Non-Traditional Cohort - NEIU, YCCS: Creating alternative certification programs for teachers and administrators who are conducting an alternative high school. (To save as a Word document use the link above)
Non-Traditional Cohort: Youth Connections Charter (YCC) Graduate Courses for Principals and Administrators (Tuition-waived)
The first phase was on-site consultation and analysis of teacher professional development needs coordinated by Dr. Janet Fredricks, Dr. Steven Brown, Dr. Joan Leafman. Consultation was provided by CTC LRE Project personnel.
The course instructors were from NEIU and included Michael Carl, Ph.D -- former dean of the College of Education and Dr. Michael Kutschman, Ph.D. . Participants were 10 Administrators and key staff from the YCC schools. Three tuition-waived courses have been held: 2 courses leading to the sequence in educational leadership and 1, taught by Dr. Katherine Brown, leading to type 10 teacher certificate.
The Youth Connections Charter consists of twenty seven small schools located in communities throughout Chicago that serve high school students who have dropped out or have been pushed out of the public schools. These schools are performing an important function in providing a second chance to students, however, many administrators from these small schools have no formal training in school administration. The course provides administrative training and encouragement to pursue administrative degrees to YCC school administrators.
Informal feedback and evaluation from participants are the evaluation components used for the two courses that have been offered. An unobtrusive measurement would be re-enrollment by YCC administrators in a third course to be offered and the number admitted to graduate school at NEIU through this exposure to administrative studies.
The discussion within the sessions showed that their was a lot of interest and the assessment of the course that much understanding was gained. Some of the participants have been admitted to graduate school and are continuing toward obtaining their Type 75 certification. If enough of the participants have enrolled in NEIU's graduate school, a third tuition-waived course will be offered to them.
Administrators of alternative-charter schools have an enormous opportunity to help promote school change. As small schools that served dropouts or pushouts, since they have less bureaucratic constraints, they can try innovative school structures and strategies and then share their successes with public urban schools that have a drop out rate of over 50%. The importance of administrative strategies that are informed by prior knowledge, theory and authentic practices are critical.
To email changes and responses, copy the section you want to change and paste it into the email. Place the changes between < > so that they can be identified.
cgehrie@attbi.com
Return to menu