As of this year, the State University at Fredonia has put its educational leadership program on hold as they look to revamp the program.

The educational leadership program is the program future principals, superintendents and school administrators enroll in to receive certification. Chris Givner, dean of the college of education, said students typically take a year and a half to complete the program. The program was closed off from new applicants this year to enable the university to temporarily suspend the program.

Givner did not have an exact date for when the program would return. All students currently in the program will finish at the end of next semester and will be the last students in the program until it is brought back. She said the numbers for the program were not logical to keep the program running as is because it was “to small to sustain it.”

When the program is revamped and returns, it will switch to an online heavy course load. There will still be face-to-face meetings, but the online aspect of the program will take precedent.

Givner does not believe closing the program will affect the local area. She said she believes closing the program for now and bringing it back stronger is necessary.

Givner said potential students seeking the educational leadership program at Fredonia will have to “do what they have to do” when it comes to applying to other schools that offer the program.

Givner told The Post-Journal she believes enrollment for the educational leadership program will increase when it returns.

“Absolutely,” Givner said. “We’ll be able to pull students from a wider range.”

Bret Apthorpe, superintendent of Jamestown Public Schools, expressed his concern with suspending the educational leadership program for an extended period of time.

“SUNY Fredonia’s educational administration is essential to a quality education for Western New York schools,” Apthorpe said. “There’s a very strong relationship between quality of educational leadership and student achievement, and not having that program there would present a very serious public policy problem for Western New York and Western New York kids.”

While Apthorpe was delighted to hear the program wasn’t going away for good, he said the fact that it is going away at all concerns him.

“I’m very concerned that those interested in pursuing educational leadership have to travel close to 100 miles round trip for courses to get them the certification they need,” Apthorpe said.

The superintendent said students who typically pursue a certification in educational leadership are full-time teachers, and said SUNY Fredonia closing the program temporarily is just “one more barrier.”

Apthorpe was unable to comment on the online aspect of the revamped program because of the lack of information, but was optimistic for the future of SUNY Fredonia’s program.

“It’s my hope and belief that western New York superintendents and boards of education would be involved in the development in a high quality educational leadership program,” Apthorpe said.

In other news, Givner discussed the recent changes the New York State Board of Regents recently announced standard within educational leadership programs.

“We all can do a better job,” Givner said of the Board of Regents adopting new standards.

The standards address training in educational programs of universities to focus on becoming more culturally accommodating and inclusive, which Givner feels SUNY Fredonia is already doing. The new standards being adopted are the 2015 Professional Standards for Educational Leaders (PSELS) that will replace the 2008 Interstate School Leaders Licensure Consortium Standards.

“The responsibilities of principals have become increasingly complex over the last decade as a result of changing student demographics, technological advancements and new accountability requirements,” Board of Regents Chancellor Betty A. Rosa said. “In this context, principal preparation must shift as well to ensure our principals are prepared to improve outcomes for all students, no matter their racial, ethnic, cultural or economic backgrounds. With their focus on equity and culturally responsive practices, these new standards will allow us to make sure that happens in New York.”