Frequently Asked Questions
Certificate of Advanced Studies (CAS) in Educational Leadership

  

• What is the purpose of the Educational Leadership program?
• What’s a CAS?
• What will a CAS do for me?
• Is a CAS the same as administrative certification in NYS?
• How many credits does the CAS require?
• Are there program requirements beyond the coursework?
• What’s required for application and admission to the CAS?
• May I take a course before being admitted to the program?
• What can I do now to prepare for applying to the program?
• What specific courses are required for the Educational Leadership CAS?
• When are courses offered?
• How many electives does the CAS allow?
• How long will it take to complete the CAS?
• May I transfer courses from other institutions toward the CAS?
• How, if at all, is the CAS connected to the School of Education’s EdD?
• To whom should I address further questions about Educational Leadership?
• How else may I get general information about graduate study at Binghamton University?
• Where can I find more about the NYS School Leadership Assessments?
• Which NYS assessments should I take and when?

 

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• What is the purpose of the Educational Leadership program?

To prepare educational leaders to serve in PreK-12 schools and school districts. Its target audiences are part-time, post-master’s students who work full-time as teachers or other kinds of educational professionals in PreK-12 schools.

 

• What is a CAS?

 

• What will a CAS do for me?
  CAS graduates may pursue future employment as staff developers, curriculum coordinators and program directors, as well as positions such as assistant principal, principal, assistant superintendent and superintendent. Successful completion of the CAS will permit Binghamton University to recommend qualified students to the State Education Department for either or both NYS administrative certifications: School Building Leader (SBL-Initial) and/or School District Leader (SDL-Professional).  Recommendations will depend on students’ accomplishment of program requirements, an internship, leadership experience and performance on state-administered assessments. Students must pass the NYS School District Leader assessment in order to earn the CAS and the university's recommendation for SDL certification.

   

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• Is a CAS the same as administrative certification in NYS?

No. Universities cannot award certifications or licenses to serve as teachers or administrators -- only New York State can do that. However, the CAS is specifically geared to equipping students with the knowledge and skills needed to be eligible to earn two kinds of certification awarded by the state of New York: School Building Leader (SBL) Initial and School District Leader (SDL) Professional. While universities can provide required coursework and other important leadership experiences, you would also have to pass appropriate NYS exams, be fingerprinted, submit evidence of having taken Violence Prevention and Child Abuse Recognition workshops and more when applying separately for NYS certification(s) to serve as an administrator.Note that the university can only award the CAS after you have successfully passed the NYS School District Leader assessment (http://www.nystce.nesinc.com).

 

• How many credits does the CAS require?

32 graduate credit hours, beyond a completed master’s degree of at least 30 credit hours in a teaching or closely related field. The 32 CAS credit-hours consist of eight (8) four-credit-hour courses, seven (7) of which are prescribed (required) and one (1) of which is an elective, selected in consultation with a faculty advisor assigned upon admission. One of the required courses is an internship, accompanied by a seminar.

 

• Are there program requirements beyond the coursework?

Yes. Consistent with current state regulations, leadership students must also pass the NYS School District Leader assessment and complete a “Personal Plan for Self-Improvement and Continuous Learning.” Information about Personal Plans is also included in the introductory leadership course (EDUC 673.) Information about NYS Leadership Assessments is at http://www.nystce.nesinc.com.

 

• What’s required for application & admission to the CAS?

Admissions are highly selective, consistent with Binghamton University’s norms and reputation for excellence. There are both University- and program-specific requirements for applications. Completed applications are welcome anytime, though "official" review dates are October 15 and February 1. Applications submitted apart from official review dates will be considered on a space-available basis, until the upcoming class is filled. To be considered for admission to the CAS you need:

1. A baccalaureate from an accredited institution of higher education or from an institution authorized by the NYS Board of Regents to confer degrees (minimum GPA 3.0 on a 4.0 scale);

2. A master’s degree of at least 30 graduate credit-hours in a teaching, or closely related, field (minimum GPA 3.0 on a 4.0 scale);

3. A minimum of three years paid, full-time classroom teaching and/or pupil personnel service in PreK-12 public or non-public schools;

4. A copy of your permanent or professional certification in classroom teaching or pupil personnel service.

 

Additional admission requirements particular to the Educational Leadership program include:

 

5. A Personal Statement that focuses on: (a) your prior leadership experiences; (b) any special skills or contributions to the field of education; (c) why you wish to pursue administrative leadership certification at this time in your career; and (d) your leadership goals for the future.  (Please note that these required foci differ from the generic Graduate School instructions. Also know that this is an important part of your application. Be as specific as possible, including examples where appropriate. Aim for 3-4 typewritten, double-spaced pages);

6. Two completed CAS Reference Forms from supervisors, school, or district administrators who know your work and can assess your accomplishments and leadership potential.  (These forms are unique to the Educational Leadership CAS and are required in lieu of general letters of recommendation.); and

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7. A resume that includes complete professional employment history, with dates and locations.

 

You are also required to follow the University’s established graduate admissions procedures for all programs (http://gradschool.binghamton.edu), including:

·      completed Application Forms

·      application Fees

·      GRE General Test scores, including the analytical writing subtest. (The CAS program will give preference to applicants with a combined score of at least 1,000 out of a possible 1,600 points on the Verbal and Quantitative subtests; a minimum of 4.5 on a scale of 0 -6.0 for Analytical writing.) Binghamton University’s code is R2535. The Educational Testing Service administers the GRE General Test.

·      official transcripts

 

• May I take a course before being admitted to the program?

Yes. In fact, prospective students often do this, to get a feel for whether or not Binghamton’s program would be a good match with their interests and abilities. Such “pilot testing” can be a real benefit. Of course, there is also a risk because successful completion of one or more courses does not ensure admission to the CAS. Various other criteria are considered by the admissions committee, as indicated in the earlier listing of application requirements. For detailed instructions on registering for a course as a non-degree (non-matriculated) student please go to the Graduate School page. Non-matriculated students must also obtain the instructor’s permission to register for any 600-level education