Master of Education in educational leadership (M.Ed.)

This field experience is conducted during the first semester of the program. Specifically, candidates are expected to develop a resume, write a personal mission statement and autobiography, and familiarize themselves with various aspects of school governance and the duties of school officials. Candidates are expected to focus on employment processes/practices in their school system/school, sound decision-making practices, the delivery of professional development, and organizational climate. Creation and implementation of Professional Learning Communities is discussed.

Candidates differentiate between administration, management, and leadership within the school setting. The roles of the local, state, and federal levels of government are considered and the duties of school superintendents (directors), school boards, principals, and assistant principals are delineated. Current issues facing schools, including performance-based standards and student achievement, are presented. Attention is given to the historical context of American education. Candidates are expected to reflect on their professional goals and mission.

Candidates examine organizational mission, strategic planning, and core beliefs as key elements within the school framework. The role of the school leaders in establishing a vision, a sense of community, and a positive learning culture that facilitates student achievement is explored; models used by effective school leaders are presented. Attention is also focused on teacher recruitment, induction, professional development, and personnel evaluation systems - both formative and summative. The use of data in assessing student learning is emphasized.

This second field experience is conducted during the second semester of the program. Candidates are expected to develop an understanding of Common Core standards, curriculum, assessment, and best teaching practices. Furthermore, candidates are expected to explore issues related to the legal, ethical, financial and political contexts of schools or matters associated with the growing pluralism and diversity of American schools. Observation of and interaction with school leader(s), along with community and/or person(s) of ethnic and social diversity are expected.

Candidates integrate information gathered from research, reports, assessments, standards, surveys, and best practices into effective leadership of the instructional program. Within the structure of local and state requirements, the methods and processes for understanding and implementing this information into an effective instructional program at the school level are explored and defined.

Candidates examine the legal and regulatory mandates as outlined by the local school district, the state, the federal government, and the courts. Emphasis is on the legal rights and responsibilities of teachers, administrators, and students. Additional emphasis is placed on the following: responding to diversity for the improvement of instruction, political influences and implications, moral and ethical responsibilities of schools, special education laws, and school finance procedures.

This field experience is conducted during the third semester of the program. Specifically, candidates are expected to develop a thorough understanding of the change process, analysis of data, implications from data analysis, instructional improvement and the involvement of all stakeholders in the school improvement planning process. Furthermore, the course includes responding to diversity for the improvement of instruction, for increased student learning, and for a positive school climate, specifically in these areas: ethnicity/race, socioeconomic, gender exceptionalities, language, and religion, in urban/suburban/rural settings.

Candidates address the diversity that affects education locally, nationally, and globally. The course includes responding to diversity for the improvement of instruction, for increased student learning, and for a positive school climate, specifically in these areas: ethnicity/race, socioeconomic, gender, exceptionalities, language, religion, and urban/suburban/rural. The social context of the school within the broader community is emphasized.

Candidates focus on the principles, strategies, and techniques utilized to enhance both organizational effectiveness and student learning. Through an in-depth study of the characteristics of an effective learning organization, candidates will acquire the knowledge, skills, attitudes, and dispositions to lead successfully a school to achieve increased student learning.

This field experience is conducted during the fourth semester of the program. Candidates will use technology to maximize student learning, increase efficiency of school operations, and learn to access school data effectively. The use of technological multimedia products for enhancing the curriculum will be explored. Candidates will focus on the principles, strategies, and techniques utilized to enhance student learning and close achievement gaps through in-depth data analysis and interpretation. Multiple data sources will be utilized. Best practices in instructional strategies will be explored to determine which strategies should be used to reinforce each specific identified area of need. Areas of interest will include: student learning, effective teaching, connecting students and community resources, analyzing problems, interpreting data and understanding student growth and development. Observation of and interaction with school leader(s) are required. In addition, guidelines and procedures for conducting action research are explored.

Candidates examine the role of school leaders in managing and supporting technology to maximize student learning and to increase the efficiency of school operations; various models of technology are explored. Candidates learn to access data effectively, using various models of technology to support teams of teachers, students, and parents to lead to academic success for students.

Candidates use current research from multiple sources to analyze and improve the learning community. Areas of interest include student learning, effective teaching, connecting student and community resources, analyzing problems, interpreting data, and understanding student growth and academic development. The role of educators, especially school leaders, as the consumers of research data is emphasized.

Candidates for the master’s degree and those candidates who are seeking Administrative Endorsement are required to participate in this culminating activity for their program. Candidates will utilize the knowledge gained in all classes in their program and their experience as effective educators to successfully complete this assignment. This course is the candidate’s opportunity to exhibit his/her highly effective creation, presentation and discussion of the designated school, its data, and school improvement plan based upon his/her data analysis. Candidates are provided a set of data (elementary, middle, or high school data) for a fictitious school which will be studied, analyzed and used to formulate a school improvement plan. This set of data includes information concerning the school’s instructional strategies, curriculum, demographical data, TCAP and TVAAS data, culture, climate, instructional leadership, team structure, professional development and parental involvement. Each candidate will present a summary of his/her data analysis and school improvement plan to a panel composed of faculty and/or building-level school leaders from the LEA. Candidates will present individually. This culminating presentation is conducted as a simulation of an interview for the position of principal at this fictitious school. Successful completion is determined by the panel of faculty/school leaders.