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Master of Education In Educational Leadership

Available only On Campus in the Kansas City Area


Purpose

The Master of Education with a specialization in Educational Leadership degree is designed to prepare the student for certification in the principalship. It is offered in the eight-week format, classes meeting one evening per week, for 4 1/2 hours. Full-time enrollment is one course per eight-week term. Full-time enrollment during the academic year and two courses for two summers allows completion in two calendar years. Students who are employed full-time are encouraged not to take a heavier load.

Admission Requirements

  • A Bachelor's degree in education from an accredited institution, or hold a valid state teaching certificate (applicant must provide copy of certificate).
  • A two page philosophy of education and how that led him/her to desire a degree and certification in Educational Leadership
  • A letter of recommendation from a school administrator who has supervised his/her work.
  • Minimum 3.0 cumulative grade point average (GPA) on a 4.00 scale.
  • Students with a cumulative GPA between 2.75 and 3.0 may be considered for admission, if they provide one of the following:
    • Four (4) years successful employment experience (validated by a letter of recommendation from supervisor based on good evaluations).
    • An acceptable GRE score for verbal and quantitative tests.
    • Meet or exceed the state field test mean score on the area test of the National Teacher's Exam.
    • Optional professional portfolio (to be evaluated by two full-time Teacher Education faculty members)
  • Child abuse and neglect screening (contact Melanie Kinney in the School for Education at 816-584-6335)
  • Felony background check and FBI fingerprint check (Note: FBI checks must be current and valid for one year) - (contact Melanie Kinney in the School for Education at 816-584-6335)
  • Be officially admitted to the School for Education

*An applicant who has been denied admission to a graduate education program may appeal the decision to the Committee for Selection, Admission, Retention, and Appeals (CSARA). The appeal shall be submitted in writing to the Chair of the CSARA using the appropriate appeal form. Documentation supporting the appeal must accompany the appeal form where applicable. Additional information related to the appeals process may be obtained from the School for Education office.

Degree Requirements

Curriculum
Required Courses Hours
ED   513   Law for Educators
3
ED 514 Foundations of Educational Administration
3
ED 522 Legal Aspects of Special Education
3
ED 527 Growth and Development of Children and
Adolescents
3
ED 606 Curriculum Theory and Practice (Elementary,
Middle, or Secondary)
3
ED 608 Assessment
3
ED 612 School and Community Leadership
3
ED 614 School Supervision
3
ED 634 Directed Field Experience
3
ED 635 School Organization
3
ED 645 Evaluating and Assessing Teaching Performance
3
Select One of the following two courses:
ED 624 Elementary Administration or
3
ED 625 Secondary School Administration*
Total Hours
36*

*NOTE: Those students seeking middle school principal certification must take (or have already taken), in addition to the above 36 hours, graduate or undergraduate course credit in the following areas:

  • Methods of Teaching Reading (minimum of five (5) semester hours to include one (1) course in Techniques of Teaching Reading in the Content Fields);
  • Methods of Teaching Elementary Mathematics (minimum of two (2) semester hours); and
  • At least six (6) credit hours in education courses focusing on: middle school philosophy, organization, and curriculum.

Graduate Education courses available to partially satisfy these requirements are:

ED 521 Introduction to Literacy 3 hrs.
ED 531 Literacy Across the Curriculum 3 hrs.
ED 541 Middle School Philosophy and Organization 3 hrs.
ED 546 Advanced Diagnosis and Remediation
of Reading Difficulties		 3 hrs.

Graduation Requirements

  • In addition to graduation requirements stated in the Academic Policies, an approved portfolio is required, which addresses, satisfactorily, the Missouri Standards for initial principal certification. The portfolio must be presented by the fifth week of the last term in the student's program.  Advanced candidate must successfully pass the School for Education Disposition Instrument for Advanced Candidates for completion of the program.  A student cannot complete the program or be recommended for certification without an acceptable portfolio.
  • Successful completion of 36 credit hours, with no grade lower than a "C", in the required courses, with a cumulative GPA of 3.00 or higher.
  • An application for Graduation is required before completion statement posted on the transcript. Application for Graduation is available online at www.park.edu/graduation. Student must submit the completed form with the appropriate fee.

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