Educational Leadership MA
The FDU Educational Leadership Program is proud to offer training that develops leaders who guide their schools to pursue excellence and equity as twin mutually supportive goals. We know that excellent schools must be able to reach all students with respect to race, gender, first language, and disability. We have recently undertaken a program refresh that emphasizes rigor and access for leadership candidates. Within one year, candidates are eligible for their Supervisor Certificate. Within two years, they are eligible for their Principal Certificate. We also consider cost in terms of access. This is a reduced tuition program.
- In one year, candidates earn the NJ Supervisor Certificate.
- In two years, candidates earn the NJ Principal Certificate and an MA in Educational Leadership.
A faculty advisor will work closely with candidates to monitor their program and course selections
Admissions requirements
All candidates who want to be considered for admission must meet the following criteria:
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Submit a formal FDU application to graduate admissions
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Submit a standard teaching certificate
- Submit all undergraduate and graduate transcripts from previous university coursework.
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Submit two letters of recommendation
- Arrange for an interview with an Educational Leadership advisor
Student Outcomes
The Educational Leadership Program produces leadership candidates who are:
- Qualified to serve as educational leaders;
- Competent in decision making;
- Caring educational leaders;
- Technologically proficient;
- Culturally responsive to the diverse needs of the learning community in which they work;
- Reflective of what they have learned and what they need to learn;
- Prepared to become certified as administrators.
Degree Plan
Note: EDUC6702, EDUC6703, EDUC6704, EDUC6718 are required for Supervisor’s Certification.
Fall I
- EDUC6702 Curriculum and Instruction: Theory and Practice
- EDUC6703 Supervision of Instruction & Personal education
- EDUC6717 School Law
Spring I
- EDUC6704 Curriculum Development and Program Improvement
- EDUC6706 Advanced Leadership Seminar
- EDUC6718 Curriculum- Program Evaluation & Student Assessment
Summer I
Fall II
Spring II
Summer II
- EDUC5722 Field-Based Internship III
- EDUC6722 Field-Based Internship Seminar III
- EDUC6723 Final Project/School Based Research
Our three scheduling options are meant to maximize access for busy educators who want to advance their careers.
- Online = Asynchronous online plus 4 synchronous video conferences.
- Executive = Four sessions of Thursday evening 2 hours + Saturday 6
- Summer Intensive = 9 days of 4 hours per day. Two weeks following July 4th
Supervisor Certificate
The Educational Leadership Program offers the four required courses for students to obtain the State of NJ Supervisor’s Certificate. In order to be eligible for the certificate, the student must have a Master’s Degree (in any area), three years of teaching experience and complete the four required courses.
The four required courses are:
EDUC6702 Curriculum and Instruction
EDUC6703 Supervision of Instruction
EDUC6704 Change: Curriculum Development and Program Improvement
EDUC6718 Curriculum, Program Evaluation and Student Assessment.
Students who do not yet have an MA may make take these courses in conjunction with various MA programs offered by the School of Education These four courses are also offered in the Master of Arts for Certified Teacher Program.
Highlights
Demonstrating Leadership for Excellent and Equitable Schools
Equity Audit and Briefing
Candidates examine their schools or districts to determine the school demographics, the various ways that students are labeled via MTSS, disability categories, gifted and talented, English Language Learners, etc. They then describe their organization’s strengths, challenges, and identify best practices to respond to strengths and challenges, and areas for further inquiry. The final product for this is a briefing to be provided to school-based stakeholders.
Master Schedule Development
Constructing a master schedule for one school can be challenging. This assignment extends that challenge to the real-world necessity to coordinate other schools for shared services. FDU leadership candidates are required to consult with all principals in their district at a given level—elementary, middle, or high school
to develop a master schedule that will meet their school’s needs and also effectively and efficiently share services with sister schools.
HIB Audit and Briefing
Similar to the Equity Audit and Briefing, candidates investigate their school or district’s HIB policies and practices. They identify strengths, challenges, fitting best practices appropriate to those strengths and challenges, and priorities for further inquiry. Again, they may present a mock briefing in class or receive extra credit for presenting in-district with FDU faculty present.
Evaluation Instrument Briefing
Candidates examine their district’s teacher evaluation framework for strengths and challenges. They compare that rubric to four models—Danielson, Marzano, Stronge, McRel—likewise identifying strengths and challenges with each. Referring to the district’s needs, they recommend whether to keep the existing framework, tweak it, or change to one of the others for the future.
Rigor in the 300 hour Internship
- Develop strong relationships with mentors,
- See medium- and long-term projects to completion, and
- Experience a breadth of leadership opportunities in their schools and districts
Course Descriptions
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EDUC5720 is a Field-Based Internship and a companion course to EDUC 6720: Field-Based Internship Seminar I. The Field-Based Internship provides individual candidates with the opportunity to apply, over the course of a complete year and under the guidance of a certified school administrator, the theoretical knowledge and skills acquired during graduate study to an educational/institutional setting. This approach relies on a strong conceptual base of knowledge and understanding of professional practices. The shared resources of the field settings will enable students to participate in a closely supervised experience involving the intern, cooperating administrator, and course professor.
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EDUC5721 is the Field-Based Internship and a companion course to EDUC 6722: Field-Based Internship Seminar III.The seminar provides further opportunity for reflection and extension on praxis-theory and action. Collectively, interns examine their experiences, comparing and contrasting, challenging and supporting one another to grow. In effect, the seminar pre-figures a leadership professional learning community, in which we move from being leadership classmates to being leadership colleagues. Additionally, the seminar provides support for short- and long-term projects, such as audits and action research, which are described in more depth below.
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EDUC5722 EDUC 5722 is the Field-Based Internship and a companion course to EDUC 6722: Field-Based Internship Seminar III.The seminar provides further opportunity for reflection and extension on praxis-theory and action. Collectively, interns examine their experiences, comparing and contrasting, challenging and supporting one another to grow. In effect, the seminar pre-figures a leadership professional learning community, in which we move from being leadership classmates to being leadership colleagues. Additionally, the seminar provides support for short- and long-term projects, such as audits and action research, which are described in more depth below.
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EDUC6701 Students will study the theoretical and conceptual basis of organizational leadership, with emphasis placed on contemporary theories and applications for successful leaders. Students will examine the roles of school leaders and what they must think about and be able to do to be effective under conditions of change. Emphasis will be placed on self-reflection and analysis of personal strengths and weaknesses as a future school leader.
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EDUC6702 Students will study and analyze the historic and philosophic roots of contemporary curriculum theory and development. New Jersey Core Curriculum Content Standards and alignment will be addressed in this course, and the implication on New Jersey Administrative Code requirements on program, assessment and graduation requirements.
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EDUC6703 Students will study and analyze the various models of supervision and evaluation with a special emphasis on the development of the skills necessary to promote effective instruction of the New Jersey Core Curriculum Content Standards in the classroom. Formative and summative staff evaluation strategies as well as effective coaching and mentoring techniques necessary for success in a diverse school community will be investigated. The implication of the New Jersey Administration Code requirements on professional behavior, SLO'S, SGP'S PARCC testing, and schoolwide improvement of program and state assessment of pupil performance will be reviewed.
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EDUC6704 Students will examine current research on educational change and collaborative strategies for increasing communication and engaging stakeholders in the change process. A primary focus of the course is to provide students with the skills needed in assessing the school culture, developing a vision and plan for school improvement. The course will focus on several change models and strategies, strategic planning, and the communication of the change process within the learning community.
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EDUC6706 The seminar is designed as a problem-based course that focuses oncurrent educational problems that incorporatethe behaviors informed by the InterstateSchool Leadership Licensure Consortium (ISLLC) Standards and New Jersey Professional Standards for School Leaders (NJPSSL). The course is based on the premise that definitive action is critical to the success of school leaders as they function in a setting inherently filled with complex challenges. Students will develop skills related to building leadership capacity in themselves and others by working in professional work groups focused on finding solutions to educational problems that have no defined solution set. Prerequisites: EDUC 6701 Leadership in Learning Community & School, EDUC 6702 Curriculum and Instruction: Theory and Practice, EDUC 6703 Supervision of Instruction: Personnel and Evaluation and EDUC 6704 Change: Curriculum Development and Program Improvement or permission of department faculty.
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EDUC6716 This course will focus on the principal as an instructional leader and manager of the educational enterprise. The course curriculum is structured to assist future school leaders in acquiring the knowledge and skills necessary to ensure that the management of the school educational program, facility, and its resources produce a safe, efficient, and effective learning environment for the success of all students. This course includes the important areas of school finance, the organization of the school day, and school plant management. The concepts learned during this course will be applied during the concurrent full year Field-based Internship.
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EDUC6717 This course is structured to assist future school leaders in acquiring the knowledge and skills necessary to ensure that the school educational program, facility, and its resources produce a safe, efficient and effective learning environment for the success of all students. The course focuses on law related to education, legislation, and court decisions that may impact the rights and responsibilities of administrators, teachers, students, and parents. Specific attention is given to New Jersey statutes, administrative code, and administrative decisions affecting the school community.
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EDUC6718 This course focuses on basic measurement concepts, the role of measurement in education, construction of teacher-made tests and other classroom assessments, interpretation of standardized tests and fundamental descriptive statistics for evaluating student performance, school improvement efforts, and various designs for process and outcome evaluation of curricula. In addition, the course will provide a comprehensive understanding of the purposes and the logic of various testing programs, including classroom testing,state and national testing programs. Data analysis of New Jersey Statewide Tests that measure student performance will be used to assist in developing skills in data-based decision making that lead to the construction of school improvement plans and determining school goals for professional development and instructional emphasis.
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EDUC6720 This first phase of a school-based internship is part of a 9-credit course sequence focusing on school leadership and management activities with an experienced practitioner in school leadership. The participants in the internship program enroll in three consecutive semesters (Summer, Fall, and Spring)during the second year of the MA in Educational Leadership Program to complete 120 hours of field experience with an assigned mentor and advisor.
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EDUC6721 This second course in a sequence of three courses dedicated to the field-based internship is part of a 9-credit course sequence focusing on school leadership and management activities wih an experienced practitioner in school leadership. The participants in the internship program enroll in three consecutive semesters (Summer, Fall, and Spring)during the 2nd year of the MA in Educational Leadership Program. Students will have the opportunity to apply their learning in an authentic school setting while working with a current school administrator who also serves as a mentor for the Educational Leadership Program.
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EDUC6722 This third course in a sequence of three courses dedicated to the field-based internship is part of a 9-credit internship focusing on school leadership and management activities with an experienced practitioner in school leadership. The participants in the internship program enroll in three consecutive semesters (Summer, Fall, and Spring) during the second year of the MA in Educational Leadership Program. Students will have an opportunity to apply their learning in an authentic school setting while working with a current school administrator who also serves as a mentor for the Educational Leadership Program. Prerequisites: EDUC6720 Educational Leadership Field-based Internship I and EDUC6721 Educational Leadership Field-based Internship II
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EDUC6723 This course emphasizes the supervisor's and principal's roles in conducting school-based research as a means of school improvement and professional development. Research-based strategies will be used to develop an instructional plan focused on school improvement and student achievement.