EDL - Educational Leadership

Educational Leadership provides an examination of the foundational theoretical principles of leadership and the knowledge, proficiencies, and dispositions required for effective leadership in P-12 settings. Problem-solving and decision-making models are explored as tools to maximize educational benefit to stakeholders. Discussions will include teacher and principal roles in leadership, foundational leadership and organization theory, leading change, building a culture conducive to a learning community, site-based management, supervision, evaluation, effective policy decisions, and implementation of school improvement reforms.

This three hour course is designed to prepare aspiring district level administrators with the fundamental knowledge of curriculum development, curriculum alignment, pedagogical synergy, and research-based instructional methodologies. In order for the candidates to be able to lead curricular change at the corporation level, the following topics will be addressed: models of curriculum development and alignment and curricular integration through various research-based instructional methods.

This course reflects upon the needs of the district administrator to broaden their scope to be culturally responsive in all diverse settings. Although the urban setting will be a main focus, the course will cover the areas of diversity in both the urban and rural settings. The prospective leader will be exposed to, and apply, practical and effective theory in the myriad of areas needed to assure they are prepared for a diverse and culturally responsive district leadership position.

The District Personnel Management and Supervision course is a 3 hour blended course. This course explores the various functions considered vital to the efficient use of the school district?s most valuable asset, its human resources. This course covers the area of staffing, employee professional development and training, creation of a favorable work environment, federal and state regulations, and the operation of management-labor relations. Activities and assignments will provide hands-on exploration of all aspects of human resource management in creating win-win results through creative problem-solving processes.

The Principalship: Building Relationships in a Culture of Achievement is designed to launch the candidate into a meaningful and productive internship. In depth analysis and discussion of best practices for a successful building leader will drive this course, with an unwavering focus on empowering teachers and other staff to improve student achievement. Involvement of parents and the total community to establish and sustain a vision of high achievement and preparation for the challenges of life after high school will also be emphasized.

Experiential practice in the specialized duties and responsibilities of the school principal will be the focus of the internship associated with this course. The internship provides significant opportunities for candidates to synthesize and apply the knowledge - and practice and develop building leadership skills through authentic experiences that are field-based, standards-based, sustained, and guided by qualified on-site mentors (chosen by the candidate). All experiences will be examined within the context of increasing student achievement.

This course provides the candidate a ten-week opportunity to complete and present the Applied Principal's Portfolio begun in EDL-612 and EDL-625. This course must be taken immediately following the completion of EDL-625 if the candidate chooses to continue to pursue licensure. Candidates who do not complete the portfolio process in EDL-625 and who do not register and complete this course will not be eligible for licensure. The candidate continues school-based activities that demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and proficiencies identified in the IPSB/ISLLC/ELCC Standards, builds appropriate portfolio exhibits under the direction of the University Supervisor, and formally presents the portfolio in a professional setting. This course may be repeated once for a maximum of two ten-week continuations. Graded on a CR/NC basis. Prerequisite: EDL-625.

The District Facilities Management/Leadership course is a 3 hour blended course. All processes and procedures of administrative responsibility including facility needs and assessments processes, actual renovation process, new construction of facilities, facility staffing, facility occupation, ongoing maintenance and improvement of existing facilities, safety procedures and planning will be a major focus of the course.

School building leaders need viable organizational, operational, and resource management skills to create safe and productive environments for students and staff, support school improvement, and achieve desired educational outcomes. Collection, analysis, and dissemination of data should be used to drive the school's vision for improvement. The building budget must be planned, monitored, and implemented to foster excellence, equity, and balance. The skills and attitudes needed by building leaders to address these vital areas are the focus of Organizational, Operational, and Resource Management.

This course is designed to prepare principals for the complex area of school finance. The course will focus on the knowledge base necessary for both school building and district business administration including budgeting and accounting. The principal is faced with wearing many hats. These hats range from curriculum and instruction to financial responsibility with many hats in between. The principal will promote the success of all students, staff, parents, and community by having a working knowledge of school finance.

School building leaders must model the highest levels of professional, ethical, and personal behavior that set the tone for all student and adult relationships in the school. Understanding federal and state laws, rules, and regulations and framing all decisions and actions within those legal parameters are also essential to providing appropriate building leadership. District and school policy manuals and handbooks, contracts, and special education laws and procedures will be examined through the lens of professional, ethical, and legally sound leadership.

The Advanced School Finance Course is designed to prepare aspiring district level administrators with integral knowledge and enhanced skills for district and building level budgets and accounting practices to enhance governance, promote servant leadership, collaborate with local involvement, incorporate efficient and effective use of monies, as well as to exhibit ethical and moral behavior and decision-making.

The professional growth and development of the aspiring K-12 building level administrator will culminate in the presentation and explanation of the Applied Principal's Portfolio. The candidate will demonstrate competency in all standards of the Indiana Department of Education Building Level Leadership Standards, Interstate School Leaders Licensure Consortium (ISLLC) Leadership Standards, and the Educational Leadership Constituent Council (ELCC) Building Administrator Standards. This course will also include final field experiences in the Mentor-Intern component of the PLP.

This course examines basic skills necessary to develop effective referendum plans, strategies for building successful partnerships for passage of community referendums and knowledge of legal requirements of General Fund and Facilities referendums in the State of Indiana. Internet research, website utilization for teams, and community engagement are a major focus of this course. One of the concurrent themes running throughout the course is that schools/government organizations belong to the community and therefore decisions must be made with a political awareness of the community culture.

Instructional Leadership Through Effective Management of Human Capital examines the roles of the K-12 building administrative leader in establishing and maintaining a culture of maximum student achievement by skillful recruitment/recommendation for hiring, supervision, evaluation, and support of building staff. Best practices in building leadership and practical application of leadership theories, visionary planning, and collaborative commitment to school improvement will be examined. Strategies for successful conflict resolution and managing change within the context of continual improvement will be explored.

District Level Internship (3 Hours Blended). The internship is aligned with the first semester of a school year. This course involves a supervised experiential practice in a school setting along with course work and a portfolio to maximize an intern's knowledge, performance, and dispositions aligned with the ISLLC/IDOE Standards. Instructional leadership, staff and program evaluation, public relations, curriculum and staff development will be major areas of proficiency development during the Practicum.

District Level Practicum (3 Hours Blended). The practicum is aligned with the second semester of the school year. The professional growth and development of the aspiring district level administrator will culminate in the presentation of the portfolio based on ISLLC/IDOE Standards for district level school leader's criteria. Instructional leadership, staff and program evaluation, public relations, curriculum and staff development will be major areas of proficiency development during the Practicum.

This course will build on the completed portfolio to produce a professional written thesis organized as a scientific analysis of theory and practice for continuous school improvement reflecting comprehensive P-12 experiential learning, proficiency development, and leadership influence aligned with the eight conceptual framework domains of the ISLLC Standards. A comprehensive paper applying all of the ISLLC criteria in a research based thesis will be orally defended as the ?showcase product? of their servant leader practices. The thesis will focus on a research based instructional and assessment continuous school improvement project.

This course explores the impact of the school leader's character and competence on the organization. Students will be challenged to strengthen their level of moral leadership as they confront ethical and legal issues. Strategies for personal and spiritual development will be considered.

This course explores the theoretical foundations related to organizational theory and adult learning and its impact on the organization and the school's leader. Students will build a collaborative learning community that engages school leaders in knowledge management and continuous improvement strategies aimed at transforming people, units, and the organization.

This course explores the school leader's relationship to the change process and practices of international and intercultural leadership in organizations and the individuals that make up these organizations. Students will examine the change processes, innovation, entrepreneurship, barriers to change, and successful structures and strategies aimed at improving the total organization, groups, and individual. Special emphasis will be placed on understanding multicultural globalization and its impact on how leadership is exercised in today's world.

The Indiana Wesleyan University Educational Leadership (EDL) Orientation course is designed to provide students with the opportunity to get to know the members of their cohort, to gain understanding of the university structures and policies as they relate to the program, to become acquainted with Indiana Wesleyan University's learning management system, Blackboard, and to gain an understanding of the policies and procedures of both the IWU School of Educational Leadership and the Principal Leadership or Education Specialist program.