Bellarmine's principal certification advanced program, with its theme "Educator as Reflective Learner," places high priority on educators ready to lead in an environment of school accountability and to face the challenges of the 21st century schools.
Reflective educators use their knowledge of content, practice, and pedagogy; knowledge of the learner; knowledge of self; skills in leadership and guiding the change process; and management of educational logistics and facilities to personally evaluate
their effectiveness.
This on-going process provides school leaders with a basis for self-evaluation of how well the acquired knowledge base relates to their current practice. The student will engage in constant performance-based evaluation through course work and leadership
field experiences across the program. Students are expected to enhance their skills as reflective practitioners, thus improving abilities to establish and guide their own personal and professional development. Candidates in this program will also
complete field hours as part of the program’s requirements.
Candidates in this program are assigned a university mentor who will work with the candidate through the duration of the program. Completers of the program will be eligible to serve as a principal or assistant principal, grades P–12.