Admission
Please refer to “The Graduate Admissions Process” section for general graduate admission information.
Admission to the non-certification program in School Leadership requires the following:
1. Complete and submit the Graduate Application for Admission, accompanied by a non-refundable application fee.
2. Submit an official transcript or transcripts verifying completion of a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited college or university. Transcripts and all application documents should be sent to Wilmington University Office of Graduate Admissions. With official transcripts, submit a copy of your Immunization Records.
3. Schedule a program planning conference with the Program Chair.
After all the above requirements have been completed, register for MED 6102 (EFolio - SL&L) along with other course(s) selected.
The Master of Education in School Leadership: Non-Certification is designed for students who hold Bachelor’s degrees from regionally accredited institutions and who are interested in careers in educational leadership for which there is no requirement for state licensure and certification. Such careers could include work in private or independent school settings, child care, youth recreational services, career services and other education-related social services. Students choosing this degree will work with a College of Education Program Advisor to plan an individualized program of studies to satisfy the student’s career interests in educational leadership.
Program Competencies are similar to those in the M.Ed. School Leadership degree program, and are based on the 2018 NELP (National Educational Leadership Preparation Program Building Level Standards as part of CAEP (Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation ) accreditation. The M.Ed. School Leadership/Non-Certified program is for candidates who wish to gain advanced knowledge in areas related to school leadership theory and practice, but who do not need or want a state license or certificate.
Coursework is identical to the current M.Ed. School Leadership program except that Non-Certificate candidates do not complete the field-based requirements specified in Delaware Administrative Code, Title 14, Regulation 290, § 3.2.1.2: “Educator Preparation Programs for administrators must include Clinical Experiences totaling a minimum of two-hundred and forty (240) hours equitably distributed within the Program. The clinical hours must be completed under the mentorship of a currently employed administrator with an effective or highly effective summative rating under 14 DE Admin. Code 108.”
Admission to the M.Ed. School Leadership: Non-Certified program will not require applicants to take/pass standardized assessments necessary for program entry and/or exit.
Program Purpose
The School Leadership Master of Education - Non-Certified Degree addresses research, theory, and practice related to effective schools, teaching and learning, and school reform. Translating theory into practice is a primary emphasis.
This 30 credit program is designed to (a) develop aspiring school leaders’ knowledge, dispositions, and skills related to effective and sustainable school and school system leadership and renewal; (b) prepare school leaders who are committed to the centrality of teaching and learning and to the removal of barriers to student learning; (c) prepare school leaders who will engage all school stakeholders in the development of a shared vision of teaching and learning; (d) prepare school leaders who will manage school operations and resources in an efficient, equitable, and ethical manner, maintaining a constant focus on the improvement of student learning; and (e) prepare school leaders who are committed to professional growth and renewal.
Program Competencies
Program competencies for the M.Ed. in School Leadership are derived from current national standards for building-level educational leadership as adopted by NELP (CAEP Standards) and the National Policy Board for Educational Administration. Those standards provide a framework for developing building–level leaders who can apply knowledge and promote the success of every student by …
1. collaboratively facilitating the development, articulation, implementation, and stewardship of a shared school vision of learning through the collection and use of data to identify school goals, assess organizational effectiveness, and implement school plans to achieve school goals; promotion of continual and sustainable school improvement; and evaluation of school progress and revision of school plans supported by school-based stakeholders.
2. sustaining a school culture and instructional program conducive to learning through collaboration, trust, and a personalized learning environment with high expectations for students; creating and evaluating a comprehensive, rigorous and coherent curricular and instructional school program; developing and supervising the instructional and leadership capacity of school staff; and promoting the most effective and appropriate technologies to support teaching and learning within a school environment.
3. ensuring the management of the school organization, operation, and resources through monitoring and evaluating the school management and operational systems; efficiently using human, fiscal, and technological resources in a school environment; promoting and protecting the welfare and safety of school students and staff; developing school capacity for distributed leadership; and ensuring that teacher and organization time is focused to support high-quality instruction and student learning.
4. collaborating with faculty and community members, responding to diverse community interests and needs, and mobilizing community resources on behalf of the school by collecting and analyzing information pertinent to improvement of the school’s educational environment; promoting an understanding, appreciation, and use of the diverse cultural, social and intellectual resources within the school community; building and sustaining positive school relationships with families and caregivers; and cultivating productive school relationships with community partners.
5. acting with integrity, fairness, and in an ethical manner to ensure a school system of accountability for every student’s academic and social success by modeling school principles of self-awareness, reflective practice, transparency, and ethical behavior as related to their roles within the school; safeguarding the values of democracy, equity, and diversity within the school; evaluating the potential moral and legal consequences of decision making in the school; and promoting social justice within the school to ensure that individual needs inform all aspects of schooling.
6. understanding, responding to, and influencing the larger political, social, economic, legal and cultural context through advocating for school students, families, and caregivers; acting to influence local, district, state, and national decisions affecting student learning in a school environment; and anticipating and assessing emerging trends and initiatives in order to adapt school-based leadership strategies.
7. completing a substantial and sustained educational leadership internship experience that has school-based field experience and clinical internship practice within a school setting and that is monitored by a qualified, on-site mentor.
Outcomes Assessment
Multiple assessments are used to determine candidate growth toward achievement of the knowledge, skills, and dispositions described in School Leadership program competencies and college-wide graduation competencies. Rubrics-based evaluations of fieldwork, projects, assignments, research papers, and final grades for courses represent the first level of assessment. Goals, learning outcomes and activities, external assignments, and assessment strategies are linked directly to program and graduation competencies and are clearly stated on each course syllabus.
Program Design
Candidates are expected to satisfactorily complete all requirements associated with the School Leadership program. A total of 30 credit hours are required for program completion and certification. Field-based components are embedded in every course. The program is normally completed in two to three years, although accelerated options make it possible to complete the program in one year or less by combining regular courses, online learning courses, and/or hybrid courses.
Required Courses
With the exception of MED 6102, courses may be taken in any order. It is recommended that candidates take MED 7700, MED 7590 and MED 7503 early in the program.
Courses
| MED 6102 | E-Folio | 0 |
| MED 6490 | Education, Ethics, and the Law | 3 |
| MED 7201 | Fiscal Operations and Resources | 3 |
| MED 7503 | School and Community: Building a Shared Vision | 3 |
| MED 7590 | School Leadership: Theory and Practice | 3 |
| MED 7700 | The Evolving Role of a Principal: Innovative Leadership Prek-12 | 3 |
| MED 7701 | Supervisory Leadership: Staff Selection Appraisal, and Renewal | 3 |
| MED 7705 | Measurement, Accountability, and Student Learning | 3 |
| MED 7708 | Curriculum Leadership | 3 |
Elective Courses (choose two courses from below or as approved by the Program Chair)
| MED 7702 | Classroom and School Culture: Creating Environments for Learning | 3 |
| MED 7703 | Curriculum and Teaching: Research, Theory, and Practice | 3 |
| MED 7704 | Education for Equity and Social Justice | 3 |
| MED 7709 | Personnel Administration | 3 |
| MED 7710 | Technology and the School Environment | 3 |
| MED 7712 | Curriculum Development | 3 |
| MED 7799 | Supervision and Curriculum Improvement | 3 |
Qualification for Degree
To qualify for the School Leadership Master of Education - Non-Certified degree, a candidate must successfully complete all eight courses plus six credits of approved elective courses for a minimum of 30 credit hours, with a GPA of at least 3.0. The program must be completed within five years.