Take your teaching to the next level.

Through University of the Cumberlands' Kentucky Rank 1 online certification program, you’ll gain the skills you need to realize better student learning outcomes and give your teaching technique a boost. The program offers a flexible online format, an affordable price tag (with textbooks included), and the chance to finish your Rank 1 in as little as 10 months.

Your online teaching certification for Kentucky program may be completed while obtaining additional certification in areas such as special education or in a school leadership role, making it the online program of choice for those who wish to excel in the field of education. 

Anchor: Stats

By the Numbers

$101,320

Average Salary

1%

Industry Growth

10

Months to Completion

100%

Accredited
Anchor: Programs & Requirements
Programs & Requirements

Programs & Requirements

Online Rank 1 Certification Program

A Rank 1 teaching certification is for licensed Kentucky educators who seek to advance their careers in education and obtain a rank change. In this Kentucky teaching certificate online program, you’ll complete 30 credit hours of career-building graduate courses. You’ll gain the skills you need to realize better student learning outcomes and give your teaching technique a boost. Plus, our teaching certification for Kentucky online program can be completed relatively quickly, depending on a students' course load. The program is designed to provide convenience and flexibility, allowing you to study at a pace that meets your needs.

Your online teaching certification for Kentucky program may be completed while obtaining additional certification in areas such as special education or in a school leadership role, making it the online program of choice for those who wish to excel in the field of education. 

These are not the only avenues to achieve a rank change. Those wishing to pursue additional certification may complete an additional master’s or administrative certification, enhancing your career prospects.

A maximum of 9 hours of graduate credit may be transferred from an accredited institution of higher learning and applied to a Rank I program provided such credit meets the appropriate graduate degree requirements of University of the Cumberlands.

Course Requirements

Level I: 18 hours – Certification Only

  • ADOL 630 Introduction to Educational Administration
  • ADOL 631 School Program Improvement
  • ADOL 632 Human Resource Management and Supervision
  • ADOL 641 School System Administration
  • SPOL 530 Characteristics, Identification, and Instruction of Students with Disabilities
  • ADOL 667 Practicum: Director of Pupil Personnel

Level II: 12 hours

  • ADOL 636 School Law I
  • ADM 662 Politics of School Community
  • ADM 670 Strategic Management in Education
  • ADM 637 School Law II

Level I: 18 hours Required – Certification Only

  • ADOL 630 Introduction to Educational Administration
  • ADOL 632 Human Resource Management & Supervision
  • ADOL 636 School Law I
  • SPOL 632 Consultation and Collaboration for Curriculum Design
  • SPOL 636 Advanced Assessment Strategies and Prescriptive Writing
  • ADOL 668 Practicum: Director of Special Education

Level II: 12 hours

  • ADOL 633 Applied Research in Education
  • ADOL 634 Business Management in Public Schools
  • ADM 662 School and Community Relations 
  • ADOL 637 School Law II

Level I: 12 hours Required - Certification Only

  • ADOL 644 Introduction to District Leadership
  • ADOL 672 School Administration and Regulation
  • ADOL 671 Instructional Leadership: School Superintendent 
  • ADOL 669 Professional Clinical Experience: Administrative Superintendent

Level II: 18 hours

  • ADOL 631 School Program Improvement
  • ADOL 643 Special Education and School Leadership
  • ADOL 628 Professional Learning Communities 
  • ADOL 632 Human Resource Management in Public Schools
  • ADOL 634 Business Management in Public Schools
  • EDOL 547 Diversity in a Multicultural Society

Level I: 18 hours – Certification Only

  • ADOL 630 Introduction to Educational Administration
  • ADOL 631 School Program Improvement
  • ADOL 632 Human Resource Management and Supervision
  • ADOL 636 School Law I
  • ADOL 639 The Supervisor
  • ADOL 665 Practicum: Supervisor of Instruction

Level II: 12 hours

  • EDOL 634 Curriculum Management and Assessment
  • EDOL 636 Problems in Education
  • ADM 662 School and Community Relations 
  • EDOL 547 Diversity in a Multicultural Society
Anchor: Mission & Goals

Mission & Goals

The mission of the Kentucky educator Rank 1 online certification program is to build upon the knowledge and skills of current teachers and bolster their teaching and leadership abilities.

Overview of educational administration and strategic management
Practice evaluating instructional programs and monitoring student performance
Understanding characteristics, identification, and instruction of students with disabilities
Learning school law and school-community relations
Applying advanced assessment strategies and prescriptive writing
Anchor: Career Outcomes

Rank I Careers & Outcomes

All stats from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

School Principal: $101,320

School Principal: $101,320

Elementary, middle, and high school principals oversee all school operations, including daily school activities.

School Administrator: $101,320

School Administrator: $101,320

Plan, direct, or coordinate the academic, administrative, or auxiliary activities of kindergarten, elementary, or secondary schools.

High School Teacher: $62,360

High School Teacher: $62,360

High school teachers teach academic lessons and various skills that students will need to attend college and to enter the job market.

School Counselor: $60,140

School Counselor: $60,140

School counselors help students develop academic and social skills. Career counselors and advisors help people choose a path to employment.

College Administrator: $99,940

College Administrator: $99,940

Postsecondary education administrators oversee student services, academics, and faculty research at colleges and universities.

Instructional Coordinator: $66,490

Instructional Coordinator: $66,490

Instructional coordinators oversee school curriculums and teaching standards. They develop instructional material, implement it, and assess its effectiveness.

Anchor: FAQs

Common Questions

Licensure for Kentucky teacher standards is established through a rank system. Generally speaking, the various “Ranks” denote the current level of education for the teaching professional. Teaching professionals are encouraged to make rank changes in order to achieve educational goals and advance their teaching careers.

Rank V are educators are those holding emergency certificates and who have sixty-four (64) to ninety-five (95) semester hours of approved college training (or the equivalent) Rank 1 programs in Kentucky. Rank IV educators are those holding emergency certificates and who have ninety-six (96) to one hundred twenty-eight (128) semester hours of approved college training or the equivalent. Both Rank V and IV professionals are likely to fill substitute teaching roles. 

Rank III educators have earned a four-year teaching degree and hold a regular certificate in a specific area of education—such as elementary education. These teachers are expected to continue to develop as educators, often through the pursuit of a master’s degree, and achieve Rank II status at some point in their careers. Rank II teachers hold regular certificates and have a master's degree in a subject field approved by the Education Professional Standards Board (Educational Professional Standards Board). Rank 1 teachers are professionals who hold regular certificates and have a master's degree in a subject field approved by the Education Professional Standards Board and have earned thirty (30) semester hours of approved graduate work. Rank I licensure can also be achieved by teachers who have met the requirements for Rank II and earned National Board for Professional Teaching Standards (NBPTS) certification.

Yes. Your online degree for Rank 1 offers four distinct concentrations within administration leadership to help you follow curriculum that more closely matches your career goals. Each one of them is online to fit your schedule. Plus, these concentrations provide additional Kentucky teaching certificate options as you complete your Rank 1 Certification program. Complete your program with a concentration in Director of Pupil Personnel, Director of Special Education, Special Education, Supervision of Instruction. A School Superintendent certificate can also be acquired as an additional certification. The ability to earn Rank 1 status while simultaneously obtaining additional certifications available throughout the year, in six (6) eight-week terms, allows you to complete a rank change in less than a year.

Education Rank 1 teaching certification online programs are designed to promote the development of a set of dispositions, pedagogical strategies and technological skills that will enable you to meet the varied needs of diverse learners. The actualization of this vision is achieved through the attainment of conceptual, strategic, evaluative and communicative knowledge.

Through our online Rank 1 programs in Kentucky, you can diversify and enhance your background as an educator with a certification in an area of interest. Prepare to take on the rewarding challenges of impacting learners through career paths such as the following:

Most teachers enter the profession because they have a love of learning and they want to share that passion with others. They understand the light-bulb moment—that moment when understanding switches on and a young learner grasps a concept. Teachers live for this moment. 

At University of the Cumberlands, we get that. We live for those moments, too. We want to share with you a love of learning and the ability to constructively share that ability with others. That’s why we provide career-building programs for educators online in an environment that imparts a breadth of information; an understanding of critical concepts; and a mastery of skills to support a life-long pursuit of educational excellence. 

And it’s why you pursue the education you need to achieve new levels of Kentucky teacher standards. It’s an investment in your teaching future that can open doors to new career opportunities, salary steps, better learning outcomes for your students and a more fulfilling educational experience for you. So, yes, this rank change program designed around Kentucky teacher standards is definitely “worth it.” 

Each course lasts eight weeks, called a bi-term. There are two bi-terms per semester, and three semesters per year (fall, spring, and summer). Many classes are asynchronous, meaning there is no set login time; you can work on schoolwork whenever you find time. Cumberlands provides free rental textbooks to online students as part of its One Price Promise.  

Is the program accredited?

Yes! University of the Cumberlands' School of Education is accredited through Kentucky's Educational Professional Standards Board (EPSB) and has national accreditation through the Council for Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) at the initial-licensure level and advanced-level. UC’s School of Education has earned national accreditation by demonstrating excellence in the areas of content and pedagogy, clinical experiences, selectivity, program impact, and capacity for continuous improvement.

For more information:

KDE/EPSB – State Accreditation
University of the Cumberlands' School of Education is further accredited through Kentucky's Educational Professional Standards Board (EPSB), 100 Airport Road, 3rd Floor, Frankfort, KY 40601. (502) 564-4606. Fax: (502) 564-7080.

CAEP – National Accreditation
The School of Education at University of the Cumberlands (UC) is accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) at the initial-licensure level and advanced-level.  CAEP promotes excellence in educator preparation through quality assurance and continuous improvement.  UC’s School of Education has earned national accreditation by demonstrating excellence in the areas of content and pedagogy, clinical experiences, selectivity, program impact, and capacity for continuous improvement.
 
CAEP Address: 1140 19th St NW #400, Washington, DC 20036
CAEP Phone Number: (202) 223-0077

You will be working with staff in the School of Education to make sure you are on track. UC offers a variety of programs in education so certain requirements do not apply to everyone. It is important to review your specific Plan Program/Curriculum Contract to know what is required of you.

The School of Education has provided a list of items you are required to have turned in by the time you complete your program. The list can be seen on your MyUC account located under the “Student Tab”. The list appears in red and will show the item(s) that are past due. Please do not be alarmed when you see this, it is a computer glitch and you need not worry. We are simply letting you know what is still needed from you at this point, as well as, what will be required of you to complete the program. It is our hope that you will have a smooth transition when you exit your program.

Certification & Reciprocity for Education Programs

Learn more about the certification process for Cumberlands education programs.

Students walk to class near the Grace Crum Rollins Center
Anchor: Faculty

Faculty Experts

Learn more about your future UC professors.

Dr. Angela Loudermilk

Adjunct Professor
Education

Dr. Angela Loudermilk

Contact Information

angela.loudermilk [at] ucumberlands.edu
Remote
Dr. Lance Boston

Dr. Lance M. Boston

Adjunct Professor
Education

Dr. Lance M. Boston

Contact Information

lance.boston [at] ucumberlands.edu
Remote

Dr. Queenie Sellers-Dalcoe

Adjunct Professor
Education

Dr. Queenie Sellers-Dalcoe

Contact Information

queenie.dalcoe [at] ucumberlands.edu
Remote
Bronze statue in front of a campus building

Graduation Education Handbooks & Resources

Education students in our graduate programs will need to access program handbooks, forms and other resources throughout their academic career.

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