Instructional Leadership Concentration

Through an examination of constructs such as race, ethnicity, social class, gender, sexual orientation, and religious affiliation, students will develop a theoretical understanding of the connections between identity, difference, power, and privilege and the role(s) schools (could/should) play in perpetuating or ending discriminatory practices. Furthermore and importantly, students will develop an understanding of the ways research in both the humanities and social sciences can be used to interpret, analyze, and critique multiculturalism.

Provides an introduction to the philosophy and practice of differentiation. Examines the elements, content, process, product, affect and learning environment, by which instruction can be differentiated to address the complex challenges of meeting the diverse learning needs of all students.

A study of legal, ethical, and cultural principles as they relate to the role of the educational leader. Trends in legislation, case law, precedents and interpretations will be explored in addition to the influence legal problems have on decisions made by instructional leaders. Instructional leaders are expected to act ethically and according to professional norms, promote ethical and professional behavior among faculty and staff, and provide moral direction for the school. While candidates are in schools, children should remain at the center of educational decisions, promoting each students’ success and well-being. Instructional leader candidates will identify and plan goals to reduce bias at the intrapersonal and institutional levels, in addition to other assignments that explore school law and ethical and cultural principles.

Explores the role of instructional leaders in highly effective schools acting as change agents who make decisions based on the school’s mission, vision, and core values, as well as fosters a professional community focused on student growth. Instructional leaders are expected to develop, promote, and contribute to a collaborative culture that uses teams in professional learning communities to improve student learning, aligned with the mission, vision, values, and goals of the school. Instructional leader candidates will: develop effective training and resources for collaborative teams; monitor and improve the effectiveness of team leaders; develop a culture of high expectations for student success; create a positive school climate characterized by a safe and orderly environment conducive to learning; and develop a culture of reciprocal accountability.

An examination of practical school management focusing on the development of personnel and management of resources that promote the academic success and well-being of students. Instructional leader candidates will: develop a deep knowledge of research on teacher effectiveness and structures to support learning; apply research on teacher effectiveness to adult learning in school settings and develop strategies for improving teacher effectiveness; develop a knowledge of current national teacher evaluation models; recognize patterns of effective teaching in classroom observations; understand the major principles of school finance and budget making;understand the principles of taxation and use of community resources; and understand the role of local, state, and federal governments in school finance and allocation of resources.

Examines the cultures and practices that characterize highly effective schools, as well as instructional practices that affect student learning. Cognitive learning theory and school culture that supports student learning and achievement are explored. Instructional leader candidates will: utilize data-based decision making for school improvement; acquire the skills necessary to communicate with individuals and groups in speaking, writing, and use of media, in order to motivate to lead others, mediate conflicts, and promote the goals of the school in the community; confront and alter institutional biases of student marginalization, deficit-based schooling, and low expectations associated with race, class, culture and language, gender and sexual orientation, and disability or special status; develop student policies and address student misconduct in a positive, fair, and unbiased manner; and understand the vast differences in students’ cognitive abilities, social/cultural norms, psychological and physical capabilities and how learning can be differentiated multiple ways to meet the needs of all learners.

Examines curriculum, instruction, and data analysis as it is connected to improved student learning, emphasizing the link of student achievement data to decision-making and school improvement. Examines the importance of a guaranteed and viable curriculum and the skills educational leaders need to develop, implement, monitor, and evaluate this type of curriculum. Instructional leader candidates will: understand curriculum evaluation; utilize data-based decision making for school improvement; understand the role and appropriate advanced applications of assessments and assessment data for school improvement; identify, collect, organize, examine and analyze a variety of existing school and district data that can be used to guide educational decision-making; examine patterns in student achievement and professional practices data to identify patterns of strengths and patterns of problems; examine their districts achievement results and school site plans for improvement; develop the ability to communicate with teachers, parents, community members, and students utilizing appropriate data and representations of the data; learn how to effectively monitor and analyze data for the purpose of supporting models of continuous school improvement; develop understanding of the role of students, teachers, parents, and community members as active participants in assessment data analysis and subsequent school improvement action research cycles; and develop the skills to evaluate assessments and assessment data for (1) accuracy on clearly specified student expectations, (2) soundness of design to serve instructional purposes, (3) accuracy on intended target and purpose, (4) appropriate representative sample and scope to support sound conclusions about student learning and school improvement, (5) bias or distortion.

Instructional leaders learn to cultivate a school community that promotes academic success and well-being of all students. Instructional leader candidates will: utilize data-based decision making for school improvement; collect, analyze, and report perceptions data; acquire the skills necessary to communicate with individuals and groups in speaking, writing, and use of media, in order to motivate to lead others, mediate conflicts, and promote the goals of the school in the community; develop student policies and address student misconduct in a positive, fair, and unbiased manner; understand, value, and employ the community’s cultural, social, intellectual, and political resources to promote student learning and school improvement.

The residency is uninterrupted service in an active school with students present for the equivalent of ten full days. Candidates shall prepare and maintain a comprehensive portfolio which indicates the level of experiences and knowledge gained in instructional leadership during the intern experiences. Instructional leader candidates will: develop, advocate for, and enact a shared mission, vision, and core values of high-quality education and academic success and well-being of each student; act ethically and according to professional norms to promote each student’s academic success and well-being; strive for equity of educational opportunity and culturally responsive practices to promote each student’s academic success and well-being; develop and support intellectually rigorous and coherent systems of curriculum, instruction, and assessment to promote each student’s academic success and well-being; cultivate an inclusive, caring, and supportive school community that promotes the academic success and well-being of each student; develop the professional capacity and practice of school personnel to promote each student’s academic success and well-being; foster a professional community of teachers and other professional staff to promote each student’s academic success and well-being; engage families and the community in meaningful, reciprocal, and mutually beneficial ways to promote each student’s academic success and well-being; manage school operations and resources to promote each student’s academic success and well-being; act as agents of continuous improvement to promote each student’s academic success and well-being.