Administrative Leadership (Master of Education)

This program prepares educators for careers as Principals/Assistant Principals, Special Education Administrators, Superintendents/Assistant Superintendents, and School Business Administrators in the public schools, and prepares students for eligibility for the initial license in Adminis- trative Leadership in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

Leadership preparation candidate in Massachusetts need to meet the requirements established for the Massachusetts Performance Assessment for Leaders (MA-PAL) in order to obtain your initial leadership license, in addition to completing the program. The MA-PAL assessment system is designed to provide clear evidence of your readiness for initial school leadership work. Preparation for the tasks to be completed towards the Mas- sachusetts Performance Assessment are integrated into coursework, but evidence of completion of the PAL is a separate requirement for licensure in Massachusetts.

Coursework includes two modules:

• Core Module - 24 credits of diverse coursework general to all roles in Administrative Leadership. This coursework carefully follows the Standards and Indicators for Administrative Leadership in Massachusetts, and will provide students with a thorough grounding and introduction to leadership roles and responsibilities in schools. Each core course includes at least 20 hours of structured pre-practicum hours in schools. These pre-practicum ‘activities’ are carefully matched to each applicable Standard and Indicator for Administrative Leadership.
• License-Specific Module - 12 to 15 credits of in-depth coursework in the specific licensure area:
  - Principal/Assistant Principal [PreK-6, 5-8, 9-12]
  - Special Education Administrator
  - Superintendent/Assistant Superintendent
  - School Business Administrator

Each license-specific course also includes at least 20 hours of structured pre-practicum hours in schools; these hours are carefully structured in the specific role and responsibility of the license sought.

Learning Outcomes

At the completion of the program, the student will be able to:
1. Demonstrates knowledge of core administrator module standards, i.e., instructional leadership, management of operations, family and community engagement, and professional culture 
2. Demonstrates knowledge of license specific module standards, i.e., administration and supervision of special education programs and services and consultation and collaboration skills