The Educational Leadership Program is committed to excellence in preparing educational leaders who:
- understand the role of a school leader from theoretical, research, and pedagogical bases
- place the needs of students as a first priority in the complex, fluid school setting
- are skilled in collaborative and focused interactions with other professionals
- are skilled in systematic inquiry
- use deliberate reflection in decision-making and problem-solving
Programs enable educational leaders to contribute to school effectiveness in their ethical practice and conduct by collaborating with other professionals and parents, by using community resources, and by working as advocates to improve opportunities for student learning.
The Administration track enables the school administrator to:
- Understand the importance of a clear, detailed vision and an explicitly stated philosophy in shaping a coherent curriculum and in fostering an effective school;
- Demonstrate instructional leadership which provides purpose and direction for student achievement;
- Demonstrates organizational skills to implement school plans of action efficiently and effectively;
- Make systematic use of information to access the needs and accomplishments of students, faculty, and staff.
The Education track and the ESL track enable teachers as educational leaders to:
- Understand the central concepts, tools of inquiry, and structure of the specific discipline to be taught;
- Understand how students learn and develop and plan learning opportunities to support their development through good instructional planning, creation of effective learning environments, use a variety of teaching strategies, and implementation of appropriate assessment tools;
- Create opportunities that foster achievement of diverse learners in an inclusive classroom by encouraging positive social interaction, active engagement in learning, and self-motivation.