a)

Evidence that the applicant demonstrates superior institutional commitment and capacity for advancement of educational leadership preparation, scholarship, and practice, as per UCEA’s standard of excellence.  This evidence may be provided in the executive summary statement (not to exceed 5-7 single-spaced pages) as well as throughout the application materials.  In addition, a letter of commitment from an appropriate university official (e.g., Provost or Vice-President) and/or the Dean of the university’s college of education should be submitted.

The applicant demonstrates through submission of required and volunteered evidence that it satisfies (or is making significant progress toward satisfying) program standards set forth in  Section A.4 of this document. In all cases, evidence shall include, but not be limited to, the following:

a)	Evidence of significant efforts by faculty members to identify, develop, and promote relevant knowledge focused on the essential problems of schooling, leadership and admnistrative practice.
	A list of the 10 most recent and relevant research products of program faculty holding a minimum half-time appointment in the K-12 educational leadership preparation program. Submission of full curriculum vitae for all program faculty A list of recent presentations at research and professional conferences.
b)	Evidence that the preparation program involves a critical mass of full time tenure track faculty (typically five or more) members whose appointments are in the department in which educational leaders are educated and who exhibit excellence in scholarship, teaching and service in educational leadership.  A majority of educational leadership coursework must be taught by these full-time faculty.
	A list of all full-time faculty with documentation of research and teaching specialties; teaching loads for the last 2 years; approximate advising load for the last 2 years (licensure and degree students); number of doctoral graduates in the last 2 years and titles of dissertations. A list of all part-time faculty with documentation as above for full-time faculty. A list of all other faculty members (e.g., auxiliary, “clinical,” adjunct) with documentation of type of appointment (full-time or part-time), professional experience and expertise, teaching specialties, teaching load for last 2 years, and approximate advising load for last 2 years. A description of how teaching and advising loads are determined for program faculty. A description of professional development opportunities provided to program faculty, particularly those opportunities/strategies used to improve instruction (e.g., peer evaluations, team planning and/or teaching, external expert review of syllabuses, etc.), and the professional travel funds provided to faculty each year. A description of the faculty evaluation process and the purposes it serves. A description of plans used in faculty recruitment and retention efforts, including a diversity plan, and the representativeness of the faculty in regard to the diversity of the region served by the university program.
c)	Evidence that the program makes use of an advisory board of educational leadership stakeholders and involves leadership practitioners in program planning, teaching and field internships.
	A description of program advisory board (e.g., membership, terms, selection, etc.) A description of strategies used by the program for obtaining other advice and participation from the field (e.g., surveys, program evaluation, etc.). A description of plans used to recruit and retain leadership practitioners to work with the program, including a diversity plan.
d)	Evidence that the preparation program engages in collaborative relationships with other universities, school districts, professional associations, and other appropriate agencies to (1) promote diversity within the preparation program and the field; (2) generate sites for clinical study, field residency, and applied research; and (3) other purposes as explained by the applicant.
	A description of the formal collaborative relationships with school districts that inform program content and delivery and facilitate the provision of clinical study and formal inquiry as part of the required educational leadership program A list of the schools and school districts, primary contacts at each site, and contact information. Memoranda of understanding or other formal documents that make the nature of the collaborative relationships explicit.
e)	Evidence that  the preparation program is conceptually coherent and clearly aligned with some quality leadership standards, informed by current scholarship on the essential problems of schooling,  leadership and administrative practice, and makes use of research-based, best practices in leadership preparation. In particular, applicants should demonstrate how the content of the preparation program addresses problems of practice including leadership for student learning and diversity. Also, evidence should be provided to demonstrate that the processes of the preparation program are based on adult learning principles.
	A narrative description of the program conceptual framework and how that framework is carried out through the delivery of program curriculum and other educational experiences. A description of how the program demonstrates content and process standards. A description of the pedagogical approach(es) used to deliver course content. Documentation of program requirements for all educational leadership programs (degree and licensure), including coursework, internships, projects, theses, testing, exit, and any other requirements. Specific description of the differences between the Ph.D. and Ed.D. degree programs (if applicable) Description of the research preparation of doctoral students and how their research is linked to academic faculty research. Syllabuses of core coursework, practice, and internships for all programs.
f)	Evidence that the preparation program engages in on-going programmatic evaluation and enhancement.
	A description of the approach(es) used to evaluate the effectiveness of each preparation program. A brief description of the findings from the program’s evaluation research. A narrative description of how program evaluation findings have been used for program improvement.
g)	Evidence that the preparation program includes concentrated periods of study and supervised clinical practice in settings that enable leadership candidates an opportunity to work with diverse groups of students and teachers.
	Documentation (all programs) of requirements for concentrated study, clinical study, and internship. In these descriptions, include length of time, number of hours, minimal conditions necessary to meet the requirements, how these aspects of concentrated study are managed and conducted by the program faculty, and how placement decisions are made. Documentation of scholarships, assistantships, fee remissions, etc. awarded to full-time K-12 educational administration/leadership candidates in the two most recent academic years.
h)	Evidence that the preparation program is characterized by systematic, written recruitment and admission plans that rely on multiple sources of evidence and show deliberate efforts to attract applicants who demonstrate leadership potential,  with particular attention given to increasing diversity within the program.
	A narrative description of plans, timelines and documents used in annual recruiting efforts, including a diversity plan, for each preparation program. A list of the criteria used and a description of the procedure(s) followed to select students for participation in each preparation program. A list of program applicants for the most recent academic year, their scores and other indicators used for screening, racial designation, gender, and whether they were admitted. (Use fictitious number-names, but be able to demonstrate case veracity). A description of the demographics of the community served.
i)	Evidence that the preparation program has developed and maintained systematic efforts to assist all students in professional placement and career advancement.
	A narrative description of strategies for student placement and career advancement used by the program. A list of graduates, by program, for the most recent academic year, with their position prior to completing the program and their position following program completion.
j)	Evidence that the preparation program faculty participates in the development, delivery, and evaluation of systematic professional development programs for educational leaders, in cooperation with appropriate professional associations and other educational and social agencies.
	A narrative description of formal, regular, professional development efforts which the program participates in or sponsors. Descriptions of professional development efforts planned/delivered jointly with professional associations or other educational or social agencies.
k).	Evidence that the preparation program offers regular professional development for program faculty to enhance their skills in leadership preparation, research methods, and other content areas.
	A description of recent professional development efforts provided for program faculty.