Coursework in the M.Ed. in School Leadership
The School Leadership program is organized around five principles fundamental to the effective preparation of school leaders: problem- and field-based learning; evidence-based problem-solving; understanding school, community, and policy contexts; organizational improvement; and reflective leadership. While the content of the program is segmented into nine courses plus an internship, the themes create coherent and meaningful learning opportunities.
Program coursework consists of nine 3-credit courses taken over the course of two calendar years. In addition, students are required to complete a 6-credit internship arranged through the internship coordinator.
Course Sequence for
Cohorts Admitted Summer 2010 and Later
| Timeframe | Summer | Fall | Spring |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | EDUC 738 | EDUC 733 EDUC 735 |
EDUC 734 EDUC 736 |
| Year 2 | EDUC 693 (Internship) |
EDUC 737 (Internship) |
EDUC 664 EDUC 661 |
Course Sequence for
Cohorts Admitted Fall 2008 and Fall 2009
| Timeframe | Fall | Spring | Summer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | EDUC 737 EDUC 735 |
EDUC 664 EDUC 736 |
EDUC 738 (Internship) |
| Year 2 | EDUC 733 (Internship) |
EDUC 734 (Internship) |
EDUC 693 EDUC 661 |
Course Descriptions
- EDUC 661 School Site Finances and Resource Management. Focuses on the management and allocation of financial resources. Students will learn about school funding, budget management, and the larger state/district finance framework. A key aim is understanding efficient resource utilization to maximize student learning.
- EDUC 664 Law and Ethics in School Leadership. Examines legal and ethical aspects of school leadership. Focuses on schooling’s legal framework and moral perspectives informing ethically defensible decisions. Examining legal and ethical cases will deepen prospective leaders' understanding of education law, ethical principles, and decision-making.
- EDUC 693 Supervision and Professional Development of Educators. Examines intellectual, moral, and practical dimensions of supervisory leadership; connects theory and practice related to performance appraisal; and promotes the professional learning of educators.
- EDUC 733 Leading the Instructional Program-I. First of a two-course sequence (733 & 734), this course focuses on the classroom level – on understanding the characteristics of effective instruction and classroom management across the content areas. School leaders must be able to recognize, promote, and monitor effective instructional strategies working with teachers at the classroom level.
- EDUC 734 Leading the Instructional Program-II. Second of a two-course sequence (733 & 734), this course focuses on instructional leadership at the program, departmental, and school level – on understanding the theory and practice of standards-based curriculum, including concepts of curriculum scope, sequence, coherence, and integration. Students will learn to lead and collaborate with teachers to develop, implement, and monitor standards-based curriculum and instruction.
- EDUC 735 Data-Based Decision-Making for School Leaders. First of a two-course sequence (735 & 736), this course prepares teachers and aspiring educational leaders to understand, manage, and use data for student assessment, instructional planning, and school improvement.
- EDUC 736 Practicum: Data Analysis Project. Second of a two-course sequence (735 & 736), this course builds on data analysis concepts and methods from 735, goes into greater depth on selected topics, and requires field-based projects.
- EDUC 737 Organizational Culture and Community Relations. This course focuses on building a cohesive, improvement-oriented organizational culture. This includes: developing and sustaining a shared vision of teaching and learning among school and community stakeholders; modeling a commitment to excellence and accountability in professional practice; and maintaining constructive and collaborative relationships within the school and between the school and the community.
- EDUC 738 School Management and School Improvement Planning. This course focuses on organizational management and on effective planning and decision-making for school improvement. Students will learn about tasks and responsibilities of school management and about challenges of implementing change. They will review best practice models of program design and school improvement and explore their application in their own organization.
- EDUC 739 Internship in School Leadership. The Internship will provide opportunities for students to engage in authentic, leadership-related field experiences in approved school settings. This course consists of two parts.
Part I: This internship course will provide opportunities for students to engage in leadership-related, authentic, supervised field experiences in approved school settings. Students will be required to perform, analyze, and reflect on a specific set of tasks involving real responsibilities of school leaders. Completion of these tasks will require a minimum of 120 hours of field-based work. Students will be responsible for the preparation of a professional portfolio that includes task-related documents, artifacts, and reflections related to the specific set of tasks. The learning activities are field-based and standards-driven, are grounded on the principles of the MED program guidelines, and are linked to the leadership paradigm advocated by the Interstate School Leaders Licensure Consortium (ISLLC). The course involves collaboration with a school-based mentor, other M.Ed. students, and a MED faculty supervisor. Advising seminars are scheduled at regular intervals (2 credits)
Part II and III: Parts II and III of the Internship Course requires an additional 240 hours of documented work with a school-based mentor (principal or assistant principal), the completion of a variety of real school leadership tasks, and the assumption of real school leadership responsibilities. Students will be assigned an approved cooperating mentor from a local school/district. The internship faculty supervisor will work with the candidate to set up the clinical assignment. At the beginning of the internship students will be asked to identify a school problem that is of particular interest and work with the school-based mentor to develop an action plan to solve the problem or issue. At the conclusion of the internship experience, candidates will be asked to formally present to a committee of 3-5 the problem and its solution. Internship hours must be full-time and consecutive so that the student is provided the opportunity to participate in a range of experiences throughout the school year and summer. The hours are documented in an Internship Journal/Log. Students will be expected to attend three seminars during the internship experience with their school-based mentor, other M.Ed. students, and with the faculty supervisor. Site visits will be scheduled at regular intervals throughout the internship experience. (4 credits)
School Leadership Licensure Assessment (SLLA) Requirement
In order to complete the M.Ed. in School Leadership, students must submit School Leadership Licensure Assessment (SLLA) scores to the Graduate Programs Director of the School of Education. We recommend that each cohort take the exam in January of their final year in the program, after they have completed sufficient coursework to pass the exam. Information on this licensure exam can be found at the ETS website (www.ets.org) under "School Leadership Series."
