Instructional Leadership provides a solid foundation for Learners with the desire to improve the instructional capacity of schools and increase student achievement. Instructional leadership is a comprehensive process of all educational stakeholders, in both formal and informal leadership roles, to play a pivotal role in leading instructional improvements to enhance student learning and achievement. This CAGS is aligned to the Curriculum and Teaching specialization.

CT5001 - The Teacher as Reflective Practitioner

Reflective practice is a powerful force for educational change. Reflection is a critical process that informs decision making and involves experience, research, discussion, and implementation. Reflective practitioners are committed to continuous learning and improvement. This course will provide the Learner with an overview of the reflective thinking process and model, and will invite the Learner to reflect on past actions in the classroom in order to improve and energize professional growth, teaching methods, classroom strategies, and student learning.

CT5003 - Principles of Teaching & Learning

This course is developed for students who are classroom teachers and other educators. The course focuses on four essential questions: How do people learn and develop? How can my teaching and classroom environment support learning for understanding? How can learning theory inform my teaching practice? How can interactions among the learner, the classroom environment, and the teaching/learning process produce motivation to learn and build strong learning communities?

CT5008 - High Stakes Testing: Implications for Teaching and Learning

This course provides Learners working in educational settings opportunities to research and understand the underpinnings of the current No Child Left Behind legislation as it relates to accountability and high stakes testing. Learners will study historical precedents, local and federal accountability rules, intended and unintended consequences of high stakes testing, as well as the impact of high stakes testing on the individual student, the school, the community, and the country. Learners will be encouraged to distinguish between testing and accountability. Reflection and discussion will enhance deep understanding.

OL7005 - Ethical Leadership

Leadership is not an event, but is a process that takes time. It involves not thinking, acting, and communicating in an ethical fashion. Likewise, there is no one single absolute point of view to be uncritically adopted and unquestioningly followed. Regardless of what type of organization a person serves, frequently they find themselves having to make tough decisions that may be in conflict with their own set of values. Schools for example, are dedicated to the well being of children, yet students have virtually no voice in what happens there. For this reason, the leader's conduct must be deliberately moral and ethical. In this course, Learners gain a deep understanding of the complexity of such moral dilemmas through critical analysis and application of ethical principles. Both hypothetical and real ethical scenarios and decisions will be critically considered and discussed with the focus on the Learner building practical decision making skills in the organizational environment and the understanding the criteria by which the soundness of those decisions are to be judged. Interpersonal dynamics operating within an organizational structure and the systemic nature of such structures is examined. Students examine their own ethical profile, and how it impacts their communication with individuals and groups. This includes oral, print and electronic communications.

ED5016 - Instructional Supervision and Leadership

The purpose of this course is to examine the theoretical framework and practical applications of instructional leadership within the economic, social, political, and educational context of schooling. This course proposes a concept of supervision and leadership designed to help educational leaders build a repertoire of approaches and strategies that will enhance professional growth while showing the importance of sensitivity to individual needs. Emphasis is placed upon the learner gaining a clear understanding of the interrelatedness among supervision and leadership, instruction, and assessment.

ED5036 - Innovation and Change

To be an effective leader demands an understanding of the basic principles and practices underlying innovation and change processes in organizations. Learners will explore various change theories, and best practices for successful implementation in the workplace. Issues of visioning, coalition building, creating and promoting change agenda, and building capacity for change are examined by the Learners. Opportunity to investigate one’s personal reaction and response to change is highlighted.