Certification Program Preps Future Principals with Live Guest Panel
Alumni offer tips for PASL exam, current principal offer insights into job search
The College of Education’s principal certification faculty have launched a new, virtual panel series to help current students get the most out of their UTA program and to prepare for Texas’ two new, required principal certification tests, the Performance Assessment for School Leaders (PASL) and the TExES Principal (268) Exam.
During the second of three panel discussions, Dr. Michelle Leverette and Dr. Joel Leader invited two alumni – Stephanie Buck and Sara Cox– to share their ideas and experiences for how current UTA students can best prepare for and complete the PASL. The duo recently took and passed the Performance Assessment for School Leaders certification assessment.
“We asked them to discuss how they approached each of the three tasks, how they organized their time and work, and how their work in their classes helped prepare them to succeed on the assessment,” said Leader. “Participants walked away with a better understanding of the assessment’s requirements, how to prepare their artifacts and written reflections, and ideas for how to get started. Importantly, participants better understood that they are not alone in this work but are part of a community of learners dedicated to supporting one another through this process.”
The new series is one of two started by Dr. Leader and Dr. Leverette, co-program directors for UTA’s 100% accelerated online M.Ed. in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies, with Principal Certificate Courses and the Principal Certification Only Program. In the second series, principal certification candidates received helpful insights regarding the employment search from principals in the field.
“I invited three sitting principals to speak to students about what they are looking for when hiring administrators to join their leadership teams, how they determine who is the best fit, and what students/candidates can do now to set themselves apart in the interview process,” said Dr. Leader, who invited the guests to his capstone course, EDAD 5399. “Students gained first-hand knowledge of how to structure their resumes, prepare for interviews, and make themselves attractive applicants for future leadership positions.”