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2012-2013 Academic Catalog and Handbook

Education Specialist in Administrative Leadership

Education Specialist in Administrative Leadership

(EdS degree)

Purpose

The Education Specialist (EdS) in Administrative Leadership program is a post-master’s practitioner’s degree program, midway between the masters and the doctorate, designed for educators who desire preparation and licensure for collaborative leadership roles as administrators in schools.

Program Objectives

Educational objectives

To enable students to:

  • Understand and be able to articulate the personal relevance of the six “lenses” provided by the EDFL Conceptual Framework (Think Critically, Transform Practice, Promote Justice) and Professional Dispositions (Commitment to Courage, Integrity, and Seeking Multiple Perspectives) within a context of servant leadership
  • Demonstrate mastery of the six administrative standard areas: visionary leadership, instructional improvement, effective management, inclusive practice, ethical leadership, and socio-political context
  • Use technology to solve problems
  • Use research tools to investigate questions and apply educational research to problems of practice
  • Understand measures of student achievement and know how to gather and use evidence appropriately
Professional Objectives

To enable students to:

  • Attain Initial Administrator License and begin Continuing Administrator License coursework
  • Apply area of expertise as a servant leader in a collaborative leadership context
  • Create and sustain collaborative, collegial learning organizations
  • Enact leadership that is just, effective, and provides reasoned solutions to problems encountered in the process of meeting valued institutional and community goals
  • Integrate personal faith commitments into professional practice

Admission Requirements

Applicants seeking admission to the EdS program must show evidence of a master's degree in education or related field from a regionally accredited university with a minimum GPA of 3.0. In addition, applicants must complete the following to be considered for admission to the program:

  • Education Specialist application form and application fee
  • Personal essay as described in the application
  • Evidence of scholarly work (master's thesis, term paper, publication, etc.)*
  • One official transcript from all colleges or universities attended
  • Three professional references comprised of both a written letter and the Graduate Programs Reference Forms
  • Evidence of at least five years of full-time teaching experience. (Exceptions may be granted based upon GFU faculty recommendation.)
  • A current professional résumé
  • Verification of valid Oregon teaching or administrative license or the equivalent
  • Completed Teachers Standards and Practices Character Questionnaire
  • Signed State of Oregon Guide to the Ethical Educator
  • Oregon Administrator License District/School Partnership form
  • District Employment Verification Form
  • Applicants must be available for an interview (in person or by phone) if deemed necessary for the admission process

*Students who do not have sufficient preparation in research will take EDFL 703 Bibliographic Research and Writing (2 hours) in addition to their program requirements.

Transfer Credit

Transfer credit is not typically accepted for the Education Specialist program; however, limited exceptions may be made based upon approval.

Residence Requirements

All work leading to the Education Specialist in Administrative Leadership must be completed within five years from the time of matriculation. Extension of this limit requires approval of the Educational Foundations and Leadership (EDFL) Faculty. However, only one such extension may be considered due to special circumstances, such as ill health. Reinstatement to the program after withdrawal requires Admissions Committee action and may subject the student to additional requirements for the degree.

Course Requirements

The Education Specialist program is generally 3 years in length with 32 semester hours of course work required as a minimum for graduation. The Initial Administrator License (IAL) is typically earned at the conclusion of the second year of the program. Within the 32-hour program, 18 hours are in Administrative Leadership and 14 hours are in the EdS Integration and Application Core.

Graduation Requirements

In order to graduate with the EdS degree students must:

  • Satisfactorily complete a minimum of 32 semester hours with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or above.
  • Achieve no grade lower than a B in all core courses. If a grade of a B- or lower is received in a designated course, that course must be retaken (for more specific information, please refer to the student handbook).

Curriculum Plan

Integration and Application Core (14 hours)
EDFL 681 Foundations of Servant Leadership 2
(must be taken during the first semester in program)
EDFL 652 Leadership for Instructional Improvement: Using Research and Data 2
EDFL 657 Leadership for Organizational Change 2
EDFL 658 Leadership for Organizational Learning 2
EDFL 659 Leadership for Instructional Equity 2
EDFL 676 EdS Capstone Project I 1
EDFL 677 EdS Capstone Project II 1
EDFL 678 EdS Capstone Project III 1
EDFL 679 EdS Capstone Project IV 1
Administrative Leadership (18 hours)
EDFL 500 Instructional Supervision 3
EDFL 646 Managing Instructional Budgets 1
EDFL 648 Initial Administrator Practicum I 2
EDFL 671 Ethical Perspectives on Educational Leadership 3
EDFL 682 Legal Perspectives on Educational Policy and Finance 3
 
Students must choose six hours from the following courses:  
EDFL 650 Managing Organizational Resources 3
EDFL 654 Program Evaluation for Organizational Success 3
EDFL 661 Administration of Specialized Programs 3
EDFL Course Descriptions
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