Educational Leadership (EDL)
EDL 7010 - Inclusive Leadership and Organizational Change - 3 credits
This course serves as the introduction to the Educational Leadership Program, by combining a study of current theory and research-based best practices and supporting the development of prospective and emerging school leaders. Effective school leaders understand current educational trends, analyze district, school, and student data, and engage educational teams in professional learning to improve student achievement and ensure an equitable and inclusive culture for all stakeholders. In EDL 7010, aspiring educational leaders will examine how organizational change takes place and develop core values that guide equity-oriented mission statements and related decision making. They will begin to evaluate school and district planning documents and vision statements to assess school and students’ needs and consider how these are contributing to culturally and linguistically sustaining practices. Topics include theory and practice in organizational leadership, organizational culture, anti-racist and culturally and linguistically sustaining responsive practices, school improvement, as well as educational change.
EDL 7020 - Data Driven Inquiry to Improve Teaching and Learning - 3 credits
This course provides aspiring leaders with the knowledge necessary to promote the learning and growth of all members of the school/district community by establishing and communicating a clear vision for curriculum, instruction, and assessment that is aligned to school and district priorities and reflects high expectations for all students. In this course, administrator candidates will collect, monitor and use all forms of disaggregated data, research, and best practices to reflect on strengths and gaps in instructional systems, eliminate learning inquiries across race, gender, ethnicity, language, disability and ability, and other aspects of student identities. Aspiring leaders will develop action-oriented plans based on multiple data sources that support all students in meeting or exceeding grade-level standards and individual learning goals and improve educator effectiveness. In addition, students in the course will collaborate with school district stakeholders to develop a culture of continuous, data-focused, growth-oriented, equity centered reflection and adjustments to practice.
EDL 7030 - Creating Equitable Systems and Managing Human Resources - 3 credits
This course prepares future school administrators to collaborate with leadership and educator teams in designing and implementing equitable procedures and processes that encompass all aspects of school and district operations. In addition, the course helps administrators understand the importance of organizing the educational environments to ensure student and staff health, safety and supporting social and emotional needs and in alignment with culturally and linguistically sustaining educational practices. Administrator candidates will be guided through the Massachusetts DESE teacher evaluation process with a focus on supporting educators to set and achieve student learning goals that pay special attention to historically marginalized groups. Another critical aspect of this course is researching the many different components of human resources with a particular focus on implementing hiring processes aimed at advancing racial equity, constructively resolving conflict and building consensus on teams, and the legal implications of staff supervision, as a solid approach to school district management.
EDL 7040 - Building Effective Partnerships Through Family and Community Engagement - 3 credits
Educational institutions at all levels are integral parts of the communities they reside in and serve. In this course students will define, analyze, and promote the multiple stakeholders that comprise an educational community and describe how to establish effective partnerships. Educational leaders nee d to view all families and members of the communities as assets in building a successful school community. Students will discuss the process of building trusting relationships and how to provide multiple opportunities for families to be active partners in the district and school community, including those who may have had past negative experiences with the educational system or those whose home language is not English. This course illustrates the various types of communication necessary for engaging and collaborating with both internal and external communities through twoway, culturally and linguistically responsive communications. There is strong evidence that community and family engagement increase student achievement and students will identify ways to address family and community concerns in an equitable and effective way to reach common goals.
EDL 7050 - Education Policy, Ethics, and Finance - 3 credits
Using seminal readings, recent research, philosophical principles and case studies, this course provides the opportunity for administrator candidates to reflect on moral leadership and legal issues facing today’s school leaders. A strong educational leader must be keenly aware of the legal issues involved in their role and follow all policies and collective bargaining agreements, adhering to ethical guidelines. The rights of students, staff members, and the community at-large must be respected and upheld while advocating for changes to mandates and guidelines that may inhibit racial equity. The course offers administrator candidates the chance to reflect on the decisionmaking challenges that educational administrators face when developing budgets informed by a diverse range of stakeholders, ensuring equitable access for each and every student. By grappling with the ethical and legal dilemmas faced by educators, past and present, this course provides opportunities for students to develop the intellectual and moral foundation that ethical leaders must demonstrate in their work and their lives.
EDL 7060 - Sheltered English Immersion for Administrators - 1 credit
New and evolving State standards require that all in-service and pre-service teachers complete a 3-credit course. on working with students whose native language is not English, based on the Sheltered English Immersion model that Massachusetts has endorsed. Administrators who have not taken the teacher course are required to take a one-credit administrator course on the same topic. This one-credit course addresses the expectations for administrators in assuring that ELL students receive the support and instruction that they need and deserve. The College’s one- credit course for administrative endorsement in Sheltered English Immersion has been approved by the Massachusetts DESE.
EDL 7150 - Pre-Practicum - 1 credit
A requirement of the Massachusetts DESE, the Pre-Practicum is an opportunity for aspiring administrators to acquire an overview of the position to which they aspire. Paired with an experienced, accomplished administrator who is serving as the supervising practitioner, candidates will observe and perform tasks associated with their prospective future roles. (50 hours)
EDL 7160/7161/7162/7163 - Practicum - 6 credits
In this year-long, 6-credit, 500-hour practicum candidates will actively participate in the administrative life cycle of a full school year through ongoing involvement in leadership activities and duties that involve student and family issues, scheduling, faculty leadership, instruction and assessment. Candidates will assume principal/vice principal, supervisor/director or special education administrator duties depending on the licenses they are pursuing. Candidates will demonstrate through their practicum experiences the ability to meet all State standards. The practicum is offered in parallel with academic courses, and practicum requirements directly align with the coursework. Sections of EDL 7160/7161/7162/7163 will be taken one-and-a-half credits each term, starting the second term of the program after EDL 7150, the pre-practicum. The Director of Graduate Education Programs will assign the credits for EDL 7160/7161/7162/7163 allotted to each semester based on the timing for each cohort.
Certificate of Advanced Graduate Studies (CAGS)
EDL 7070 - Trends in 21st Century Education - 3 credits
This course explores both dramatic and incremental societal trends that have created significant need for change within the public schools. In the course, participants will identify and explore issues arising from increasing regulatory, legal and societal expectations. They will research, present and discuss current trends and questions such as: Is retention in grade effective? How much homework is enough? How can school leaders effectively and appropriately use modern communication vehicles? Is zero tolerance the best policy? How can teachers and administrators use data and technology to support learning, while simultaneously controlling its misuse, as in instances of bullying? How much testing is appropriate and what kinds of tests best support student learning? How can an appropriate and representative range of parents become involved in the school? Participants will complete the course by exploring a trend of particular interest in their home school, discussing related concerns and issues with school stakeholders, and developing a paper/presentation that outlines the issues, current practices, and considerations at the school. This paper will include recommended approaches to the issue, plus a reflection on leadership skills needed to address it.
EDL 7080 - Diversity and Balance - 3 credits
In Diversity and Balance, participants learn to identify students and families who are struggling, and to develop an organizational framework that supports students, teachers, and families. This framework must build and maintain respect between and among students, families and staff, helping all stakeholders work together to support all students and their families as the school seeks to address needs or find appropriate services. Participants in the course will explore and become familiar with the increasing state and federal regulations, expectations regarding family participation in the schools, mandated practices for teaching children whose native language is not English, and common and/or mandated approaches to student success. Finally, participants will identify a challenge or goal with regard to student special needs or backgrounds in their own schools, research and explore ways to address this goal, and determine appropriate steps that might be taken to better serve students in their schools in this area or others.
EDL 7090 - Planning for Success as a School Leader - 3 credits
In this course, participants will engage in deep analysis of educational leadership, crucial conversations, school and district budget, and visioning. They will focus on developing a more in depth visioning of leadership and how their role can be transformational in leading the improvement of a department/school to improve outcomes for all students. In doing so participants will discuss theories of leadership and motivation that they will apply to supervision of all staff. This course will continue to examine the role of crucial conversations with staff in need of improvement, supporting staff morale, and leading professional development. Participants will engage in a more focused assessment of equity and allocating fiscal resources to accomplish educational goals. This course will also address the need for educational leaders to balance legal requirements of personnel oversight with a humanistic implementation of policies and procedures. To be successful, educational leaders must be knowledgeable in content and pedagogy, and participants will learn theories and explore examples of successful approaches to building teachers’ classroom skills within diverse school settings. Finally, the course will explore the range of educational law with respect to hiring, collective bargaining, day to day supervision, and formative and summative evaluation, allowing participants an opportunity for deeper exploration on a selection of these issues.
Prerequisite: EDL 7050 Education Law, Ethics, and Policies or the equivalent
EDL 7170 - Data Analysis, Planning, and Action Research - 4 credits
In this course, CAGS candidates will build on data collection, analysis and program change efforts completed in the first phase of this program. The course provides an opportunity to use additional research, internal data analysis, and an analysis of the success of those strategies to build on previous work. Candidates will revisit the data collection, analysis and change efforts completed in the first phase of the program; will assess the status of strategies they implemented and will work with a small group of stakeholders to determine and implement next steps. They will also keep a journal of their work of at least 50 hours in the field, noting the analysis of their previous work, their efforts with their groups work. They will then formulate an action plan, carry out at least one strategy of this plan (which may be an extension of their previous work), and reflect in how they used their leadership skills in this work, how well the strategies worked, what next steps might be taken, and what, if anything, they might have done differently.
Practicing administrators who are not pursuing a CAGS will examine data sources and existing practices in their schools to determine an area of need in student achievement. They will work with a small group of stakeholders which may include teachers, administrators, parents, students, and/or community members to discuss strategies for addressing the area of need. They will formulate an action plan, implement at least one strategy, assess how the strategy worked, and reflect on what next steps might be taken, how they are used and developed their leadership skills, and what, if anything they might do differently in the future.
Prerequisite: EDL 7010 and EDL 7020, or equivalent