Educational Specialist Degree

Core Course Descriptions
Advanced Educational Research EDUC 601 (3). In this course, students will critically engage educational research as an expression of the scientific method and reflect on this process as it relates to the educator’s role. Graduate students will be challenged to know and comprehend paradigms of educational research; apply and analyze, statistical methodologies in current and proposed research, and finally synthesize and evaluate professional contributions in research. These experiences should prepare the candidate to develop and critically assess professional teaching and learning activities and then reflect on the process in a paper suitable for professional publication.

Legal and Ethical Issues in Education EDUC 665 (3). This is a course in school law and ethics related to teaching and school administration. The course explores how America’s legal system copes with moral ambiguity and controversial ethical questions as they relate to teaching and learning. The course evaluates decisions and assesses various approaches to fundamental ethical dilemmas and the impact of law in contemporary society.

Multimedia Design and Production in Education EDUC 675 (3). This course will comprehensively examine the multimedia production process as a tool for instructional presentations. It will introduce, analyze, and review the hardware and software products necessary for success in multimedia production in educational settings. A strong emphasis will be placed on a team approach in order to simulate the collaborative efforts necessary for success in the wider learning community.

Instructional Leadership and Coaching EDUC 683 (3). This core course will focus on that which makes a school successful. During the course of instruction, students will investigate the nature of instruction, curriculum, assessment, and professional development. A secondary focus will be on using assessment and professional development to improve measured outcomes. The course will also explore leadership, change, and school culture as tools in improving the quality of instruction.

Curriculum Theory: Design and Assessment EDUC 684 (3).  This course examines historical approaches, current theories, types of planning, and acceptable evaluative techniques in regard to curriculum and curriculum development. Guidelines for the use of assessment data and implementation issues related to accountability will also be studied.

Establishing and Maintaining Learning Communities EDUC 686 (3). This course examines the ways to connect schools and the various publics served by them in both a macro and micro perspective. Connections between community institutions and their roles and responsibilities to the school and family will be explored through class lectures, video presentations, field trips, observations, guest speakers, group discussions, and group activities.

Elective Courses

Classroom Teaching: In addition to satisfying the 18 hour core requirements, those candidates in the Classroom Teaching track may select any combination of graduate level courses (12 hours) to complete their 30 hour commitment.

Educational Leadership: The Educational Leadership candidates will complete the 18 hour core requirement and an additional 15 hours from a specified list with three of those hours being an Internship. Leadership candidates must choose and successfully complete four courses (12 semester hours) from the following list. (Committee’s note: the following list is subject to change over time. The following represents but an initial offering to students.)

• Practicum in School District Leadership—3 hours (Required)

• School Business Leadership—3 hours

• School and Community Relations – 3 hours

• School Personnel Administration—3 hours

• Advanced School Law – 3 hours

• Middle School Leadership—3 hours

• Instructional Design—3 hours

• School Governance: Problems and Issues—3 hours

Elective Course Descriptions

School District Leadership EDLR 610 (3). This is a course in the theory and practice of organizational leadership skills, tasks, responsibilities and challenges as they are applicable to the school superintendency and other district level administrative positions.

School Business Leadership EDLR 671 (3). This course examines the fundamental financial management tasks and procedures at the school district level; further, it equips students with skills necessary for planning and operating educational facilities.

School and Community Relations EDLR 681 (3). This course will comprehensively examine communication principles and the variety of forces that are involved in school and community relations. Application of essential public relations tools to enhance a school’s mission focused on student learning is a major course objective.

School Personnel Administration EDLR 682 (3). This course represents a study of personnel administration in public school systems. The course examines selection, orientation, placement, compensation, transfers, separation and staff development of instructional and support staff.

Advanced School Law EDLR 685 (3). This course is designed to acquaint students with emerging legal issues that will affect them in roles as educational decision-makers. Students enrolled in this course are expected to have a working knowledge of school law and the material covered in EDUC 565 (School Law) or a comparable course.

Middle School Leadership EDLR 690 (3). This course is designed to study the historical, sociological, psychological, and philosophical aspects of the middle level school. Discussion and activities focus on the purpose, function, and implications of current thinking regarding the learner, curriculum, and the middle level school. Students will explore middle grades teaching practice and student learning as well as examine the current literature regarding the middle level organization and practice. The goal of this course is to provide candidates with philosophical perspectives and the knowledge needed to provide leadership in supporting or implementing exemplary middle grades practices

Instructional Design EDLR 691 (3). This course provides the student with the opportunity to develop a comprehensive understanding of what instructional design is and how it can effectively be used to improve classroom performance. At the center of this course is the use of a systematic process to design instruction in which every component and the learning environment is integral to success. Candidates will learn that careful planning and design are critical factors to the education enterprise.

School Governance: Problems and Issues EDLR 692 (3). This is an elective course in the Educational Leadership strand of the Ed. S. program. This course explores issues in educational governance and policy in the United States at the federal, state, and local levels. There is a special focus on governance and policy development in Tennessee.

Practicum in School District Leadership EDLR 696 (3). This course provides students with extensive supervised experiences at the district level leadership positions.

History of American Education EDUC 602 (3). This course explores both formal schooling and informal education in America by analyzing the ways in which social and intellectual trends have influenced educational policy and practice. The course delineates many of the competing theories surrounding historic educational debates and relates the conflicts of the past to contemporary concerns about education in the United States.

Advanced Child Studies EDUC 603 (3). This course provides an advanced study of various theories of psychological and psychosocial development and implications of those theories on student learning.

Literacy Instruction for Diverse Populations EDUC 680 (3). This course is designed to help candidates teach children from diverse populations who encounter literacy problems. Diagnostic tools and instructional strategies will be provided to help teachers understand students’ literacy problems and to better prepare them to instruct children who struggle with learning to read.

National Board Certification Application EDUC 685 (3). This is an optional course that will offer credit for completing the National Board Certification materials. Students will receive assistance and guidance as they undertake this challenging task.

Managing the Learning Environment EDUC 687 (3). This course is designed for practicing professionals (regular and special educators, school psychologists and counselors) as well those in leadership roles who function as advisors to teachers who serve children and youth that present behavioral challenges in the school or community. Using a case study approach it will revisit the theoretical models of human behavior and examine ways to analyze, identify, change, and maintain positive behavior in the classroom or community. An emphasis will be placed on the student’s leadership role as reflective practitioner who, as an agent of change, can advise in the establishment of class and school wide policies to effectively manage the learning environment.

Professional Writing for Publication EDUC 688 (3). This course is designed to help graduate students analyze, evaluate, and produce the types of writing commonly associated with academic publication.