Tier I Overview
Middle Georgia RESA’s Tier I-Alternative Preparation for Educational Leadership (APEL) program is a non-degree preparation pathway that prepares candidates for entry-level leadership positions that include school level positions below the principal and system level positions that do not supervise principals. Upon entry into the program, Tier I candidates are issued a three (3) year non-renewable leadership certificate that may be converted to a professional leadership certificate when requirements are met. Upon successful completion of this program, Middle GA RESA will make a recommendation that the Georgia Professional Standards Commission award program completers Georgia leader certification, but not a degree.
The vast majority of work for APEL Tier I involves leading the real work of schools and districts. Job-embedded learning and tasks are determined based on identified strengths and growth needs of individual candidates as well as the specific needs of the school and/or district. Individual Candidate Support Teams are provided for candidates. The role of this team is to provide structured supervision and guidance in determining appropriate assignments and tasks. At a minimum, the candidate support team shall be composed of the candidate, a trained and qualified leadership coach, a P-12 school-based leader and/or LUA mentor/coach, and a MGRESA leadership supervisor.
In addition to ongoing, daily job-embedded tasks, candidates are required to participate in a mandatory two-week Pre-Residency seminar that addresses school law, the Georgia Code of Ethics for Educators, and organizational leadership with a focus on teaching, learning, and using data in the school improvement process.
Throughout the year, candidates attend twelve (12) monthly sessions where they will gain knowledge, skills and experiences that support site-based implementation of practices that provide evidence of mastery of the Georgia Leadership Standards. It is the expectation that candidates will take this knowledge and
experience back into the school setting as they lead teams, facilitate
job-embedded practices, and participate in making decisions that support school
improvement efforts. During this residency experience candidates will be given
substantial responsibilities that increase over time in amount and complexity.