Doctoral Program in Educational Leadership

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Internships

Topics Listed Below:

• Internship Overview
• Supervision and Assessment
• Internship Portfolio
• Inquiry Project
• Concluding Internship Seminar

Internship Overview

The internship is a two-semester experience under the co-sponsorship of an appropriate educational agency and the Doctoral Program. During this time, students will engage in activities designed to bring the relationship of theory and practice into focus. The student enrolls for 3 credit hours each semester; ten hours each week are devoted to the internship. The requirements outlined in this document incorporate the standards developed by the Interstate School Leaders Licensure Consortium (ISLLC).

Students, in collaboration with their internship faculty advisor and on-site mentor, develop an internship proposal during the fall semester of their second year of study. The Internship Proposal form (available below) is then submitted to the Director of the Doctoral Program before the end of the semester for approval. Students may be employed by the institution in which they are interning but may not use their regular assignment as their internship experience. Multiple placement experiences may be proposed. The proposal should reflect the three major phases of the experience; it is recognized that these major phases are often overlapping.

• Observing and reflecting: Interns will observe the application of leadership principles, problems and solutions and reflect on and interpret these experiences in regularly scheduled seminars and in conversations with the on-site mentor and faculty internship supervisors.
• Collaborating and articulating: Interns will explore ways in which initial points of view, goals and problems are altered by situations. They will actively participate in problem solving and other processes that require application of leadership skills.
• Exploring, generalizing, producing and reflecting: Throughout the internship, students analyze and assess the activities they have participated in. These reflections should inform their assessment of the value of the internship and what they have learned.

Supervision and Assessment

The Director of the Doctoral Program serves as the internship advisor and supervisor. Interns are visited on-site at least once each semester. The supervisor provides leadership, guidance, collegial support, and advocacy for interns as they facilitate a process of applying knowledge gained in course work. The supervisor will encourage experiential learning, self-direction, and realistic self-appraisal while making every effort to foster positive relationships between the intern and the on-site mentor(s).

The supervisor will expect interns to:

• Be aware of the vision of learning that is shared and supported by the educational community and, as an intern, facilitate the development, articulation, and implementation of that vision.
• Be involved in issues related to the efficient and safe management of the learning environment.
• Be involved with the diverse interests and needs of the community being served.
• Practice ethical decision making in resolving moral dilemmas.

Internship Portfolio:

Initially interns select a format for their learning portfolio that will they will maintain throughout the internship experience. The portfolio will serve to inform the on-site mentor and faculty supervisor of the activities, concerns, and highlights of the internship. The portfolio provides students with a record of their journey from which they can cull the contents for a public presentation at the conclusion of the second semester of internship. The portfolio will be assessed on the basis of the seven categories below.

1. A vita.
2. A signed copy of the internship proposal.
3. A reflective journal that is maintained throughout both semesters of the internship, recording thoughts related to the three phases of the experience. Self-evaluation should be threaded throughout these reflections.
4. A log of internship activities, including attendance at seminars, meetings, and conferences.
5. Copies of the Inquiry Project report and any other products created during the experience.
6. Completed mentor evaluation form
7. A written reflective summary at the conclusion of each semester that discusses:
• Whether the internship experience met the intern's expectations
• The quality of the learning experience.
• Impact on the intern's professional growth.
• The most important insights gained.

Internship Proposal Form

Internship Portfolio Assessment Form

 

Inquiry Project:

During the internship, students will complete an inquiry project that contributes to reflection on their internship experiences. Inquiry projects are developed in consultation with on-site mentors; interns then assume independent responsibility for these efforts. Recent examples are writing and implementing a plan for recruitment of students for a special summer program at a community college and the development and implementation of a training program for paraprofessionals in special education.

Concluding Internship Seminar:

Interns conduct a seminar at the end of the internship. The seminar can be one held in their on-site location with the people with whom they worked or it can be conducted on campus with other interns for faculty and colleagues. The purpose of the seminar is to present one or more leadership/educational issues that arose during the internship that the student determines is worthy of exploration with others. Interns will discuss the knowledge gained through the internship experience (via observation, collaboration, reflection, and journaling):

• Their own leadership style.
• Other leadership styles.
• How organizations work.
• Theories about organization/education/leadership.
• The value of coursework.

Internship Proposal Form

Internship Portfolio Assessment Form