Special to The Star



Despite 13 years of experience teaching in the classroom, Christie Rowcliff is seeing the school system from a whole new perspective – through the eyes of an administrator.

Rowcliff is one of 19 students accepted into this year’s cohort in the educational leadership program at Mississippi State University-Meridian Campus. The program – an intensive, fast-track approach over a 14-month period – is designed for graduate students wishing to further their education in the area of school leadership. Two degree programs are offered: a master of science degree and an education specialist degree, both in school administration.

For Rowcliff, the program began with a busy summer, juggling graduate courses, working as an intern under a school administrator and caring for her family. But, the hard work is already paying off, she said.

“I have learned to see things in a new perspective,” explained Rowcliff, who is working on her specialist degree. “I have had to step out of the teacher role and see – from the school administration’s point of view – why a particular decision was made. It has been a very good learning experience.”

Rowcliff, who already has a master’s degree in curriculum, taught for 13 years before becoming an intervention specialist with Meridian Public Schools.

When she obtained her master’s degree, Rowcliff thought that was the best career path for advancement. Now, she feels like she needs more training in the area of school leadership.

“They say you are prepared to go into a leadership position with a school system when you have finished the program,” she noted.

MSU-Meridian has helped hundreds of educators from East Mississippi and West Alabama earn graduate degrees in school administration since it began offering educational leadership courses in 1972. This training has paved the way for these educators to advance to superintendents, principals, assistant principals and central office personnel.

“Approximately 40 percent of Mississippi’s current school administrators in grades K-12 are eligible to retire from the system,” said Dr. Matthew K. Boggan, assistant professor of educational leadership at MSU-Meridian.

“Therefore, many opportunities in school administration should be available in the near future. Our program can prepare any teacher or current administrator seeking advancement to step into these roles.”

The educational leadership program teaches graduate students how to deal with the complex and demanding school environment. These days, school administrators must balance finances, state and federal requirements, student achievement, teacher retention and parental involvement. Students also learn the importance of understanding school culture as well as promoting diversity in such a changing world.

“By 2050, 25 percent of our population in the U.S. will be Latino,” noted Boggan. 

“This is just one example of how America is becoming even more of a melting pot. And, as future administrators, students must learn to recognize change and learn how to adapt and benefit from change.”

Both master’s and specialist programs are full-time, 14-month cohort programs.  Boggan said some participants, however, cannot handle a full-time load because they are already juggling work and family and choose to finish the program in two or three years.

Admission to a cohort only occurs once a year, with applications due by March 31.

“The cohort approach has been adopted for the ease and benefit of the students,” Boggan said. “A cohort is a group of students who earn their degree on the same schedule and, for the most part, their coursework, except for electives, is planned out for them.”

Boggan suggests that strong personal relationships and working networks are formed in the cohort through sharing experiences. He also believes students learn more because they feel part of a larger group where they are supported by their classmates in the cohort model.

“We also believe that the cohort approach fosters a spirit of community among the students, maintains their commitment to the program and leads to a higher completion rate than if they took classes on their own,” he said.

MSU-Meridian’s current MS/EDS cohort of 19 students represents a variety of teaching backgrounds, including elementary, secondary and school leaders. This year’s cohort in the two degree programs is slightly larger than the one on the Starkville campus, Boggan noted.

Thomas Holland, the new assistant principal of Neshoba Central Middle School, was one of 12 students who completed the last cohort program in July. He earned his master’s degree in educational leadership.

“You get to a point in your life as a teacher, and you think about advancing,” said Holland of Philadelphia, who taught science classes for eight years at both Neshoba Central middle and high schools. He also served as a softball coach.

Holland said he chose the program at MSU-Meridian because of its convenience and availability. He was able to work during the day and take mostly weekend courses. Plus, the fast 14-month time frame suited his needs.

“It wasn’t easy,” admitted Holland, who had to complete 39 graduate hours. “It was very challenging. But, I definitely learned things that go on in the school setting that I was not already aware of. It made me see another side of school administration.

“If I had to do it all over today, I would do it again,” he added.

  Rowcliff, too, says the program is already proving worth the effort.

“It has been a big challenge for me because I do have a 10-year-old and a 6-year-old. But, I keep remembering it is only for 14 months,” she laughed.

Anyone interested in either program must submit their applications to the graduate school by March 31.

A student must have a 2.75 GPA for admission into the master’s program and a 3.0 GPA to enter the educational specialist program, a current teacher’s license, and at least two (2) years teaching experience. A successful interview with the Leadership Committee and a suggested Graduate Record Exam (GRE) score are also part of the formula in the selection process for the MSU-Meridian cohort program.

Educational leadership (EDL) courses are on a rotation basis and are only offered once a year. Courses are offered on weekends in the fall and spring. During the summer terms, classes are offered on weekdays and weekends. Non-EDL courses that are required for the program, such as research and curriculum, are offered during the week. A few courses are offered online or in a hybrid format that includes both classroom lectures and online.

For more information on the educational leadership program at MSU-Meridian, call (601) 484-0100 or visit the Web site at www.msstate.edu/meridian.