This Master’s degree program is designed for individuals who want to broaden their knowledge of instructional leadership in a K-12 setting. It is designed to meet the needs of students with interests both within and outside the traditional public school arena, and may include general education theory and practice, education administration, and community-based learning programs. Completion of the concentration does not lead to state licensure. The Master of Education: Teaching - Instructional Leadership degree provides practical applications for teacher leaders. It will help participants become effective in today’s 21st Century educational setting, possess a professional disposition, and also acquire the knowledge, skills, and abilities that ensure the development of all children’s abilities to be critical participants in and productive members of a democratic society. The program includes a total of 36 semester hours that comprise 12 online courses with experiential K-12 components, including a capstone course in school-based action research conducted on a school site. Degree Program Objectives Evaluate and effectively use performance-based assessments; and implement assessment, instruction, evaluation, and intervention plans as appropriate for diverse learner needs. Demonstrate effective interpersonal communication skills in order to work well with school personnel, pupils, and parents, acknowledging and appreciating diversity in its many forms and being able to assess and instruct without influence of bias. Use educational technology as an effective tool to promote student learning as well as a means to improve communication among colleagues, staff, parents, students, and the larger community. Exhibit problem-solving skills, analyze and respond to emerging issues and trends in education, and put into practice excellent leadership tactics. Use research methods appropriately to review and critique educational studies, and also design a research project that is applicable to a school environment. Apply the central concepts, tools of inquiry, structures, contemporary theories, and paradigms in education that develop a classroom climate to enhance the social, emotional, physical, and psychological aspects of students. Demonstrate effective leadership style and strategies without influence of bias in order to meet the needs of students regardless of cultural background, ethnicity, gender, learning style, at-risk condition and/or disability. Model professionalism and high ethical standards in the classroom, school, and district, and develop appropriate strategies for self-evaluation as a means of assessing one’s own professionalism and teaching effectiveness.
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