Admission

The California Administrative Services credential program requires a minimum of five years of experience working under a valid California base credential. In order to meet this requirement, it is essential that eligible applicants have held their credential for at least four years at the time of application to the credential program.

• • Types of an applicable 'Valid California base credential' required to apply to the Administrative Services Credential include:
    • “Clear” (not preliminary) or life teaching credential (with a preparation program that included English Language Authorization and/or holds an English Language Authorization). The credential needs to be cleared prior to enrolling in the program (with at least 4 years credentialed experience under your preliminary and/or clear credential at the start of the program), and/or;
    • a clear or life California designated subjects teaching credential (whose preparation program included English Language Authorization), (with at least 4 years credentialed experience by start of program and/or,
    • a clear or life California services (e.g. PPS, Health, librarian, etc.)) credential (with at least 4 years credentialed experience by start of program).

• • Applicants are required to verify five years of experience under their base clear teaching or service credential by the completion of the Administrative Services Credential program. Candidates are required to reside in California for the duration of the program.

There is no requirement to work as a school administrator before or after the program.  All our administration and leadership programs are designed for those who aspire to be school administrators, teacher leaders, or simply interested in learning more about leadership in educational settings.  For those who enroll in and complete the Administrative Services Credential Program, the California Certificate of Eligibility for the California Administrative Services Credential is issued upon successful completion of the program and it does not expire. This allows candidates to delay working as an TK-12 administrator until the appropriate TK-12 career leadership opportunity.  

In California, Administrative Services Credential program students complete one of each of the required California Administrator Performance Assessments (CalAPA) during the 3-semester credential program.  The CalAPA sequence and topics are:

• Fall (Semester 1): Leadership Cycle 1: Analyzing Data to Inform School Improvement and Promote Equity
• Spring (Semester 2): Leadership Cycle 2: Forming Communities of Practice
• Fall (Semester 3): Leadership Cycle 3: Supporting Teacher Growth

Candidates work within their current school site in whatever current position they hold (teacher, chair, dean, instructional coach, etc.).  If a candidate is not at a K-12 school site (for example, in a district office), they work on their own to identify a school site to complete  CalAPA Cycle requirements.  Candidates do not need to be on the school site daily but would need occasional access to complete the fieldwork.  There isn't an hour requirement for fieldwork; rather the competencies to obtain are embedded in each CalAPA Leadership Cycles.

At LMU, each CalAPA course is a zero-unit course with a fee instead of tuition.  Candidates meet with our experienced administrator LMU instructor virtually 3 times a semester on a Saturday morning for 90 minutes for growth, development, and progress on competency requirements.

Candidates are additionally assigned a fieldwork instructor who serves as a mentor throughout the program.  Mentorship includes: weekly contact, support with CalAPA progress, leadership and administrator skill support; administrator; and coaching.

Online classes are generally offered synchronously in executive style Saturday morning and Saturday afternoon virtual classes.  Candidates enrolled through the Diversity in Leadership Institute Fellowship members do attend credential classes on select Saturdays throughout a semester in the applicable region (Los Angeles LMU campus or in Northern California at K-12 school site).

It is required that candidates reside in California for the duration of the program as program field experiences are on-site at California K-12 schools.