Who Will Lead Our Schools?
New Jersey is facing a school leader shortage of crisis proportions and needs highly qualified candidates to lead our schools. To address this need, the Foundation for Educational Administration (FEA), an affiliate of the New Jersey Principals and Supervisors Association (NJPSA), developed the NJ EXCEL (EXpedited Certification for Educational Leadership) Program. NJ EXCEL is a state-approved non traditional program leading to supervisor, principal and school administrator certification in lieu of a master’s degree in educational administration. Eligibility for NJ EXCEL requires a minimum of a master’s degree in a field related to education and five years educational experience.
Important Announcement: State Certification Changes Effective 9/1/2008
NJ EXCEL Models
- NJ EXCEL Model #1
- For practicing supervisors; leads to New Jersey Certificates of Eligibility for Principal and School Administrator upon completion of required program of instruction plus field-based experiences and Internships within a 12-month period, and a passing score on the state-required tests. (Tuition = $7000 effective January 2008)
- NJ EXCEL Model #2
- For classroom teachers and educational specialists holding a supervisor certificate and practicing supervisors with less than 5 years supervisory experience; leads to New Jersey Certificates of Eligibility for Principal and School Administrator upon completion of required program of instruction plus field-based experiences and Internships within a 15-month period, and a passing score on the state-required tests. (Tuition = $8000 effective January 2008)
- NJ EXCEL Model #3
- For classroom teachers and educational specialists; leads to New Jersey Supervisor Certification and Certificates of Eligibility for Principal and School Administrator upon completion of required program of instruction plus field-based experiences and Internships within an 18-month period, and a passing score on the state-required tests. (Tuition = $10,200 effective January 2008)
- NJ EXCEL Model #4
- For individuals who have a certificate of eligibility for principal or standard principal certification; leads to New Jersey Certificate of Eligibility for School Administrator upon completion of 150 hour field-based Internship and a passing score on the state-required test for school administrator. (Tuition = $3000)
NJ EXCEL does not require an application fee. Tuition includes all fees except books. Flexible payment plans are available.
All NJ EXCEL Models are recommended for graduate credit by the American Council on Education (ACE).
Locations
NJ EXCEL is offered at northern and central New Jersey sites: Ridgedale Middle School, Florham Park (Morris County) and NJPSA, Monroe Township (Middlesex County).
Effective June 2007, NJ EXCEL Will Be Requiring All New Candidates To Have Laptops For Program Use
NJ EXCEL has a strong commitment to enhancing the knowledge and skills needed for school leaders to effectively use technology. To this end, technology is integrated throughout the NJ EXCEL Program, and it is advantageous for NJ EXCEL candidates to bring wireless laptops to class and use them on a daily basis.
For those who want to purchase a laptop, Dell Computer has put together several cost effective laptop options for those enrolled in the NJ EXCEL Program.
The Foundation for Educational Administration Board of Directors.