Master of Arts (M.a.)
Teacher Leader
with Endorsement
Program Highlights & Benefits
Classes meet in an online format
2 year completion time, including holiday breaks
One course completed every 8 weeks
Transfer credits considered
Program Overview
The Master of Arts in the Teacher Leader program at Concordia University Chicago is designed for those classroom teachers who are interested in increasing their job responsibilities and assuming leadership roles within their schools and districts. This degree is designed for active teachers who are not interested in becoming a Principal. Rather, graduate candidates aim for leadership roles in a variety of capacities, such as Department Chairs, Instructional Coaches, Curriculum Coordinators, Mentor Teachers, Community Liaisons, in addition to other leadership positions.
The program develops teacher skills and competencies that are needed throughout the candidate’s career as a Master Educator and Leader. Specifically, the Teacher Leader program at Concordia University Chicago offers training in leading organizational change and development, building collaborative relationships with stakeholders, using data to improve student performance, instructional coaching, and curriculum construction. One corner stone of the program is to richly develop candidate strength and competency to effectively navigate the ever-increasing diversity of student populations, with particular focus of schools as centers of learning within a larger community context. Graduates of the Teacher Leader program are well-positioned to assume leadership responsibilities in elementary, middle, and high schools in public, private, and non-profit settings.
Program Objectives
- Leads to the Illinois Teacher Leader Endorsement
- Designed for those classroom teachers who are interested in increasing their job responsibilities and assuming leadership roles within their schools and districts
- For active teachers who are not interested in becoming a Principal. Rather, graduate candidates aim for leadership roles in a variety of capacities, such as Department Chairs, Instructional Coaches, Curriculum Coordinators, Mentor Teachers, Community Liaisons, in addition to other leadership positions
- Become skilled in building and leading effective teams; including team formation, dynamics, management, and growth
- Develop a sense of their own leadership style, constructed from several leadership models
- Foster the ability to mold and adapt one’s personal leadership style to fit diverse populations, situations, and settings
- Improve instruction through multiple uses of building, district, and student data; research-based instructional models; and collaboration with colleagues
- Process coordinating curriculum at multiple levels: classroom, grade-level, department, building, district, and community
- Serve as a liaison to extend cooperative curriculum building and articulation among schools in the district, region, and state
- Experience curriculum coordination, implementation, and evaluation processes and procedures in a variety of settings
- Serve as a facilitator of change within an educational system and engage in planning and management of tasks to support system change and implement initiatives
- Conceptualize and enact their role as a teacher leader when working with families, colleagues, building and district leadership, school personnel, and the larger school community
- Become self-assured and effective instructional coaches, taking a mentoring/teaming approach to improve classroom instruction for increased student performance
- Must possess a Professional Educator License prior to entering the program
- Two years of teaching experience required prior to starting the program
Areas of Study
| Course Number | Title | Hours |
| EDL 6120 | Supervision and Improvement of Instruction* | 3 |
| EDL 6130 | School Evaluation and Change Process* | 3 |
| EDL 6140 | Curriculum and Assessment: Framework for Student Learning* | 3 |
| EDL 6240 | Instructional Leadership | 3 |
| EDL 6310 | School, Families and Community Partnerships* | 3 |
| EDL 6725 | Teacher Leadership: Building Collaborative Relationships* | 3 |
| EDL 6988 | Teacher Leader Practicum* | 3 |
| EDU 6500 | Curriculum Construction | 3 |
| EDU 6775 | Leading School Based Professional Learning Communities (PLC’s)* | 3 |
| RES 6600 | Research in Education | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 30 |
* Courses needed for the Teacher Leader Endorsement only.
Note:
Two years of lead teaching experience required to begin this program. This is only an introduction of the program. You are responsible to review the Graduate Catalog for program details.
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