Frequently Asked Questions about the High Tech High Graduate School of Education and Teacher Credentialing Programs
TEACHER LEADERSHIP PROGRAM
Who is your ideal applicant?
The Teacher Leadership program is looking for individuals who wish to improve their craft as a teacher and to expand their leadership abilities within their school. The ideal TL applicant has demonstrated an ability and eagerness to engage all students, design innovative learning experiences, reflect on their practice, and collaborate with colleagues to improve teaching and learning. While this ideal applicant has been teaching for three or more years, strong applicants with fewer than three years of teaching experience have been accepted in the past. We believe that teachers can play a powerful role in school change efforts. To this end, we encourage teams of educators from the same school who desire to work together to transform their practice and their schools to apply.
How does the Teacher Leadership program work?
There are two ways to complete the Teacher Leadership program. The two year, part-time program is designed for working educators living in or near San Diego. There is also a one-year residency option for candidates, local or national, wishing to immerse themselves in a High Tech High school full time and co-teach with a master High Tech High teacher. This option begins in mid-august and ends in June, and is a great option for educators able to spend a year with us exploring progressive, project-based pedagogies and conducting research on practice.
For the part-time program, students take a series of courses the first year that meet weekly on Wednesday afternoons from 4:45 � 7:45 pm on the HTH Point Loma campus in San Diego. In the second year of the program, students conduct action research projects at their sites, with the support of a research seminar that meets every other Thursday. Residents complete all the courses and the research seminar in one year and have the opportunity to attend faculty meetings, spend time in the classrooms of expert project-based learning teachers and discuss curriculum, design, and leadership issues with their HTH co-teacher. Throughout the program, students pursue personalized leadership goals by engaging in a series of "put it to practice" activities in their schools. Like our HTH students, graduate students create digital portfolios and participate in presentations of learning (POLs), where they share their work and research with colleagues from their schools and beyond.
In the near future, we envision teams of 4-5 educators working together to open a new school spending a "planning year" at the HTH GSE. All members of the team would be fully immersed in our schools, some completing their M.Ed. in the School Leadership program and others in the Teacher Leadership program. The GSE would support team members in dreaming and designing their school, and would continue to support their work post graduation.
When will the program begin?
Members of the Fall 2012 cohort attend a required Orientation on Wednesday, August 29th and classes begin the following week. In addition, all new GSE students are invited to attend the HTH new teacher Odyssey in mid-August to learn about the HTH design principles and practices that support project-based learning and teacher-led schools. GSE students also have the opportunity to help facilitate the Odyssey the summer before their second year.
When does the program end?
The Teacher Leadership program finishes up each year during the High Tech High Summer Institute, which takes place during the last week of June. There is no additional summer coursework.
Where can I learn more about the Teacher Leadership program?
The best way to learn about the TL program is to attend an info-session, where you can interact with current faculty, students and alumni. Information about upcoming info-sessions is available here. You can also read about our programs and view current graduate students' work by visiting the GSE website and the TL program website.
SCHOOL LEADERSHIP PROGRAM
Who is your ideal applicant?
The School Leadership program is looking for individuals who are currently leading a small, innovative school or aspire to become a school leader. The SL program is particularly interested in working with individuals who aim to start a new school, believe education is a lever for creating social equality and change and are passionate about shaping progressive learning environments.
How does the full-time, 10 month School Leadership Program compare to the 2 year program?
There are two tracks within the School Leadership program. The two year, part-time program is designed for working educators living in or near San Diego. The 10 month, full-time residency program is structured for candidates that wish to immerse themselves in a HTH elementary, middle or secondary school. Residents intern with a critical friend HTH director and take on leadership within a HTH school.
Students in both tracks attend courses on either Tuesdays from 4:30 to 7:30 pm or Wednesdays from 4:45 to 7:45 pm. In addition, full-time residents attend logistical HTH director meetings every Monday morning from 7:30 to 8:30 am, professional development HTH director meetings every other Thursday from 2:00 to 3:30 pm and may attend courses in the Teacher Leadership program. Because they are fully immersed in a HTH school, residents also have the opportunity to observe and participate in student, parent and faculty meetings, spend time in the classrooms of expert project-based learning teachers and discuss critical school design and leadership issues with their critical friend HTH director on a weekly basis.
For both programs, students complete a Leadership Philosophy Statement, School Design Plan, and Leadership Project. Residents complete these graduation requirements in 1 year, while part-time students take 2 years. In either track, students present the results of their Leadership Project to a panel consisting of k-12 students, colleagues, SL peers and GSE faculty.
While the ideal candidate for either track is passionate about education for social justice and leading a progressive, project-based school, residents may choose to use their time at HTH as a planning year before opening a new school. In the near future, we imagine teams of 4-5 educators working together to open a new school spending a year with the GSE at High Tech High, some receiving their M.Ed. in the School Leadership program and others in the Teacher Leadership program.
When will the program begin?
For the Fall 2012 cohort, full-time resident students will attend the HTH new teacher Odyssey in mid-August to learn about how we approach the start of the year and new teacher training from a leadership perspective. Part-time students are welcome to attend the Odyssey as well, and take on leadership facilitating the Odyssey the summer after their first year. Residents will also join teachers from their school site in back-to-school professional development days in late August. Student in both tracks have a required Orientation on Wednesday, August 29th and classes begin the following week.
When does the program end?
The School Leadership program finishes up each year during the High Tech High Summer Institute, which takes place in the last week of June. There is no additional summer coursework.
Does the School Leadership program result in students earning a California Administrative Services Credential?
No, however it is possible to earn an Preliminary Administrative Services Credential in California by passing the California Preliminary Administrative Credential Examination(CPACE), as School Leadership alumni have done. More information on obtaining a Preliminary Administrative Services Credential is available here and information on taking the CPACE is available here.
Where can I learn more about the School Leadership program?
More information about the program is available here. Information about info sessions is available here.
GENERAL QUESTIONS ABOUT THE HTH GSE
Is the High Tech High Graduate School of Education accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges?
The HTH GSE is in the process of becoming accredited by WASC. It generally takes 8-10 years for a new university to become fully accredited. HTH GSE received eligibility to begin this process in 2007 and has made substantial progress each year toward full accreditation. Once we are admitted to Candidacy status, we can apply for our students to be eligible for federal financial aid. Until that time, we have received generous support from the Simon Foundation, the Amar Foundation, and the James Irvine Foundation that allows us to provide fellowships to all students accepted to our M.Ed. programs. This allows us to remain highly selective, ensuring that all members of our program are surrounded by stunning colleagues, while significantly reducing the cost of the programs to our students.
What is the difference between the Teacher Leadership program and the School Leadership program?
The School Leadership program is primarily designed for individuals who aim to lead or start a small innovative school, and who wish to develop the pedagogical and operational knowledge and skills to do so. The Teacher Leadership program is designed for individuals (teachers, program directors, counselors, student support providers, etc.) who aim to deepen their practice, conduct research on teaching and learning, and develop the knowledge and skills to work effectively with colleagues and serve as leaders within their school.
I would like to learn more about High Tech High and the High Tech High philosophy of teaching, but I don't want to earn a Master's degree. Can I?
Yes, we encourage you to attend one of the many HTH GSE Residencies that we put on throughout the year for just this purpose, or to apply to our one-year hybrid Leading Schools Program. More information about these opportunities is available here.
Our application for approval to operate has not yet been reviewed by the Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education.
TEACHER CREDENTIALING
I don't have a teaching credential and I would like to get one. What do I do?
The High Tech High teacher intern credentialing program is designed for educators who have already secured a position as a teacher in a school. The majority of teacher interns are teaching within High Tech High schools. To apply for a teaching position at an HTH school, go here. A small number of schools within the San Diego area have formed partnerships with High Tech High so that teachers at those schools can earn a credential. If you are an administrator at a school and would like to form such a partnership, please contact the director of credentialing programs.
How does the teacher credentialing program work?
All teachers, including teachers in charter schools, must have paperwork claiming that they are �highly qualified.� In order to demonstrate that you are highly qualified, you must possess a B.A., demonstrate subject matter competence, and have a teaching credential. In order to enter the HTH teacher credentialing program, you must have these first two requirements completed and have obtained a California intern credential. Once you are admitted to the HTH teacher credentialing program, you will participate in weekly courses for the first year. You will then complete two additional courses in the second year, as well as complete the PACT teaching performance assessment. More information about our teacher credentialing program is available here.
How do I obtain a California intern credential?
In order to obtain a California intern credential, you must possess a B.A., demonstrate subject matter competence, get fingerprinted, get hired by a school (such as HTH) that has an intern program and apply to the state of California for an intern credential. You can complete this last step once you are hired by an HTH school, but you can do other things such as complete your B.A. and demonstrate subject matter competence beforehand. More information about California intern credentials is available here.
How do I demonstrate subject matter competence?
Typically, in order to demonstrate subject matter competence, a teacher must pass a CSET in each subject matter area that they teach. For example, for a teacher of 9th grade math and physics, the teacher must pass the CSET in physics and in math (levels I and II). In rare instances, your B.A. or graduate level work may qualify you as having subject matter competence. This is normally only if you did both your B.A. and any graduate work at a California institution. The university you attended can help you determine if you have enough coursework to demonstrate subject matter competence. We have a number of teachers with Ph.D.'s in their subject matter who California did not consider to be �highly qualified� to teach that subject matter until they passed the CSET. We do not make these rules. More information about the CSET is available here.
Can I apply to work at High Tech High schools before I have completed all the requirements for an intern credential?
Yes! Please apply by going here. Know that you will need to complete all the requirements for an intern credential before you can begin working at a High Tech High school.
I have applied to work at High Tech High schools, and have not heard back yet, but I still have some questions about the teacher credentialing program. Who should I talk to?
We mean this warmly, but please understand that we receive thousands of applicants for our teaching positions. We prefer to limit conversation about our teacher credential program until after we have offered applicants a teaching position. We attempt to focus our limited resources on small class sizes for our students rather than on administrative overhead. This makes it difficult for us to respond to all inquiries.
