Le Moyne College Stories

The summer of 2021 marked the start of the third year for the LEADS (Leaders Engaged in Accelerated Degree Success) program, which is part of the Purcell School's Educational Leadership Program. LEADS is a one year, summer-to-summer program designed to help students complete the eight School Building Leadership (SBL) courses. Once course work is completed, students in the program then complete a 600-hour internship, which can occur in a variety of formats from two summers, one summer and a semester or school year (depending upon whether it is part or full time during the year), or even a full-year, full-time internship. 


Following completion of the course work involved with the LEADS program, students then take two additional courses to complete the School District Leadership (SDL) degree.  Both the SBL and SDL are the first step for graduates to get their certifications in school leadership in New York state.


The number of cohorts in the LEADS program has grown from one in summer 2019 to three last summer - two working with Central New York school districts and one with the Syracuse City School District (SCSD). The current cohort has one working with Central New York Districts and one with SCSD, where the program is focused on urban leadership and is taught for the most part by adjuncts who work as principals within the SCSD.  


"As word has spread about the LEADS program, there has been significant interest with teachers who understand the benefits of the accelerated pace and the tuition rate, which is competitive with SUNY rates," said Maureen Patterson, director of Le Moyne's Education Leadership Program.