Blazing New Trails - Connexions

314 CRITICAL ISSUES IN EDUCATION LEADERSHIP PREPARATION
Semester Face-to-Face
2008–2009
Revenue Generated
Table 3. Revenue Generated Comparison.
Fall $82,352 $219,860
Spring $73,202 $203,338
Summer $86,164 $277,557
Total $241,719 $700,756
Adjusted for Scholarship $241,719 $369,915
Online
2009–2010
Revenue Generated
Certification as an administrator in the State of Texas is a function of completing a
prescribed curriculum of study and passing the state mandated Texas Examination of
Educator Standards (TExES). Although this is not the only measure of a quality program, it is
a standardized measure that allows comparison of the face-to-face and on line programs. A
total scale score on the examination of 240 is required to pass the test. Table 4 presents the
performance of students on the state mandated certification examination for the face-to-face
and online students. The data include the number of students who took the test, the passing
rate on the first administration and the average scale score. We will continue to collect data,
longitudinally, to establish reliability of the findings.
Table 4. Performance on State Mandated Certification Examination.
Face-to-Face
2008–2009
Online
2009–2010
Number Taken 29 37
Number Passed/Percentage 24/83% 31/84%
Total Test Scaled Score 256 254
DISCUSSION AND IMPLICATIONS
Institutions of higher education need to adapt or be willing to suffer the consequences.
What implications will the profession experience as a result of the movement to online
delivery of programs? Traditionally, there has been a perception that there is a shortage of
administrators. It was estimated by the National Association of Secondary School Principals
that 40% of all administrators would retire within 10 years (2002). The Northeast Regional
Elementary School Principals Council estimated 36% of principals in nine northeastern states
planned to retire within five years (National Association of Elementary School Principals,
2007). The demand for administrators tends to outpace the supply. However, with the onset of
online administrator preparation, the number of individuals seeking administrative
certification appears to be increasing. For instance, in a recent administrative opening for an