Educational Leadership, Educational Specialist
Department website: https://www.atu.edu/ceh
The Educational Specialist Degree program is based on the "value-added" concept of preparation of school leaders for district level leadership positions such as superintendent and assistant superintendent.
This program is completed totally online.
Unconditional Admission
Students are eligible to apply for unconditional admission to the Educational Specialist degree program if they meet the requirements listed:
- Applicants must hold a Master's Degree or equivalent in Educational Leadership.
- Applicants must hold a Standard Teaching License.
- Applicants must hold an Administrative License.
Conditional Admission
Applicants must hold a Standard Teaching License. Applicants who fail to meet the grade point requirement specified for unconditional admission may be admitted conditionally to enroll for a maximum of twelve (12) semester hours. If a student was admitted conditionally based on grade point average, the condition will be met if upon completion of twelve (12) semester hours a cumulative grade point average of 3.00 or better is achieved. Applicants who do not hold an administrative license but who have completed, or are near completion of, the requirements to obtain one may be admitted conditionally. If a student was admitted conditionally without an administrative license, the condition must be met within completion of twelve (12) semester hours of Ed.S. courses.
Degree Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| EDLD 7013 | The Superintendency and Central Office | 3 |
| EDLD 7023 | School Board Relations | 3 |
| EDLD 7033 | School Personnel and Business Management | 3 |
| EDLD 7113 | Seminar in Current Issues | 3 |
| EDLD 7123 | Educational Facilities | 3 |
| EDLD 7133 | School Finance for District Level Administration | 3 |
| EDLD 7143 | School Accountability Systems | 3 |
| EDLD 7153 | District Internship | 3 |
| EDLD 7163 | Statistical Methods for District Leaders | 3 |
| EDLD 7173 | Advanced Legal Issues | 3 |
| Total Hours | 30 | |
- A portfolio must be successfully completed and approved by a portfolio review committee.
- A minimum of 24 semester hours of graduate coursework completed in residence at Arkansas Tech University.
Portfolio
A candidate for an Educational Specialist in Educational Leadership must complete a portfolio as part of the program of study for the degree of Educational Specialist. This portfolio is an edited, integrated collection of an Educational Leadership candidate's evidence that competencies have been acquired that are reflective of the current School Leaders Licensure Standards adopted by the state of Arkansas. It is NOT merely a file of course projects, nor is it a scrapbook of professional memorabilia. It is a collection of a student's best work developed during his program of study. It should showcase the student's best work as an Educational Leadership candidate and demonstrate the student's expertise relative to the principles and standards for a district administrator. The portfolio is a collection of documents providing tangible evidence of the wide range of knowledge, dispositions, and skills possessed as a professional. The candidate's portfolio is a work in progress and should be updated regularly throughout one's program of study. It should provide evidence of the value-added concept from a Master Degree Portfolio.
Students who complete the program will be able to:
- collaboratively lead, design, and implement a district mission, vision, and process for continuous improvement that reflects a core set of values and priorities that include data use, technology, values, equity, diversity, digital citizenship, and community.
- understand and demonstrate the capacity to advocate for ethical decisions and cultivate professional norms and culture.
- develop and maintain a supportive, equitable, culturally responsive, and inclusive district culture.
- evaluate, design, cultivate, and implement coherent systems of curriculum, instruction, data systems, supports, assessment, and instructional leadership.
- understand and engage families, communities, and other constituents in the work of schools and the district and to advocate for district, student, and community needs.
- develop, monitor, evaluate, and manage data-informed and equitable district systems for operations, resources, technology, and human capital management.
- cultivate relationships, lead collaborative decision-making and governance, and represent and advocate for district needs in broader policy conversations.
For program assessment visit: https://www.atu.edu/assessment/program_assessment.php