EDS Degree

Philosophy

Degree Plans

• General Leadership Program (Administrative, Technology, and Vocational)
• Elementary School Principal
• Secondary School Principal
• Community Education Director
• Superintendent of Schools

Related Academic Area Study

Field Study and Oral Examination

Philosophy

The specialist program in educational leadership is divided into mutually supportive blocks of study. Each block has a major outcome as outlined below:

• Block I -- Theory and Practice of Leadership and Administration
  
  Outcomes include:
  
  
  1. the fundamental principles affecting organizational change while leading, responding, or adapting to societal pressures
     
  2. skill in managing and modifying the physical plant for maximum aesthetic impact on the learning environment
     
  3. knowledge of the school and its relationship with the various communities it serves and
     
  4. application of leadership and administrative skills in a practicum setting at the elementary, middle/junior high, or high school level, with additional practicum opportunities at the central administrative level.
     
  
  
• Block II -- Legal, Political and Ethical Foundations of Educational Leadership
  
  Outcomes include knowledge of the fundamental rights of students and teachers and contemporary legal approaches involved in educational settings, the legal principles involved in overall organizational management, with special reference to tort liability, contract liability, financing education, and negotiations.
  
  
• Block III -- Supervision and Staff Development
  
  Outcomes include:
  
  
  1. knowledge of the personnel administration functions and an examination of the purpose, policies, plans, procedures, and processes of personnel administration, and
     
  2. application of administrative skills in relationship to supervision for the improvement of instruction or to staff evaluation in practicum settings.
     
  
  
• Block IV -- Statistics, Research, Analysis, and Writing
  
  Outcomes include demonstration of ability to plan, implement, evaluate, and report on a major field project. This project must evolve out of current issues related to elementary, secondary or central office administration.
  
  
• Block V -- Educational Foundations, Curriculum, and Instruction
  
  Outcomes include:
  
  
  1. an understanding of philosophical or historical viewpoints and their impact on contemporary education organizations and clientele, and
     
  2. application of administrative skills in relationship to supervision of curriculum and its impact on learners.
     
  
  
• Block VI -- Information Systems for Management and Instruction
  
  Outcomes include knowledge and skill in technology for advanced management and instructional programs for education including school fund management and accountability.

• Six credits of coursework from Curricular Block I - Theory and Practice of Leadership and Administration:
  
  
  • 786 School Facility Planning (2)
  • 789 School-Community Relations (2)
  • 794 Practicum: General Leadership (2)
    
    
• Two credits of coursework from Curricular Block II - Legal, Political, and Ethical Foundations of Education:
  
  
  • 748 Collective Bargaining and Negotiations in Education (2)
  • 777 Tort Liability (2)
  • 779 Politics and Policy Analysis in Education (2)
    
    
• Eight credits of coursework from Curricular Block III - Supervision and Staff Development:
  
  
  • 782 Supervisory and Administrative Theories (4)
  • 784 School Personnel Administration (2)
  • 794 Practicum: Supervision (2)
    
    
• Four credits of coursework from Curricular Block IV - Statistics, Research, Analysis, and Writing:
  
  
  • 798s/799 Field Study (4)
    
    
• Four credits of coursework from Curricular Block V - Educational Foundations, Curriculum, and Instruction:
  
  
  • 780 Instructional Models (2)
    AND a course in the socio-cultural foundations usually drawn from one of the following courses:
    
    710 Philosophy of Education (2)
    
    OR
    
    714 History of Education (2)
    
  
  
• Four credits of coursework from Curricular Block VI -- Information Systems for Management and Instruction:
  
  
  • 783 Computer Data Management and Decision Making (2)
  • 794 Practicum: Budget and Finance (2)
    
    
• Six credits of electives.

• Six credits of coursework from Curricular Block I - Theory and Practice of Leadership and Administration:
  
  
  • 786 School Facility Planning (2)
  • 789 School-Community Relations (2)
  • 794 Practicum: Elementary School Principalship (2)
    
    
• Two credits of coursework from Curricular Block II - Legal, Political, and Ethical Foundations of Education:
  
  
  • 748 Collective Bargaining and Negotiations in Education (2)
  • 777 Tort Liability (2)
  • 779 Politics and Policy Analysis in Education (2)
    
    
• Eight credits of coursework from Curricular Block III - Supervision and Staff Development:
  
  
  • 782 Supervisory & Administrative Theories (4)
  • 784 School Personnel Administration (2)
  • 794 Practicum: Supervision (2)
    
    
• Four credits of coursework from Curricular Block IV - Statistics, Research, Analysis, and Writing:
  
  
  • 798s/799 Field Study (4)
    
    
• Four credits of coursework from Curricular Block V - Educational Foundations, Curriculum, and Instruction:
  
  
  • 780 Instructional Models (2)
    AND a course in the socio-cultural foundations usually drawn from one of the following courses:
    
    710 Philosophy of Education (2)
    
    OR
    
    714 History of Education (2)
    
    
• Eight credits of coursework from Curricular Block VI - Information Systems for Management and Instruction:
  
  
  • 783 Computer Data Management and Decision Making (2)
  • 788 School Finance and Business Management (4)
  • 794 Practicum: Budget and Finance (2)
    
    
• Two Credits of electives.
  

• Six credits of coursework from Curricular Block I - Theory and Practice of Leadership and Administration:
  
  
  • 786 School Plant Planning and Maintenance (2)
  • 789 School-Community Relations (2)
  • 794 Practicum: Secondary School Principalship (2)
    
    
• Two credits of coursework from Curricular Block II - Legal, Political, and Ethical Foundations of Education:
  
  
  • 748 Collective Bargaining and Negotiations in Education (2)
  • 777 Tort Liability (2)
  • 779 Politics and Policy Analysis in Education (2)
    
    
• Eight credits of coursework from Curricular Block III - Supervision and Staff Development:
  
  
  • 782 Supervisory and Administrative Theory (4)
  • 784 School Personnel Administration (2)
  • 794 Practicum: Supervision (2)
    
    
• Four credits of coursework from Curricular Block IV - Statistics, Research, Analysis, and Writing:
  
  
  • 798s/799 Field Study (4)
    
    
• Four credits of coursework from Curricular Block V - Educational Foundations, Curriculum, and Instruction:
  
  
  • 780 Instructional Models (2)
    AND a course in the socio-cultural foundations usually drawn from one of the following courses:
    
    710 Philosophy of Education (2)
    
    OR
    
    714 History of Education (2)
    
  
  
• Eight credits of coursework from Curricular Block VI -- Information Systems for Management and Instruction:
  
  
  • 783 Computer Data Management and Decision Making (2)
  • 788 School Finance and Business Management (4)
  • 794 Practicum: Budget and Finance (2)
    
    
• Two credits of electives.
  

• Six credits of coursework from Curricular Block I - Theory and Practice of Leadership and Administration:
  
  
  • 786 School Plant Planning and Maintenance (2)
  • 789 School-Community Relations (2)
  • 794 Practicum: Community Education Director (2)
    
    
• Two credits of coursework from Curricular Block II - Legal, Political, and Ethical Foundations of Education:
  
  
  • 748 Collective Bargaining and Negotiations in Education (2)
  • 777 Tort Liability (2)
  • 779 Politics and Policy Analysis in Education (2)
    
    
• Eight credits of coursework from Curricular Block III - Supervision and Staff Development:
  
  
  • 782 Supervisory and Administrative Theories (4)
  • 784 School Personnel Administration (2)
  • 794 Practicum: Supervision (2)
    
    
• Four credits of coursework from Curricular Block IV - Statistics, Research, Analysis, and Writing:
  
  
  • 798S/799 Field Study (4)
    
    
• Four credits of coursework from Curricular Block V - Educational Foundations, Curriculum, and Instruction:
  
  
  • 780 Instructional Models (2)
    AND a course in the socio-cultural foundations usually drawn from one of the following courses:
    
    710 Philosophy of Education (2)
    
    OR
    
    714 History of Education (2)
    
    
• Eight credits of coursework from Curricular Block VI -- Information Systems for Management and Instruction:
  
  
  • 783 Computer Data Management and Decision Making (2)
  • 788 School Finance and Business Management (4)
  • 794 Practicum: Budget and Finance (2)
    
  
  
• Two credits of electives .
  

• Eight credits of coursework from Curricular Block I - Theory and Practice of Leadership and Administration:
  
  
  • 786 School Facility Planning (2)
  • 789 School-Community Relations (2)
  • 790 Seminar in the Superintendency (2)
  • 794 Practicum: Superintendency (2)
    
    
• Two credits of coursework from Curricular Block II - Legal, Political, and Ethical Foundations of Education:
  
  
  • 748 Collective Bargaining and Negotiations in Education (2)
  • 777 Tort Liability (2)
  • 779 Politics and Policy Analysis in Education (2)
    
    
• Eight credits of coursework from Curricular Block III - Supervision and Staff Development:
  
  
  • 782 Supervisory and Administrative Theories (4)
  • 784 School Personnel Administration (2)
  • 794 Practicum: Supervision (2)
    
    
• Four credits of coursework from Curricular Block IV - Statistics, Research, Analysis, and Writing:
  
  
  • 798s/799 Field Study (4)
    
    
• Four credits of coursework from Curricular Block V - Educational Foundations, Curriculum, and Instruction:
  
  
  • 780 Instructional Models (2)
    AND a course in the socio-cultural foundations usually drawn from one of the following courses:
    
    710 Philosophy of Education (2)
    
    OR
    
    714 History of Education (2)
    
    
• Eight credits of coursework from Curricular Block VI -- Information Systems for Management and Instruction:
  
  
  • 783 Computer Data Management and Decision Making (2)
  • 788 School Finance and Business Management (4)
  • 794 Practicum: Budget and Finance (2)
    

Field Study and Oral Examination

Each student in the TCU specialist degree program is required to complete a field study and to have an oral examination over that study.

The Field Study

The field study gives students the opportunity to demonstrate their ability to apply theories and principles of educational leadership to problems encountered in the "real world" of the schools. Students work with their advisers and select problems in areas closely related to one of their practicum studies (Ed. 794). When students have approval from their advisers for their projects, they register for 4 semester credits under Ed. 798s/799 and carry out the field study.

The Oral Examination

When they have completed the field study, students file a request for an oral examination. The request must be accompanied by an original and three copies of the field study. This request results in the formation of the student's oral examination committee, which consists of four members: the student's faculty adviser; two faculty members from the educational leadership program; and one faculty member appointed by the graduate office of the institution through which the student applied for admission. (Other faculty members are free to attend if they so desire.)

The oral examination will be conducted on the field study project, but it may also require candidates to deal with material covered in related coursework. If there are serious weaknesses in the candidate's performance or in the field study project, the committee shall specifically explain these weaknesses to the candidate, and the oral examination may be continued at a later date.

After successfully completing the oral examination, a student must submit to the TCU Office three to five copies of the field study, with all corrections and additions required by the examining committee.

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E-Mail:vicki.ihry@ndsu.edu
Vicki Ihry
Tri-College University
NDSU Downtown Campus
650 NP Ave #110
Fargo, ND 58102
Phone: (701) 231-9732