Educational Leadership

EdS Educational Leadership (EL) and Instructional Practice (IP) candidates will complete the electronic portfolio including their final philosophy of education, specific assignments from coursework and other artifacts as required by the Tennessee Instructional Leadership Standards (TILS) and the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE). Pass/Fail grade

This course focuses on developing a culture and climate of school improvement. Emphasis will be placed on setting a strategic direction for school improvement, organizational alignment, data collection, and analysis. Ed.S. core requirement.

This course is the companion practicum for IL 611, Assessment for School Improvement, which provides field experience in educational settings with an emphasis on promoting the success of all students by establishing a positive school culture, providing an effective instructional program, applying research-based best practices for student learning, utilizing assessment data, and designing comprehensive professional growth for staff. Experience collecting, analyzing, and utilizing data to inform practice, instruction, and assessment is stressed. 

This course provides Educational Specialist candidates a foundation in the federal legal and ethical issues in education. A survey of case laws dealing with the rights, obligations, and responsibilities of teachers, administrators, and counselors. Topics include law of education, ethics, and legal decision making in education; children with disabilities (IDEA) and 504; the federal court system; Title IX; and law, ethics, and the educational leadership connection. 

This course provides Education Specialist candidates a foundation in the standard financial operating procedures and routines in educational settings in Tennessee. Candidates also develop an understanding of resource management. Topics include, but not limited to, evaluating staff, and liability in the local district, school, and classroom pertinent to students, faculty and staff.

This course explores researched-based strategies to increase student achievement in diverse student populations. Topics include students in poverty, diverse cultural and social groups, English language learners and special needs learners.