Teacher Leadership Certificate
Objectives
The Educational Leadership program at Montana State University is nationally accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP) as well as by the Montana Board of Public Education. The focus of the program of this certificate is to provide professional development to K-12 teachers in the areas of enhancing and evaluating teaching and learning, instructional and institutional leadership in schools, and resources for enhancing equity in schools.
The Teacher Leadership Certificate is a 15-credit on-line certificate designed to provide MT teachers with coursework and professional growth opportunities to enhance their instructional capacity and leadership contributions to their school communities. Teachers in many school districts are often asked to take leadership roles including dean of students, instructional coach, and department chair. Developing a learning community is a critical aspect of teacher leadership. To enhance the development of a learning community among the students and to facilitate learning by offering an integrated curriculum, students will be placed into a cohort based on year of acceptance into the program and will matriculate together.
Program Flow
This program of study has been developed to continue the professional learning of new teachers and to ready teachers for opportunities in various positions of school leadership, including instructional coaches, department chairs and deans of students. Using a blended delivery model, it seeks to meet the needs of students who desire convenience and face-to-face interaction. This program is offered more than 80% online. Courses will be delivered using distance educational methods during the school year. During the summer, students will meet on the Bozeman campus for face-to-face instruction. The one to two week face-to-face instruction will usually take place during the latter weeks of June or early July.
This certificate can be completed in 2-4 semesters depending upon courses chosen for an individual student’s Program of Study. It is designed as a “stackable credential” so that students can apply this certificate to the M.Ed. Principal Licensure program and complete their principal licensure with an additional 2-3 semesters of coursework and field experiences.
Program Options
Two options to complete the Teacher Leadership Certificate are available:
The Teacher Leadership Certificate includes coursework and experiences that address general school law, special education law and policy, school finance, teacher mentoring and instructional coaching, data analysis, diversity and equity considerations, and school culture and school improvement.
The Teacher Leadership program offers an option to earn a Masters degree (M.Ed.) in Educational Leadership after completion of all certificate coursework. The Masters portion involves completion of 15 additional credits also offered online. Contact Dr. Jason Cummins, Educational Leadership Program Leader for additional information or visit the Educational Leadership website. A student may apply to the full M.Ed. program at any time during or after their certificate program; however, all courses for both must be completed within 6 years. Students who choose this option may be enrolled in two programs simultaneously: Teacher Leadership Certificate and Master's degree in Educational Leadership.
Teacher Leadership Certificate Program of Study
|
Course Number
|
Course Title
|
Course Credits
|
|---|---|---|
|
Law Core - 3 credit hours – Choose 1 course from the following:
|
3
|
|
|
School Law
|
|
|
|
Administration & Supervision of Special Education Programs
|
|
|
|
Leadership Core - 3 credit hours - Choose 1 course from the following:
|
3
|
|
|
Foundations of Educational Leadership
|
|
|
|
K-12 Instructional Leadership
|
|
|
|
Evaluating Teaching and Learning Core - 6 credit hours - Choose 2 courses
|
6
|
|
|
Supervision of Instruction
|
|
|
|
Mentoring New Teachers
|
|
|
|
Advanced Educational Psychology
|
|
|
|
Assessment and Evaluation in Education
|
|
|
|
Resources and Equity Core - 3 credits hours - Choose 1 course
|
3
|
|
|
Planned Change
|
|
|
|
Schools and Diverse Communities
|
|
|
|
School Finance
|
|
|
|
Reflective Inquiry in Rural Education
|
|
|
|
Total Credits
|
15
|
|
Contact Information
Dr. Jason Cummins, Program Leader & Assistant Professor
Phone: 406-994-4142 Email: jason.cummins1@montana.edu
Reid Hall Rm 137
Dr. Laura Schlottman, AssistantProfessor
Phone: 406-994-6799 Email: laura.schlottman@montana.edu
Reid Hall Rm 114
