Educational Specialist (Ed.S.) Degree in Teacher Leadership

The AA in Teacher Leadership program creates teachers who will become change agents who positively affect their classrooms, schools, communities, and school districts as well as the national conversation about educational change. Specifically, the program is for teachers who will remain in their classrooms while assuming leadership roles in the schools and in the larger context of the school community. The program is developed around a set of academic and field experiences that provide knowledge and skills for leadership in collaboration, writing for change, reflective thinking, problem solving, and the advocacy of excellence in education.

The Teacher Leadership program is designed for teachers who desire to develop their leadership skills and who wish to remain in the classroom. The program approaches leadership from the perspectives of exemplary teaching, continuous learning for all, a need to balance change with stability and the importance of peaceful existence in a diverse community of learners. To that end, teachers will enhance their abilities to lead not only in their classrooms, but also in the school at large by working with curriculum, becoming mentor/master teachers, developing new programs, and through a variety of other activities that improve schooling for all children.

The Teacher Leadership program is a specialists (Ed.S.) degree program designed exclusively for K-12 practicing educators that targets improving the learning of students and teachers. The Teacher Leadership program engages teachers in actions leading toward school improvement as teachers learn new strategies, implement them in their classroom with guided assistance, collect evidence of student learning, and then reflect on and adjust their teaching practices. Through systematic inquiry into teaching, the program aims to enhance student achievement and cultivate the tools of lifelong learning that support teacher leadership for school improvement. Teacher Leadership is designed to meet the needs of elementary, middle, and high school teachers.

Mission Statement

The Alabama State University Teacher Leader Program strives to prepare prospective teacher leaders who lead, engage, collaborate, and model for colleagues in the areas of content knowledge, teaching and learning, literacy, diversity, and professionalism. The program prepares the prospective teacher leaders to be decision makers who are equipped with knowledge, skills, and dispositions necessary to ethically and effectively integrate theory and practice in carrying out their leadership responsibilities. In fulfilling this mission, emphasis is placed on theoretically informed and research-based effective practice and working collaboratively with school administrators, colleagues, students, parents and families, and the larger community to facilitate student learning. This mission is accomplished by providing exemplary learning opportunities in a variety of contexts and formats. It is aligned with national, state, professional, and institutional standards.

Program Goal

The Teacher Leadership program creates teachers who will become change agents who positively affect their classrooms, schools, communities, and school districts as well as the national conversation about educational change. Specifically, the program is for teachers who will remain in their classrooms while assuming leadership roles in the schools and in the larger context of the school community. The program is developed around a set of academic and field experiences that provide knowledge and skills for leadership in collaboration, writing for change, reflective thinking, problem solving, and the advocacy of excellence in education.

Program Requirements

The Educational Specialist Program in Teacher Leadership includes thirty (30) credit hours. Candidates will complete 30 credit hours of core courses, including a six (6) credit hour field based project. The field based project must be completed in a school or school system. The 30-hour core courses include the following coursework at the sixth-year level:

• TL 600 Teacher Leader Seminar
• TL 601 Pedagogy and Curriculum
• TL 602 Data Analysis for School Improvement
• TL 603 Evidence-Based Practices
• TL 604 Parent and School Collaboration
• TL 605 Coaching and Mentoring
• TL 606 School Climate and Culture
• TL 607 Summative and Formative Evaluation
• TL 608 Field-Based Project I
• TL 609 Field-Based Project II

After the 24 semester hours of core coursework, all candidates must take and pass a comprehensive examination before entering the field-based project phase of the program. During the field-based project phase of the program, candidates are required to be continuously enrolled.

Applying to the Teacher Leadership Program

Admission to the Educational Specialist in the Teacher Leadership program requires that the applicant:

1. Possess a Class A (Masters level professional educator) Certificate in any teaching field or area of instructional support recognized in the state of Alabama
2. Submit three letters of recommendation from persons who are qualified to evaluate the applicant's ability to do graduate-level work
3. Have a minimum GPA of 3.0 in previous academic work
4. Have a minimum of three (3) years of successful teaching experience in a P-12 setting
5. Submit an admission portfolio during an interview. The portfolio will contain the following:
   • Evidence of ability to positively affect student achievement
   • Evidence of collaborative leadership potential
   • Summary of candidate’s reasons for pursuing teacher leader certification
   • Summary of what the candidate expects from the teacher leader program.
6. Pass an interview conducted by a program admission committee that includes both P-12 leaders and higher education faculty.

Graduate Fees

Below are estimated tuition and costs for full-time graduate students residing on-campus during the 2017-18 academic year. Actual costs and fees may vary depending on enrollment and lifestyle decisions. You also may wish to review estimated tuition and costs for part-time graduate enrollment on our complete budget worksheet.

For a breakdown of fees by credit hour and by semester, download the 2017-18 Schedule of Student Tuition and Fees.