This program provides strong leadership training for candidates who choose to serve as classroom teachers throughout their professional careers. The TL program allows candidates to hone skills to serve as resource teachers, consultants, committee chairs and instructional leaders among their peers in their schools and districts. For those seeking to be leaders in their own schools and districts, the program prepares candidates to pursue opportunities beyond their own classroom and to focus on skills needed to leverage both internal and external resources that influence student achievement. An underlying philosophy of the program is that student learning is enhanced when schools are filled with instructional leaders who understand and model effective teaching and learning practices and who are able to mentor others to become more effective leaders.
Teacher Leader master's candidates can select a wide variety of areas of specialization including:
Admission Requirements
(For ALL areas of specialization)
- General admission to graduate study.
- An acceptable admission index by meeting any of the following:
- GRE score (verbal + quantitative) x undergraduate GPA = 850 (minimum);
- Miller Analogies Test (MAT) scaled score x undergraduate GPA = 980 (minimum);
- The test requirement is waived for candidates who have successfully completed a master's degree.
- A valid teaching certificate or statement of eligibility.
- For candidates selecting the Literacy Specialist Endorsement or School Community Leader areas and also seeking National Board Certification, admission to the National Board for Professional Teaching program is also required.
Alternate Admission Requirements
Candidates may be admitted to the program by meeting one of the following:
- For students who have not met the testing requirements for admission into the program, but who have successfully completed 12 hours of coursework required for the program with at least a 3.5 or above GPA, the department chair may waive the testing requirement. The department will waive the testing requirement for students who have already completed a master's degree; OR
- Prior to registering for the fifth course, candidates may submit a GRE or MAT score that results in an acceptable admission index. The admission index will be determined by the following:
- GRE score (verbal + quantitative) x undergraduate GPA = 850 (minimum);
- Miller Analogies Test (MAT) scaled score x undergraduate GPA = 980 (minimum).
Other Program Requirements
After completion of 12 hours, candidates must have attained at least a 3.0 cumulative program GPA. Candidates falling below a 3.0 cumulative program GPA may take no more than an additional six hours. If after completing an additional six hours, the cumulative program GPA is below 3.0, the candidate will be dropped from the program.
Requirements for the Degree
- Satisfy general degree requirements.
The student must apply for graduation at the beginning of the term in which they anticipate completion. The completion form can be accessed online at www.moreheadstate.edu/graduate.
- Maintain a cumulative 3.0 GPA in all courses taken after completing the bachelor's degree.
- Candidates must successfully complete a capstone project in a venue approved by their advisor. The capstone project may include a presentation before a panel of educators, a presentation as a part of an educational conference, or professional development the candidate has written and planned. The capstone project may also include a publication in a peer reviewed professional journal. To track completion of the capstone during the semester in which the capstone is completed, all students must register for EDTL 690 - Teacher Leader Capstone. This is a zero credit course.
- If a student has not become unconditionally admitted after completing 12 graduate hours, he/she will not be allowed to register for additional hours.
Student Competencies
The following list includes the student competencies for the Teacher Leader program and the course(s) in which each competency is discussed (D), enhanced (E), assessed (A), and/or contains a critical performance (CP).
- Be leaders in their schools and districts [EDTL 601 (A), EDTL 602 (D), EDTL 604 (D), EDTL 605 (D), EDTL 606 (D)].
- Evaluate high-quality research on student learning and college readiness [EDTL 601 (D), EDTL 603 (A), EDTL 605 (CP), EDTL 606 (E)].
- Delivers differentiated instruction for P-12 students based on continuous assessment of student learning and classroom management [EDTL 602 (E), EDTL 603 (E), EDTL 604 (E), EDTL 605 (D), EDTL 606 (A)].
- Gains experience in content knowledge (within areas of specialization).
- Incorporates reflections that inform best practice in preparing P-12 students for postsecondary opportunities [EDTL 601 (E), EDTL 602 (E), EDTL 605 (CP), EDTL 606 (E)].
- Supports P-12 student achievement in diverse settings [EDTL 601 (A), EDTL 602 (E/A), EDTL 603 (E), EDTL 604 (A), EDTL 605 (D/E), EDTL 606 (D)].
- Enhances instructional design utilizing the Program of Studies, Core Content for Assessment, and college readiness standards [EDTL 601 (A), EDTL 606 (CP)].
- Designs and plans instruction [EDTL 602 (D), EDTL 604 (A), EDTL 605 (D), EDTL 606 (CP)].
- Creates and maintains a learning climate [EDTL 601 (CP), EDTL 602 (E), EDTL 604 (E), EDTL 605 (E), EDTL 606 (E)].
- Implements and manages instruction [EDTL 604 (A), EDTL 606 (E)].
- Assesses and communicates learning results [EDTL 601 (A), EDTL 602 (D), EDTL 604 (A), EDTL 605 (E/A), EDTL 606 (A)].
- Demonstrates the implementation of technology [EDTL 601 (E), EDTL 606 (A)].
- Reflects on and evaluates teaching and learning [EDTL 601 (A), EDTL 602 (D/E), EDTL 603 (A), EDTL 604 (A), EDTL 605 (CP), EDTL 606 (D)].
- Collaborates with colleagues, parents, and others [EDTL 601 (A), EDTL 602 (D/E), EDTL 603 (A), EDTL 604 (CP), EDTL 606 (D)].
- Evaluates teaching and implements professional development [EDTL 601 (E), EDTL 602 (E), EDTL 604 (D), EDTL 605 (E), EDTL 606 (E)].
- Provides leadership within school, community and profession [EDTL 601 (D), EDTL 602 (E), EDTL 603 (A), EDTL 604 (D), EDTL 605 (D), EDTL 606 (D)].
- Designs and conducts professionally relevant research projects [EDTL 602 (D), EDTL 603 (CP), EDTL 606 (E)].
Assessment (Capstone) Procedures
Each aspiring Teacher Leader candidate in the master's and fifth-year programs is required to successfully complete a capstone project. The capstone project will require application of teacher leadership skills that ultimately will bring about improved student learning. To that end, candidates will be involved in activities and projects throughout the teacher leader program that cause them to critically examine current practices and suggest continuation of the practices or develop strategies for improvement. Substantial work on the capstone project is planned as part of EDTL 603. As a result, EDTL 603 must be taken within the last six hours of the program. Students will be encouraged to present their capstone projects in settings that are most appropriate for their projects. For example, students who are working on a school improvement project may present their findings before the SBDM council. Other students may have projects that are more appropriate for a presentation before the Board of Education, while others may find the best setting to be a professional learning community comprised of others most impacted by the project. Many students will present their capstone in the Curriculum and Instructional work on Design course. All candidates will be required to post an electronic version of individual presentations and support documents in Blackboard, our electronic course management system. Posting in Blackboard will allow for peer review as well as make the projects available to all members of the Teacher Leader Advisory Committee. A three-member committee consisting of the TL program lead (or designee), a PreK-12 educator and a peer (i.e., another candidate completing the program at the same time or a recent [within the last two years] TL program graduate) will evaluate each capstone project. Additional information, including the rubric used to evaluate the capstone project, may be obtained by contacting the Foundational and Graduate Studies in Education department.