CONT756: Principal's Qualification Program Part 2

Course Schedule

Course Description

How do principals lead effectively in complex circumstances characterized by rapid and unpredictable change? Principals must be integrative system thinkers who lean into uncertainty by trusting in their values, challenging the status quo, and transforming school culture by galvanizing stakeholders into strategic action. The school principal is central to the development of an equitable and inclusive organization that challenges systemic barriers and promotes the success of every individual. 

The Principal’s Qualification Program, Part II course prepares you for successful school and system leadership. Throughout this collaborative and inquiry-based course, you’ll build your professional network through roundtable discussions and extend your capacity by

• critically investigating catalysts for effective change and sustainable school improvement that is purposeful and focused on continuous growth
• fostering a climate of shared leadership and culturally responsive and relevant pedagogy founded on an anti-oppressive foundation that discerns and dissolves barriers for all learners
• strengthening relationships to cultivate coherence through authentic dialogue and collaborative organizational accountability
• investigating innovative strategies that empower individuals and teams to take intellectual risks for deep learning
• consolidating research, legislation and practice to anticipate challenges, analyze procedures and proactively establish supports for efficient school operations through ethical decision-making

Asynchronous Learning 

100 hours of self-directed learning (with an additional 1 hour for progress updates), including the independent work on assignments and culminating tasks, independent study, research, journal entries and ePortfolio submissions.

Collaboration

• 6 hours of synchronous learning (live webinars)
• 8 hours in collaborative tasks with peers
• 10 hours responding to discussion posts

Leadership Practicum

The leadership practicum is a required component of the Principal's Qualification Program, Part 2. It's a leadership experience that applies the knowledge and skills learned throughout this course to a practical theory of action that is research-based and founded on your professional inquiry.

The duration of the leadership practicum will be a minimum of 50 hours, of which 20 hours could be observation. It's an educational inquiry experience guided by the Leadership Framework for Principals and Vice-Principals found in Ontario Leadership Framework. The leadership practicum must apply to a school setting and be mentored by a practicing, OCT certified, fully qualified, experienced principal or vice-principal.

In most sessions, candidates can successfully complete the leadership practicum experience during the course. For those who cannot complete the practicum during the course (e.g. summer term), CTE allows candidates up to 2 years from the end of the course to complete the practicum requirements. We encourage candidates to complete the practicum within the timeframe of the course where possible. The leadership practicum must be completed and approved for PQP Part 2 to be recommended to the OCT.

Candidates who complete PQP Part 1 through Queen’s University and PQP Part 2 with a different AQ provider may submit their practicum documents to us at cedmail@queensu.ca for review. Once approved by our Lead Instructor, Queen’s University will confirm the successful completion of the PQP practicum, and the OCT recommendation will be sent by the provider where PQP Part 2 was completed.

What You Will Learn and Do

In this course you’ll have the opportunity to

• develop a leadership practicum based on your inquiry and research that reflects the Ontario Leadership Framework, the Ethical Standards for the Teaching Profession and the Standards of Practice for the Teaching Profession, and contributes to meaningful school improvement
• identify a big idea that links the five domains of the Ontario Leadership Framework and is a catalyst for school improvement
• analyze federal and provincial legislation, as well as policies and guidelines from the Ontario College of Teachers, to support a leadership practicum founded on researched-based practices and sound judgement, and supports Ministry mandates
• apply current research and leadership theory to devise a practical action plan and support your leadership practicum
• build your leadership capacity by investigating correlations between pedagogical inquiry, school culture, organizational change theory, and provincial legislation
• synthesize research-based educational leadership strategies and legislation to address systemic barriers and develop strategic plans for school improvement
• evaluate research-based practices that nurture an inclusive and equitable school climate founded on trusting relationships among all stakeholders
• generate strategies that support systems thinking while creating opportunities to develop future leaders in your organization
• analyze and interpret qualitative and quantitative data to identify priorities, monitor individual student and school improvement goals, align human and fiscal resources, and ensure that decisions promote a climate of equity and inclusivity. 
• design conditions that facilitate productive, collaborative inquiry and build the collective efficacy of all stakeholders

Application Requirements

Completion of PQP Part 1.

Course Materials

Accommodations

Applicants who require accommodations for a specific learning need (e.g., learning disability) within their AQ/ABQ course, should click here for further information and support.

Have a question? Contact us!

Refund Schedule

If you drop a course:

1. by the midpoint of the course, you will receive 100% of your course fee.
2. after the midpoint, before the end of the course, you will receive 50% of your course fee.

For more about our refund policies, visit our Fees & Refunds page.