Education Specialist (EdS) in Educational Leadership
At A Glance
2-3 Years
Program length
30
Semester credit hours
100%
Online format
* Financial aid available.
Elevate Your Leadership. Transform Student Outcomes.
Are you ready to make the most of your passion for engaging minds and improving student learning? An EdS in educational leadership could be your next step.
This post-master’s practitioner degree is positioned midway between a master’s and a doctorate. Working closely with your academic advisor, you’ll develop a plan tailored to your career goals. And by the time you graduate, you’ll be fully prepared to improve systems and outcomes in your area of expertise.
Education Specialist in Educational Leadership (EdS Degree) Requirements
×Core Requirements
Choose from the following:
The 30-credit post-master’s EdS program can be completed in two to three years and offers three concentrations with multiple specializations. Students are required to complete a three-credit capstone as the culmination of their program, along with specialization-specific requirements, with the exception of the English Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) and Reading Interventionist (READ) Specialization.
Administration Concentration – Two Specializations
- Principal License (PL) – leading to being able to apply for a TSPC license for building-level leadership.
Students participate in discussions and/or activities dealing with site-based management, decision making, mentoring, management of human resources, and issues dealing with professional leadership in education. Meets and is met by EDDL 716.
This course will offer you a picture of the complexities of the principalship. Serving as the leader in a school setting is perhaps the most challenging position in any school system or structure. The immediate demands in any given day can more than fill a month of diary entries with challenges and successes. The challenge of responding to the immediate, while intentionally charting and leading teams on a course to continuous improvement for all students, fills the "To Do List' to overflowing each and every day.
This course focuses on legal issues that arise in elementary, secondary, and collegiate institutions. The course provides educators with knowledge and analytic skills needed to apply legal frameworks to educational policy including the statutes regulating financial policy. The course investigates creative ways in which law can be used to help address current problems in schools, and helps educators think through questions of ethics and policy that legal disputes raise but do not resolve.
This course examines how belief structures undergird the methods educators use to motivate people to learn. Through the light of ethical theory, students examine how organizational leaders respond to the situations they face. Students also reflect on and apply their own values and ethical understanding to shed light on case studies that represent situations they often face as educational leaders. Meets and is met by EDDL 700.
This course is designed to help educational leaders understand key ideas central to ongoing research on teaching and learning to establish educational policy and transform educational practice at their institutions. The course emphasizes ways in which cultural, social, and organizational contexts influence learning. Students will learn to use the clinical supervision model and other tools for supervising and evaluating teacher performance based on best practices. The course will examine the leader's role in establishing and maintaining an environment that is conducive to student and adult learning. Meets EDDL 720.
Practicum experiences are carried out at a building level of responsibility by working concurrently in two different authorization level sites. Principal License candidates will begin a practicum in elementary, middle level, and high schools under the direct supervision of a university supervisor and a licensed school administrator as mentor. Assignments will require candidates to learn about issues at the site, work with mentors to resolve the issues, and evaluate how they are being handled. These experiences will be supplemented by online administrative academic projects that focus on school governance and partnerships along with school management topics. The university supervisor, mentors and candidates will communicate in site meetings, virutally and online. Pass/No Pass
Practicum experiences continue at a building level of responsibility. Principal License candidates will complete a practicum in elementary, middle level, and high schools under the direct supervision of a university supervisor and a licensed school administrator. Practicum experiences are supplemented by online administrative academic projects that focus on curriculum and staff development, supervision and evaluation, and personnel hiring. The supervisors and candidates will communicate via the Internet. Pass/No Pass
This course will call on you to go beyond traditional notions of how schools and the larger communities in which they are set engage and strengthen each other. Schools are increasingly called on to do more than present students with opportunities to learn core subject areas. Indeed, they are often the hubs of any community, urban and rural and everything in between. The challenge of a broadened call upon schools to serve as a partner in the community is at times daunting, but one that can and should be viewed as an incredible opportunity to partner to do more for all, both inside and outside the walls of the school house.
This course is designed to provide students with an understanding of the importance of a framework for continuous school improvement that is aligned to the mission, goals and values of a school and district. Getting better at getting better is the underlying work of continuous improvement systems models that serve as the engine to ongoing improvement in a school. Concepts such as alignment and cohesion to mission, values, resource investment, data priorities and communications will be explored.
This course is designed to permit the student to analyze, reflect on, and communicate to university and school stakeholders the summary of individual and organizational learning outcomes as a result of participation in the degree program. Students will utilize their practicum experience, their portfolio of evidence, and key learning experiences from coursework to design and present their findings, conclusions and recommendations on leadership principles and practices impacting their organization as the culminating activity in the program. The capstone is variable credit and may be done in one, two, or three semesters, however, the last one hour unit must be completed concurrently or at the conclusion of ADMN 549.
Course substitutions are at the discretion of the advisor to help the student meet their goals and are aligned with TSPC requirements.
Professional Administrative License (ProAL) – leading to being able to apply to a TSPC license for district-level leadership.
This is a core requirement of the Professional Administrative Licensure program and requires admission to the doctoral program, the Professional Administrative Licensure program, or specific advisor approval. This course focuses on district-level leadership roles and the importance of shared vision. Participants will assess their management styles in light of the requirements of various upper-level management positions in a variety of educational organizations. The class will examine how education districts of various sizes organize to maximize learning and to perform necessary functions as required by state and national mandates. Topics include establishing a vision for the organization, empowering others to lead, human resource selection and development, working with other leaders, making public presentations, and dealing with hostile constituents.
This is a core requirement of the Professional Administrative Licensure program and requires admission to the doctoral program, the Professional Administrative Licensure program, or specific advisor approval. This course focuses on leadership responsibilities of specialized programs. The class will examine how educators can navigate federal mandates for special programs using Oregon's statutes, administrative rules, and agencies as a model. Participants will be involved through discussions, simulations, and presentations utilizing materials and personnel from a variety of educational organizations. Course topics include: administrating special programs (e.g., special education, talented and gifted, English as a second language); dealing with curricular and legal issues encountered in delivering these services to children; and developing strategies to improve the academic performance of students through special programs. Additional emphasis will be placed on emerging leadership strategies to address the needs of alternative education students.
This is a core requirement of the Professional Administrative Licensure program and requires admission to the doctoral program, the Professional Administrative Licensure program, or specific advisor approval. The role of the school superintendent is increasingly challenging and requires specialized knowledge and skills to avoid common pitfalls. This course provides practical knowledge and skills needed to succeed in the superintendent role focusing on school board relations and communication, facility development, collective bargaining, grievance resolution, board meeting management, board member development, and advanced personnel issues such as dismissal and sexual harassment investigation.
This is a core requirement of the Professional Administrative Licensure program and requires admission to the doctoral program, the Professional Administrative Licensure program, or specific advisor approval. This course surveys the principles and practices useful to the evaluation of organizational programs and policies. Participants examine the models and tools used in informing educational and other leaders as to evaluation purpose, design, and methods for understanding the role of evaluation in program planning, implementation, and accountability. The course focuses on understanding: the purposes of evaluation, the role of the evaluator, evaluation designs and analysis, presentation of evaluation results, and the role of evaluation conclusions in organizational decision making.
This is a core requirement of the Professional Administrative Licensure program and requires admission to the doctoral program, the Professional Administrative Licensure program, or specific advisor approval. Educational leaders must balance the allocation of scarce resources among competing interests while managing the organizational structure and empowering those who support the organizational mission. This course prepares educators to address the value tensions inherent in the allocation of resources and the educational consequences linked to those fiscal decisions. Issues of efficiency, equity, adequacy, and control in educational finance will be specifically addressed from historical, economic, moral, legal, and political perspectives. The course also provides a critical analysis of organizations, how they function, why people in organizations behave as they do, and examines the formal and informal decision-making structures that affect educational organizations.
Practicum experiences are carried out at building or district level of responsibility under the direct supervision of a university supervisor and a licensed district administrator as mentor. Practicum experiences are supplemented by online administrative academic projects that focus on advanced competencies of administration. The supervisors, mentors and candidates will communicate in site meetings, virtually and online. Pass/No Pass
Practicum experiences will continue at a district level of responsibility. Practicum experiences are supplemented by online administrative academic projects that focus on advanced competencies of administration. The supervisors, mentors and candidates will communicate in site meetings, virtually and online. Pass/No Pass
This course is designed to permit the student to analyze, reflect on, and communicate to university and school stakeholders the summary of individual and organizational learning outcomes as a result of participation in the degree program. Students will utilize their practicum experience, their portfolio of evidence, and key learning experiences from coursework to design and present their findings, conclusions and recommendations on leadership principles and practices impacting their organization as the culminating activity in the program. The capstone is variable credit and may be done in one, two, or three semesters, however, the last one hour unit must be completed concurrently or at the conclusion of ADMN 549.
Complete the following:
Nine elective graduate-level credits must be completed within the College of Education. Elective Credits may be selected from any Graduate Education Program.
Course substitutions are at the discretion of the advisor to help the student meet their goals and are aligned with TSPC requirements.
Leading Learning Concentration - Four Specializations
- English Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) – leading to being able to apply for a TSPC endorsement.
Examines the fundamental elements, processes, and patterns of oral and written language for the teacher of English to speakers of other languages. Topics include phonetics, phonology, sociolinguistics, pragmatics, morphology, orthography and writing conventions, syntax, semantics, and discourse analysis. English is the primary focus of the course, with reference to other languages commonly spoken by students in Oregon classrooms.
Examines various factors, concepts, and theories about first and second language acquisition processes and their interrelationships. The course also focuses on the application of this knowledge in ESOL classes for maximizing ESOL students' language development and academic achievement. Prerequisite or concurrent enrollment in EDFL 570.
Examines the diverse and dynamic role of culture in the ESOL students' language development and academic achievement. The course also emphasizes the application of this knowledge for instruction and the involvement of community and its resources for maximizing ESOL students' academic achievement.
Examines strategies for planning, managing, and teaching English as a second language and discipline-focused content to ESOL students. Emphasis is placed on curriculum, teaching, and learning approaches that accommodate a diverse population within the classroom. This course also focuses on strategies for collaborating with educators and community members in order to provide comprehensive, challenging educational opportunities for ESOL students.
Examines principles, issues, and approaches useful for assessing the English competencies of ESOL students. Emphases are placed on developing appropriate assessment tools for the ESOL classroom and on properly interpreting tests that are used for program placement.
A supervised practicum in an approved school demonstrating knowledge and strategies developed in the ESOL courses. Candidates set goals for professional growth in the English-language teaching field. Prerequisites: successful completion of all required ESOL courses (or their equivalent).
This course is designed to permit the student to analyze, reflect on, and communicate to university and school stakeholders the summary of individual and organizational learning outcomes as a result of participation in the degree program. Students will utilize their practicum experience, their portfolio of evidence, and key learning experiences from coursework to design and present their findings, conclusions and recommendations on leadership principles and practices impacting their organization as the culminating activity in the program. The capstone is variable credit and may be done in one, two, or three semesters, however, the last one hour unit must be completed concurrently or at the conclusion of ADMN 549.
Twelve elective graduate-level credits must be completed within the College of Education. Elective Credits may be selected from any Graduate Education Program.
Reading Interventionist (READ) – leading to a TSPC endorsement.
Thoughtful classroom practice depends on sound theory. This course examines some current competing theories, looks at the implications of various literacy theories as they impact classroom decision making, and, through reading and discussion, develop a personal understanding of literacy processes. The linguistic framework of reading and its place in the language arts will also be explored.
Classroom teachers become acquainted with a wide variety of methods for assessing student progress in reading and writing. Administration and scoring of these tests will be explored. Information about how testing results can facilitate teaching and learning is the goal.
This course focuses on current methods and materials for reading/literacy instruction. The strategies used by proficient readers will be explored and teaching methods will be modeled and implemented. Methods of assessment and strategies for remediation will also be explored.
This course focuses on the issues related to public and school-based concerns about literacy learning. The discussion of issues will lead to research-based applications that can be translated into the classroom practice at the elementary, middle, or high school level.
This course explores theoretical principles and practices based on current research. Emphasis is on strategies for coming to print, print conventions, and reading aloud. Shared, guided, and independent reading and writing is also explored. These strategies are based on theoretical assumptions from the psychology of language and cognition development and linguistics.
The content of this course includes: the organization of reading programs within the context of state and federal regulation and within the structure of the school-wide program; the types of testing used to diagnose and monitor student progress; the methods that can be used to involve parents, paraprofessionals, and volunteers; and the methods available to assess program effectiveness. Observations in a variety of school settings will be organized.
The reading practicum will provide a context in which to apply methods, assessment techniques, and teaching strategies in a school setting. It will also provide the opportunity for an observation of a reading program in application. The practicum setting must include assessment, teaching, and evaluation of students at both authorization levels. Prerequisites: READ 530 History and Foundations of Literacy Learning; READ 531 Analysis of Reading and Writing Assessments; READ 532 Advanced Strategies in Literacy Instruction; READ 538 Organization of Reading Programs; or by permission.
This course is designed to permit the student to analyze, reflect on, and communicate to university and school stakeholders the summary of individual and organizational learning outcomes as a result of participation in the degree program. Students will utilize their practicum experience, their portfolio of evidence, and key learning experiences from coursework to design and present their findings, conclusions and recommendations on leadership principles and practices impacting their organization as the culminating activity in the program. The capstone is variable credit and may be done in one, two, or three semesters, however, the last one hour unit must be completed concurrently or at the conclusion of ADMN 549.
Twelve elective graduate-level credits must be completed within the College of Education. Elective Credits may be selected from any Graduate Education Program.
English Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) and Reading Interventionist (READ)- leading to two TSPC endorsements.
Examines the fundamental elements, processes, and patterns of oral and written language for the teacher of English to speakers of other languages. Topics include phonetics, phonology, sociolinguistics, pragmatics, morphology, orthography and writing conventions, syntax, semantics, and discourse analysis. English is the primary focus of the course, with reference to other languages commonly spoken by students in Oregon classrooms.
Examines various factors, concepts, and theories about first and second language acquisition processes and their interrelationships. The course also focuses on the application of this knowledge in ESOL classes for maximizing ESOL students' language development and academic achievement. Prerequisite or concurrent enrollment in EDFL 570.
Examines the diverse and dynamic role of culture in the ESOL students' language development and academic achievement. The course also emphasizes the application of this knowledge for instruction and the involvement of community and its resources for maximizing ESOL students' academic achievement.
Examines strategies for planning, managing, and teaching English as a second language and discipline-focused content to ESOL students. Emphasis is placed on curriculum, teaching, and learning approaches that accommodate a diverse population within the classroom. This course also focuses on strategies for collaborating with educators and community members in order to provide comprehensive, challenging educational opportunities for ESOL students.
Examines principles, issues, and approaches useful for assessing the English competencies of ESOL students. Emphases are placed on developing appropriate assessment tools for the ESOL classroom and on properly interpreting tests that are used for program placement.
A supervised practicum in an approved school demonstrating knowledge and strategies developed in the ESOL courses. Candidates set goals for professional growth in the English-language teaching field. Prerequisites: successful completion of all required ESOL courses (or their equivalent).
Thoughtful classroom practice depends on sound theory. This course examines some current competing theories, looks at the implications of various literacy theories as they impact classroom decision making, and, through reading and discussion, develop a personal understanding of literacy processes. The linguistic framework of reading and its place in the language arts will also be explored.
Classroom teachers become acquainted with a wide variety of methods for assessing student progress in reading and writing. Administration and scoring of these tests will be explored. Information about how testing results can facilitate teaching and learning is the goal.
This course focuses on current methods and materials for reading/literacy instruction. The strategies used by proficient readers will be explored and teaching methods will be modeled and implemented. Methods of assessment and strategies for remediation will also be explored.
This course focuses on the issues related to public and school-based concerns about literacy learning. The discussion of issues will lead to research-based applications that can be translated into the classroom practice at the elementary, middle, or high school level.
This course explores theoretical principles and practices based on current research. Emphasis is on strategies for coming to print, print conventions, and reading aloud. Shared, guided, and independent reading and writing is also explored. These strategies are based on theoretical assumptions from the psychology of language and cognition development and linguistics.
The content of this course includes: the organization of reading programs within the context of state and federal regulation and within the structure of the school-wide program; the types of testing used to diagnose and monitor student progress; the methods that can be used to involve parents, paraprofessionals, and volunteers; and the methods available to assess program effectiveness. Observations in a variety of school settings will be organized.
The reading practicum will provide a context in which to apply methods, assessment techniques, and teaching strategies in a school setting. It will also provide the opportunity for an observation of a reading program in application. The practicum setting must include assessment, teaching, and evaluation of students at both authorization levels. Prerequisites: READ 530 History and Foundations of Literacy Learning; READ 531 Analysis of Reading and Writing Assessments; READ 532 Advanced Strategies in Literacy Instruction; READ 538 Organization of Reading Programs; or by permission.
Please note: The Capstone course is not required for this specialization.
Special Education (SPED) – leading to TSPC endorsement.
This course will focus on theoretical and practical aspects of human development while identifying the connections to developmental psychology and learning theory with an emphasis on birth through young adulthood. Functional knowledge of exceptionalities including autism, dyslexia, and executive functioning will be developed in relation to learning. Historical foundations and the purpose of special education including law, policies, legislation, litigation, and ethics will be thoroughly explored.
This course prepares candidates to meet the needs of school students with high incidence learning disabilities in general education classrooms. An emphasis on developing curricular modifications and adaptations to evaluate content curriculum, providing assistance to general education teachers, developing knowledge and skills to adjust curriculum content using Oregon State Standards, and utilizing informal assessments to provide information on student progress in the general education curriculum. This course will also prepare candidates to evaluate technological and assistive supports and determine appropriateness for exceptional learners. Candidates will design and develop assistive technology tools for use in academic settings.
This course prepares candidates to meet the needs of school students with low incidence disabilities including intellectual disability, hearing impairment, visual impairment, deaf/blindness, communication disorder, emotional disturbance, orthopedic impairment, traumatic brain injury, autism spectrum disorder, and other health impairments. An emphasis on utilizing the Oregon State Standards to plan and implement curriculum, understand how to make eligibility decisions, and knowledge of academic and functional instruction to support students with low incidence disabilities. Functional living skills are incorporated into content planning. This course will also prepare candidates to evaluate technological and assistive supports and determine appropriateness for exceptional learners. Candidates will design and develop assistive technology tools for use in academic and functional settings.
This course addresses assessment and evaluation as the means for informing special education disability decisions as well as instructional decisions. The candidate will learn and practice multiple ways of assessing students. These include informal assessment, progress monitoring, formal evaluations, and standardized achievement tests. The candidate will learn to write formal reports that emphasize proper administration of assessments and ethical complications of the evaluation process to synthesize all that data to create a cohesive picture of the student’s standing and continue to use the appropriate assessment tools to generate the information needed to make curricular and program decisions.
Candidates will gain knowledge and skills in writing effective, compliant Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) and acquire communication and collaboration strategies to facilitate IEP meetings and interactions with families. Candidates will identify key issues that could lead to litigation. Course content includes communication, organization, compliance and administrative management.
This course will focus on the preparation of candidates to work with students who demonstrate significant emotional/behavioral, trauma, and fetal alcohol/drug issues and use interventions that are research-based. Candidates are instructed on the methods of behavior analysis and accommodation strategies including the development of behavior support plans.
This course will focus on the families, individuals, and community supports for individuals with disabilities ages birth - 21. Candidates will identify age-appropriate services such as Head Start, early intervention, vocational educational programs, community experiences, employment and other post-school adult living objectives, acquisition of daily living skills, if appropriate, and access to state and federal services. Candidate will also learn all required federal/state requirements for secondary transition plans. They will learn how to apply and develop an individual Education Plan for students of transition age.
This practicum will be completed at either early childhood elementary, elementary middle, or middle level and high school, in settings with students identified with mild to moderate disabilities. Candidates will complete a work sample during this practicum. Candidates will complete a minimum of 60 hours of clinical practice in a mild to moderate disability placement.
This practicum will be completed at either early childhood elementary, elementary middle, or middle level and high school, in settings with students identified with moderate to severe disabilities. Candidates will complete a minimum of 60 hours of clinical practice in a moderate to severe disability placement.
This course will focus on an in-depth exploration of a topic related to special education, inclusion, or specific disabilities that is outside the regular offerings of the program. Research and evidence-based practices related to the topic will be examined as part of the special study
This course is designed to permit the student to analyze, reflect on, and communicate to university and school stakeholders the summary of individual and organizational learning outcomes as a result of participation in the degree program. Students will utilize their practicum experience, their portfolio of evidence, and key learning experiences from coursework to design and present their findings, conclusions and recommendations on leadership principles and practices impacting their organization as the culminating activity in the program. The capstone is variable credit and may be done in one, two, or three semesters, however, the last one hour unit must be completed concurrently or at the conclusion of ADMN 549.
Two elective graduate-level credits must be completed within the College of Education. Elective Credits may be selected from any Graduate Education Program.
Instructional Design and Development Concentration – leading to increased knowledge of instructional leadership, but does not lead to a TSPC endorsement.
In this class, candidates will gain advanced knowledge of curriculum theory, policy, models and practice. They will learn to lead curriculum development and assessment projects, and explore research-based instruction and assessment to support curriculum development.
This course examines the adult learner and principles of effective professional development.
This course investigates various assessment paradigms and issues within educational assessment. Examples will come from K-12, higher education, and other organizational settings. Strong emphasis will be placed on understanding validity, reliability, and fairness with respect to a wide range of both formative and summative assessments, including constructed response, multiple-choice, and performative types. While this course does not include an active data analysis component, students will engage in thinking and reasoning about assessment data as both decision-making and recipient stakeholders.
This course is designed to permit the student to analyze, reflect on, and communicate to university and school stakeholders the summary of individual and organizational learning outcomes as a result of participation in the degree program. Students will utilize their practicum experience, their portfolio of evidence, and key learning experiences from coursework to design and present their findings, conclusions and recommendations on leadership principles and practices impacting their organization as the culminating activity in the program. The capstone is variable credit and may be done in one, two, or three semesters, however, the last one hour unit must be completed concurrently or at the conclusion of ADMN 549.
Eighteen graduate-level credits must be completed within the College of Education. Elective Credits may be selected from any Graduate Education Program.
Although this concentration does not include a TSPC endorsement, students may choose to take endorsement coursework as part of their electives.
Course substitutions are at the discretion of the advisor to help students meet their goals.
Who the Program Is For
Our education specialist program is specifically designed for teachers and administrators who:
- Already have a master’s degree in education, school counseling or a related field
- Want to advance their career
- Need financial aid
The program fosters the development of servant leaders who can critically evaluate and apply research, analyze educational trends, use evidence effectively, and promote best practices in student and adult learning.
Concentrations
Administration Concentration (Two Specializations)
- Principal License: Leads to a TSPC license for building-level leadership
- Professional Administrative License: Leads to a TSPC license for district-level leadership
Leading Learning Concentration (Four Specializations)
- English Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL): Leads to a TSPC endorsement
- Reading Interventionist: Leads to a TSPC endorsement
- ESOL + Reading Interventionist: Leads to both TSPC endorsements
- Special Education: Leads to a TSPC endorsement
Instructional Design and Development Concentration
This concentration will increase your knowledge of instructional leadership but doesn’t lead to a TSPC license or endorsement. It’s ideal for:
- Corporate trainers
- Professionals designing learning programs
- Teachers seeking to improve their instructional design skills
Why Earn Your EdS at George Fox?
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It’s 100% Online
We offer a fully online program that allows busy educators the opportunity to earn their educational specialist degree from anywhere – and at the pace they choose. You can complete your studies in one, two or three years.
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It’s a Stepping Stone to a Doctorate
From a professional standpoint, earning your EdS not only prepares you for your future, it positions you to earn your doctorate in education. George Fox EdS graduates can transfer up to 28 credits from their coursework into our Doctor of Education (EdD) program.
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We Know Education in Oregon
Attend a university with statewide connections and work with instructors who know Oregon educational contexts. Our full-time faculty and adjunct professors have extensive experience in educational leadership and expertise in content areas outside of the classroom setting.
Questions?
Kipp Wilfong
Admissions Counselor, Graduate Education Programs
George Fox University is required to make cost of attendance (COA) information publicly available on this website. All stated financial information is subject to change.