UNIVERSITY FACULTY SENATE FORMS

GRD0289

Academic Program Approval

This form is a routing document for the approval of new and revised academic programs. Proposing department should complete this form. For more information, call the Faculty Senate Office at 831-2921.

Submitted by: ___Elizabeth Soslau_________phone number___302-831-3155__

Department: ___School of Education_________email address___esoslau@udel.edu___

Date: ___November 15, 2012_________

Action: ___________new program proposal _____________

(Example: add major/minor/concentration, delete major/minor/concentration, revise major/minor/concentration, academic unit name change, request for permanent status, policy change, etc.)

Effective term_______13F_________________________________________________________

(use format 04F, 05W)

Current degree_________new degree________________________________

(Example: BA, BACH, BACJ, HBA, EDD, MA, MBA, etc.)

Proposed change leads to the degree of: ________MEd__________________

(Example: BA, BACH, BACJ, HBA, EDD, MA, MBA, etc.)

Proposed name:______Master of Education in Teacher Leadership________________________

Proposed new name for revised or new major / minor / concentration / academic unit

(if applicable)

Revising or Deleting:

Undergraduate major / Concentration:___________N/A_____________________

(Example: Applied Music – Instrumental degree BMAS)

Undergraduate minor:_____________N/A____________________________

(Example: African Studies, Business Administration, English, Leadership, etc.)

Graduate Program Policy statement change:______See attached__________

(Must attach your Graduate Program Policy Statement)

Graduate Program of Study:__________MEd in Teacher Leadership____

(Example: Animal Science: MS Animal Science: PHD Economics: MA Economics: PHD)

Graduate minor / concentration:______N/A_________________

Note: all graduate studies proposals must include an electronic copy of the Graduate Program Policy Document, highlighting the changes made to the original policy document.

No changes made, new policy document for new program attached.

List new courses required for the new or revised curriculum. How do they support the overall program objectives of the major/minor/concentrations)?

(Be aware that approval of the curriculum is dependent upon these courses successfully passing through the Course Challenge list. If there are no new courses enter “None”)

The MEd in Teacher Leadership is a fully online 30-credit graduate program that prepares certified teachers to gain understanding of school-based teacher leadership roles and responsibilities. The program is aligned with the National Teacher Leadership Standards (NTLS) for degree granting programs, developed by the Teacher Leadership Exploratory Consortium. These standards require that teacher leadership programs cover seven major functions of leadership: (1) Fostering a Collaborative Culture to Support Educator Development and Student Learning; (2) Accessing and Using Research to Improve Practice and Student Learning; (3) Promoting Professional Learning for Continuous Improvement; (4) Facilitating Improvements in Instruction and Student Learning; (5) Promoting the Use of Assessments and Data for School and District Improvement; (6) Improving Outreach and Collaboration with Families and Community; and (7) Advocating for Student Learning and the Profession. The National Teacher Leadership Standards follow a format similar to that of the Interstate School Leaders Licensure Consortium (ISLLC) State Standards for School Leaders; that is, they include a series of broadly stated expectations or “domains” that define critical dimensions of teacher leadership. Under each domain, there are “functions” that more specifically define the range of actions or expectations for teacher leaders related to that domain. The National Teacher Leadership Standards have been “mapped” or cross-referenced to the ISLLC standards in this booklet. In addition, the Teacher Leadership Standards will also be “mapped” to the revised Interstate Teacher Assessment and Standards Consortium (InTASC) standards, originally released in 1992 to reflect model standards for licensing new teachers. The InTASC standards are currently being updated to reflect professional practice standards for all the developmental stages of a teacher’s career. Two of the ten courses in the curriculum also address the ideas in the Common Core State Standards that many states are adopting because school-based teacher leaders in these states will be responsible for understanding the Common Core.

Based on the National Teacher Leadership Standards, the objectives of the program are aimed at developing teachers who are able to:

coach and mentor others
leverage technology to foster collaboration
systematically look at classroom-based and school-based data to identify pupils’ needs and collaboratively select intervention methods
apply understanding about diverse schools when developing culturally relevant professional development
use the knowledge, skills, and dispositions of a teacher leader to enable them to lead from the classroom

The Master of Education requires 30 credits of graduate-level coursework. The required coursework includes the following seven, 3-credit courses:

1. EDUC 622 - The Role of Literacy Across the Content Areas (existing course)

a. Explores contributions of literacy research for content learning (e.g., math, science, social studies, language arts). Underscores benefits of linking reading, writing, listening, speaking and viewing for acquisition of content area knowledge

b. This course does not directly align with the National Teacher Leader Domains, however

i. This course addresses a new nation-wide initiative related to the implementation of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS). All school-based teacher leaders will need to understand the Common Core and promote understanding and application of the Core in their schools.

2. EDUC 735 - Data Based Decision Making and Assessment (course revision)

a. Prepares aspiring PK-12 leaders to understand, manage, and use data for student assessment, instructional planning, and school improvement.

b. Alignment to National Teacher Leader Domains:

i. D1I: Accessing and Using Research to Improve Practice and Student Learning

ii. DIV: Facilitating Improvements in Instruction and Student Learning

iii. DV: Promoting the Use of Assessments and Data for School and District Improvement

3. EDUC 768 - Coaching Teachers (existing course)

a. This course will prepare students to provide formative support for teachers. It will begin with outside-the classroom coaching contexts (voluntary study groups and grade-level team meetings).

b. Alignment to National Teacher Leader Domains:

i. D1: Fostering a Collaborative Culture to Support Educator Development and Student Learning

ii. DIII: Promoting Professional Learning for Continuous Improvement

iii. DIV: Facilitating Improvements in Instruction and Student Learning

4. EDUC 772 - Understanding Teacher Leadership (new course)

a. Promotes understanding of education standards and self as a leader. Familiarizes candidates with existing literature and research base for teacher leadership.

b. Alignment to National Teacher Leader Domains:

i. D1: Fostering a Collaborative Culture to Support Educator Development and Student Learning

ii. DIII: Promoting Professional Learning for Continuous Improvement

5. EDUC 773 - Action Research (new course)

a. Explores the major tenets of action research and prepares candidates to conduct school-based and classroom-based action research and communicate findings of research to multiple stakeholders.

b. Alignment to National Teacher Leader Domains:

i. DII: Accessing and Using Research to Improve Practice and Student Learning

ii. DV: Promoting the Use of Assessments and Data for School and District Improvement

iii. DIV: Facilitating Improvements in Instruction and Student Learning

iv. DVII: Advocating for Student Learning and the Profession

6. EDUC 774 - Designing Professional Development (new course)

a. Contributes to the understanding of professional development and impact on pupil learning. Supports monitoring and assessment of professional development impact.

b. Alignment to National Teacher Leader Domains:

i. D1: Fostering a Collaborative Culture to Support Educator Development and Student Learning

ii. DIII: Promoting Professional Learning for Continuous Improvement

iii. DIV: Facilitating Improvements in Instruction and Student Learning

7. EDUC 775 - Foundational Skills in Common Core State Standards (new course)

a. Addresses the foundational skills portion of the Common Core State Standards. This essential knowledge is important for teacher leaders in elementary school curriculum design and for tiered instruction in middle school and high school.

b. This course does not directly align with the National Teacher Leader Domains, however

8. EDUC 776 - Promoting Equitable Schools (new course)

a. Explores how schooling structures, practices and policies produce or resist educational equity for diverse families, cultures and communities. Identifies challenges and opportunities at the classroom and school-wide levels to engage families and communities in efforts to provide equitable opportunities and outcomes for all students.

b. Alignment to National Teacher Leader Domains:

i. DVI: Improving Outreach and Collaboration with Families and Community

9. EDUC 777 - Fostering Technology Based Collaboration (new course)

a. Use knowledge of existing and emerging technologies to guide colleagues in helping students skillfully and appropriately navigate the universe of knowledge available on the Internet, use social media to promote collaborative learning, and connect with people and resources around the globe.

b. Alignment to National Teacher Leader Domains:

i. D1: Fostering a Collaborative Culture to Support Educator Development and Student Learning

ii. DIII: Promoting Professional Learning for Continuous Improvement

10. EDUC 839 - Topics in K-12 Policy (existing course)

a. Focuses on the structure of educational policy, governance, and law. Topics include competing values in policy development; competing educational priorities, roles, and responsibilities at different levels of government; political forces behind educational policy, and consequences of current educational law.

b. Alignment to National Teacher Leader Domains:

i. DVII: Advocating for Student Learning and the Profession

Explain, when appropriate, how this new/revised curriculum supports the 10 goals of undergraduate education: http://www.ugs.udel.edu/gened/

Not Applicable

Identify other units affected by the proposed changes:

(Attach permission from the affected units. If no other unit is affected, enter “None”)

Not Applicable

Describe the rationale for the proposed program change(s):

(Explain your reasons for creating, revising, or deleting the curriculum or program.)

The Master of Education program was first conceptualized by a group of faculty and administrators who sought to replace the Master of Instruction program with a more current and attractive master’s degree program for certified in-service teachers. Based on market research and trends demonstrating an increase in the desire and need for leadership program, the Master of Education program in Teacher Leadership program was conceived in Fall 2012.

Currently, the School of Education offers a Masters of Instruction program (MI) for practicing teachers. In recent years, the MI program has suffered a serious decline in enrollment due to the State of Delaware no longer paying for summer courses for teachers. Teachers in this program completed a portfolio similar to one that is required for National Board Certification. However, the State is no longer giving pay increases when teachers earn this certification, so the incentive to complete the MI program is further reduced. Finally, the State is now requiring that 40% of teachers’ professional development be in the area of teacher leadership, which is not addressed in the MI program. Therefore, faculty in the School of Education decided to place a moratorium on admissions to the MI program and create a new Masters of Education (MEd) in Teacher Leadership. We are creating this new degree to continue to provide teachers with an opportunity to grow professionally, offer a degree that is common in the field of education (MEd), and meet the new demand for teacher leaders and professional development in the area of teacher leadership.

The newly proposed program builds on candidates’ professional knowledge gained through a baccalaureate program in education and teaching experience. Candidates will specialize in leadership and develop new understandings of the Common Core State Standards, a nation-wide initiative in education reform.

Program Requirements:

(Show the new or revised curriculum as it should appear in the Course Catalog. If this is a revision, be sure to indicate the changes being made to the current curriculum and include a side-by-side comparison of the credit distribution before and after the proposed change.)

Program Overview

As we noted above, the proposed MEd program in Teacher Leadership is aligned with the National Teacher Leadership Standards for degree granting programs. The MEd program requires 30 credits of graduate-level coursework, which is comprised of 10, 3-credit courses

Course Requirements

The required coursework includes the following 10 courses:

1. EDUC 622 - The Role of Literacy Across the Content Areas

2. EDUC 735 - Data Based Decision Making and Assessment

3. EDUC 768 - Coaching Teachers

4. EDUC 772 - Understanding Teacher Leadership

5. EDUC 773 - Action Research

6. EDUC 774 - Designing Professional Development

7. EDUC 775 - Foundational Skills in Common Core State Standards

8. EDUC 776 - Promoting Equitable Schools

9. EDUC 777 - Fostering Technology Based Collaboration

10. EDUC 839 - Topics in K-12 Policy

In addition to University Admission Requirements, Specific Requirements for Admission into the Master of Education in Teacher Leadership

Admission decisions are made by the full-time faculty in the School of Education.

Students will be admitted to the program based upon enrollment availability and their ability to meet the following minimum entrance requirements.

A. Baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university.

B. On a 4.0 scale, a GPA of 2.75 or higher for undergraduate work

C. A copy of the applicant’s teaching license

D. Applicants must submit at least three letters of recommendation from professionals that can attest to the their teaching, leadership, and academic potential. These letters are submitted via the online recommendation process described at http://www.udel.edu/gradoffice/apply/recommendation.html.

E. A written statement of goals and objectives that should (a) clearly describe why the applicant wishes to pursue an MEd in Teacher Leadership and (b) indicate and explain any current or future opportunities to engage in a school leadership role.

F. Writing sample responding to the following prompt: The M.Ed. in Teacher Leadership at the University of Delaware is offered online. In a 500 word essay, describe your technology skills and experiences with technology.

ROUTING AND AUTHORIZATION: (Please do not remove supporting documentation.)

Department Chairperson Date

Dean of College Date

Chairperson, College Curriculum Committee___________________________________Date_____________________

Chairperson, Senate Com. on UG or GR Studies Date

Chairperson, Senate Coordinating Com. Date

Secretary, Faculty Senate Date

Date of Senate Resolution Date to be Effective

Registrar Program Code Date

Vice Provost for Academic Affairs & International Programs Date

Provost Date

Board of Trustee Notification Date

Revised 02/09/2009 /khs