The Master of Education (M.Ed.) - Teacher Leader Program provides instructional expertise to P-12 teachers who define themselves as committed to improving their classroom practice. The Teacher Leader Program is intended to provide a meaningful framework for increasing student achievement by developing advanced skills in classroom teachers. This 30-credit hour graduate-level program is focused on preparing prospective teacher leaders who emulate and demonstrate proficiencies in:

Supporting classroom teachers to acquire and demonstrate the ability to focus on student learning through a systematic study and reflection of one‘s own teaching practices and through shared knowledge gained from purposefully formed professional learning communities.

Supporting and facilitating the development, articulation, implementation, and stewardship of a district-wide vision of learning and strategies to increase student preparation and success for post-secondary education;

Offering opportunities for teachers to take on new roles and responsibilities, including serving as mentors, instructional coaches, or master teachers, or taking on increased responsibility for professional development activities, curriculum development, or school improvement and leadership activities;

Supporting aspiring teacher leaders to acquire and demonstrate ability to work with teachers, administrators, community members or students on issues or programs that indirectly support classroom teaching/learning experiences;

Supporting aspiring teacher leaders to renew and clarify their vision and passion for teaching and leadership.

Unique Features of the Program
Program participants will benefit from the:

• Sequence of coursework offering in-depth orientation to the role and function of the Teacher Leader, including the knowledge and skills required in a culturally diverse environment.
• Use of a clinical approach that associates course content delivery with systematically organized field-based experiences. Participants are fully integrated into a program that is designed to provide school leadership experiences only available in a school context.

Admission Requirements

• A 2.75 GPA or higher on a 4.0 scale;
• Current Kentucky Teaching Certificate;
• Baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited institution;
• Two (2) favorable letters of recommendation. One must be from a direct supervisor;
• An interview with faculty;
• Completed application packet.

Program Structure
The program has an interdisciplinary structure consisting on the following:

I. Program Core Courses - 18 hours

ETL 610 Philosophy, Interpretation, and Application of Research (3 credit hours).
ETL 615 Leadership Behavior for Teacher Leaders (3 credit hours).
ETL 620 Professional Development for Teacher Leaders (3 credit hours).
ETL 625 Instructional Design and Evaluation for Teacher Leaders (3 credit hours).
ETL 630 Teacher Leadership for Instructional Improvement (3 credit hours).
ETL 650 Assessing Learning for Student Achievement (3 credit hours).

II. Cognate Coursework - 12 credit hours

The following cognate areas are offered:

Instructional Computer Technology/Endorsement (12 credit hours)
EDU 579 Multimedia Application for Teaching and Learning (3 credit hours).
EDU 680 Advanced Technology for Teaching and Learning (4 credit hours).
ECS 685 Assistive/Adaptive Technology (2 credit hours).
EDU 673 Instructional Design (3 credit hours).

Reading (12 credit hours selected from the following)
EDR 556 Developmental Reading in the Middle and High School (3 credit hours).
EDU 615 Literacy Assessment and Intervention (3 credit hours).
EDR 529 Oral and Written Language Development (3 credit hours).
EDU 586 Teaching English as a Second Language (3 credit hours).

English as a Second Language/ Endorsement for Teaching English as a Second Language (12 credit hours)
EDU 555 Introduction to Linguistics (3 credit hours).
EDU 583 Structure of American English (3 credit hours).
EDU 586 Teaching English as a Second Language (3 credit hours).
EDU 587 Practicum in TESL (3 credit hours).

Competency-Based Learning Specialization (Non-endorsement) (12 credit hours)
EDU 625 Teaching Seminar (3 Credit Hours).
EDU 673 Instructional Design (3 Credit Hours).
EDU 687 Curriculum of the Schools (3 Credit Hours).
EDU 690 Curriculum Development K-12 (3 Credit Hours).
ETL 660 Capstone Seminar (0 Credit Hours).

III.  Certificate in Competency-Based Education- 15 hours

Competency-Based Education (CBE) is a mastery-based approach to learning that recognizes the importance of student choice, pace, differentiation, and learner needs as critical components to the teaching-learning process.  Student pathways to proficiency are organized by progressions connected to explicit learning standards and teachers facilitate various ways in which to demonstrate mastery of these standards.

Candidates who complete the following courses will receive a Certificate in Competency-Based Education (Non-endorsement).

Competency-Based Education Certificate (Non-endorsement) (15 credit hours)
ETL 610 Philosophy, Interpretation, and Application of Research (3 credit hours).
ETL 625 Instructional Design and Evaluation for Teacher Leaders (3 credit hours).
ETL 650 Assessing Learning for Student Achievement (3 credit hours).
EDU 625 Teaching Seminar (3 Credit Hours).
EDU 690 Curriculum Development K-12 (3 Credit Hours).

A minimum GPA of 3.00 is required for successful exit from the program.  One course grade of F or two course grades of C lead to automatic dismissal from the program and the University.

Program Sheets
Master of Education: Teacher Leader/Endorsement English as a Second Language
Master of Education: Teacher Leader/Endorsement Instructional Computer Technology
Master of Education: Teacher Leader/Endorsement Reading
Master of Education: Teacher Leader/Rank II & Competency-Based Learning (non-endorsement)

Certificate in Competency-Based Education (non-endorsement)