Education Specialist Degree Program Outcomes

Students will demonstrate leadership in the five major themes of the education specialist degree program of leadership development:

1.  Strategic Leadership 

The leader has a clear and working philosophy of education and leadership that reflects the many dimensions in which both education and leadership are connected.

• Demonstrates the ability to build visions by engaging the school-community in defining vision, mission and core values for the system and critical priorities for the schools, programs and district.
• Demonstrates the ability to align programs and practices to the district/school/program missions, vision, values and priority goals.
• Demonstrates the ability to act ethically, making decisions based on data and engagement of stakeholders
• Continuously works to evaluate programs and practices on their contribution to the mission, vision, values and priorities of the programs, schools and district.

1.1   Articulates and consistently demonstrates a philosophy of education that considers sociological, cultural, and historical foundations.

1.2   Develops vision and purpose with others.

1.3   Designs/adapts and utilizes leadership processes to achieve common goals.

1.4   Values ethical action in the educational community.

1.5   Supports innovations, including technology, within the school community.

1.6   Engages in problem-solving techniques and decision-making skills.

1.7   Uses data to make informed decisions.

1.8   Provides ongoing assessment of resources, programs, plans, processes, and products.

1.9   Addresses competing priorities and values.

2. Curriculum Leadership

 The leader:

• Demonstrates understanding of the practices of curriculum design, instructional planning and assessment as they relate to continuous improvement of teaching and learning and how they each fit into a systems approach to teaching and learning.
• Demonstrates the capacity to develop professional learning communities within the schools and district and the capacity to infuse data and information into the collaborative process of developing better practices in teaching and learning.
• Demonstrates how to plan for curriculum, instruction and assessment that honors diversity and cultural competence.
• Provides assessment of student learning in ways that promote student self-assessment; provide information needed by teachers to adjust instruction, and frames the information needed for public reporting of student learning.
• Provides for the continuous professional development of all instructional staff to continuously improve practice and ensure the capacity to teach all students, advancing equity in opportunities to learn and the equitable distribution of learning outcomes.

2.1   Demonstrates the ability to engage others collaboratively to create an inclusive community of learners.

2.2   Demonstrates leadership in the design and implementation of processes for the development, revision and renewal of district-wide planning for curriculum, instruction, and assessment utilizing research-based, best    practices, including the development, revision and renewal of building-level planning.

2.3   Demonstrates an understanding of the “instructional core” of schools and the impact of the core in promoting effective teaching and learning.

2.4   Honors diversity in gender, ethnicity, culture, language, socio-economic status, language and exceptionalities that impact learning through the organization, direction and facilitation of planning and implementing appropriate curriculum, instruction and assessment.

2.5   Ensures that the district has a plan and process in place to assess student learning and progress including the capacity to use data for making instructional decisions, planning and implementation of efforts at continuous improvement, and for public reporting of critical learning outcomes for all students.

2.6   Creates a system of teacher supervision and evaluation reflecting alignment of the work of teachers to the mission, vision and goals of the district and schools and to reflect the priority for improving the core work of teaching and learning.

2.7   Creates collaborative plans and strategies for evaluation, supervision and development of the building principal as “leader of learning.”

2.8   Creates collaborative plans and strategies to address the capacity building needs of a district and schools and to address the continuous professional development needs of all educators.

3.  Organizational Leadership

The leader:

• Understands the district organization as a system and demonstrates leadership at the system level that ensures, supports and plans for leadership at the school and program levels.
• Aligns the work of the organization at all levels to be supportive of the core of the organization, i.e., the classroom and school; the core “actors” of the organization, i.e., the teachers and students, and the core work of the organization, i.e., teaching and learning.
• Provides for the alignment of district resources to support the mission, vision and values of the organization, the district and school-level priorities, the core workers (teachers and students) and the work of the classrooms (teaching and learning).

3.1  Demonstrates an understanding of the importance and values of school activities and athletics and the role they play in establishing positive, collaborative and student-centered cultures in the school-community.  Demonstrates the ability to ensure that student activity programs are planned, aligned to the mission, vision and goals of the district and the schools, and that they provide opportunities for all students to participate in learning activities designed to teach participation, democratic principles, cooperation, collaboration, teamwork, respect for one another, and sportsmanship.

3.2   Provides leadership to the design, planning, implementation and evaluation of district and school level policies and practices that provide for the safety, health, and welfare of those engaged in the work of the educational community.

3.3   Demonstrates a systems perspective, viewing schools as the operational core of the system where core work of the classroom is carried out. Demonstrates understanding that schools are “open” structures interacting with external environments.

3.4   Demonstrates understanding of how to design, plan for, implement and evaluate processes at the district and school levels for the recruitment, selection, and induction of personnel with attention to equity and diversity.

3.5   Demonstrates the knowledge, skills and dispositions of developing a budget for the district that aligns to mission, vision and values of the district and allocates fiscal and other resources to district/school goals and priorities. Demonstrates the capacity to develop the budget as a policy document, addressing key purposes to be achieved identifying the critical fiscal and non-fiscal resources to be allocated. Demonstrates the capacity to create plans and processes for maximizing district investment in non-fiscal resources such as buildings and grounds, transportation systems, food service programs other non-instructional programs and services effectively using such enterprise budget strategies as depreciation funds, building funds, special funds, adjunct funds and other such enterprise budgetary funding categories.  Demonstrates an understanding of the tools and processes for maximizing fiscal resources through establishing foundations, school-business partnerships and grant writing.

3.6   Demonstrates the ability to design, plan for, implement and evaluate systems of performance appraisal for all staff. Demonstrates the ability to design, plan for, implement and evaluate systems of support for all staff at the district and school levels to support the appraisal process and to build capacity within the personnel resources of the district and schools

4.  School-Community Leadership

 The leader:

• Understands the role of the district in collaborating and developing the relationships required to provide for the educational, health, social and other support services that may be needed by families, in order for the students they enroll in the schools to have maximum support for success in learning and in achieving the educational goals we hold for all students.
• Understands the role of school-community in supporting the students and families of the district and schools, and understands the strategies for identifying and accessing the resources needed by children, families, and the educational system. The leader understands and facilitates understanding within the school-community of the challenges of diversity, the need for culturally competent policies and practices and depth and breadth of the principle of equity of opportunity to learn

4.1   Demonstrates understanding of the conditions affecting learning by collaborating and developing relationships with community agencies to integrate educational supports including health, mental health, social and other support services for families.

4.2   Demonstrates leadership for the district, schools and school-community in promoting multicultural competences, gender equity and sensitivity, socio-economic, racial, and ethnic understanding.  Demonstrates leadership to ensure policies and practices, and is competent to meet the challenges of diversity in providing all students equitable opportunities to learn and ensure the equitable distribution of learning outcomes.

4.3   Demonstrates leadership role in forming collaborative relationships and building of support for district/school personnel.

4.4   Demonstrates leadership in the development, implementation, and evaluation of communication plans that are designed to enhance two-way communication and to be competent in addressing diversity needs and challenges, including language.

4.5   Demonstrates leadership that models sensitivity, respect, and empathy for multiple perspectives.

5.  Policy and Political Leadership

 The leader:

• Understands the intricate relationship of policy at all levels – local, state and federal. 
• Uses the principle of “right” practice supported by evidence/research to determine advocacy for various policy strategies and positions.
• Engages in the state and federal policy formulation appropriate to the role and needs of the district of their employment.
• Develops connections and collaborations with key policy and political leadership within the school-community and with those policy leaders that impact the work of the district from the state and federal levels.
• Works collaboratively with the policy and program level representatives from the regional, state and federal agencies.
• Understands the critical difference between advocacy for a cause or on behalf of groups such as students, and lobbying for a specific position or for the specific benefit/welfare of a secondary group. 
• Understands and can apply the principles and prescriptions of law to provide equity of opportunity, to promote the democratic principles of public education, to promote and protect the health, safety and security of the school-community and protect the individual and collective rights of all members of the school-community.

5.1   Leads the district and school personnel in policies and practices that reflect consistency with legal provisions and statutory requirements.

5.2   Leads the decision making of the district and schools based on the moral and ethical implications of policy options and political strategies.

5.3   Leads the district and the schools personnel in applying the legal guidelines and prescriptions of law – state and federal and statutory and case law.

5.4   Leads the development of positive, collaborative working relationships with the Board of Education.

5.5   Provides leadership to the Board in the selection and participation in activities designed to develop board member knowledge and skills of policy leadership.

5.6   Provides leadership to the policy level engagement of the Board in the development of policy at the local level and in the influence of policy at the state and federal levels.