Dr. Sarah Tanner-Anderson, Graduate Program Director
434.395.4872, tannerandersonsl@longwood.edu
The Education master’s degree program with a concentration in Educational Leadership is designed for teachers who hold a valid teaching license and wish to pursue a career in school administration and supervision. Students are provided preparation for administrative and/or supervisory roles in today’s public and private schools, school divisions, and educational organizations. A three-credit internship - three one-credit semesters for a total of 320 clock hours - is scheduled during the first three semesters of program study; a two-credit capstone research project is conducted in the fourth semester; and a one-credit portfolio must be completed in the final semester. Students wishing to obtain the Administrative and Supervision PreK-12 endorsement must take the School Leaders Licensure Assessment (SLLA) and have taught for a minimum of three years before applying to the Virginia Department of Education for the endorsement. Students should take the SLLA no earlier than the final semester in the program and have scores sent to Longwood University.
Admission
Prior to starting their graduate program, students must hold a conferred bachelor’s degree or international equivalent from a college or university accredited by the appropriate institutional (formerly regional) accreditation agency. Applicants to this concentration must hold at least a valid Virginia Collegiate Professional License or equivalent from another state at the time of admission.
In addition to the above, applicants must have:
- a 2.75 cumulative GPA (on a 4.0 scale)
- a minimum of two recommendations
- a 500-word personal essay
- a résumé
- official transcripts of the bachelor’s degree and any course work completed after that degree.
Clinical Experience
Students in the educational leadership concentration enroll in EDUC 690 - Internship in Educational Leadership PreK-12. Placements are coordinated by the graduate program director and students enrolled complete a total of 320 clock hours split equally between an elementary, middle and secondary school supervised by Longwood program faculty.
Grading is pass (P) / satisfactory progress (SP) / not pass (NP) and will not be used in calculating the grade point average. A grade of incomplete (I) may be assigned at the discretion of the instructor ONLY if all field clock hours have been successfully completed. Students cannot begin a placement prior to registering for the required course in the semester they wish to begin observing all applicable deadlines.
Professional Portfolio
All students in the educational leadership concentration complete EDUC 691 - Educational Leadership Portfolio, as the culminating experience and exit requirement of this concentration of the program. Students are scaffolded by their advisor throughout the program regarding professional portfolio requirements. The portfolio is electronic. Grading is Pass/Not Pass. A grade of incomplete (I) may not be assigned. A student who earns a Not Pass is allowed to retake EDUC 691 once. Should the student earn a second Not Pass, the student will be dismissed from the graduate program.
General Requirements: Development of a portfolio provides each candidate opportunities for reflection and self-evaluation, which documents their mastery of program/concentration standards and highlights their growth throughout the program/concentration.
Administrative procedures for culmination of the process:
- student registers for EDUC 691 - Educational Leadership Portfolio;
- portfolio will be reviewed and evaluated by program faculty members;
- candidate will present a synopsis of the Professional Portfolio to the faculty committee and his/her program peers on a date selected within the semester enrolled in EDUC 691 ; and
- instructor will record the collaborated grade of P/NP for the course.
Concentration Outcomes
The mission of the Educational Leadership concentration of the Master of Science in Education is to prepare graduate candidates for administrative, supervisory, and leadership roles in PK-12 public and private schools, school divisions, and educational organizations. Through a social justice lens, the program of study fuses scholarship and practice to develop citizen leaders to champion change, advocate for students, and promote equity in their communities.
Mission, Vision, and Core Values
- By completion of the program/concentration, candidates will be able to develop a shared, data-informed mission, vision, and core values of high-quality education.
Ethical Decision Making and Professionalism
- By completion of the program/concentration, candidates will be able to analyze and apply principles for ethical decision making and professionalism.
Equitable and Culturally-Responsive Practices
- By completion of the program/concentration, candidates will be able to apply equitable and culturally-responsive practices to ensure inclusivity and diversity of educational opportunities.
Inclusive, Caring, and Supportive School
- By completion of the program/concentration, candidates will be able to propose strategies for creating and sustaining an inclusive, caring, and supportive school community.
Community and Family Engagement
- By completion of the program/concentration, candidates will be able to plan for engagement with families and the community in meaningful, reciprocal, and mutually beneficial ways.
Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment
- By completion of the program/concentration, candidates will be able to analyze data and develop a plan for intellectually rigorous and coherent systems of curriculum, instruction, and assessment.
Instructional Program Evaluation
- By completion of the program/concentration, candidates will be able to evaluate an instructional program for effectiveness and alignment with mission, vision, and strategic plan.
Professional Capacity and Practice
- By completion of the program/concentration, candidates will be able to evaluate the professional capacity of school personnel as it pertains to equitable human resources policies and practices.
Finance and Equitable Resource Allocation
- By completion of the program/concentration, candidates will be able to analyze and develop planning to address equitable finance and resource allocation.
Current and Emerging Educational Trends and Research
- By completion of the program/concentration, candidates will be able to conduct and present research on a current or emerging topic in Pre-K-12 educational leadership.
Internship Field Experience
- By completion of the program/concentration, candidates will be able to fulfill 320 clock hours of internship experience, including elementary, middle, and high school, central office, and the community.
- By completion of the program/concentration, candidates will be able to reflect on the relevance of internship experiences to applicable National Education Leadership Preparation (NELP) standards and relevant research and evidence-based practices for educational leadership.
Portfolio in Educational Leadership
- By completion of the program/concentration, candidates will showcase and reflect upon their learning and mastery of program outcomes and National Education Leadership Preparation (NELP) and Professional Standards for Educational Leadership (PSEL) standards.
