UIS Graduate and Undergraduate Catalog
Academic Year 2004 - 2005

EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP
Master of Arts

Faculty B. Douglas Anderson, Scott Day, Daniel Matthews, Margaret Noe, William Phillips, Patricia Tucker-Ladd
Emeritus Faculty James Cherry
Adjunct Faculty Calvin Jackson, Tom Kerins, Mary Loken, Charles Matthews, Shari McCurdy, Roberta Shrake, David Turner

Contact: (217) 206-6306
edl@uis.edu, or mtl@uis.edu or www.uis.edu/educationalleadership/

The purpose of the educational leadership program is to prepare collaborative, proactive educational leaders committed to improving the quality of leadership in a variety of organizational contexts. This is achieved by assuming leadership positions or roles within educational organizations and classrooms, engaging in scholarly inquiry about school and classroom leadership, meeting state and national standards and school reform initiatives, as well as improving practices within educational arenas.

The educational leadership program is characterized by an integration of a wide variety of scholarly and clinical activities oriented toward practical application of intellectual, democratic, and ethical aspects of school and classroom leadership. These include formal courses, clinical experiences, research, and the master's closure activities. The educational leadership program serves graduate students with concentrations in 1) administrative leadership and 2) master teaching and leadership (online).

Entrance Requirements
Students must apply to UIS before it is possible to enroll in courses. To be eligible for full admission to the educational leadership program, a student must have completed a bachelor's degree with a grade-point average of 3.00 or better on a 4.00 scale. A student can be conditionally admitted if the GPA is between 2.50 and 3.00. Conditional admission means that the student must achieve a GPA of 3.00 or better in the first eight hours of course work in the EDL program. If a student achieves the required GPA within those first eight hours, he or she will be fully admitted to the program. Transfer credit is evaluated on a course-by-course basis with the faculty adviser and approval of the EDL convener.

Grading Policy
A passing grade in an EDL course is considered to be B or above. A failing grade is given for work below that level. Grades of C awarded during the effective period of this catalog will be counted, provided that an equal or greater number of A credits are earned in EDL courses. However, no more than eight hours of C grades will be accepted.

Communication and Library Skills
Oral and written communication skills are practiced and evaluated in most EDL courses. Satisfactory completion of the master's closure activities fulfills the UIS communication skills requirement. Completion of EDL 505 Introduction to Research and EDL 541 Educational Research Methods satisfies the library skills requirement.

Master's Closure
All educational leadership degree candidates are required to complete master's closure activities.

Program Requirements
The EDL master's degree requires completion of 40 semester hours. There are four core area requirements each for the administrative leadership (ADL) and master teaching and leadership (MTL) concentrations. These are:

Research
EDL 505 Introduction to Research (ADL) 4 Hrs.
EDL 541 Educational Research Methods (MTL) 4 Hrs.

Educational Leadership
EDL 509 Organizational Dynamics (ADL) 4 Hrs.
EDL 542 Teacher Leadership (MTL) 4 Hrs.

Curriculum
EDL 511 Curriculum (ADL) 4 Hrs.
EDL 543 Instructional Design (MTL) 4 Hrs.

Master's Closure
EDL 528 Master's Project Proposal (ADL) 2 Hrs.
EDL 529 Master's Project (ADL) 2 Hrs.
EDL 561 Master's Project/Portfolio Proposal (MTL) 2 Hrs.
EDL 562 Master's Project/Portfolio (MTL) 2 Hrs.

Administrative Leadership Concentration
The administrative leadership concentration (ADL) is designed to meet the professional growth and in-service needs of Illinois educators. The ADL concentration provides for a carefully planned set of experiences designed to develop the knowledge, skills, and competencies needed for elementary and secondary administrative leadership positions. Courses in the program are appropriate for classroom teachers, State Board of Education personnel, central administrative staff, and school board members. A wide selection of courses is available to meet students( needs and interests while fulfilling degree and/or certification requirements.

The curriculum provides an opportunity to obtain the M.A. in educational leadership, as well as fulfill state requirements for the type 75 general administrative (principalship) certificate. The master's degree requires the completion of 40 semester hours of course work, including 32 semester hours of ADL courses.

Entrance Requirements for the Administrative Leadership Concentration
Applicants must hold a valid state-issued teaching certificate. A photocopy of the certificate should be submitted at the time of application to the ADL concentration. All admission materials must be received before June 15 for admission to the ADL concentration for the fall semester, before November 15 for the spring semester, and before April 1 for the summer session. Late applications will be considered for the following semester.

Certification Requirements
Individuals interested in obtaining administrative positions in Illinois public schools must be properly certified. General requirements established by the State Teachers Certification Board include a master's degree, two years of documented successful full-time teaching or school service personnel experience, 32 semester hours of required graduate courses, and clinical experiences. Courses required for the general administrative certificate can be completed in the ADL concentration. Detailed information about course requirements is included in the EDL Student Handbook, available from the program office. All students desiring certification must apply for admission to the certificate program. Requirements are a valid, completed master's degree or admission to the ADL concentration. Clinical experiences are required for type 75 administrative certification.

Advising
A student enrolled in the ADL concentration is expected to see a faculty adviser during the first semester of enrollment. Assistance in selecting an adviser is available from any member of the faculty. The adviser assists the student in planning his/her program of studies and is also available to provide career counseling.

Springfield Educational Consortium
The UIS educational leadership program is a member of the Springfield Educational Consortium. Composed of the University of Illinois at Springfield, Southern Illinois University, Western Illinois University, and Illinois State University, the consortium allows the coordination of course offerings in educational leadership/administration in the Springfield area, thus broadening the range of courses available to students. Students enrolled in the UIS educational leadership program are encouraged to complete some of their course work with the consortium universities as appropriate and approved by the UIS educational leadership convener. Advanced certificate and doctoral-level courses are available as offered by participating universities.

Master Teaching and Leadership Concentration - Online
The master teaching and leadership (MTL) concentration is designed specifically for teachers who wish to assume leadership roles within and beyond the classroom but who are not interested in obtaining an administrative certificate. It is conducted entirely online and is characterized by lectures, text reading, discussions, and projects, with emphasis on reflection and writing. Courses include studies in teaching, leadership, research, technology use, and a master's closure project. Courses in MTL meet the requirement for teacher certificate renewal. Two courses facilitate master teaching certification by the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards.

Entrance Requirements for the Master Teaching and Leadership Concentration
While applicants for MTL should be active in some form of education, a teaching certificate is not required for admission. Application for admission must be made to the university along with completion of a personal data form on the MTL website, and discussion of student needs and program requirements with the coordinator or another assigned faculty adviser.

Advising
Advising for MTL is conducted by the MTL coordinator or another assigned faculty adviser. Initial advising must be completed by the end of the student's first semester. The faculty adviser assists the student in planning his/her program of studies and is also available to provide career counseling.

See http://mtl.uis.edu for further details.