Educational Leadership – School District Leader (Advanced Certificate)
Welcome to the Education Leadership – School District Leader (Advanced Certificate) program home page. Use this page as a guide to the program from acceptance to graduation.
Academic Plan
SCDTL-AC
Total Credits
12 credits
Program Code for Certification
38136 – SCHOOL DISTRICT LEADERSHIP
Advisors
- Nell Panero, Faculty Advisor and Internship Advisor
- 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
Students will attend three orientations to cover all the information needed to start your program:
- General New Student Orientation
- Program Advising Session
- Clinical Experiences and Fingerprinting Orientation
See “Program Related Events” for details about upcoming sessions.
Financing Your Degree
Visit the Financing Your Degree page for information.
Fingerprint Clearance Requirements
All students in teacher preparation programs as well as programs in school counseling need to be fingerprinted so that they are cleared to work with children in various settings including New York City Department of Education (NYCDOE) public schools, charter networks, and other organizations. Visit the Fingerprinting page for requirements and procedures.
Program Sequence
Advanced Certificate students register for either sections one or two. Students must consult with their faculty advisor before registering. For technical registration support and troubleshooting, please visit the Register for Classes page.
Semester 1
- ADSUP 72100 – Legal Issues, Finance, Facilities and Operations (4 credits)
- ADSUP 74100 – School District Leadership: Problems and Issues (4 credits)
Semester 2
- ADSUP 75100 – District and School Based Field Experience Seminar in Administration and Supervision (4 credits)
Hunter College Catalog
To review descriptions of specific courses and academic progress standards for the program along with exit requirements please use the course catalog for the year you were admitted to the program.
Course Catalog Summer 2022 onward
Course Catalog prior to Summer 2022
Clinical Experiences
Students in the Educational Leadership – School District Leadership (Advanced Certificate) program complete 600 hours of fieldwork/internship hours across three components.
All classes within the Leadership program include fieldwork experiences as a requirement of the program. Students complete all components at their current worksite or a site approved by the Education Leadership program. If placement is required, students will be placed by Program Leader Dr. Marcia Knoll at a Hunter College School of Education partner site.
Clinical Experiences Resources
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
Graduates of this program are eligible for New York State (NYS) certification in School District Leader. Once teachers have completed three years of full-time, paid teaching experience including one year of mentored teaching, they can apply for professional certification.
Types of Certification
Students are recommended for professional 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 Processes and Procedures 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.
Submit Proof of 60 credits of Graduate Level Course Work
The New York State Education Department (NYSED) requires all candidates for the School District Leader (SDL) certification to have 60 credits of graduate level coursework. You must request and submit transcripts from your graduate institutions to the New York State Education Department (NYSED) in order to have this requirement met.
Take Required Certification Exams and Workshops
Exams
- School District Leader – Part 1
- School District Leader – Part 1
- Educating All Students (EAS)
- Students who have completed Educating All Students (EAS) for a prior certification, do not need to take the exam again.
Workshops
All students must fulfill the following workshop requirements over the course of their program. Students who have completed these workshops for a prior certification, do not need to take them again.
- School Violence Prevention and Intervention
- Students who have completed this workshop for prior certification do not need to take it again.
- Prevention and Child Abuse Identification and Reporting
- Students who have completed this workshop for prior certification do not need to take it again.
- Dignity for All Students (DASA) workshop
- Students who began their program prior to Fall 2023 must take the workshop in addition to the courses required for their program. Students may take the DASA workshop through Hunter College’s Continuing Education department or with another approved provider through the New York State Education Department (NYSED) website. For students who begin in Fall 2023 and Spring 2024, please consult with your advisor about how you will complete this workshop. For students who begin in Fall 2024 or later, this workshop will be included in the coursework requried for your program. 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.
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
Once teachers have completed three years of full-time, paid teaching experience including one year of mentored teaching, they can apply for professional certification.
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.
1. 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, select Certificate of Advanced Studies.
For employment history enter all full-time, paid teaching experiences in both public, private and charter schools.
2. Select Certificate(s)
Enter the following information for the certificates section depending on whether you are applying for professional certification.
Professional Certification
- 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:
- 38136 – SCHOOL DISTRICT LEADERSHIP
3. 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 candidate to serve as a teacher of record while completing the master’s degree program. The Internship Certificate is reserved for graduate teacher education students who meet certain New York State Education Department (NYSED) and Hunter College School of Education requirements. For more information on the Internship Certificate with Hunter College, please review the Internship Certificate page.