Educational Leadership (M.S.Ed.)

This course is an in-depth study of effective data based decision-making practices for contemporary school leaders. Formative and summative data based decision making practices will be explored, as well as how to work with large and small groups of staff members to analyze multiple measures of data and create school improvement designs for student and school success. An emphasis is placed on using data to make decisions at the division, school, and classroom levels. Prerequisite: ELS 600 or ELS 700.

This course exposes students to the essential elements of instructional leadership. Central to the skills and knowledge necessary to be an effective instructional leader are a deep understanding of the learning sciences that inform us about the essence of effective teaching. Effective instructional leaders have a solid basis for assessing and promoting high quality instruction, giving them the tools to proactively build a school's organizational capacity of sustained growth in student achievement. Students will engage in reading, reflection, dialog, writing, problem solving and field-work, designed to build an understanding of how these topics are intrinsically tied to supporting teachers in their classrooms through facilitating better understandings of standards and accountability, effective lesson planning and curriculum development, assessment and grading, classroom management and discipline. Prerequisite: ELS 600 or ELS 700.

This course develops student's skills, knowledge and dispositions in the area of instructional leadership. Students will explore how effective instructional leaders can use their integrated knowledge of quality instruction and the core principles of learning to set the mission and vision for the school, facilitate school improvement planning and professional development and finally how instructional supervision is used to integrate these activities and support the growth of individual teachers as well as building organizational capacity. Effective instructional leaders have a solid basis for assessing and promoting high quality instruction, giving them the tools to proactively build a school's organizational capacity for sustained growth in student achievement. Students will engage in reading, reflection, dialog, writing, problem solving and field-work, designed to help them build an integrated understanding of those leadership practices that help support teacher instructional growth and those that build organizational capacity for sustained improvement. Prerequisites: ELS 600 or ELS 700.