Leadership in Curriculum and Teaching (Ed.S.)
The Educational Specialist program, Leadership in Curriculum and Teaching, builds upon master's degree programs in curriculum and instruction (and related areas) to address leadership by classroom teachers in curriculum and teaching. Teachers play a decisive role in all aspects of school life and their leadership, both formal and informal, is crucial to the success of every innovation, reform, or change in schools. This Ed.S. program is designed to help classroom teachers assume a variety of collegial leadership responsibilities in schools and districts. These teacher leaders do not become school administrators, nor end their roles as classroom teachers. Rather, they provide leadership and expertise as professional educators to their colleagues, schools, and communities in areas of program, curriculum, and staff development in both general areas of curriculum and teaching as well as traditional content fields. In the program, they examine various approaches for making the schooling experiences of students more meaningful, experiential, holistic, reflective, and collaborative. The program leads to an Educational Specialist degree (Ed.S.) but carries no certification or endorsement. Rather, it leads to increased personal involvement in issues and programs in the schools.
The program emphasizes teachers working collaboratively with colleagues. Therefore, most of the program's course work takes place in an intensive, reflective experience with the same group of about 15 colleagues over two years. Opportunities, experiences, issues, and problems of teacher leadership are the substance of group discussion under the guidance of a team of instructors from National-Louis University. To enhance the continuity and clarity of ideas and experiences, the course work is deliberately integrated during three program terms of about eight months each. Six core courses, two per term, along with required internships, define the heart of the Ed.S. program.
Through internships the teacher-leaders undertake leadership roles for various tasks and activities in the schools and districts. Ed.S. students are assisted in designing internships each term that are integrated into their course work.
Ed.S. students are also required to complete a limited number of elective (post-masters) courses that enrich their backgrounds. Electives are individual courses that do not necessarily coincide with the course work of the Ed.S. group in the terms of the program.
Program Requirements 33 SH
Term I
EPS525 Group Dynamics and Leadership Applications 3
IDS560 Integrated Curriculum 1: Philosophical and Theoretical Foundations 3
IDS590 Internship 1-4
Term 11
IDS561 Integrated Curriculum II: Practical and Political Aspects of Implementation 3
IDS590 Internship 1-4
ILD601 Culture of the School and Classroom 3
Term III
IDS590 Internship 1-4
ILD605 Instructional Implications of Staff Development 3
ILD604 Curriculum Evaluation 3
A total of nine semester hours of Internship (IDS590) must be successfully completed. Students may register for varying numbers of credits for each term's internship, according to the schedule of their professional obligations and opportunities.
In addition to the six required core courses (18 semester hours) and three internships (9 semester hours), students must also complete six semester hours of electives, approved by their advisor.
Program Core Courses 18
Internship 9
Electives 6
