600

All candidates working on a master’s thesis from a previous semester must register for thesis supervision until the thesis is accepted.

This course examines the ethical bases for the development of moral leadership. Classical ethical theories (e.g. Aristotle, Aquinas, Kant) are studied in conjunction with the Lewis Mission, the Illinois State Board of Education Standards for school leaders and the ethics statements of the Illinois Principals Association (IPA) and the American Association of School Administrators (AASA).

This course presents methods for central office planning and assessment of educational programs. Emphasis is placed on the role of leadership in providing long-range vision for the district.

This course focuses on the legal foundation of the public and private school systems in America; responsibilities of central office personnel in compliance with applicable local, state and federal statutes; and case law applied to the public school district, especially in the areas of human resource management, student rights, special education and school safety.

This course examines the roles of district policy makers and central office leaders in collective bargaining and employee relations.

This course examines the processes of initiating, enacting and implementing educational policy at the local and state levels, and the role of the central office administrator in these processes. Candidates will examine school-community relations, community resources and dynamics as they impact educational policy and practice.

This course is designed to be a comprehensive study of curriculum planning, implementation, assessment and leadership as it relates to program involvement. The roles and responsibilities of the principal as an instructional leader and facilitator of the curriculum process will be examined. Curriculum development in light of the state standards as well as national curriculum projects will be studied.

This course focuses on research into the central office role in providing curriculum planning and implementation of innovative instructional methods.

This course provides an examination of local, state and federal resources for school districts; budgeting and accounting for school districts in Illinois; and central office responsibilities in planning, implementing and assessing the district budget process.

This course examines strategies for collection and analysis of data using current technologies. Best practices in the area of student assessment and evaluation are considered. Emphasis is placed on preparing candidates to be consumers and producers of educational research. This course provides the background for the completion of the required research component of the Certificate of Advanced Study programs.

This course examines the organization and management of the central office of a school district in Illinois; the structural and climate-based variables of the superintendent’s role; and the management of the district for school improvement and enhanced student learning.

This course provides for the assignment of the applicant to a mentor superintendent in a local district for the development of specific skills in planning, organizing, evaluating and leading a district. Mentorship includes seminars with the district mentor and University faculty.