Community Engagement and Leading School Change Certificate
Post-Baccalaureate Certificate
https://www.towson.edu/coe/departments/leadership/grad/engagement-leading-change-certificate/index.html
Program Director: Dr. Carla Finkelstein
Phone: 410-704-2974
Email: cfinkelstein@towson.edu
The certificate in community engagement and leading for school change will provide students with:
- A sociological understanding of the race and class dynamics shaping the communities that they serve
- Tools for developing an asset-based understanding of the students and families with which they work, and
- Skills for making changes to improve the ways in which schools serve and are accountable to their students, families, and communities.
Through examining sociological theory, understanding the concept of professional learning communities, and implementing action research initiatives, students will increase their capacity for community engagement and school change.
With the four-course sequence, the program will arm school professionals with the knowledge and capacities for making school change in response to community needs. Through this process and seeing the school community as valuable, there will be more authentic change that reflects the voices and values of each community.
This program will teach students how to build change from the bottom up, empowering students, families and community members to become the drivers of positive change.
This post-baccalaureate certificate (PBC) will serve teachers, counselors, and non-profit employees working with schools who would like to develop skills in leadership and community engagement. The need for these skills is especially urgent among the growing population of professionals working with students in poverty in both urban and suburban communities in Maryland.
Admission Requirements
-
A baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited college or university** with a minimum undergraduate GPA of 3.00 for full admission and 2.75 for conditional admission. All GPA calculations for admission are based upon the last 60 units of undergraduate and post-baccalaureate study.
**See Exceptions to Policy in Graduate Admissions.
Non-immigrant International Students
Program Enrollment: F-1 and J-1 students are required to be enrolled full-time. The majority of their classes must be in-person and on campus. See the list of programs that satisfy these requirements, and contact the International Student and Scholars Office with questions.
Admission Procedures: See additional information regarding Graduate Admission policies and International Graduate Application online.
Certificate Requirements
This PBC in Community Engagement and Leading School Change will consist of the following four courses (12 units):
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| ILPD 670 | SPECIAL TOPICS IN INSTRUCTIONAL LEADERSHIP | 3 |
| ILPD 675 | LEADERSHIP AND ACTION RESEARCH | 3 |
| ILPD 743 | LEARNING COMMUNITIES AND ORGANIZATIONAL CHANGE | 3 |
| SOCI 543 | SOCIOLOGY OF RACE AND ETHNICITY | 3 |
| Total Units | 12 | |
Program completers will be able to:
- Build, maintain, and continuously improve a coherent system of equitable academic and social supports, discipline, services, extracurricular activities, and accommodations to meet each student's full range of needs.
- Engage families, community, and school personnel in strengthening student learning in and out of the school.
- Develop and use tools focusing on an asset-based understanding of the students and families with which they work.
- Build and sustain productive partnerships with communities and the public and private sectors to promote school improvement and the success of each student.
- Strengthen the ways in which schools incorporate student, family, and community voice and are accountable to their students, families, and communities.
- Advocate for the needs and priorities of the school, district, students, families, and the community.