51 - Educational Leadership

This course emphasizes the instructional components of teaching and learning by focusing on strategies, techniques, and theories pertaining to the teaching/learning situation. Attention to learning theories, learning styles, and teaching styles is included.

Special emphasis will be on candidate development as a teacher leader professional and/or candidate’s implementation of professional development and analysis for teachers.

This course provides an introduction to the historical, political, social, and cultural issues that affect culturally and linguistically diverse students in schools. Local, state, and federal policies regarding entitlement and appropriate services for English language learners are studied. Current theories regarding second language acquisition and specific program models are examined for their impact on student achievement.

Candidates will engage in the implementation of integrating technology in the classroom. A variety of teaching strategies and pedagogical practices for learning will be explored. The candidate will design and implement lessons to meet curricular objectives with a focus on equality and equity. The candidate will also design and implement professional development plans with the goal of assisting teachers in the use of technology across the curriculum in equitable ways.

The dimensions of language acquisition especially as it relates to first and second language acquisition are introduced. Phonetics, phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, and communicative competence and their implications for ESL and bilingual teachers are addressed.

The selection, administration, and interpretation of measurement instruments for bilingual and English language learners is the focus of this course. Language proficiency, academic achievement, mandated norm, and/or criterion referenced assessments, and their appropriate uses are considered. Fairness and equity in test selection, administration, and interpretation are addressed. State and national standards for content and language proficiency and the assessment of those standards at the state and classroom levels are examined.

This course provides an overview of the identification, assessment, and instructional needs of English language learners at the elementary and secondary levels. The importance of culture in addressing the educational and social needs of immigrant students is explored. Candidates will investigate strategies to assess and teach English language skills to limited English proficient students. Accommodations for content area lessons and assessments to foster the success of all students in a multi-language, multi-ethnic learning community are also included.

This course is based on the idea that teachers are critical partners in transforming schooling. It redefines traditional leadership in education and elevates the perception, status, and role of classroom teachers. This course will review, in detail, what teacher leadership means, how it can be implemented, and what support it takes from the school system to be effective.

This course examines the roles of educational leaders as they express and impact the values of the communities of learners served by the school systems. The core of the course is the social contract between the school and the public.  Ethical dilemmas are presented for critique and analysis.  Applications are made to the realities of the educational and governmental entities.

This course prepares teachers in the methodology to teach content and language to English language learners. Historical and current program models and the pedagogy of teaching ELL’s are examined. Candidates will prepare units based on these models, applying state and national standards, and using appropriate assessment strategies.

This course prepares teachers to use native language instruction (L1) to teach P-12 academic content to English language learners. Historical and current program models in the use of native language instruction as well as sheltered English strategies for teaching academic content are examined. Candidates will prepare units to meet the needs of a variety of English language levels while addressing state and national content standards in mathematics, science, and social studies. This course is open to teachers who speak another language in addition to English and is part of the required sequence for the Bilingual Endorsement by ISBE.

School law provides an overview and analysis of selected general legal principles, case and statutory law, and policy making agencies affecting the legal operation of the school.  Course content is designed for the critical and practical application of school law for the educator who will be leading and managing the human enterprise of schooling.

An examination of the ways judicial interpretation of the law and federal and state statutes shape the ways in which school policy impacts upon curriculum and teaching. Candidates will review several statutes and cases in connection with current issues within their schools. Special emphasis will be placed on issues of differences within school communities.

The exploration and examination of schools and school communities as complex and diverse sociocultural entities will serve as the foundation of this course. Candidates will integrate theoretical and practical implications of schools and school communities with fieldwork to better understand their role as educational leaders.

The impact of culture on society and the educational system, and the importance of culture in addressing the educational and social needs of immigrant students and English language learners (ELLs) are examined. The dual processes of acculturation and cultural conflict are explored, as they relate to learning styles, academic, and behavioral expectations. Participants will develop strategies for designing culturally relevant learning opportunities to foster the academic success of diverse groups in a multi-language, multi-ethnic learning community.

This course will explore processes and strategies for incorporating collaboration in schools and communities, as well as various aspects of communication and how it functions formally and informally in the educational environment. This course will also provide opportunities for participants to investigate communication skills in interpersonal, group, and public contexts, as well as how to effectively communicate with the media.

This course covers the development in educational institutions in America from colonial times to the present. Emphasis is laid on the social and cultural context in which educational institutions arose to meet the needs of society. Trends are examined in the growth of systems of organization, curriculum, methodology, and legal and financial supports.

This course explores the organizational systems in public and private educational institutions.  School culture, communication structures, theoretical basis for practice and transformation, and state and federal mandates are emphasized.  The functions of organizations are examined through a critical lens in order to raise questions regarding power and implications for social justice, equity, and meeting the needs of a diverse population.

This course explores methodologies for the design and implementation of classroom practices that meet the needs of diverse learners and lead to an improved educational environment. Candidates study a variety of instructional strategies and various methods of assessing student performance. Candidates will also learn how to evaluate classroom practices, curriculum, and assessment tools as they relate to learning standards.

This course is designed to be a comprehensive study of the process of curriculum development that leads to relevant instruction and assessment of student learning in diverse settings.  It is an introduction to the nature of curriculum leadership as it relates to school improvement, instruction, technology, and transformational practice.  Theoretical bases and historical perspectives are presented in terms of transmission of cultural values, power, status, and societal norms. 

Candidates will examine equality and equity issues within various curriculum and pedagogical theories. An exploration of contemporary issues in curriculum design and instructional practice with a focus on community will be included.

This course examines the fiscal basis of American schools. The local, state, and federal sources of funding public schools are studied. Candidates will be involved in a critical analysis of resource allocation for schools to better understand the political underpinnings of school funding. Candidates will investigate the areas of adequacy and equity and explore ways to address these issues.

Theory and practice in curriculum design, assessing learning, and evaluating curriculum and learning for diverse learners with a focus on equity will be the foundation of this course. This school-based course will focus on methods and materials for assisting teachers in developing comprehensive and equitable assessments based on a curriculum that values multiple ways of knowing.

This course is designed to acquaint the pre-service Special Education administrator and pupil personnel staff administrator with the Federal and State of Illinois laws, court decisions, and compliance mandates regarding the financing of Special Education Services in the Illinois public school system. The candidate will be exposed to the various funding sources available to provide Special Education Services and the mandates for applying for these funds. The candidate will be provided "hands on" experiences in preparing Special Education IDEA grants and also forms of applications including private and residential placements, Illinois Care Grants, transportation, and the use of RTI discretionary funds.

This course will examine the historical, sociopolitical, and legal implications of the impact of assessment practices for students with diverse and unique learning needs, including second language learners and those with identified disabilities. Participants will explore and critique the current uses of high stakes testing through the lens of equitable and just educational practice in order to develop a thorough well-researched philosophical position on assessment of diverse learners.

This course provides an overview of principles of research and the history and practice of research in educational settings as a tool for leadership and change.  The candidate selects a topic that addresses an issue or concern affecting the learning community or education professional.  Through examination, participation, and application, the graduate candidate will develop a research proposal project that will reflect his or her understanding of how research can be applied in school settings for improvement of educational practices and processes.

This course explores various paradigms in multiculturalism with an emphasis on critical multiculturalism. Critical multiculturalism links multiculturalism education with wider issues of power, including socioeconomic and political quality. Minority groups in contemporary society are studied and include an examination of issues related to race, class, ethnicity, sexual orientation, ability, age, language, gender, and religion.

This course focuses on the transformative role of the principal who is charged with the responsibility of improving teaching and increasing student achievement through effective and continuous professional development. It explores leadership and supervisory behavior that promotes social justice and fosters a culture of empowerment and collaboration. Formative and summative evaluation will be explored in both clinical and differentiated settings. The teacher evaluation process, as defined by Illinois Statute will be addressed.

This course focuses on the role of the principal as a critical, knowledgeable, and transformative leader advocating for social justice in the school community. The candidate is introduced to the major responsibilities of the school leader, especially, school improvement planning, data analysis, and data-informed decision-making. Appropriate technology systems will be explored to support the school improvement planning process. School-wide leadership, management of personnel and resources, community involvement, and systems to address school safety equitable educational opportunities for every student will be explored.

The creation and administration of systems of support for educational programs that serve unique learners at the local, state, and federal levels is reviewed. Emphasis is given to laws, mandates, policies, and procedure. In addition, collaboration with general education, professional development, fiscal management, and legal implications are considered.

This course is a survey course intended to be of value to candidates wishing to explore practical applications of selected principles and theories from the areas of education, psychology, and the behavioral sciences to the field of counseling. The course covers significant aspects of group counseling, rehabilitation counseling, family counseling, counseling over a life span, crisis intervention counseling, cross-cultural counseling, personal counseling, and community counseling. Emphasis, however, is given to the counseling processes that are directly related to special education roles.

Through the examination of current research in teaching, learning, and leadership, candidates will apply research-based solutions to current issues within their school, district, and/or school community.

The principal internship classes (588/589) are designed to provide a pre-endorsement clinical experience that gives an opportunity for the candidate, as a future administrator, to exercise the knowledge, skill, and attitudes engendered in program courses, in a field-based setting. The candidate will participate in leadership experiences in preK-12 school settings.  The internship provides the candidate with a standards-based, data driven leadership, participation, and observation experience in leadership activities in school administration under the guidance of an experienced internship mentor and University faculty supervisor. These activities will include, but not be limited to, school improvement planning, hiring of staff, and supervision and evaluation of instructional personnel. The candidate will also garner a variety of leadership experiences in instructional leadership for literacy and numeracy improvement and the specific areas of ESL, special education, and gifted programming at the preK-12 levels. The candidate will also be involved in leadership experiences in the areas of technology and bullying prevention programming.

The principal internship classes (588/589) are designed to provide a pre-endorsement clinical experience that gives an opportunity for the candidate, as a future administrator, to exercise the knowledge, skill, and attitudes engendered in program courses, in a field-based setting. The candidate will participate in leadership experiences in preK-12 school settings.  The internship provides the candidate with a standards-based, data driven leadership, participation, and observation experience in leadership activities in school administration under the guidance of an experienced internship mentor and University faculty supervisor. These activities will include, but not be limited to, school improvement planning, hiring of staff, and supervision and evaluation of instructional personnel. The candidate will also garner a variety of leadership experiences in instructional leadership for literacy and numeracy improvement and the specific areas of ESL, special education, and gifted programming at the preK-12 levels. The candidate will also be involved in leadership experiences in the areas of technology and bullying prevention programming.

This course is a study or project done under the direction of a member of the Department of Educational Leadership.

Under the guidance of a faculty advisor and committee, the candidate composes a major research-oriented work on a topic appropriate to the candidate’s career.

All candidates working on a master’s thesis from a previous semester must register for thesis supervision until the thesis is accepted.

 

This course examines the ethical bases for the development of moral leadership.  Classical ethical theories (e.g. Aristotle, Aquinas, Kant) are studied in conjunction with the Lewis Mission, the Illinois State board of Education Standards for School Leaders, the ethics statements of the Illinois Principals’ Association (IPA), and the American Association of School Administrators (AASA).

 

This course presents methods for central office planning and assessment of educational programs. Emphasis is placed on the role of leadership in providing long-range vision for the district.

This course focuses on the legal foundation of the public and private school systems in America; responsibilities of central office personnel in compliance with applicable local, state, and federal statutes; and case law applied to the public school district, especially in the areas of human resource management, student rights, special education, and school safety.

This course examines the roles of district policy makers and central office leaders in collective bargaining and employee relations.

This course examines the processes of initiating, enacting, and implementing educational policy at the local and state levels, and the role of the central office administrator in these processes. Candidates will examine school-community relations, community resources, and dynamics as they impact educational policy and practice.

 

This course is designed to be a comprehensive study of curriculum planning, implementation, assessment, and leadership as it relates to program involvement.  The roles and responsibilities of the principal as an instructional leader and facilitator of the curriculum process will be examined.  Curriculum development in light of the state standards as well as national curriculum projects will be studied.

 

This course focuses on research into the central office role in providing curriculum planning and implementation of innovative instructional methods.

This course provides an examination of local, state, and federal resources for school districts; budgeting and accounting for school districts in Illinois; and central office responsibilities in planning, implementing, and assessing the district budget process.

This course examines strategies for collection and analysis of data using current technologies.  Best practices in the area of student assessment and evaluation are considered.  Emphasis is placed on preparing candidates to be consumers and producers of educational research.  This course provides the background for the completion of the required research component of the Certificate of Advanced program.    

This course examines the organization and management of the central office of a school district in Illinois; the structural and climate-based variables of the superintendent’s role; and the management of the district for school improvement and enhanced student learning.

This course provides for the assignment of the applicant to a mentor superintendent in a local district for the development of specific skills in planning, organizing, evaluating, and leading a district. Mentorship includes seminars with the district mentor and University faculty.

One of Simon Blackburn’s (1999) three arguments for why philosophy is important is that the act of reflection or its absence impacts human action. This certainly applies to a wide variety of vocational spaces within the field of education. This course pursues the reflection – practice connection through a study of classical (e.g., Plato, Aristotle, Locke, Rousseau, Dewey) and contemporary (e.g., Nel Noddings, Maxine Greene, Jane Roland Martin, Richard Rorty) readings in philosophy of education.

This course will establish a critical theoretical orientation to leadership and develop an understanding of the politicized nature of leadership. An activist stance toward leadership will be examined by exploring human rights as a way of life and how leaders come to demonstrate their social, moral, and political agency as they resist the status quo and promote equity and social justice.

The aim of this course is to familiarize students with the major theoretical traditions in social science and to develop an appreciation of the diverse forms of knowledge included within social science. The course will introduce students to the major epistemological stances and theoretical perspectives that shape current social research as well as the philosophical origins of these schools of inquiry.

Following Bernard Williams’ (1985) distinction between ethics and morality in Ethics and the Limits of Philosophy, this course examines the social aspects of leadership in moral terms using major writers in the tradition of political philosophy. Students will examine the philosophical texts that argue for and question social justice as an orientation in education leadership. This course aims to ground a critical approach to educational leadership in philosophical texts.

Building on, yet going beyond typical discourses in diversity and education, this course examines a variety of theoretical schools of thought for the purpose of deepening understandings of cultural difference. These understandings will then be applied to the educative process in an effort to address marginalization and oppression.

This course is designed to assist students in formulating, reformulating, and pursuing their own theoretically informed research. Students will explore relevant bodies of literature that will inform their research, begin to navigate the process of crafting their inquiry, and clearly articulate ways in which their proposed research will serve social justice.

This course explores the research base on learning and learners. This course will emphasize how successful school reform must not only uphold standards and expectations, but must also apply what we know about learning to make our schools more personalized and effective for all learners.

This course is built on the belief that both pedagogy and assessment should be used as tools of liberation. Following Peter McLaren, Joe Kincheloe, and Paulo Freire (among others), it uncovers ways in which both pedagogy and assessment are complicit in the oppression of some groups and individuals and then examines approaches for teaching and learning that enables students to both navigate and challenge social realities.

This course is designed to build a theoretical underpinning for critical qualitative research, which will include examining what is meant by critical epistemology. As this theoretical base is built, students will also begin to examine and put into practice the tasks of critical qualitative research.

This course examines social and philosophical foundations of curriculum. It takes the position that curriculum as what students learn, and the decisions made to determine it, are never neutral, and thus must be considered from the values and beliefs that make curricular programs rational. This course assumes a strong knowledge of the historical aspects of curriculum but seeks to understand the function of curriculum theoretically.

In this course, students will deepen their understanding of current school laws and legal issues. Critical legal theory will also be explored which asserts the law is a collection of beliefs and prejudices that legitimize the injustices of society.

This course attempts to critically examine globalization and its confluence with education from a Lasallian perspective. It considers the connection between globalization and education at a general level to begin with, then move to particular considerations within this confluence including popular culture, technology, postcolonialism, language, and "marketization" (Apple, 2005).

This course is fundamentally a search for, and claim about, quality and can not be a value-neutral process. This course will approach program evaluation as a tool for social change where the values of social justice, equity, and emancipation are promoted. Students will study democratic, participatory, and critical theories of evaluation and explore the ethical dimensions of this work.

For more than three decades, the field of educational leadership has focused a great deal of attention on the problem of educational change, why teachers resist change, and why it is difficult to diffuse innovations and "scale up" reforms beyond pilot projects. This course will take a different approach where students will examine current educational reforms in relation to the crisis of American democracy, develop a critical perspective on educational leadership and educational transformation, and discuss what it takes to change the persistent patterns of differences in success among students grouped by race, ethnicity, culture, neighborhood, income of parents, or home language.

In this course students examine schools as institutions from an organizational perspective. It surveys the field of organizational theory that has largely developed in business in order to better understand how schools function the way they do by turning to studies in business about organizational structure and culture. Students will develop the tools to look at organizational behavior from a variety of perspectives, which will provide a basis for understanding the status quo of any organization and the dynamics for change.

This course will introduce students to philosophical foundations of social science, critical perspectives on educational leadership, and scholarly writing and research.

This course aims to make students familiar with the issues in policy studies and the literature that has developed to address those issues. In so doing, this course also aims to provide students with analytical tools for critically evaluating policy. Specifically, we will examine the ways in which schools intersect with the state and how interest groups and politics affect that intersection.

This course traces the development of schooling in the U.S. from the Common School Movement and its antecedents to the present. It focuses diachronically on the dominant discourse that has provided the structure of thought for conceiving education, as well as for historically and socially locating those at the margins of that discourse. Major movements and trends in education will therefore be considered in their social, economic, and cultural contexts as a way to understand their "history."

This course examines a variety of quantitative research designs and data collection and statistical analysis procedures appropriate to each.

This course will support students in preparing, writing, and defending their dissertation proposal.

Students will be supported by their Dissertation Director and committee during the year they are working on their dissertation. Course to be repeated for a total of six hours.

Students will be supported by their Dissertation Director and committee if their dissertation is not completed one year after the completion of their coursework.