Twenty UHCL principals-to-be take new certification exam, all pass

March 25, 2019 | UHCL Staff

When the Texas Education Agency changed its requirements for principals-to-be from a Principal Certification to the Principal as Instructional Leader Certification, candidates across Texas were offered the opportunity to take the new pilot examination. University of Houston-Clear Lake’s program faculty made this opportunity available to each candidate in the program, regardless of how many courses they had completed. Twenty UH-Clear Lake students took the test, and all passed.

“I’m pleased to share that all of UHCL’s students who participated in the pilot exam were successful,” said Associate Professor of Educational Leadership John Decman. “Not only is this a testimony to the rigor of the coursework and the content of the preparation, but it’s also an indication of the extremely high quality of candidates who are attracted to the UHCL program and the professionalism and integrity with which they approach their professional development decisions.”

Brooke Sutton was among the 20 UHCL students who took the pilot exam. “There are two parts to the test and I’ve passed one, and it will count towards my certification even though it’s a pilot exam,” Sutton said. “I’m seeing that what I’m learning in class is what I’m living on my campus. Learning it in the classroom and seeing it applied has helped me as a student.”

Sutton is in her seventh year teaching middle school language arts in Clear Creek Independent School District, having taught three years in Conroe ISD as well. She expects to complete her certification in May 2020.

“What I found truly important is that my principal and two assistant principals both graduated from this program at UHCL,” Sutton said. “It was a real selling point for me. They feel that they were very well trained and I was told I’d never have a second thought about deciding to come to UHCL.”

She added that Decman has been a great source of information and help. “He makes you think and apply what you’re learning in class,” she said. “I feel confident that if I leave here and become a principal, I could lead a school. The real-life scenarios he gives us in class make me think about how I would handle a situation as a school leader.”