UNIVERSITY OF LA VERNE – College of Education and Organizational Leadership
Preliminary Administrative Services Credential Program
Reflective Essay for Admission (Rubric A)
Student Name______________________________ Date______ Program Chair__________________
Average score______________
Applicant must meet the following criteria:
 A score of 3 or higher with no more than 1 score of 1
Applicants who do not meet this standard, but who meet the other admission criteria, will be tutored in necessary areas of
academic writing.
Essay
4 = exceeds
3 = meets
2 = minimally
1 = does not
Score
Components expectations
expectations
meets
meet
expectations
expectations
Writing
Writing
Content clear,
Content partially
Content is
Conventions exceptionally
concise and
clear and
awkwardly
clear, concise and significant; Few
significant; some
expressed,
significant; Very
grammar,
punctuation,
lacking
few difficulties with punctuation, and
grammar and
alignment with
grammar,
spelling errors;
spelling errors;
requirements of
punctuation and
formatting clear
formatting present the essay; many
spelling; the
and
but not strong;
grammar,
formatting adds to understandable;
material presented spelling and/or
the meaning; the
Material presented
in typed format.
punctuation
materials was
in typed format.
errors;
presented in typed
formatting
format
confusing or
material is not
presented in
typed format.
SelfDemonstrates a
Demonstrates
Demonstrates
Unclear
reflection
clear awareness
awareness of self
awareness of self
awareness of
of self as a
as a student and an as a student and
self as a student
student and
educator with a
an educator with
and educator
educator with a
commitment to
an understanding
and no intent on
strong
continuous
of a need for
continuous
commitment to
improvement.
continuous
improvement;
continuous
improvement
reflections weak,
improvement
lack depth
Commitment Clearly identifies
Identifies
Identifies
No professional
to future
professional
professional
professional
expectations or
personal
expectations and
expectations and
expectations and
future goals
growth
future goals in
future goals in
future goals but
identified
relation to
relation to the
not in a clear
administrative role administrative role.
manner
Commitment Articulates a very
Articulates a
Articulates an
Does not
to educating broad view of
broader view of
understanding of
demonstrate an
all children
diversity,
diversity, identifies
diversity,
understanding of
for success
recognizes how
preconceptions that recognizes a need diversity, or the
preconceptions
changed, identifies
to educate all
need to educate
were changed,
the need to
children; narrow
all children in
presents
educate all children view of diversity
diverse
commitment to
in diverse
classrooms;
educating all
classrooms;
immature view
children in diverse generally lacks
classrooms
depth
Average score __________
UNIVERSITY OF LA VERNE
Preliminary Administrative Services Credential Program
Reflective Essay for Entrance into the Preliminary Services Credential Program
In responding to the essay prompts below, we want you to be reflective in your writing. That means that in addition to
describing an experience or activity, you go into some depth explaining what made it meaningful to you. Think deeply
about how the experiences reflect your learning as a future administrator, your relationships with your colleagues, and
your rapport with diverse communities. Please attach a copy of your current resume.
Your essay should consist of three parts:
Accomplishment
In this section analyze an experience you consider a personal accomplishment. First, briefly describe the experience.
Then discuss why you consider the experience an accomplishment for you. Think deeply about how the experience
affects your learning as a future educational leader, your relationships with other people and your growing understanding
of school leadership.
Diversity
Issues of diversity are increasingly affecting teachers, teaching and learning in schools. In this section, we want to learn
about your views relating to people different from yourself.
First, choose an experience (or relationship) and briefly describe it so that readers will understand the context of the
situation. Then, discuss what you learned from the experience. What preconceptions did you bring to the experience?
How were your beliefs or attitudes changed because of the experience?
Commitment
In this section you have the opportunity to present yourself as someone who is committed to teaching, learning and
working to improve student performance. Choose an experience that demonstrates that you have the type of commitment
to lead in an educational setting. Briefly describe the experience and then reflect upon it so that we can learn how the
experience demonstrates your commitment to becoming an administrator. Please include your statement of purpose for
entering the program in this section.
Evaluative Criteria
This essay will be assessed for:
 writing conventions including composition, spelling, grammar, typing, punctuation, and usage;
 accomplishments including thorough explanation of the situation, in-depth reflections, arguments and positions
and strong connections between examples and details and yourself;
 diversity including description and in-depth reflections, a broad view of diversity, how preconceptions were
changed and the commitment to all children in diverse classrooms.
 commitment including a purposeful commitment to teaching and learning, experience as lifelong learner and
personal change clearly articulated,