Course Description-MEd Leadership

• ECC 509 Preparation for Professional Growth (3)

As future school leaders, students conduct a self-assessment and a review of their leadership knowledge and skills. Students develop a Professional Growth Plan to explore and refine their leadership qualities, skills, and actions as leaders. Students develop a foundational understanding of leadership and specifically the importance of relational leadership.

• ECC 510 Technology Tools and Information Literacy (2)

Students enrolled in this course are introduced to information literacy and the basic processes to educational research. Students learn to use technology to access scholarly journals and a variety of professional online sources for developing their research papers; they also critique journal articles and prepare an annotated bibliography to explore a topic of interest, which may lead to their final research project. Students develop an understanding of information technology and its use in research and in practical decision making as an educational leader.

• ECC 511 Research Methods in Education (3)

Students review current designs and processes in the field of educational research. Students learn to find, evaluate, and critique published research materials to better inform their own practice and/or policymaking. Upon completion of the course students will have sufficient understanding of educational research to formulate their own educational research proposals for their capstone projects.

• ECC 513 Ethics and Law for School-based Practice (3)

As future leaders, students learn Canadian law and ethical decision making pertinent to professional practice in school-based settings. Utilizing Canadian, as well as provincial education ministry codes of ethics and education law, students develop the knowledge and tools required to make good judgments on legal and ethical matters within the school setting. Case studies on ethical decision making and addressing legal issues in schools are evaluated.

• ECC 514 Introduction to School Based Counselling Programs (3)

As future school leaders, students receive an introduction to the fundamental skills needed to facilitate therapeutic change in children’s lives. Topics include interviewing skills, establishing a therapeutic alliance and professional documentation for intake and referral. Students review regional and provincial/territorial policies and guidelines related to the scope of practice for school-based counselling in a multicultural context. Future educational leaders obtain an overview of how a well-organized counselling program contributes to children’s growth and a positive school climate. 

• ECC 515 Leadership and Counselling Diverse Cultures in Education (3)

The course will consider examples which increase the student’s understanding of the implications of cultural and diversity issues in the school environment. Candidates will learn to understand new cultures as they are encountered. Candidates will also develop strategies that can be used in the school to promote the emotional and physical well-being of all students and the climate of the school as a place for learning. 

• ECC 516 Family Systems and Conflict Management (3)

Students explore the implications of cultural and diversity issues in the school environment. Students build their cultural proficiency, as well as deepen their self-awareness regarding their own culture and world view.  Students apply learned cultural and diversity strategies to promote the emotional and physical well-being of all students and improve the school’s learning climate.

• EEA 532 Instructional Leadership: Curriculum, Instruction and Assessment (3)

Students gain applicable knowledge and skills that lead to an understanding of how school leaders manage instructional processes. Students learn about a leader’s view of curriculum, instruction and assessment, and pedagogy that guide teachers along the career continuum. Students build leadership capacity to make a positive impact on teaching, learning, and assessment, as well as review of provincial and territorial government documents.

• EEA 534 Technologies for Learning (3)

Students learn of technology literacy and applications. Students learn to use digital tools to gather, evaluate, and use information to plan and conduct quality research, manage projects, solve problems, and make informed decisions. Applications include the electronic portfolio, instructional and curricular decisions, research and assessment, assistance to teachers, and the impact of technology on school and societal change.

Prerequisite ECC 510.

• EEA 535 Dimensions of Educational Leadership (3)

Students examine educational leadership and applications to school or school district settings. Students develop an educational philosophy; through this lens, students articulate and reflect on a school district or school’s academic plan. Students examine a social justice issue in their schools, applying the standard, competencies, and/or dimensions of leadership as outlined by Canadian provincial/territorial government regulations for K-12 education. The course offers an opportunity for students to build on their professional learning as they create their own educational philosophy and plan for growth.

• EEA 536 School Finance and Operations (3)

Students develop an understanding of how schools are financed and knowledge of best practices in the acquisition of resources, budgeting, accounting, and the fiscal stewardship of the school’s human and financial resources. Topics include the development of the budget priorities, formulation of the budget, the administration of budget expenditures, and administration of the school’s facilities and financial resources. Students become knowledgeable about the budgeting process and the school financial management responsibilities of the educational leader.

• EEA 538 Human Resource Management in Education (3)

Future leaders learn about personnel management in schools and school systems. Topics include human resource management systems in employee recruitment, performance appraisal, staff and program assessment, the supervision and the professional development of certificated and classified employees, and the development and supervision of volunteers and partners. Students assess appropriate laws, regulations, and best practices in human resource management.

• EEA 539 Supervision of Instruction (3)

Students develop leadership skills in effective school improvement planning and instructional supervision processes. Students examine what exemplary school leaders do to create a vision for success, with a focus on teaching and learning, continuous shared decision-making processes, and a code of ethics that develops and sustains a climate of trust and the protection of the rights of all students, families, staff, and the communities. Students learn the value of relational leadership and the necessity to pay attention to cultural diversity. Students evaluate a school and/or school system improvement process and become familiar with research-based strategies for increasing student achievement, while also using data-informed backward-design curriculum processes, shared site-based decision-making, and pathways for promoting the achievement of all members of the learning community.

• EEA 545 Change Management with Global Perspectives (3)

Future leaders will consider the present as well and the future — personally, professionally, and academically – not only as it relates to their worldview, but to varying global perspectives, applicable change managements. Students evaluate change in both the individual and the educational organization. Students become facilitators of change management through continuous learning, development, and school improvement. Students engage in a review of their experiences d learning in the program, consider current and emerging trends in education on larger, national, and global scales, and integrate their learning in developing either a personal or school plan that covers/touches on/considers/emerges out of what they have learned in the program.

Prerequisite: This course is intended as a last course for the leadership program to allow candidates to contextualize school leadership in larger contexts and they are expected to have completed all other courses (aside from EEA 650/ EEA 655).

The leadership internships are a mentored, integrated, sequential field experience planned by the candidate, the university field supervisor, and district mentor. Candidates observe department and/or administrative leadership in their school. The internship involves applying theory to the real life of the school while learning the school principals and others school leaders’ roles and responsibilities. Each internship is mentored by skilled professionals and practitioners in the field. The internship requires a log of the candidate’s experiences composed of reflections and a professional portfolio of the candidate’s experience. The minimum hours of internship practice over the entire program are 280 hours. During the course of the total internships, candidates conduct a research project. Each internship is accompanied by a one-day seminar, which is a guided reflection on the candidates’ learning. In the final seminar, students present their research projects for peer and faculty review and feedback.

• EEA 641 Leadership Internship I in Student Services (2)

Students develop an internship proposal in collaboration with their university instructor and school/district-based mentor. Students spend a minimum of 40 hours engaged in supervised practice within student services departments or in undertaking school needs analyses and demographics, interviewing teachers and staff to assess educational needs. The internship requires a log of the student’s experiences with reflections of the student’s experience.

• EEA 642 Leadership Internship II (3)

Students plan their second leadership internship with the support of the university supervisor and the district/school-based mentor. The students apply theory while learning the leadership roles and responsibilities of the principal, curriculum leader, or other school leader. Internship II engages the students to apply and practice the entry level knowledge, skills, and dispositions of educational leaders at the school and district levels. Students build capacity for leadership through activities in the school or district. The students maintain a daily log and weekly reflection and assesses progress toward mastery of entry level knowledge and skills. A total of 120 hours is required for completion of this internship.

Prerequisite: EEA 641.

• EEA 644 Leadership Internship III (3)

Students are mentored, integrated, and involved in this sequential field experience as planned by the student, the university field supervisor, and the district mentor. The student applies theory to the real life of the school while learning the leadership roles and responsibilities of the principal, curriculum leader, or other school leader. Internship III engages the student in applying and practicing the entry level knowledge, skills, and dispositions of educational leaders at the school and district levels. Students build capacity for leadership through activities in the field assigned by the mentor and feedback on those activities. The student maintains a daily log and weekly reflection and assesses progress toward mastery of entry level knowledge and skills.

Prerequisite: EEA 641; EEA 642.

ECC511, Research Methods in Education, is a prerequisite for the project course. Graduate candidates study a problem in relation to school-based educational leadership. The study begins with a formal proposal in ECC 511 describing the intended research or project implementation as approved by Faculty and/or the Program Director. The capstone project culminates in a final report at the completion of the research.

• EEA 650 Project and Portfolio Presentation (3)

The project for the M.Ed. degree in Educational Leadership demonstrates the application of skills and knowledge designed to address a “Problem Statement” in an educational setting and fulfills the capstone requirement for the M.Ed. in Educational Leadership. Students research a problem related to school leadership through a conceptual analysis and literature review. The course outcome is a capstone project of 35+ pages that includes all aspects of the design, execution and analysis of a research project using accepted methodology.

Prerequisite: Completion of all prior courses in the program of study.