Program Overview
This certificate will prepare competent and effective K-12 school leaders, teacher leaders, and those intending to pursue K-12 school leadership to meet the needs of students with disabilities in inclusive classroom settings.
The skills gained through this program will equip participants to better serve all students in their schools and act as agents of change to systems or policies that inform the implementation of inclusive practices.
The Advanced Certificate in Leadership in Disability and Inclusive Practices is ideal for school administrators, school counselors, teacher leaders or those in the field of human development as a potential pathway to K-12 school leadership. It may also be of interest to those wanting to deepen their knowledge and skillset to better meet the needs of students with disabilities within educational settings.
Earning this graduate certificate will allow participants to:
- Fully comprehend the complexities of special education policy and law, especially the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).
- Utilize current best practices and methods to educate students with disabilities in the general classroom and plan for successful transition.
- Understand how K-12 school leaders can enact change to address common access and opportunity barriers to achieve positive educational outcomes.
This advanced certificate program does not lead to licensure or prepare students for the practice of any profession in NYS. It is designed to give professionals additional insight and tools to promote leadership in disability and inclusive practices.
Advanced Certificate in Leadership in Disability and Inclusive Practices (LI1) (9 credits)
- A bachelor’s degree.
- Collaborative: This is a cross-discipline certificate through the Center for Disability and Education, the Department of Teaching and Curriculum, and the Department of Educational Leadership at the Warner School.
- Flexible: This may be taken as a stand-alone program or be built into a degree program. Start the program any semester and go at your own pace.
- Build into your degree: This advanced certificate requires minimal additional credits when added into a degree program, expanding your area of expertise.
Why are inclusive practices important in school leadership?
K-12 school leaders are responsible for developing a school culture that is inclusive and actively attends to ensuring equity, building relationships based on trust, fostering collaboration, and teamwork (Tschannen-Moran, 2014). Effective instruction for students with disabilities has been a significant dimension of school improvement, and instructional leadership is considered essential for fulfilling the roles and responsibilities of quality educational leadership (Bays & Crockett, 2007).
Does an Advanced Certificate provide a certification or license?
This advanced certificate program does not lead to licensure or prepare students for the practice of any profession in NYS.
Can current Warner Students add this certificate to their programs?
Yes, any student, in consultation with their advisor, can choose to add this certificate to their program.
Are there any prerequisites?
This certificate is comprised of graduate level coursework. You must have a bachelor’s degree to register.
Can the credits be transferred into a degree program?
Yes, some courses can be used as requirements or electives in existing programs across Warner’s degree offerings.
I’ve already taken some of the required courses. Can I transfer these courses into the program?
Yes, anyone who has already taken any of the courses in the program can transfer those credits into the program, thus reducing the required number of courses needed to complete the advanced certificate.It is possible that courses already taken in the program may be retroactively applied to the advanced certificate. Some restrictions apply so individuals should speak with the program director.
Faculty
An Accessible, Supportive Faculty of Researchers and Accomplished Practitioners.
Martha Mock, PhDProfessor (Clinical), Associate Dean for Academic Affairs, and Director of the Center for Disability and Education
LeChase Hall 316
(585) 276-3363
mmock@warner.rochester.edu
Scholarships
Making it Affordable to Make Warner Possible.
Many of our students benefit from merit-based scholarships that significantly decrease tuition costs.
Contact admissions for more information about merit-based scholarships.
Are You a UR Employee? Inquire about your tuition benefits. If eligible, up to 95% of your tuition costs can be covered depending on your position. Contact the UR benefits office at benefitoffice@rochester.edu.
Testimonials
Meliora means 'Ever Better.' To our graduates, it means making a world of difference.
"Our students need talented teachers to continue teaching, but we also want to empower these same teachers to lead others. Through my work with the Warner School, I saw firsthand the impact that teacher leadership had on students and the improvement of instruction. Teacher leaders are no doubt the catalyst for change!" Heidi Robb, Assistant Principal, Canandaigua Primary-Elementary School
"The days of top down leadership are over. The highest performing schools with the healthiest cultures are those that embrace shared leadership. By empowering teacher leaders, schools can better hope to improve outcomes for students in a world that requires teamwork and collaboration." Matthew Frahm, Superintendent, Naples Central School District
"Expanding teacher leadership opportunities has been a sleeping giant in our district. With the support of the Warner School, our teachers have been accepted as leaders among their peers and the old norms of teachers working in isolation have been replaced with new norms of collaboration and teamwork. Our teacher leaders provide hands-on, day to day coaching and inspiration so our classroom teachers can more successfully do what they came to do: make a real difference in their students' lives." Kristin Swann, Associate Superintendent of Educational Services, Victor Central Schools
“Teacher leaders are the heart and soul of your organization. They are your boots on the ground that carry instructional leadership throughout your schools. They are the force that moves the needle of performance.” Terri Bavis, Superintendent, Waterloo Central School District
"Teacher Leaders are a critical aspect of implementing successful change. When I started in my position as a teacher leader, I had no idea what to do or how to do. I wanted to affect change for students and teachers in my building beyond just my own work in my own classroom, but I was lacking the tools to do so. Taking leadership classes at the Warner School helped me to develop my own sense of what it means to be a teacher leader and gave me ideas and tools to actually do it." Michaela Marino, Mathematics Teacher Leader, East Lower School