Program in Educational Leadership
QUICK LINKS TO FORMS Forms and Links for Mentors: (Mentors may complete and submit these forms online)
INTERNSHIP HANDBOOK
The Master of Education degree (M. Ed.) in Educational Leadership at Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU) prepares educators to become administrators who are able to create and maintain effective schools. The program requires students to demonstrate competence through course work, practical experiences, and portfolio assessment. In their graduate program, students are exposed to a variety of instructional methodologies including problem-based learning, case study methods, lecture/discussion, cooperative learning, and practical experiences. As a culminating experience, each student enrolls in the course entitled Internship in Educational Leadership that is taken during the final one or two semesters of the student's program. This information serves as a guide for the Internship in Educational Leadership to: a) practicing administrators who are mentors to the interns, b) graduate students who are undertaking an Internship experience, and, c) Internship supervisors who are supervising professors or adjunct faculty. It briefly describes and/or defines:
1) the language associated with the Internship in Educational Leadership; 2) the purposes of the Internship in Educational Leadership; 3) the process of mentoring; 4) the prevention and solution of potential mentoring problems; 5) the requirements for reporting and evaluation progress; and 6) the forms and materials associated with the Internship in Educational Leadership.
Purposes of the Internship in Educational Leadership
The Language of the Internship in Educational Leadership
The Mentoring Process
Selecting Mentors The faculty cooperates with school district superintendents, principals, and potential Internship students to identify administrators who serve as mentors. Mentors must be either pincipals or distirct-level administrators approved by the district and the university to serve as mentors. Mentors may delegate mentoring responsibilities to assistant principals and other administrators, but they must oversee this delegation. Mentors are informed about the program, their expected roles and responsibilities, and the benefits of mentoring in meetings with university supervisors and through this document. They file a Mentor Application in Educational Leadership (please click on this item for access to the form) to signify willingness to work with one or more Internship students. Mentors selected by the faculty are expected to serve in the program for at least one year. The benefits to mentors include full library privileges at FGCU, and the assistance of the Internship student in carrying out building-level responsibilities. Mentors are responsible for working with the university supervisor and the Internship student to set up a series of activities that will be mutually beneficial to the student and to the mentor. In other words, the student will engage in shadowing and hands-on activities that will provide the student with valuable educational experiences, while at the same time providing some assistance to the mentor in performing tasks and accomplishing objectives. The mentor also will be responsible for evaluating the Internship student's accomplishments twice during the Internship experience: once in the middle and once at the end of the Internship experience. Mentors will use the Internship in Educational Leadership Student Evaluation Form (click on this item for access to form).
Selecting Internship Students Only students who have completed at least 24 hours of course work (or will be registered for their 24th hour or more) toward the degree may submit the Internship in Educational Leadership Application (please click on this item for access to the form). The application must be filed at least one month prior to the semester when the Internship is to begin, which provides sufficient time for the mentor, student and university supervisor to meet and plan the internship. This form indicates intent to participate in an Internship experience during the following semester. Internships currently are planned only for the spring and summer terms. In this way, students experience summer school and have an extended period of time to fulfill the time requirements of the Internship.
Criteria have been identified for the selection of Internship students and include:
1) Students will enroll in 3 or 6 credit hours of EDA 6945 Internship in Educational Leadership, depending on when they were admitted to the program in Educational Leadership. All student admitted in the fall of 2008 or after are required to complete 6 credits. Internship Students will read the most recent edition of the book by Ronald Rebore entitled The Ethics of Educational Leadership. The book will be discussed in seminars as well as in online discussions.
(2) Students will work with their advisor and Internship supervisor/mentor to develop an individualized set of activities that will enable the students to gain experiences in areas in which they lack knowledge or experience. Students will use the ISLLC and ELCC Standards template as the basis for the individualized program. Students should examine the current status of their Learning Portfolio to pinpoint areas of deficiency as they work with their advisors and mentors to complete their Internship. The Administrative Task areas listed below may also be used for ideas of areas that need development, though these task areas are also interspersed throughout the ISLLC and ELCC standards. The Florida Educational Leadership Standards, which form the basis of the mentor's evaluation of the student were developed based on the ISLLC and ELCC standards and the template that the students uses to establish his or her Internship activities is consistent with the Florida Educational Leadership Standards.
3) Each Internship student is to select several projects which have been identified as areas of need in the student's background. This requirement is to provide a sustained experience with activities at the student's Internship site.
4) The number of hours of actual Internship experiences will vary per student, but the minimum number is 200 contact hours for each 3-credits in which the student is registered, not including online discussions and class seminars.
Project Requirements. Each Internship student should select projects that assist school personnel in their efforts to improve schools and/or the delivery of services to those schools. Project criteria include the following:
In their projects, students may serve as chairpersons of committees or as administrative assistants. Example projects may include responsibility for: total quality education, school improvement, school and curriculum restructuring, community involvement, faculty training and development, school image, instructional evaluation system, restructuring schools, fund raising and/or grant writing, school-business alliances, or other agreed upon projects. The following administrative task areas may also provide ideas:
Administrative task topics for principals include, but are not limited to, the following areas: 1. school improvement; 2. teacher observation and evaluation techniques; 3. establishment or revision of procedures; 4. budgeting/accounting procedures; 5. school-community communication; 6. school-community activities; 7. student supervision; 8. student leadership activities; 9. facility maintenance and repair; 10. quality improvement; 11. school curriculum development and assessment; 12. facility schedules; 13. staff and faculty training; 14. technology infusion; 15. school discipline; 16. business partnerships; 17. grant writing; 18. use of statistical data; 19. others as deemed appropriate by the mentor, student, and supervisor.
Specific Course Requirements for Students:
Internship Portfolio and Final Program Learning Portfolio An Internship Portfolio is required or may be combined with the student's Learning Portfolio. The Internship portfolio will be turned into the university advisor at the end of the Internship. It will include a listing of dates worked, the hours each day, and what was done each day which will be signed by the student's mentor; the evaluations by the mentor; journal entries (these can be a copy of the Discussion Board entries); and artifacts that support journal entries. This portfolio is to be done in electronic form. As a final program assessment in the Educational Leadership program, students will submit a Learning Portfolio, and they will present it to a panel of faculty. Students may wish to combine their Internship Portfolio and their Learning Portfolio into one. In this case, a separate journal of Internship activities will need to be completed along with a listing of the skill areas accomplished during the Internship that is related to artifacts included in the Learning Portfolio. The Learning Portfolio is organized around the accomplishment of the Florida Educational Leadership Standards. These standards are based on the Interstate School Leaders Licensure Consortium (ISLLC) Standards. The ISLLC Standards were developed by the Council of Chief State School Officers in collaboration with the National Policy Board on Educational Administration (NPBEA) to help strengthen preparation programs in school leadership (Van Meter & Murphy, 1997). In addition, the Educational Leadership Constituent Council (ELCC) of the NPBEA has developed standards that essentially mirror the ISLLC standards. In addition to the ISLLC Standards, students will be expected to demonstrate competence in the university's program competencies for Educational Leadership that combines the Florida State Principal Competencies and the NPBEA competencies. For a list of the ISLLC Standards and FGCU Program Competencies in Educational Leadership, please see the Guide to Portfolio Contents or the separate listing of these items on the Educational Leadership Program Webpage.
Summary of Implementation Steps for Mentor/Internship Student Working Relationships
2. The Internship supervisor meets with Internship student and mentor(s).
3. The student completes an individualized set of experiences using the ISLLC and ELCC template. The Internship supervisor reviews with Internship student the expected roles and responsibilities.
4. The mentor and Internship student develop details of plans for the Internship projects and identify tasks to be achieved for the completion for the Internship in Educational Leadership.
5. The mentor introduces the Internship student to school personnel and students and informs them of the level of authority that the Internship student is being given in the school. In this way, the school staff and students will respond to the Internship student in his or her administrative role.
6. The Internship student shadows the principal (mentor) and/or assistant principal(s) to become familiar with the scope of the principal's work.
7. The Internship student writes weekly postings to the course Discussion Board to share experiences with other Internship students. Occasionally, students will meet on campus with other members of the Internship student cohort group to share experiences, progress, and cases.
8. The Internship student begins work on specific projects and begins to assume responsibility for tasks delegated by the mentor.
9. The Internship student and mentor reflect on the day-to-day administrative activities.
10. As the mentor's confidence in the Internship student's abilities and skills increases, greater responsibilities are assumed by the Internship student.
11. The mentor completes Internship Evaluation Reports which are shared with the Internship student, and the Internship supervisor.
12. The mentor assures that all Internship requirements are met and signs the student's log of activities.
13. The student completes the Internship Portfolio or combines it with the Learning Portfolio.
Preventing and Resolving Problems
This section of the handbook provides suggestions on ways to avoid problems and suggests solutions to the most common problems that occur during the Internship in Educational Leadership experience.
Mentors May Be Too Protective and Controlling
Mentors must realize that future administrators learn from mistakes and that mentoring is a learning experience for Internship/internship students. Students must be allowed to take risks, make mistakes, take responsibility for errors, and learn from their mistakes. Mentors can assist students by giving them responsibilities, allowing them occasionally to be unsuccessful, and providing feedback. When an Internship/internship student receives feedback, it should be analyzed and acted upon.
Mentors May Take Advantage of Internship/Internship Students
Mentors who frequently need assistance may exploit Internship/internship students and the mentoring process. Sometimes this takes the form of assigning students to meaningless tasks or duties for long periods of time, or allowing students to be "thrown into" a situation. They may not be ready for the experience and may not have some chance of achieving success. Mentors can avoid these mistakes by constantly reviewing the purposes for the Internship in Educational Leadership and checking to see if the assigned activities fulfill the purposes of the Internship in Educational Leadership.
Mentor/Internship/Internship Student Personal Relationships
Frequently the mentor and Internship/internship student become close friends. Working together may lead to the development of a familiar, personal relationship. The problem that sometimes arises is maintaining objectivity in assessing the Administrative Internship student's competencies. The mentor may fail to see the student's "shortcomings". The process of evaluating the Internship in Educational Leadership student's progress should be kept as objective and as free from bias as possible. But, the mentor may want to check his/her perceptions of the Internship student with those of other professionals who have the opportunity to observe or work with the student. Periodic meetings with the university Internship coordinator and or Internship supervisor can assist here.
If the mentor/student relationship results in a personality conflict, the mentor or the student should consult with the Internship supervisor to resolve the situation. Frequently such conflicts can be traced to the lack of share understandings and the lack of appropriate time to communicate.
Effective Administrators May Lack the Time for Mentoring
Sometimes the best administrators have a difficult time performing effectively as mentors. These administrators may be busy with their roles and responsibilities or they may not know how to implement the mentoring process. Mentors can avoid this problem if they carefully review their existing workload. Supervisors expect mentors to discontinue their involvement with the program if they believe they are no longer effective in working with the Internship student. The Internship supervisor will visit periodically with the mentor to review the quality of the p student/mentor experience.
Limiting Internship/internship Student's Perspectives
Each mentor has developed one or more styles or strategies for dealing with administrative tasks and leadership responsibilities. The Internship student may come to view the mentor's approaches as the correct and only successful ways to accomplish specific tasks. The mentor continually needs to expose the student to alternative strategies and to other administrators whose styles may be different from the student's own. The emphasis should be on helping the Internship student understand the order and the criteria using different options available for achieving success in different situations.
Mentor Dependency
Some Internship/internship students find it difficult to assume responsibility for their work. Mentors, in a spirit of assistance, may provide students too much help. Mentors can prevent this from occurring by explaining to the Internship student the importance of making independent and informed decisions. The mentors also can encourage students to take risks with the assurance that the mentor will stand behind the student who occasionally makes mistakes.
Internship/internship Student Dissatisfaction
Internship/internship students vary in the skills, confidence, and level of experience they bring to the mentoring process. Some students may demand more from the mentoring process. Some students may demand more from the mentor than mentor either wants or is able to give to the student. Mentors can avoid this problem by explaining their expectations for the amount of time, levels of responsibility, and involvement in administrative activities the Internship student can expect. If the student's expectations during this discussion are not met, then another mentor will be found to work with the student or the student's expectations will be adjusted to fit the Internship experience with the assistance of the Internship supervisor.
Expecting Internship/Internship Student Perfection to Match the Mentor as "Hero"
Some mentors, because of their skills, experience, and training are expert or master administrators. They almost always do the "the right thing." Some Internship/internship students view these mentors as outstanding and beyond making mistakes. The students' responses to such imagery may be to devalue themselves and their own performance. Mentors can prevent this to some extent by sharing their own frustrations, failures, and information on their performance. They also can help the Internship student view the contributions of others as leading to success in the school.
Mentor's Low Expectations for Internship Student Performance
Because Internship/internship students are learning, the mentors' standards for their performance may be low. The student may use the excuse of "I am only an Internship/internship student" to allow performance to slip. Mentors should expect Internship/internship students to avoid using their status as an excuse for not attempting to do their best all of the time. The mentor may want to remind the Internship student of the criteria for evaluation should the student lower his/her own performance expectations. The mentor may wish to copy the evaluation instrument and let the Internship student review it or conduct a self-assessment of progress.
Speaking for the Mentor
When the mentor and Internship/internship student work closely together, some teachers or staff in the school may conclude that talking with Internship/internship student is like talking to the mentor. The Internship student may be viewed as speaking for the mentor. Others may view the Internship student as a "rubber stamp" or "one of them" and unable to think or act independently of others. Mentors should caution both Internship/internship students and their staff members that the student has a responsibility to perform effectively in specific role areas. The mentor should advise the Internship student to develop a personalized style of leadership and to concentrate on adapting rather than adopting the mentor's particular strategies.
Cross-Gender Mentoring Relationships
The benefits of men and women working together as professional personnel to gain different leadership perspectives is recognized. The numbers of male mentors usually exceeds that of female mentors. Frequently it is necessary, therefore, for cross-gender mentor/student experiences. Sometimes these relationships become suspect to the school and community publics. The mentor and Internship/internship student can prevent this from occurring by: 1) limiting their activities to the standard administrative tasks performed during regular school hours, 2) ensuring that the relationship is strictly professional, and 3) avoiding "situations" which might lead others to conclude that the professional relationship extends to a personal one.
The faculty at Flordia Gulf Coast University wish to thank Dr. Joyce Lieberman for providing the ISLLC and ELCC template that we are using for the student's individualized Internship Plan. She may be contacted at:
Joyce M. Lieberman, Ed.D. Assistant Professor Curriculum Leadership College of Education 162 K Gabel Hall Northern Illinois University DeKalb, IL 60115
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