EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP PROGRAM
New York State (NYS) School Building Leader (SBL) Certificate
EDA 600 Theory in School Administration (3)
EDA 610 School Law (3)
EDA 620 Supervision for the Improvement of Instruction (3)
EDA 625 Instructional Program Design (3)
EDA 630 School Personnel Administration (3)
EDA 650 The Principalship (3)
EDA 690 Educational Administration Internship (8) OR
EDA 675 Educational Administration Internship I (4) AND
EDA 680 Educational Administration Internship II (4)
Internship prerequisites: A minimum of 12 credit hours of EDA coursework is required; however, 18 such credit hours are preferred. Co-requisite: EDA 690L, the Internship Seminar.
On-line candidates may complete the internship in their local area with the assistance of a mentor and a Canisius supervisor. There is no residency requirement.
Successful completion of the NYS SBL Certification Exam is also required for SBL certification in NYS.
New York State School District Leader (SDL) Certificate
All of the courses above plus the following:
EDA 640 School Business Administration (3)
EDA 660 The Administrator & Pupil Personnel Services (3)
Successful completion of the NYS SDL Certification Exam is also required for SDL certification in NYS.
Master of Science in Educational Leadership and Supervision
All of the courses above plus three (3) electives. Candidates may choose to add a Content Concentration for the electives. The electives and concentrations are described below.
Option 1: Emerging Issues in Educational Leadership
1. EDA 655 School Leaders and Community Relations (campus-based course)
2. EDA 657 Development of Urban Teachers (on-line or campus-based course)
3. EDA 661 Issues in School Leadership (campus-based course)
Option 2: Educational Technologies and Merging Media
Take 3 of the following courses:
1. EDT 501 Theory, Design, and Technology (online course)
2. EDT 502 Differentiating Instruction (online course)
3. EDT 503 Educational Multimedia Design (online course)
4. EDT 504 Technology in Content Areas (online course)
5. EDA 656 Technology Tools for the Administrator (online)
Option 3: Athletics Administration
1. PEG 620 Leadership in Physical Education and Athletics (online course)
2. PEG 681 Legal Aspects in Sport (online course)
3. PEG 635 Administrative Principles of Physical Education/Athletics (online course)
Option 4: Instructional Leadership
Take 3 of the following courses:
1. EDDI 505 Introduction to Differentiated Instruction (existing campus-
based course)
2. EDDI 585 Integrating Technology in the Differentiated Classroom
(campus-based course)
3. EDA 658 Advanced Clinical Instructional Supervision (online course)
4. EDA 657 Development of Urban Teachers (online or campus-based course)
Option 5: No Concentration
Candidates can select any of the above electives to finish the MS, but no concentration will be listed on the transcript. Please consult your advisor to determine if credits taken at another univeristy can satisfy the elective requirements.
** A concentration can be declared by sending an e-mail the the program director.
Course Descriptions for the Canisius College Educational Leadership Program
EDA 600 THEORY OF EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP
This course is designed as an introductory course in school administration. The course is intended to give candidates an overview of the forces that drive education today. Through independent and group work, candidates will investigate leadership/management styles, change forces, organizational models, and schools for the 21st century. Candidates will have the opportunity to present and reflect on case studies in education leading to the development of solutions and theories.
Candidates will be expected to read course texts and handouts, critique current literature, attend and report on a Board of Education meeting, present orally and in writing a researched topic that will positively effect school change, and actively engage in class discussion through investigations before each class.
Candidates will explore theories as they may relate to the forces reshaping our schools. Topics such as organizational models, characteristics of leadership, change systems, vision development, and school design may be investigated.
EDA 610 SCHOOL LAW
Candidates will have the opportunity to learn the principles of public school law with a focus on New York State Education Law and selected federal and state cases affecting the administration of our educational system. School leaders are facing an ever-increasing demand to make appropriate and legal educational decisions. To assist in this endeavor, one must have a working knowledge of basic school law. To that end, school law topics are discussed through a combination of lecture and case law analysis. The goal of this course is to empower the candidate with the knowledge of how laws affect schools and how laws are applied to school situations. A focus on practical aspects of school law is emphasized.
Candidates will be expected to read the course text and handouts, actively engage in classroom discussions, and communicate appropriately and effectively in both written and oral presentations. Topics include student residency, attendance and discipline; freedom of speech; search and seizure; FERPA; IDEA; LRE; and employee rights.
EDA 620 SUPERVISION FOR INSTRUCTIONAL IMPROVEMENT
This course will focus on the critical role of effective instructional supervision in the development of positive school culture. Candidates will examine institutional change, school improvement, staff development, and teacher evaluation. Supervision techniques will be explored, including: mentoring and peer coaching, as well as clinical supervision. Special emphasis will be placed on the skills and strategies needed to develop learning organizations that, build an appropriate curriculum, support instructional improvement, and incorporate best practices. Candidates will study the use of various staffing patterns and student grouping plans, as well as school organizational structures, to support teaching strategies and student success.
EDA 625 PROGRAM DESIGN
This course will give candidates a comprehensive overview of the concepts, strategies, and resources associated with planning, implementing, and evaluating school curriculum. Candidates will investigate the historical, philosophical, psychological, sociological, and political factors associated with curriculum programs. The various dynamic forces that influence the curriculum will be researched from historical, contemporary and futuristic perspectives. Additional attention will be focused on contemporary research regarding constructivist principles, invitational learning, cooperative learning, outcome-based education, multiculturalism, learning styles, multiple intelligences, and various techniques to customize learning experiences and staff development activities that support curriculum change. This course will combine the theoretical with the practical, in order to develop the knowledge, skills, and dispositions that will prepare candidates to effectively develop, implement, and evaluate specific curriculum programs.
EDA 630: SCHOOL PERSONNEL ADMINISTRATION
This course is designed as a survey course in school personnel leadership. It provides an overview of the myriad of duties and responsibilities of the office of human resources. Through individual assignments and small/large group experiences, candidates gain the knowledge, skills, and attributes involved in leading both professional and non-professional staff. Specific case studies are presented, guest speakers are invited to present, and specific theories and philosophies are studied.
Assignments will include reading of required articles and texts, reflecting on class lectures and presentations over e-mail, interviewing key leaders in candidate’s workplace, and participation in class seminar discussions. The course will be taught using a combination of on-campus and distance learning experiences as well as other instructional technology/telecommunications.
Matters having to do with leadership and organization of school personnel will be addressed. Exploration of topics such as recruitment and selection; induction; professional development; supervision and evaluation; discipline and dismissal; the work environment; compensation and benefits; administering employee contracts; and legal issues in personnel management will be included.
EDA 640: SCHOOL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION
This course is designed to provide candidates with an overview of the major areas of responsibilities of the school business administrator. Financial support for public schools from local, state, and federal governments will be emphasized. Fiscal planning, budgeting, plant management, accounting and purchasing procedures, distribution of supplies and services, transportation and food service will be examined. The course will underscore the crucial role of the school business administrator as a key member of the district’s leadership team. The course is also designed to provide candidates with an understanding of how the school business administrator can facilitate educational decision-making, thereby having a positive effect on student learning.
EDA 650: THE PRINCIPALSHIP
The candidate will study the wide range of responsibilities of the principal as both manager and educational leader. Topics include establishing a common vision and purpose with stakeholders, working collaboratively to achieve common goals, developing a learner centered school culture, planning for the improvement of instruction, school finance management, supervising employees, providing a safe school environment, promoting student health and welfare, and initiating, managing, and evaluating change.
EDA 655: SCHOOL & COMMUNITY RELATIONS
This course is designed to empower school administrators to mobilize community resources and create partnerships that enhance and drive a school culture where all youth can succeed. The changing school in the changing community will be discussed, as well as principles of effectiveness and New York State mandates involved in maintaining a desirable relationship between “town and gown.” The course instructors will incorporate research-based strategies and experiential activities that can effect positive school community change in an era of diminishing resources. This course will also discuss powerful avenues to current school/community challenges such as character education, school violence prevention, overcoming barriers to learning, and academic reinforcement.
EDA 656: TECHNOLOGY TOOLS FOR THE ADMINISTRATOR
This course is designed to give candidates a comprehensive overview of technology and its application to education today. Candidates will learn to use technology, telecommunications, and information systems to enrich curriculum and instruction (e.g., CAI systems, CD ROM retrieval systems, online networks, distance learning, interactive video, etc.). Current technologies for school management, information retrieval, and staff development will be explored. Candidates will become critical consumers of technology and will utilize actual school and district data to develop and monitor long range plans, thus discovering the impact of technologies on student outcomes and school operations. Candidates will also examine social and ethical issues surrounding the use of technology within the educational arena.
EDA 657: DEVELOPMENT OF URBAN TEACHERS
This course addresses the difference between new urban teachers and new suburban teachers and identifies how appropriate, relevant professional development can have a positive impact on new teacher turnover. Topics for professional development include classroom management, appropriate assessment, mentoring, and the importance of teacher dispositions. Candidates will be required to develop hiring criteria plans and professional development plans.
EDA 658: ADVANCED CLINICAL INSTRUCTIONAL SUPERVISION (online
course)
This course will focus on the tools needed for clinical instructional supervision in New York State. Students will be introduced to state-approved models including Class, Danielson’s Framework for Teaching, Marzano’s Teacher Evaluation Rubric, Marshall’s Teacher Evaluation Rubric, NYSTCE Framework for the Observation of Effective Teaching, NYSUT Teacher Practice Rubric, and the Thoughtful Classroom Teacher Effectiveness Framework.
EDA 660: THE ADMINISTRATOR & PUPIL PERSONNEL SERVICES
This is a survey course which provides the necessary background and basic understanding of the quantitative and qualitative dimensions of pupil personnel services (PPS) found in schools/districts today. The role of the building/district administrator will be reviewed. Working independently and in groups, candidates will have the opportunity to become familiar with the mandated deliverance mechanisms of pupil personnel services in New York State. Candidates will learn the “language” of pupil personnel services as related to special education, academic intervention services, testing and assessments, and guidance services. Candidates will identify their own administrative skills and demonstrate these skills through class presentations.
Candidates will be expected to read course texts and handouts, critique current literature as specified, present orally and in writing a researched topic of choice, and actively engage in class discussions.
Topics include: role of the administrator, mandated delivery mechanisms and the “language” of PPS as it relates to special education, academic intervention services, curriculum development, counseling services, state mandates/testing, and any other area pertinent to the needs and interest of the candidates.
EDA 661: ISSUES IN SCHOOL LEADERSHIP
To create and maintain a successful learning organization, educational leaders must act with a reasoned understanding of major historical, philosophical, ethical, social and economic influences affecting education. This course provides candidates the opportunity to explore an array of education leadership issues and trends, closely examine an issue of their choosing using existing qualitative and quantitative data, and develop an action research project to address the identified problem(s), outlining possible actions and their implications. Important foundations for this exploration are:
EDA 675 & EDA 680 or EDA 690: THE ADMINSTRATIVE INTERNSHIP
The internship is the process and product that results in the application of knowledge, skills, and attributes candidates have acquired in strategic, instructional, organizational, and contextual leadership. Internship experiences will be coupled with seminars, resulting in a meaningful synthesis of knowledge, skills, service, professionalism, and leadership.
The internship includes a variety of rigorous leadership experiences in diverse settings planned and guided cooperatively by personnel from Canisius College and cooperating school districts. Interns will be provided substantial responsibilities that increase over time in amount and complexity, and which involve direct interaction and involvement with students, staff, parents, and community leaders. The internship should include some involvement with social service organizations such as Child and Family Services, Catholic Charities of Buffalo, Bry Lin Hospitals, Mid-Erie Counseling and Treatment Services, People Inc., etc.
EDA 690L: INTERNSHIP LAB
EDA 690L utilizes a seminar format to provide candidates an opportunity to expand their knowledge and skills in strategic, instructional, organizational, and contextual leadership.
Seminars are designed to augment the internship experience by engaging candidates in professional dialogue and collective inquiry of current educational issues and concerns encountered in authentic educational settings. Leadership will be explored through various mechanisms including guest speakers, site visitations, simulated exercises, use of technology, current professional literature, bulletins, monographs, press releases, etc.
Elective Course Descriptions for the Canisius College Educational Leadership Program
EDT 501: THEORY, DESIGN, and TECHNOLOGY (online course)
Students will examine how technology and various learning theories and brain-based research impacts instructional practices. Computer-mediated instruction, current digital resources, and virtual learning environments will be presented and explored as a way to foster learning in a learner-centered, developmentally appropriate, differentiated environment.
EDT 502: DIFFERENTIATING INSTRUCTION (online course)
Students will learn how to effectively design, implement, and assess learning experiences and to engage students and improve learning through educational technologies and differentiated instruction. Participants will gain hands-on experience using technological strategies for differentiation that will engage learners of all styles, ranging from new uses for basic technology, to online teaching tools and the production of multi-media.
EDT 503: EDUCATIONAL MULTIMEDIA DESIGN (online course)
Students will examine theory and practice of creating educational and instructional multimedia for learning. Students will examine the use of technology to support learning, and ways in which media can be adapted for learning modalities.
EDT 504: TECHNOLOGY IN CONTENT AREAS (online course)
The course provides practical, timely, and relevant ways to integrate technology for content learning. Students will examine best practice use of Education Technologies for their content areas, emerging technology, and curriculum-specific uses of technology for learning new content.
This course will examine the appropriate concepts relating to efficient management and leadership for physical education, sport and recreational settings. Principles and techniques of management associated with effective leaders of programs, personnel, facilities, and participants in the sport activity field.
PEG 681: LEGAL ASPECTS in SPORT (online course)
The goal of the course is to enable the student to identify, analyze and understand legal issues and to discuss the ramifications of those issues in their professional lives. The course attempts to provide the student with an understanding of the legal principles relevant to educational and sport setting. The course considers the legal liabilities and responsibilities of athletic coaches, administrators and physical education instructors in the educational institutions, with review and discussion of current case law.
PEG 635: ADMINISTRATIVE PRINCIPLES of PHYSICAL EDUCATION/ATHLETICS (online course)
The goal of the course will be to enable the student to develop skills needed to serve as an athletic director in a K-12 school district. Scheduling, safety, qualification of coaches, eligibility, and local league governance will be covered.
EDDI 505: INTRODUCTION to DIFFERENTIATED INSTRUCTION (campus based course)
Provides an introduction to the philosophy of Differentiation. This course will examine ways that classrooms can effectively support differentiating instruction and assessment to address the complex challenges of meeting the diverse learning needs of all students. Participants will gain an understanding of the reasons and assumptions underlying differentiation and acquire the ability to identify key indicators in a classroom. Knowledge of the characteristics of students who learn at different paces and levels will be developed. Study of a variety of curriculum options, such as those of content, implementation of differentiated lessons that optimize learning for all students, including gifted students and other high-ability learners.
EDDI 585: INTEGRATING TECHNOLOGY in the DIFFERENTIATED CLASSROOM (campus based course)
This course introduces educators to technology that can be used to support, supplement and deliver differentiated content and assessment in the mixed ability classroom. The benefits and challenges of incorporating technology will be considered while participants learn how to integrate technology into their curriculum. Participants will gain hands-on experience using technological strategies for differentiation that will engage learners of all styles, ranging from new uses for basic software applications and online collaboration, to the production of multimedia.