MEd in Administration

Course challenges candidates to confront the tremendous diversity in their current environment and develop strategies to build community in the midst of the social, ethnic, economic, and alternative lifestyle differences that permeate today's 21st century workplace. Course stresses the critical importance of creating community in the workplace and illustrates how that community can generate an efficient, supportive, and positive workplace.

This course provides an overview of what constitutes effective classroom instruction. The course will also explore in depth the categories of strategies that research show will have a high probability of enhancing achievement for all students in all subject areas at all grade levels. The research and theory will be studied as well as the practical classroom application of the strategies.

This course provides classroom teachers and administrators with a relationship among instructional goals, curriculum development, classroom instructions, and assessments; it will look at conventional and alternative assessment methodologies, strategies implemented by instructional leaders to conduct classroom observations, and study the impact of educational reform efforts.

This course builds a common knowledge base for understanding the critical role data plays in school improvement as well as improving instruction and increasing student achievement. Candidates in this course collect, analyze, communicate, and use various forms of data to improve instruction, increase student achievement, and influence decision-making at the district, building, and classroom levels.

This course introduces prospective administrators to the essential skills and competencies necessary for effective school leadership in an environment of change. The principles and processes of educational administration, the numerous roles of the principal, the need for collaboration and partnering with all members of the school community, and current research relating to school leadership are all emphasized. The course aims to intentionally provide candidates with a number of the administrative skills outlined in the latest OARs.

Law and the legal system have profoundly influenced the shaping of education in America. Many of today's issues of educational policy (e.g., desegregation, the treatment of students with disabilities, English as a second language, religion in the schools, school finance) are also issues of law. As a consequence, we see decisions regarding our schools increasingly being made by the courts. Accordingly, it is critical for the leaders of today to have a basic knowledge of the judicial branch of our government and its impact on education. Specifically, this course encourages students to become familiar with the manner in which courts operate, how they make their decisions, and the impact of their decisions on education and educational policy.

The Preliminary Administrative License practicum provides administrative candidates with practical experience. This 360-hour practicum provides opportunities for aspiring school administrators to demonstrate professionalism and proficiency in relation to specific administrative processes and skills required for effective educational leadership. It enables administrative candidates to practice fusing theory with reality under the supervision of qualified and competent mentors in an accredited public or private school environment. 

Prerequisites: EDGR 500 and EDAD 607 with a B- or higher.

This course provides students with the basic competencies necessary to understand and evaluate the research of others, and to plan their own research with a minimum of assistance. This course includes the basics of both qualitative and quantitative research.

Practitioner Inquiry focuses on the reflective acts of the candidate as an educator seeking to improve teaching practice. Premised on the self-study research methodological traditions, Practitioner Inquiry provides the opportunity to reflect on teaching practice and generate improvements based on classroom observation. Practitioner Inquiry is focused on the educator and her/his own practices, developing skills of inquiry, observation, reflection, and action in teachers.

Prerequisites: EDGR 601 with a B- or higher

Candidates will learn more about the action research methodology, complete final edits of the literature review, and design a complete action research proposal including data collection methods and analysis approaches. During this course, the proposal will not be implemented with students/participants. This design provides candidates with the requisite skills and means to pursue the transformative practice called Action Research in their classroom, school, district or other work environment.

Prerequisites: EDGR 601 with a B- or higher