Master of Arts in Public School Building Leadership
Summer Principals Academy | New Orleans
Affectionately known as SPA, the Summer Principals Academy at Teachers College, Columbia University is a transformative graduate program for public school educators interested in becoming public school educational leaders. SPA integrates practice and skill development with theory and research using case studies, simulations, and teamwork.
Through SPA, aspiring school leaders are encouraged to construct transforming possibilities for student achievement and learning, school improvement, and social equity. Leadership development is fostered through an integrated set of experiences that include sound theoretical and “best practice” knowledge, problem-based coursework, and field-based experiences, including an intensive internship. Aspiring school leaders pursue coursework and skill development over two consecutive summers and undertake a site-based internship at their school of employment during the intervening year.
The SPA program supports the cultivation of ethical and effective leadership by providing a rich, complex and adaptive learning environment that facilitates the acquisition of leadership competencies and provides holistic and frequent feedback.
The SPA program has two cohort-based locations: New Orleans and New York City. The SPA New Orleans (SPA | NOLA) location accommodates for students residing in the region who are working professionals intending to keep their professional commitments throughout the academic year. The SPA | NOLA schedule is designed to have two intensive summer sessions with an administrative internship in the intervening academic year.
The Master of Arts (M.A.) pathway for student leaders who wish to become principals in urban schools, but do not have 24 previously earned graduate credits.
The Public School Building Leadership Summer Principals Academy-New Orleans is registered with the state of Louisiana as an approved educator preparation program for Educational Leader. If you plan to work in a state other than Louisiana, Teachers College has not made a determination if your program meets the educational requirements for certification in any other state, Washington, DC or Puerto Rico. If you intend to work in another state, we recommend that you review the state’s teacher certification website for that state’s qualifications.
Admission Information
Displaying requirements for the Spring 2025, Summer 2025, and Fall 2025 terms.
Master of Arts
- Points/Credits: 36
- Entry Terms: Summer
- Enrollment Formats: Full-Time Cohort
Certification
View Public Disclosure Notification
- LA Educational Leader Certificate (ELC)
Application Deadlines
| Entry Term Available | Priority Deadlines | Final Deadlines | Extended Deadlines |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Summer | January 15, 2025 | April 1, 2025 | N/A |
| Fall | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Select programs remain open beyond our standard application deadlines, such as those with an extended deadline or those that are rolling (open until June or July). If your program is rolling or has an extended deadline indicated above, applications are reviewed as they are received and on a space-available basis. We recommend you complete your application as soon as possible as these programs can close earlier if full capacity has been met.
Application Requirements
| Requirement | |
|---|---|
| Online Degree Application, including Statement of Purpose and Resume | |
| Transcripts and/or Course-by-Course Evaluations for all Undergraduate/Graduate Coursework Completed | |
| Results from an accepted English Proficiency Exam (if applicable) | |
| $75 Application Fee | |
| Two (2) Letters of Recommendation | |
| Supplemental application required (included in online application) | |
| Interview (phone, video, or in-person) required |
For admission-related inquiries, please contact ORLadmission@tc.columbia.edu.
Requirements from the TC Catalog (AY 2024-2025)
Displaying catalog information for the Fall 2024, Spring 2025 and Summer 2025 terms.
THE SUMMER PRINCIPALS ACADEMY
Degrees Offered: M.A. & Ed.M.
Certification Offered: Recommendation for Educational Leader Certificate (ELC) in the State of Louisiana
Code: ELPS
Program Director: Dr. Brian K. Perkins
Website: https://www.tc.columbia.edu/organization-and-leadership/spa-nola/
The Summer Principals Academy (SPA) at Teachers College, Columbia University is a transformative graduate program that is committed to promoting equity and excellence in education and overcoming the gap in educational access and achievement between the most and least advantaged groups in this country. To achieve this goal, our aspiring school leaders are encouraged to construct transforming possibilities for student learning, school improvement, social equity, and opportunity. While some principal preparation programs are content to prepare school leaders to perpetuate schools as they currently exist, SPA strives to prepare leaders to create the innovative schools that our nation and the world need. Through the Summer Principals Academy, leadership development is fostered through an integrated set of experiences that include sound theoretical and "best practice" knowledge, problem-based coursework, and field-based experiences, including an intensive and extended internship.
SPA is a cohort program enrolling graduate students from all over the country and abroad in a rigorous 14-month, 36-credit program. Courses are delivered Monday – Friday, from 8:00 am – 5:00 pm, over two consecutive five-week summer sessions. The 450-hour Administrative Internship takes place during the intervening school year, thereby enabling students to complete the internship requirements while maintaining their jobs in their current schools. The schedule supports the reality of aspiring leaders who are currently working as teachers, team leaders, department chairs, or supervisors who do not wish to leave their schools to attend a full-time program.
Students’ studies in the Summer Principals Academy conclude with the New School Design Project. Serving as the capstone project, candidates integrate the knowledge and skills they have developed while preparing for leadership service in schools across the nation. The New School Design teams are challenged to develop a new school that reflects the domains of knowledge, skill, and habits of mind and that is relevant to the challenges faced by children seeking a 21st-century education in a public school setting. The event offers the larger educational community of leaders the opportunity to share their insights and expertise regarding how to close achievement gaps effectively through the design of innovative and high-performing schools.
The Summer Principals Academy (SPA) offers two cohort locations – New Orleans, LA, and New York City, NY – to educators who aspire to become school leaders. The two cohorts provide the same course content, instruction, assessment, and high-quality education experience, but each caters to a different school calendar. SPA New Orleans (SPA|NOLA) delivers courses for five weeks beginning in June and ending in July.
Curriculum:
Summer I:
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ORLA 4001: Introduction to School Leadership and Decision Making
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ORLA 5018: School Leadership for Adult Development
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ORLA 5029: Supervision of Teaching & Learning
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ORLA 5100 : Conflict Resolution for School Leadership
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ORLA 5532: Curriculum Development: Teaching, Learning, and Assessment
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ORLA 6025: Leadership Through Self-Awareness
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ORLA 6029: Social Emotional Learning
Fall:
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ORLA 5532: Curriculum Development: Teaching, Learning, and Assessment
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ORLA 6460: Internship in School Leadership
Spring:
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ORLA 5532: Curriculum Development: Teaching, Learning, and Assessment
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ORLA 6027: Cultural Diversity, Equity, and Social Justice as Leadership Imperatives
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ORLA 6460: Internship in School Leadership II
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ORLA 5199(Special Topic): New School Design I
Summer II:
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ORLA 5017: Team Building and Organizational Development
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ORLA 4025: Resource Allocation for Student Achievement
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ORLA 5025: Ecology of Data-Driven Leadership
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ORLA 4033: Ethical and Legal Issues in Education Leadership
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ORLA 6026: Leadership Through Self-Awareness II
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ORLA 6028: Cultural Diversity II
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ORLA 5199(Special Topic): New School Design II
ACCREDITATION
SPA|NOLA is a fully accredited Advancing Quality in Educator Preparation (AAQEP) principal preparation program that culminates in a Master's Degree in Public School Building Leadership and recommendation for Education Leader Certification in the State of Louisiana. Further, this program is currently an approved principal preparation program in the State of Louisiana as of October 17, 2018.
Teachers College, Columbia University is currently licensed by the Board of Regents of the State of Louisiana. Licenses are renewed by the State Board of Regents every two years. Licensed institutions have met minimal operational standards set forth by the state, but licensure does not constitute accreditation, guarantees the transferability of credit, nor signify that programs are certifiable by any professional agency or organization.
CERTIFICATION
Graduates of the Summer Principals Academy - New Orleans are recommended for Education Leader Certification (ELC) in the State of Louisiana. The SPA|NOLA program meets all requirements outlined in Bulletin 996, Standards of Approval for Teacher or Educational Leader Preparation Programs for the preparation of educational leaders. If you plan to work in a state other than Louisiana, prospective students are advised to determine if the program meets the educational requirements for certification in any other state, Washington, DC or Puerto Rico. If you intend to work in another state, we recommend that you review the state’s teacher certification website for that state’s qualifications. Depending on the graduate’s state’s certification qualifications, graduates are advised to receive their Louisiana ELC Letter of Eligibility when applying for certification out of state. The Letter of Eligibility assures prospective employing school systems that the educator meets the educational leadership certification requirements while also ensuring that the leadership certificate is not issued until the educator is in a position to receive evaluations per Louisiana’s statewide evaluation system.