Degrees for Education

Each Experienced Educator cohort is a group of 12-18 educators who gather at a local cluster site. Classes meet once a month on Friday night and Saturday day. Experienced Educator students also attend a week of summer courses and optional elective courses on the Keene, NH campus. The following courses are offered only in Keene,NH*” at the bottom of the page and place an asterik next to courses only offered in Keene.

Course Sequence Credits
Fall
Learning Theory 3
Practicum 2
Electives 0-2

Spring
Action Research and Educational Change 2
Contemporary Social & Political Issues in Education 2
Practicum 2
Electives 0-2

Summer
Curriculum Theory & Applications 2
Teacher Leadership 1
Electives 0-2

Fall
Philosophical Perspectives 3
Data Collection & Analysis 1
Electives 0-2

Spring
School Change 2
Data-driven Decision Making 1
Electives 1-2

Summer
Master’s Project 3
Electives 0-2

Electives
Fall and Spring elective courses are offered on alternate weekends.
Summer elective courses are offered Monday through Friday during the weeks following the summer core courses. All electives are offered at the Keene, NH campus. Supervised Independent Study (SIS) and Advanced Standing for Prior Learning may also be used for elective credit.

Thank you for your interest in the Curriculum and Teacher Leadership Program at Miami University. As you may know, the Department of Educational Leadership has a long and proud tradition of serving educators throughout Southwestern Ohio and beyond. The School of Education and Allied Professions has a reputation for providing high quality educational programs and the new Curriculum and Teacher Leadership program has been designed to carry on that tradition. We welcome your inquiry and hope that you will further your career with us. The Master of Education in Curriculum and Teacher Leadership is intended for those students seeking a broad knowledge of curriculum and school improvement. There is a rolling admission for this program, so you may apply at any time. This program requires coursework and practicum experiences which total thirty semester hours.

The Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) with a specialization in teacher leadership offered by the WSU College of Education Department of Teaching and Learning features coursework that is primarily available on the Spokane campus. This statewide teacher leadership program prepares K-12 teachers and teacher leaders for intellectual and practical leadership within classrooms, schools, districts, and the larger educational policy arena.

Students begin the program with an initiation of two complementary summer courses taken on the Pullman campus in July.

Statewide education doctorate (Ed.D.)

The statewide Ed.D. with a specialization in teacher leadership is designed to prepare K-12 teachers and teacher leaders for intellectual and practical leadership within classrooms, schools, districts, and the larger educational policy arena. The program is built on an inquiry stance: Students draw from theory, research, and practical experiences to investigate local and statewide teaching and learning programs and practices. Goals for Ed.D. students include generation of applicable knowledge as well as practical recommendations and solutions for complex educational problems, including those related to equity and diversity. Coursework will center on a series of both collaborative and individual projects that build from critical examination of participants’ work and contexts. Program participants will broaden their capacity for instructional and programmatic leadership in both formal and informal roles within schools, districts, and educational communities. As part of a larger Ed.D. program, the teacher leadership specialization will also provide students with opportunities to collaborate with educational professionals in educational administration and from community colleges.
The curriculum
Research strand (15 credits, five courses)

Research in the Ed.D. program will be infused in all courses and will include a minimum of 15 credits in research methodology. Throughout the program, the emphasis is on helping working professionals to develop an inquiry stance toward the problems of and possibilities for education in their own settings, and to pursue inquiry through collaboration and leadership. The goals for the research strand include enabling students to be critical consumers of research, skilled analysts who are able to interpret, report, and make practical applications of data sets (e.g., WASL scores, AYP, etc.), and competent researchers who are prepared for their dissertation work, including understanding the principles of research design, multiple methodologies, interpretation of data and findings, and writing skills appropriate for academic work. Three of the five courses are shared across the three statewide Ed.D. specializations; two are specific to the teacher leadership specialization.
Foundations of Education (6 credits, two courses)

All students in the College of Education’s Ed.D. programs will take a course in the history of education and education reform and another focusing on diversity, race, and culture, both examining issues at all (p-20) levels of schooling.
Teacher Leadership Core (15 credits, five courses)

The Teacher Leadership Core will provide a common framework from which to examine past and current practices. All participants will begin their programs with a course on inquiry into teaching. All will additionally complete study in adult learning to contextualize research and leadership practice. Students will select at least three additional courses that provide a current understanding of content knowledge from the following disciplines: curriculum theory, language (ESL) and literacy, STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) education, special education. This knowledge will serve to both frame and support students’ inquiries in the research courses and summer session core courses as well as in the dissertation.
Electives (six credits)

Electives provide students the opportunity to “customize” their Ed.D. Students may take courses in school administration or additional discipline-specific courses from the Teacher Leadership Core. They may also opt for graded internship credits.

The courses will include a field-based, action orientation. With a focus on the diverse contexts of practicing professionals, participants will work collaboratively and individually to examine personal and institutional challenges through the lenses of current research, policy analysis, and opportunities for change. Because participants from the ELCP department’s two statewide Ed.D. specializations will share some of the same courses, the program additionally offers cross-specialization and collaboration opportunities as well as efficiencies to departmental scheduling and staffing options for courses.
The summer institutes

In summers I and II (required), participants will take two complementary, core courses. During the first summer, required for program initiation, students will take Research in Teaching (focused on participants’ own questions about the profession based on personal experience) and Action Research. These courses will be intertwined around the concept of individual and large-scale change in education. During the second summer, students will take Program Evaluation and Adult Learning & Development, which will both explore how programs and policies interact with teacher professional development as well as broader adult development issues. The third summer is optional and will provide time to complete elective courses on various campuses. During Summer IV (required), students will work on comprehensive exams and dissertation proposals/research. It is possible for students to move through the program by participating in four consecutive intensive summer experiences and four years of part-time coursework and research during the academic year. It is also possible for students to move more slowly through the program. Note that the Graduate School requires that doctoral students finish their programs within ten years.
Comprehensive exams

Participants will formally work on their comprehensive exams during Summer IV. The exam will require a final product that facilitates development of the dissertation proposal.
The dissertation

Participants will choose from several organized, statewide research projects (reflecting research needs identified by the state’s school district leaders) as topics for their dissertations or they may elect an individualized project. Possibilities could include more traditional written dissertations, to piloted curriculum products, to film. Regardless of the format selected, underlying learning outcomes of the final product will be similar and will include clear reflection of major learning themes from the Ed.D. program.

Washington State University offers an Ed.D. degree tailored to the needs of working professionals, with specializations in community college leadership, educational leadership, and teacher leadership. The four-year, part-time program combines distance learning with limited time spent on WSU campuses in Pullman, Spokane, Tri-Cities, or Vancouver. There is also an Ed.D. specialization in higher education administration, which can be earned on a full-time or part-time basis in Pullman.

Priority application deadline is January 10. Please apply to your preferred campus: Pullman, Spokane, Tri-Cities, or Vancouver.

Educ. 550 Professional and Ethical Issues in Education
Instructor: Dr. Robert Welker 4 semester credits
Time: Saturdays Feb. 7 – May 2 TBA
All grade levels

Exploring the philosophical and pragmatic issues affecting one’s own path to becoming a teacher leader with the major outcome being personal assessment and a professional development plan. This is the introductory course required for all degree seeking students. Others by permission of the instructor.

*Educ 510IN Talented but Underserved: Teaching the Gifted Learner
Instructor: Tammy Gebara 2 semester credits
Time: M/W 4 – 6 p.m. Jan. 26 – Mar. 4 Room 200 Blair Hall
All grade levels

An introductory examination of the gifted learner’s characteristics and needs, including gifted learners who underachieve.

Educ 510 Nutrition and Academic Attainment: Developing Academic Skills through the Multi-cultural Study of Good Food
Instructor: Connie Mitchell 2 semester credits
Time: M/W 4 – 6 p.m. Mar. 16 – Apr. 27 TBA
Preschool – elementary level

This course will look at nutrition and how it impacts learning in children. The study of nutrition based “Food is Elementary” curriculum will be used with the aim of exploring its adoption in our local community.

Educ 520 Teacher Leadership: Skills, Practices and Commitments of the 21st Century Schoolhouse
Instructor: Dr. Greg McFann 2 semester credits
Time: T/Th 4 – 6 p.m. Feb. 3 – Mar. 10 Room 200 Blair Hall
All grade levels

This course focuses on those skills that good leadership requires: working with colleagues reluctant to change, practicing the communication skills required for crucial conversations, building networks to improve practice, and resolving pressing ethical dilemmas.

*Educ 520IN College Bound but not College Ready: Reading and Study Strategies for the Underprepared High School Student
Instructor: Tammy Gebara 2 semester credits
Time: M/W 4 – 6 p.m. Mar. 16 – Apr. 27 Room 210 Blair Hall
Middle and High School

This course examines a variety of reading and study strategies to help assist underprepared high school students for college level reading.

Educ 520 Reading for the Love of It: What’s New in Adolescent Literature
Instructor: Deb Mallonee 2 semester credits
Time: Tuesday 4 – 6:30 p.m. Mar. 17 – May 5 Room 112 Blair Hall
Middle School

Participants in this course will read and explore a delightful range of new works in adolescent literature.

Educ 530 Moving Beyond the Heroic: Restorative Schools that Work for Students, Teachers and Community
Instructors: Dr. Lowell Monke and Dr. Robert Welker 2 semester credits
Time: T/TH 4 – 6 p.m. Feb. 25 – Mar. 30 Room 208 Blair Hall
All grade levels

A close look at working school models that promote excellence while sustaining the commitment, energy and good will of all those that make learning happen—parents, teachers, students and the community.

To Register:
Call 937-327-6417 and Kathy will assist you with registration over the phone.

Cost:
*(Course number + IN indicates a tuition reduction of $182.50 per credit hour.)

$365 per credit hour. Visa and Mastercard accepted.

Graduate courses are open to all teachers. You do not need to be a degree seeking student to register

“The significant problems we face cannot be solved at the same level of thinking we were at when we created them.” Albert Einstein

The Silver Lake College Graduate Education Programs of Administrative Leadership and Teacher Leadership offer Master of Arts in Education degrees, provide professional development for teachers and administrators and meet the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction requirements for the following Educator licenses: Teaching - #316 Reading, and School Administration - #51 K-12 Principal, #80 Director of Special Education and Pupil Services, #10 Director of Instruction, #08 School Business Administrator.

Each component of the Graduate Education competency-based programs supports and builds upon the SLC Teacher Education Program core dimensions of scholarship/leadership, commitment to others and reflective practice.

The graduate programs are based on the assumption that significant school improvement can only be accomplished if there is informed and effective leadership at all levels within the educational setting. Curriculum is designed to help classroom teachers and potential school administrators acquire the knowledge, skills and dispositions needed for effective leadership in the 21st century, specifically to:

identify and acquire skills needed to provide more responsive forms of leadership,

understand how to create organizations which are responsive to individual needs and to cultural diversity,

acquire and apply new knowledge and use appropriate technologies in the service of human beings.

This degree prepares teachers to assume teacher leadership roles within their schools, but does not lead to
certification in Educational Leadership.] The Ed.S. degree consists of 30 hours (10 classes) beyond the master’s degree.
Coursework must be completed within six years from the time of enrollment. To be admitted into the Ed.S. program, an applicant
must:
1. Possess a master’s degree from an accredited institution with a graduate GPA of at least 3.5 and possess or be eligible for
a master’s level certificate in a teaching field. An applicant who holds a master’s degree in a field other than education
may be required to meet certain master’s level degree requirements prior to enrolling in the Ed.S. program.
2. Have three years of prior teaching experience.
3. Submit satisfactory test scores that are less than six years old at the time of admission from one of the following tests:
GRE [target score: 900 verbal + quantitative] or MAT [target score: 406 or 47 (for tests taken prior to October 2004)]

This degree is designed for teachers who are certified at the master’s level and who want to develop their skills as teacher leaders within their grade levels and schools. This degree upgrades a valid teaching certificate to a T-6 level.
Criteria for admission include:
Three years of classroom experience.
Eligibility for a master’s level teaching certificate.
A GPA of at least 3.5 on previous graduate work.
A GRE target score of at least 900 (verbal plus quantitative) or a Miller’s Analogy Test target score of at least 406 (or 47 if taken prior to October 2004).

Curriculum and Instruction Option
The Curriculum and Instruction (C&I) Option in the master’s program in education promotes the development and enhancement of teacher leadership for classroom teachers. The program strives to instill an understanding of self and others in conjunction with the development of skills, knowledge, critical thinking, and compassion required for creating an equitable and engaging learning environ-ment for diverse learners. The C&I option has two programs: Professional Development and World Educational Links-Initial Certifica-tion. Students who enroll at Keene State College under the partnership program with Granite State College may enroll in the Professional Development program and complete the Demonstration of Professional Leadership component.

Curriculum and Instruction:
Professional Development
36 credits
The C&I Professional Development track is a two-year M.Ed. The C&I Professional Development program is designed for classroom teachers currently employed in an appropriate school setting. The goal is to provide a customized experience leading to the devel-opment of teacher leaders committed to school improvement. The program combines core coursework with an individually designed specialization and culminates with the design and implementation of a school-based research project that show-cases the individual student’s area of expertise and leadership capacity. Students begin the program in the summer by taking the Foundations courses and are expected to complete their program of study in two years, including summer work. Six credits are taken during each term (summer, fall, or spring).

The Professional Development sequence is designed so that a small cohort of graduate students can proceed through the program together. Each student works closely with a faculty advisor to design an area of specialization that aligns with the National Board of Professional Teachers Standards and the student’s personal goals. Through course work, seminar discussions, field work, reading, profes-sional conferences, etc., students explore teacher leadership in their area of focus. Throughout the program, students develop a portfolio to document professional learning and progress on the goals articulated in their approved program of study.

Action research is central to each student’s plan of study. It is used as a tool for deep inquiry into the dynamics of teaching and learning in the school setting. Students are required to use the findings from their research to support a leadership initiative, which may include grant writing, leading workshops, writing articles and presenting at professional conferences. At the end of the program, students are expected to design their own exit exhibition, which provides them an opportunity to share their portfolio and demonstrate competency in the areas identified in their program of study.

The C&I Professional Development program offers flexibility and individualization for highly motivated professional teachers who are looking for a leadership role in a specified area of focus of their choice. Students can expect their graduate work at KSC to be a time of reflection and renewal as they explore themselves and their relationship with colleagues, students, family, and the community. Throughout the program students are challenged to deepen their understanding of the world from multiple perspectives, explore the dynamic nature of the teaching and learning process, demonstrate professional and ethical behaviors by meeting high expectations and standards, and contribute to a just and equitable world.