Educational Leadership SBL/SDL (MSEd) – Collaborative Leadership Advancing School Success (CLASS)
Welcome to the CLASS – Educational Leadership SBL/SDL (MSEd) program home page. Use this page as a guide to the program from acceptance to graduation.
The Collaborative Leadership Advancing School Success (CLASS) program is a clinically-based school leadership program that engages teachers as learners and leaders, readying students to supervise and support the professional development of fellow teachers and the management of systems at the building and district levels.
Upon successful completion of the two-year program students will receive a master’s degree from Hunter College and eligibility for New York State School Building Leader and School District Leader certification.
Academic Plan
EDLC-MSED
Total Credits
32
Program Code for Certification
28954 – EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP
Advisor
- Nell Panero, Program Leader
- Kath Smith (ks286@hunter.cuny.edu), Faculty Advisor and Internship Advisor
- Karen Lew (kle0011@hunter.cuny.edu), Advisor and Assistant Director
- Jason Riffaterre, Certification, Graduation and Administrative Advisor
Newly Accepted Students
Getting Started and Orientation
New Student Checklist
Welcome to the School of Education! Visit the Newly Accepted Students page for a checklist to get you started at Hunter College.
New Student Support
If at any point you need support, please reach out to our New Student Liaison at newsoest@hunter.cuny.edu or make an appointment.
Orientations
Welcome to the School of Education! Students will attend two orientations to cover all the information needed to start your program:
- General New Student Orientation
- Program Advising Session
General New Student Orientation
The School of Education hosts monthly virtual new graduate student orientations titled “New Student Orientation – Teacher Education and Leadership”. These 60 minute online sessions will provide you with an overview of Hunter College and the School of Education. Additionally, you will find answers to many of your questions regarding registration, student life and certification. See “Program Related Events” below for details about upcoming sessions.
Program Advising Session
The CLASS – Educational Leadership SBL/SDL (MSEd) program hosts program advising sessions that cover the course of study, progress standards and fieldwork requirements. See “Program Related Events” below for details about upcoming sessions.
Program Sequence
The program advisor will notify students of the cohort’s particular course of study before registering for classes. Course sequence is subject to change. To view course descriptions, progress standards and exit requirements visit the catalog.
Program Sequence
Semester 1
- CLASS 71000 – Continuous Improvement 1: Moving Students (KC) (4 credits)
- CLASS 71500 – Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Leadership 1: Individual Efficacy (4 credits)
Semester 2
- CLASS 72000: Continuous Improvement 2: Moving Adults (4 credits)
- CLASS 72500: Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Leadership 2: Collective Efficacy (4 credits)
Exams
- School Building Leader (SBL) Exam
- This exam is required for certification not graduation.
- Educating All Students (EAS) Exam
- Students who have previously taken the Educating All Students (EAS) exam and passed do not have to take it again. This exam is required for certification not graduation.
Semester 3
- CLASS 73000: Continuous Improvement 3: Moving Systems (4 credits)
- CLASS 73500: Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Leadership 3: Families and Communities (4 credits)
Exams
- School District Leader (SDL) Exam – Parts 1 and 2
- This exam is required for certification not graduation.
Apply for
Graduation
Students must apply for graduation the semester before their planned graduation. Refer to the Graduation and Commencement page for full policies and procedures.
Semester 4
- CLASS 74000: Continuous Improvement 4: Ensuring Sustainability (4 credits)
- CLASS 74500: Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Leadership 4: Coalitions for Change (KC) (4 credits)
Apply for
Certification
- Students must wait to apply for certification until they receive an email from the School of Education indicating their recommendation has been entered. This usually occurs six to eight weeks after the conferral of your degree. Refer to the Certification and Licensure page for more information.
Clinical Experiences
Fieldwork and internship requirements for the Educational Leadership SBL/SDL (MSEd) – Collaborative Leadership Advancing School Success (CLASS) program are embedded in your current school. These experiences are designed to help you learn and practice effective leadership and school improvement skills at your school over the two-year program. You are not required to complete an internship outside of your current school.
You will also participate in intervisitations at other participating schools. This will allow principals and teachers at participating schools to give feedback on instructional and operational decision-making systems. The CLASS program will facilitate the arrangement of intervisitations.
Graduation
Graduation is the official completion of your program and conferral of an academic degree. In order to graduate, students must apply for graduation using CUNYFirst the semester before the semester of their planned graduation and complete any outstanding requirements by the stated deadlines. Visit the Graduation and Commencement page for complete information.
Certification and Licensure
The Educational Leadership SBL/SDL (MSEd) – Collaborative Leadership Advancing School Success (CLASS) program leads to eligibility for New York State School Building Leader and School District Leader certification.
Students who are completing or have completed the program will apply for their certification through the New York State Education Department TEACH Online Services. Students apply for either initial or professional certification.
Types of Certification
Students are recommended for both initial and professional certification:
- The Initial Certificate is the entry-level teaching certificate and is valid for five years. Students who graduate from a Hunter master’s degree certification program without prior certification will be recommended for initial certification.
- The Professional Certificate is an advanced certificate. Once teachers have completed three years of full-time, paid teaching experience including one year of mentored teaching, they can apply for professional certification.
Application Checklist
Review Your Fingerprint Status
All students in programs leading to New York State certification need to have their fingerprints cleared by the New York State Education Department (NYSED). Visit the Fingerprinting for Hunter College School of Education Students to learn how to obtain fingerprint clearance. You can check your state clearance status on your TEACH account.
Take Required Certification Exams and Workshops
Exams
All students must fulfill the following exam requirements over the course of their program:
- Educating All Students (EAS)
- Students who have completed Educating All Students (EAS) for a prior certification, do not need to take the exam again.
- School District Leader – Part 1
- School District Leader – Part 2
Exam Registration and Test Preparation
Register for an exam at the New York State Teacher Certification Examinations website. Need help preparing? Learn about upcoming Test Preparation Workshops.
Workshops
All students must fulfill the following workshop requirements over the course of their program:
- School Violence Prevention and Intervention
- This workshop is included in coursework.
- Prevention and Child Abuse Identification and Reporting
- This workshop is included in coursework.
- Dignity for All Students Act (DASA) workshop
- Students may take the Dignity for All Students Act (DASA) workshop through Hunter College’s Continuing Education department or with another approved provider through the New York State Education Department (NYSED) website. Once you complete the DASA workshop, submit copies of DASA workshop certification to the Office of Academic and Student Affairs so that their CUNYfirst account can be updated via the Workshop or Exam Completion Form.
- Educating All Students (EAS)
Apply for Graduation
In order to be recommended for certification, all students in all programs including advanced certificate programs, must complete their program and apply for graduation. For more information on the graduation process, please visit the School of Education Graduation and Commencement page.
Apply for Certification
Certification candidates must wait to apply for certification until receiving an email from the School of Education indicating their recommendation has been entered. This will occur six to eight weeks after the Hunter College conferral dates of June 1 for spring grads, September 1 for summer grads and January 1 for fall grads. Candidates will be recommended for Initial and Professional certification. There are 4 steps in the application process:
1. Create/Log in to your TEACH Account
Students must create/log in to their New York State Education Department (NYSED) TEACH Account. From your Teach Online Services Home page, select Apply for Certificate which is found under “Online Application.” This will start a new application.
2. Verify/Update Profile
The Verify/Update Profile section will ask for education and employment history.
For educational history, provide information from bachelor’s degree to present. For the drop down next to Degree and Major, select the option that corresponds to the degree and major earned.
For employment history enter all full-time, paid teaching experiences in both public, private and charter schools.
3. Select Certificate(s)
Enter the following information for the certificates section depending on whether you are applying for initial or professional certification. For initial certification you will apply for the School Building Leader certification. For Professional Certification you will apply for both School Building Leader and School District Leader certification.
Initial Certification: School Building Leader
- Select your Area of Interest: Administration and Pupil Personnel Services
- Select your Subject Area: School Administration and Supervision
- Select the Grade Level: Pre K-12 All Grades
- Select the Title:School Building Leader
- Select your Certificate Type: Initial
On the next page you will be prompted to enter the program code:
- 28954 – EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP
Professional Certification: School Building Leader
- Select your Area of Interest: Administration and Pupil Personnel Services
- Select your Subject Area: School Administration and Supervision
- Select the Grade Level: Pre K-12 All Grades
- Select the Title:School Building Leader
- Select your Certificate Type: Professional
On the next page you will be prompted to enter the program code:
- 28954 – EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP
Professional Certification: School District Leader
- Select your Area of Interest: Administration and Pupil Personnel Services
- Select your Subject Area: School Administration and Supervision
- Select the Grade Level: Pre K-12 All Grades
- Select the Title: School District Leader
- Select your Certificate Type: Professional
On the next page you will be prompted to enter the program code:
- 28954 – EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP
4. Complete application (sign affidavit, sign application, make payment)
Read and sign the required affidavit and confirm and sign the application. Finally, make payment.
Additional Resources
Expiring Certifications
If you will not graduate from the Advanced Certificate program prior to the expiration of your initial certificate, you may be eligible for an extension through NYSED’s TEACH Online Services. Create/Log in to your TEACH account and select “Apply for a Time Extension.”
Out of State Certification or Licensure
Students applying for certification or licensure in states other than New York must complete the Out of State Certification and Licensure Form and upload the required completed form for the state they are applying to.
For students applying in states that have a web based form (ex. New Jersey), please send the access information to Melissa Boronkas, Certification Officer at mb74@hunter.cuny.edu.
For more information on certification or licensure requirements in other states, please review the interstate agreement information on the National Associate of State Directors of Teacher Education and Certification site.
Hunter International Students (F1 Visa Holder) Certification or Licensure
Registering for New York State Teacher Certification Exams (NYSTCE)
During the registration process enter all 9s when prompted for your Social Security Number (SSN). Once you do receive a Social Security Number, you will need to fax a copy of your Social Security Number card and Passport to the New York State Teacher Certification Exams (NYSTCE) with a cover letter including your assigned New York State Teacher Certification Exams (NYSTCE) ID number to request they change your temporary Social Security Number replacement with your assigned Social Security Number.
The fax number for New York State Teacher Certification Exams (NYSTCE) is 413-256-7088. Follow up a few days later to ensure they have received your fax. The phone number for New York State Teacher Certification Exams (NYSTCE) is 413-256-2882.
Applying for NYSED TEACH Account without a Social Security Number
You do not need to wait for a Social Security Number (SSN) to create an account on the NYSED TEACH system. If you do not have a valid Social Security Number, you will need to email soeoasa@hunter.cuny.edu to request a TEACH Access Number first. The access number is only for use with TEACH and meeting requirements for New York State teacher certification. If you do get a social security number, you must notify NYSED.
If you apply for OPT the process will generate a Social Security Number which you will use to create your TEACH account and apply for New York State Department of Education teaching certification. You should apply for OPT as soon as you can, but you cannot apply earlier than 90 days before your program completion date.
For general instructions on setting up your NYSED TEACH account, please refer to the Certification and Licensure section on this program page.
New York City Department of Education Employment with OPT once your NYS Certificate has issued
International students cannot apply for employment with New York City Public Schools until they have a Social Security Number (SSN). International students may qualify for employment in New York City public schools once they hold New York State certification and hold an OPT visa. You will be ineligible to apply to work for the New York City Department of Education unless you hold OPT authorization, have a Social Security Number and your New York State certification has issued. Candidates fitting the above criteria may apply online to the New York City Department of Education. Once the application is received and reviewed, further instructions will follow. This policy is subject to change at any time.
Letter Requests
Please use the School of Education Letter Request Form to request a letter from the School of Education to verify your education experience.
Internship Certification for Graduate Teacher Education Students
The Internship Certificate allows a teacher or educational leadership candidate to serve as a teacher or leader of record while completing the master’s degree program. The Internship Certificate is reserved for graduate teacher or leader education students who meet certain New York State Education Department (NYSED) and Hunter College School of Education requirements. Visit the Internship Certificate page for eligibility requirements and application processes and procedures.