Teacher Leadership Certificate (TLC): Program Information

A partnership between the Department of Educational Leadership & Research Methodology (ELRM) and the Department of Curriculum, Culture, and Educational Inquiry (CCEI)

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Vision Statement

To cultivate and activate teachers as leaders who transform the teaching profession in the best interest of students.

Purpose Statement

To build networks of teacher leaders prepared to transform instructional practice, education policy, and education associations.

Program Overview

Program Goals

The Teacher Leadership Certificate program (TLC) is designed to develop a new generation of leaders within the teaching profession. With a shared vision of teacher leadership advancing the profession, the TLC’s goals are to:

• Activate teachers as leaders for students and the profession as a result of their participation in this process;
• Build networks of teachers equipped with the knowledge and skills to mobilize, advocate, and lead around issues concerning 21st-century student learning, as well as the profession, and education policy;
• Develop teacher leadership as an integral factor in teachers’ professional development;
• Define foundational competencies within three key pathways of teacher leadership: instructional, policy, and association leadership;
• Develop relevant experiences and supports to help teachers cultivate those competencies; and
• Provide support for teacher-designed leadership plans that address student learning within one key leadership pathway, followed by the demonstration of these plans’ progress and results.

Program Features:

• 15 credits leading to the Teacher Leadership Certificate
• One-year to program completion
• Fully online coursework
• Teacher-driven action research using data to improve student achievement
• The virtual classroom as a learning laboratory
• Encouragement to try formal and informal leadership roles
• Emphasis on developing classroom expertise through the study of instruction and assessment, effective use of technology, cultural awareness and social justice.

Admission Requirements

Applicants should have at least one year of teaching experience, plus ready access to a K-12 classroom. The application process includes:

• Submission of a goal statement
• Official transcripts of an undergraduate or graduate degree; and
• A teaching certificate or equivalent teaching experience.

Coursework

The Teacher Leadership Certificate program includes five courses, offered in the following rotation:

• Fall Semester
  • ADE 6268 Leading Adult and Professional Learning in Schools
  • EDG 6628 Documentation and Assessment in Curriculum and Instruction
• Spring Semester
  • EDA 6507 Clinical Education
  • EDG 6223 Curriculum Leadership
• Summer Semester
  • EDA 6508 Evaluation and Leadership Theory for Educational Leaders

Contact Information