Education and Administration

Faculty

Patricia Krueger-Henny, PhD, The Graduate Center, City University of New York

Participatory Action Research
Youth Empowerment
Curriculum Theory
Critical Pedagogy

Jack Leonard, EdD, Boston University

Urban School Leadership
School Reform
School-Community Partnerships
History of Education
School Leader Preparation

Catarina da Silva, EdD, New York University’s Steinhardt School of Education

Educational Leadership
School Turnaround
Systems Management

The Programs

The graduate programs in educational administration are housed in the College of Education and Human Development’s Department of Leadership in Education. The programs are designed for applicants who are seeking Massachusetts licensure as a principal or administrator of special education or who want to pursue a variety of leadership roles in schools or related institutions. For those who plan to prepare for top-level positions in educational administration, the program serves as a foundation for further graduate study.

All students in the program enroll in core courses providing a comprehensive view of educational leadership and in a practicum involving supervised work in the field. Within this common framework, students specialize through their prepracticum and practicum experiences in preparing for roles as principal, assistant principal, director of special education or teacher leadership.

The MEd and CAGS Programs in Educational Administration use a cohort model and accept students once a year, in the spring, to begin their studies in September; in contrast, candidates can begin the CAGS in Teacher Leadership at any time. Students generally take 2–3 courses each semester for two years, in addition to two courses in the intervening summer. Courses are offered to accommodate the educational practitioner—in the late afternoon and evening or occasionally online. Summer courses are may be held in June, July, or online.

To meet its goal of developing leaders who can be effective in improving schools, the program focuses on eight interrelated tenets of leadership:

Instructional leaders connect curriculum, instruction, and assessment to improve learning for all students.
Anti-racism leaders use knowledge and skills about race, gender, and culture to build school environments characterized by social justice and equity.
Organizational and cultural leaders use solid understandings of organizational dynamics and of culture to move successfully toward a shared vision for a school.
Managerial leaders marshal the “nuts and bolts” of management and operations—human, financial, technological, and legal resources—to attain goals and serve a broader vision.
Leaders of other leaders use their understanding of the best principles and practices of professional development to support the growth of staff members and colleagues.
Data-oriented leaders use data (and enhance their organization’s capacity to use data) for assessment, continuous improvement, and decision making.
Communication leaders use interpersonal oral and written skills to work effectively with a variety of audiences, including parents and community members.
Reflective leaders demonstrate the ability to integrate these tenets in context, to learn from practice, to assess strengths and weaknesses, and to plan for personal learning.