort schedule is listed below.  Note that Cohorts start each fall.  See the Revised Catalog for more details.

Cohort                               Location                                                    Start Date                   Recruitment Period
Cohort 4                           Murray                                                    Fall 2011                       Spring 2011
Cohort 5                           Henderson                                            Fall 2011                       Spring 2011
Cohort 6                           Paducah                                                Fall 2012                       Spring 2012
Cohort 7                           Madisonville                                            Fall 2012                       Spring 2012        
Cohort 8                           Murray                                                    Fall 2013                       Spring 2013
Cohort 9                           Hopkinsville                                            Fall 2013                       Spring 2013

 

Supervisor of Instruction, Director of Special Education, and Director of Pupil Personnel
Our central office endorsements are built upon the school principal endorsement.  Admission to these endorsement programs requires that you have either a Masters in School Administration or already hold an endorsement in one administrative area and will simply be adding another. For new students, this means that you will need to start in one of the cohorts and complete the Master’s degree prior to entering into these endorsements.  Courses for these endorsements are offered as ‘stand-alone’ and not through a cohort.  See the Revised Catalog for specific details.

School Superintendent
The School Superintendent program is largely unchanged, as experience as an administrator has always been required for this endorsement.  See the Revised Catalog for more details.

Option 6 of the Alternative Routes for Administrator Certification

Since 2001, Murray State University has offered a means by which school districts can broaden an applicant pool with the inclusion of persons not yet certified.  These candidates would then have 2 years to complete all requirements. Effective July 1, 2011 Alternative Certification candidates must be part of a Cohort for initial certification.  There are other provisions for the Executive Program and endorsement extension.  See the Option Six Alternative Certification Guidelines for more information.

Notes for Students Admitted Prior to July 1 and/or Continuing from Prior Program
Our profession is truly all about change.  The programmatic changes that are described above are designed to be responsive to the changes in your roles as school leaders.  That being said, your programs are not necessarily affected by these changes.  Each person’s situation differs.  Persons currently in the pre-July1, 2011 program will be affected if they do not finish by December 2013, particularly if this is your first master’s degree or initial postmasters endorsement.

Below are a few Frequently Asked Questions that may be of assistance:

If I have a level 1 under the old program, do these changes impact my level 2?
No.  It is the expectation that you complete the level 2 associated with your level 1.  You stick with your original plan sheet.

Will the courses for my level 2 be offered?
Until 2013, all will still be offered.  If we discontinue a course, we will communicate a standard substitution that will be offered on a schedule to facilitate you finishing your level 2.

If I have a master’s degree or endorsement under the old curriculum and desire to add an endorsement, do I enter under the old or new program?
You would enter under the new program curriculum.  The courses that have been selected are reflective of what you would have taken previously, so you will not see a huge difference.

If I am working on my first masters and may not finish by December 2013, what should I do?  The December 2013 is a state regulation, not a university policy.  You will be at the mercy of EPSB.  Be thinking ahead about your program and do not let this occur.

Can I switch into the cohort from the traditional program?
If you meet admission requirements, it is possible that you could apply during a recruitment period and enter the cohort. We have some conversions in place to help you retain some of the hours.  However, you would possibly lose hours. There is probably a point of ‘no return’ in terms of the practicality of making this switch.  Exactly where that is depends upon what you have taken.

 

Career Outlook:  According to the United States Department of Labor, there were 3660 Public School Administrators in Kentucky in 2008.  Salary for these positions ranged greatly with responsibilities, the average administrator salary was $76,000, inclusive of all salaries.  The outlook nationally for school administrators is for some growth due to new schools, but also new positions due to retirements and turnover.   The outlook in the MSU area varies.  There are approximately 240 principal and assistant principal positions in the Purchase/ Pennyrile area and a like number in central office positions.  Turnover varies from district to district.