‘Natural fit’
Sage announces new partnership with CITE for advanced graduate certifications
TROY, N.Y. >> Ahead of The College of Saint Rose closing, Russell Sage College has announced an expansion of its existing partnership with the Center for Integrated Training and Education (CITE), which will fill a gap left by Saint Rose’s closure for students looking at careers in educational leadership.
“We’re happy to be partnering with CITE to fulfill this educational need,” Russell Sage College President Christopher Ames said at a press conference Tuesday morning, where the partnership was formally signed.
Through the college’s existing partnership with CITE, students in New York City can earn the college’s respected Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership (Ed.D.) degree. The expansion of the partnership will grant access to more students and offer more certificate programs. Students enrolled in the new Instructional Leadership Advanced Certificate Program can get School Building Leader (SBL) and School District Leader (SDL) certifications, which are needed to pursue careers as a school principal, superintendent, or assistant to either in New York state.
The certification programs were previously offered by The College of Saint Rose. Sage’s acquisition of the programs means a seamless, uninterrupted process for new and current Saint Rose students, who will transfer between schools and either complete or begin their certifications as Sage students. Sage intends to offer the certification programs three times a year, beginning in May and coming up again in September and January, just like the current Saint Rose schedule.
The SBL/SDL certification program will be chaired by Deborah Shea, Sage’s assistant professor for educational leadership. A new factor of the programs is a hybrid model, allowing coursework to be completed online as well as in person. This offers much more flexibility to the programs and makes them more accessible to a wider array of prospective students.
“The partnership with Sage was a natural fit,” CITE Executive Director Don James said. “There are all kinds of opportunities coming up and this is a perfect way to take advantage of those opportunities. I appreciate the opportunity to work with Russell Sage, we’re very excited.”
The in-person components of the programs will be held in New York City, in one of CITE’s program cohorts. The city’s higher population density and higher concentration of school districts mean there is a greater need for highly qualified teachers and administrators. According to James, three out of five New York City principals plan to retire within the year.
The online component means that, according to Ames, any student in the state who needs SBL or SDL certification can obtain it through Russell Sage College. Sage provost Theresa Hand
approximates that the SBL/ SDL programs will have around 600 students every session.
Students in New York City can gain their certifications through the CITE hybrid model, working both in person and online, and students outside of New York City can obtain the same certification directly through Russell Sage’s fully online coursework. The required 600-hour in-person internship and final integrative project are embedded in the curriculum and can be completed in students’ home districts or nearby schools.
“This is a really strong program for the folks down in New York City who need these opportunities for networking, and completing their education, and growing into strong educational leaders,” Hand commented.
The new Instructional Leadership program also will appeal to teachers who work as or want to become Instructional Coaches — seasoned educators who help other teachers in their districts improve instruction. Many districts have these Instructional Coach roles, but there is no formal course of preparation. Should these teachers decide they want to pursue administrative careers, they’ll also have the SBL/SDL credentials needed through this new program.
In a well-timed coincidence, Sage was already intending to pick up the SBL/SDL certification programming as part of its post-graduate education degree offerings. When Saint Rose announced its upcoming closure, expanding the existing partnership with CITE to include the certifications was an easy decision. “We had just gotten approval from the state to do the program when Saint Rose said they were closing,” remarked Ames. “This is a really good fit for us, especially with the existing partnership with CITE. There’s a shortage at all levels, whether it’s teachers or administrators. It’s a great career and we’re proud to be preparing great students for it.”
“The built-in relationship was so important,” James said. “Lots of other schools approached us about a partnership in the wake of the Saint Rose closure announcement. They’re all great schools, but we already had that relationship with Sage. We already knew they could be flexible with us. We need that flexibility as we build the hybrid model. It will give CITE students flexibility with their time, while giving them the best of both worlds with those great opportunities to meet in person too.”
James added that the SBL/SDL certifications can pipeline straight into a doctorate program, should students choose that route.
“Some students will get their certifications and then stop, some will go to work for a few years before starting a doctorate, and some will go straight through without stopping and get the doctorate. We can accommodate all of them,” James said. “A lot of people go through these programs and go on to do great things in our schools.”
For more information about Russell Sage College’s new instructional Leadership Advanced Certificate Program, including enrollment opportunities, visit https://www.sage.edu/academics/programs/instructional-leadership-advanced-certificate/.