Teacher Leadership, Ed.S.
Teacher Leadership, Ed.S. program focuses on developing teacher leadership throughout the school, encouraging effective teamwork and teacher mentoring, and providing a platform for teacher team involvement in furthering the school's effectiveness and enriching its culture. In high demand nationwide, Teacher Leaders mentor and coach fellow teachers, lead school improvement efforts, and collaborate across their schools to improve teaching and learning.
Program Learning Outcomes (PLOs):
PLO1. Take leadership in creating a collaborative and inclusive learning culture at the team level and beyond that supports student learning and educator development.
PLO2. Engage in systematic inquiry as an essential approach to researching, selecting, critiquing, employing, adapting, and communicating effective practices to improve teaching and learning.
PLO3. Design effective, differentiated, adult learning-informed, and technologically appropriate professional learning experiences for faculty colleagues.
PLO4. Participate as a leader in improving teaching, learning, and student experience beyond the individual classroom.
PO5. Guide data teams in school settings in analysis and action for school and district improvement.
PLO6. Collaborate with school and community stakeholders.
PLO7. Engage in advocacy action for student achievement and advancement of the profession.
PLO8. Demonstrate initiative in finding and/or creating opportunities for meaningful teacher leadership at the school and/or district level.
PLO9. Assess strengths and areas for growth as a teacher leader and seek opportunities to challenge self.
PLO10. Expand understanding and performance of relational teacher leader skills needed beyond the individual classroom, e.g., negotiating differences, building trust, and identifying and owning bias.
PLO11. Critical Reflection Striving to be critically reflective about one’s teaching and profession
PLO12. Issues Identifying social, economic, and political issues in teaching, learning, and schooling
PLO13. Action Research Engaging in action research on personally and professionally relevant topics that will contribute to teaching, learning, and schooling
PLO14. Community Helping build a community of learners that engage in meaningful conversation about critical issues of education and teaching practice
PLO15. History Reflecting critically on teaching and learning within the context of one’s own life history and teaching career
PLO16. Diversity Engaging with the complexities of diversity and multiculturalism in our culture and our classrooms
PLO17. Exploring ways to integrate technology with one’s professional life
PLO18. Change Agents Acting as change agents advocating for all learners
PLO19. Student Growth Integrating assessment into one's professional practice to impact and evidence student growth and learning
In addition to the National College of Education Graduate Admission Requirements, applicants must:
- Hold valid and current Illinois Professional Educator License (PEL) if they wish to apply for an Illinois endorsement
- Have a master’s degree from a regionally accredited institution
- Submit resume documenting two years of teaching experience and short written description of access to an appropriate educational setting for clinical experiences
- If the candidate doesn't have two years of teaching experience, he/she may participate in an interview with a Teacher Leadership faculty member to determine if the program will be a good fit with his/her experience. In this case, the two years requirement may be waived.
- Submit a professional letter of recommendation, addressing topics or questions as established and periodically revised by the faculty. The letter of recommendation must be written by an individual who knows the candidate from an academic or professional perspective and is able to comment on the candidate’s potential for succeeding in graduate studies.
Program Details:
Required Courses
Program Courses - 30 SH
| LDR 511 | Emerging as a Teacher Leader | 2 |
| LDR 513 | Collaborating with Stakeholders to Promote Change | 3 |
| LDR 521 | Guiding Data Teams in Schools | 2 |
| LDR 523 | Mentoring and Coaching Fellow Teachers | 2 |
| LDR 525 | Teacher Outreach: Families and Community | 2 |
| LDR 527 | Promoting Cultural Fluency | 3 |
| LDR 531 | Leading Teacher Development and Student Learning | 2 |
| LDR 535 | Advocating for the Teaching Profession | 2 |
| LDR 571 | Planning Teacher Leadership | 3 |
| LDR 572 | Implementing Teacher Leadership | 3 |
| LDR 573 | Evaluating Teacher Leadership | 3 |
| and | |
| EDL 546 | Perspectives and Administration of Educational Policy | 3 |
| or | |
| CCD 625 | Critical Policy Analysis | 3 |