School of Education

Ed.S. Educational Leadership (ONLINE)

The IU collaborative Ed.S. in Educational Leadership will provide current and future school leaders with the knowledge base, technical, and interpersonal skills they need to provide effective and visionary leadership, so they can empower all stakeholders and promote excellence in education in an era of evidence-based accountability.

Target Audience—Ed.S. Educational Leadership

This degree will serve individuals interested in completing the requisite graduate education to qualify for building- and/or district-level administrative licenses. Among these individuals, we anticipate two distinct audiences.

Students with a Bachelor’s degree and two years of classroom teaching experience can enter the program directly and earn an Ed.S. in Educational Leadership after completing 60 hours of graduate coursework in Educational Leadership.

Students who hold an advanced post-baccalaureate degree (i.e. JD, MPA, M.S., etc.) or Master’s degree in Educational Leadership can apply up to 30 credit hours of coursework towards satisfaction of requirements in the collaborative Ed.S. in Educational Leadership program. Students possessing an I.U. degree may apply up to 36 credit hours.

In all cases, the first step to achieving building- and district-level administrative license is to first earn an instructional license and comply with state regulations.

Program Goals and Learning Outcomes—Ed.S. Educational Leadership

Learning Outcomes for the IU Collaborative Ed.S. in Educational Leadership align to National Educational Leadership Preparation District-Level standards (now NELP, formerly ELCC) as promulgated by the National Policy Board for Educational Administration.

Upon completion of the IU Collaborative Ed.S., graduates will understand and demonstrate an ability to:

1. Ed.S. LO/NELP Stnd: Mission, Vision, and Improvement
  • Promote current and future success and well-being of all students.
  • Apply the knowledge and skills to collaboratively lead, design, and implement a district mission, vision, and process;
  • Foster continuous improvement at the district-level that reflects a core set of values and priorities that
  • include data use, technology, values, equity, diversity, digital citizenship, and community.
2.  Ed.S. LO/NELP Stnd: Ethics and Professional Norms
  • Advocate for ethical decisions and cultivate professional norms and culture.
3.  Ed.S. LO/NELP Stnd: Equity, Inclusiveness, and Cultural Responsiveness
  • Develop and maintain a supportive, equitable, culturally responsive, and inclusive district culture.
4.  Ed.S. LO/NELP Stnd: Learning and Instruction *Evaluate, design, cultivate, and implement coherent systems of curriculum, instruction, data systems, supports, assessment, and instructional leadership.

5.  Ed.S. LO/ NELP Stnd: Community and External Leadership
  • Engage families, communities, and other constituents in the work of schools and the district and to advocate for district, student, and community needs.
6.  Ed.S. LO/NELP Stnd: Operations and Management
  • *Develop, monitor, evaluate, and manage data-informed and equitable district systems for operations, resources, technology, and human capital management.
7. Ed.S. LO/NELP Stnd: Policy, Governance, and Advocacy
  • Cultivate relationships, lead collaborative decision-making and governance, and represent and advocate for district needs in broader policy conversations.

8.  Ed.S. LO/Stnd: Internship
  • Synthesize and apply the knowledge and skills identified in NELP Standards 1–7 in ways that approximate the full range of responsibilities required of district-level leaders and enable them to promote the current and future success and well-being of each student and adult in their district.

Required Coursework

The overall curriculum for the IU collaborative Ed.S. in Educational Leadership meets NELP district-level standards. At the course level, it aligns with Indiana Department of Education standards for the Building-Level Administrator and District-Level Administrator licensure requirements.

Program Components and Credit Breakdown—Ed.S. Educational Leadership

Part I: BLA Requirements Credit Total = 24
Part II. DLA Requirements Credit Total = 27
Part III. Electives and Leadership Seminar = 9
Ed.S. total credits = 60

Degree Requirements

To earn the Ed.S. in Educational Leadership students must complete the following degree components and required coursework:

Part I: Building-Level Administrator Coursework

1. Mission, Vision, & Improvement of Schools (3 cr)edits

· EDUC-A500 Intro Ed Leadership

2. Ethics & Professional Norms (3 credits)

· EDUC-A608 Legal and Ethical Perspectives on Education

3. Equity, Inclusiveness, & Cultural Responsiveness (3 credits)

· EDUC-H520 Education and Social Issues

4. Learning & Instruction (6 credits)

Students complete two courses:

· EDUC-J500 Instruction in Context of Curriculum

· EDUC-A624 Educational Leadership: The Principal K-12

5. Community & External Leadership (3 credits)

· EDUC-A510 Community School Relations

6. Operations & Management (3 credits) Students complete one of two course options:

· EDUC-A630 Economic Dimensions of Education

· EDUC-A635 Public School Budgeting

7. Building Professional Capacity (3 credits)

· EDUC-A515 Educational Leadership: Teacher Development and Evaluation 8. Internship (3 credits)

8. Internship (3 credits)

· EDUC-A695 Practicum in Educational Leadership

Part II: District Level-Administrator Requirements

1. Mission, Vision, & Improvement of Schools (3 credits)

· EDUC-A671 Planning and Change in Educational Organizations

2. Ethics & Professional Norms (3 credits)

· EDUC-A615 Advanced School Law

3. Equity, Inclusiveness, & Cultural Responsiveness (3 credits)

Students complete one of three options:

· EDUC-T531 Organizational Change in Cultural and Linguistically Diverse Schools

· EDUC-A675 Leadership in Special Education EDUC-J655 Seminar in Multicultural and Global Education

· EDUC-J655 Seminar in Multicultural and Global Education

4. Learning & Instruction (3 credits)

· EDUC-J630 Curriculum Theory and Practice

5. Community & External Leadership (3 credits)

· EDUC-T550 Cultural and Community Forces and the Schools

6. Operations & Management (3 credits)

Students complete one of two course options:

· EDUC-A653 Organizational Context of Education

7. Policy, Governance, & Advocacy (3 credits) Students complete one of two course options:

· EDUC-A672 Moral Dimensions of Leadership

8. Internship (3 credits)

· EDUC-A785 Internship in Educational Leadership

9. Leadership Seminar/ Project /Thesis (3 credits)

Students complete one of two course options:

· EDUC-A680 Educational Specialist Seminar (Educational Leadership)

· EDUC-A754 Seminar in Research in Educational Leadership

10. Collaborative Ed.S. Electives (two classes/six credits to reach 60 overall credits)

Students may complete any two courses from the following list:

· EDUC-A530 Statistical Data for Educational Leadership

· EDUC-Y502 Intermediate Statistics Applied to Education

· EDUC-A629 Continuous School Improvement and Data-Informed Decision Making

· EDUC-A590 Independent in Educational Leadership

· EDUC-Y510 Action and Research I

· EDUC-P540 Learning and Cognition in Education

· EDUC-P507 Assessment in Schools

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