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1 | P a g e MEMORANDUM DATE: TO: The Graduate Council FROM: Dr. Linda Thomas, Dean Dr. Denis Griffith, Chair School of Education REQUEST: The School of Education seeks the approval of the Graduate Council to eliminate the concentration in Educational Leadership and replace it with a “Master of Arts in Educational Leadership”. DIVISIONAL APPROVAL: This program was approved by the School of Education during its November 25, 2014, meeting by majority vote. PROGRAM JUSTIFICATION (RATIONALE): Currently, the School of Education (SOE) offers a Master of Arts in Education degree with concentrations in the areas of Educational Leadership, School Counseling, and Teaching. The program requires that students complete 36 credits, 15 of which are directly related to each concentration. Specifically, the concentration in Educational Leadership is pursued by candidates who aspire to become principals or assistant principals. For many years this concentration has met the requirements of the Board of Education and the Department of Education. However, this is no longer the case, thus, students graduating with this degree from the University of the Virgin Islands find it difficult to become certified in the area or to be hired by the Department of Education in leadership positions. In a meeting with the Certifying Officer of the Board of Education and the Dean of the School of Education, the board’s representative stipulated that additional courses are required to complement the degree and that a degree in Educational Leadership, and not a concentration, is required. This new mandate makes it necessary to add Board mandated courses to existing courses in the School Leadership concentration in the areas of school law, school finance, special education and technology. The School of Education has no other choice, given its legislative mandate to train teachers and other school professionals in the territory, and the Board’s mandate to upgrade its existing program, but to adjust its program in a timely manner to meet these necessary demands. Furthermore, it is incumbent upon the School of Education to ensure that its graduates are equipped to become certified and find employment in the field for which they receive training at the university. 2 | P a g e At this time, the School of Education is in a very good position to meet this mandate. The SOE has developed over the years and has offered five additional courses in educational leadership to assist graduates in their quest for certification. However, these were not a part of the program required for graduation. Thus, students could graduate with their degree in Educational leadership without taking these courses. Given that the additional required courses are already approved by the Graduate Council, and that the unit has the necessary resources for the delivery thereof, these changes can be accommodated without the need for any additional resources by the university. Adding the needed courses to the program will increase the number of credits required in the program and at the same time raise it to the level of a degree, thus making it necessary to eliminate the concentration and replace it with a degree, which will be called a Master of Arts in Educational Leadership. The SOE is requesting the change of the degree from Master of Arts in Education/Concentration in Educational Leadership to Master of Arts in Educational Leadership. The additional five courses listed below will be added to the current course listing in Educational Leadership. They are: EDU 520 Characteristics of Exceptional Students; EDU 562 Introduction to Educational Technology; EDU 567 Directed Field Experience in Administration; EDU 577 School Law; and EDU 578 School Finance and 2) PROGRAM OVERVIEW: The proposed Master of Arts in Educational Leadership will consist of 15 credits of core requirements, 30 credits in Educational Leadership, and 6 credits in a thesis or independent study option described below. These credit hours in educational leadership are consistent with the current certification requirements of the Virgin Islands Board of Education. Candidates in this program will have an option of selecting as a final project, a 3-credit Independent Study (EDU 530) or a 6-credit Thesis (EDU 600). Candidates selecting the Independent Study as a final project will be required to take a 3-credit elective taken from the Education graduate courses, and pass the comprehensive examination. The required number of credits for the degree in Educational Leadership will be 51 credits. PROGRAM DESCRIPTION: The Master of Arts in Educational Leadership is a rigorous program designed to prepare aspiring principals, assistant principals and other educational leaders, to become strong and effective leaders that are capable of facing the challenges of a changing territory, Caribbean and world. The program provides students with professional and pedagogical knowledge and skills in its core requirements and a solid content knowledge in the area educational leadership. Individual courses are aligned with the Educational Leadership Constiuent Council (ELCC) standards, thus ensuring that the program represents a synthesis of content and experiences that result in the students’ demonstration of the professional knowledge, skills, and dispositions articulated in the ELCC standards and ultimately their success, not only in managing schools, but also in improving student achievement in those schools that they will manage. 3 | P a g e COURSE DESCRIPTION: Core Requirements Credits EDU 500 Basic Research Techniques 3 EDU 501 Tests and Measurements 3 EDU 504 Educational Psychology 3 EDU 505 Anthropological and Sociological Foundations of American Education with Reference to the Virgin Islands 3 EDU 506 Foundations of Guidance 3 Subtotal 15 EDU 600 Thesis 6 or EDU 530 Independent Study - Plus one additional course 3 + 3 Subtotal 6 Total 21 No-Thesis Option Students majoring in Educational Leadership who do not write a thesis must enroll in EDU 530, Independent Study, must take one course from the graduate education courses, and pass the comprehensive examination. The guidelines and administration date for the comprehensive examination are available in the School of Education. Students who fail two retakes of the comprehensive exam will be dismissed from the program. Education Leadership Courses Credits EDU 520 Characteristics of Exceptional Children 3 EDU 547 Fundamentals of School Administration 3 EDU 548 Organization and Governance of American Education 3 EDU 549 Supervision of Instruction and Staff Development 3 EDU 550 Seminar on Issues in Educational Administration 3 EDU 551 Curriculum Development 3 EDU 562 Introduction to Educational Technology 3 4 | P a g e EDU 567 Directed Field Experience in Administration 3 EDU 577 School Law 3 EDU 578 School Finance 3 Subtotal 30 credits Total 51 credits NOTE: Courses highlighted in ‘blue’ are the additional courses that will become a part of the degree program. These courses are offered regularly and were previously approved by the Graduate Council. COURSE DESCRIPTIONS AND CREDITS: The descriptions of the additional courses as found in the Bulletin are: EDU 520. Characteristics of Exceptional Children. Designed to acquaint the student with exceptional children and youth. Areas surveyed will include students mental, physical, emotional, and learning disabilities and the gifted and talented. A review of the theoretical and research bases of special education will be included. 3 credits EDU 562. Introduction to Educational Technology. This course will cover media and technology for education and training emphasizing non-computer educational technology. Areas of study include writing for educational media, basic instructional photography, books, radio and television, audio and visual tapes, designing instructional videos, principles of graphic production, compact disks, and telecommunication. Integration of media into the classroom, production and selection of AV materials, preparation of instructional materials and presentation of a multi-media lesson will also be part of the course. 3 credits EDU 567. Directed Field Experience in Administration. Designed to give prospective educational administrators direct experience in the study of educational problems of concern to administrators; whereby the student is provided with opportunities for assuming responsibility for decision making in both actual and simulated settings. Each student works under the supervision of a practicing administrator and a professor. At least 10 hours of work in the field and attendance at the weekly seminar are required. Prerequisites: Successful completion of all other required courses in Educational Leadership. 3 credits EDU 577. School Law. This course is intended for students in educational leadership. The course is designed to develop an appreciation and understanding of legal principles, concepts, provisions, terminology and restrictions which surround and undergird the American system of public education and which affect those who work in and attend public schools. In addition, the course is intended to expose students to the laws governing public schools and to explore the issues that have impacted public education. Attention will be paid to the legal structure for education and the rights and responsibilities of parents, students, teachers and administrators. 3 credits 5 | P a g e EDU 578. School Finance. This course is a study of financing systems, schools, and the school’s financial and business management functions of school-level administrations as they relate to public education. Local, state, national funding issues, economics and politics of school finance, budget preparation, accounting, auditing, plant operation and maintenance from school level will be studied. 3 credits PROGRAM PREREQUISITES: Students who possess a BA degree from an accredited institution with a GPA of 2.50 are eligible to enroll in this program. COREQUISITE(S): NA CHANGES TO GRADUATE BULLETIN: 1. On page iv, delete Education Administration Concentration. 2. On page iv, Insert Masters of Arts in Educational Leadership before Education Specialist in School Psychology. Insert lines for Core requirements, Thesis and No Thesis Option, and Educational Leadership Courses. 3. On page xii, insert Masters of Arts in Educational Leadership after Masters of Arts in Education. 4. On Pg. 1 under the heading ‘School of Education’, for both campuses, add ‘Master of Arts in Educational Leadership after Master of Arts in Education’; 5. On page 2 under the heading ‘Education’ add ‘B. as Master of Arts in Educational Leadership’; Change B. to C. for Specialist in School Psychology. 6. On page 16, modify the Overview to include the MA in Educational Leadership and its components, including credit hours. Rework parts that make reference to 'three areas of concentration". 7. Remove all reference to Education leadership concentration. 8. On page 17, remove reference to Educational Leadership concentration. 9. On page 18, under the heading "Other Courses" delete lines with EDU 567, 577, and 578. 10. On the page 19, insert the description of the Master of Arts in Educational Leadership.