Licensing for educational administrators

Course descriptions

The following courses, offered through the Department of Educational Policy and Administration, are appropriate for both aspiring and practicing school administrators and are aligned to competencies identified in the licensing regulations for superintendent, K-12 principal, director of special education, and director of community education.

EDPA 5321—The Principal as Leader of High Performing Schools
3 credits

This course examines the role and responsibilities of the K-12 principal focusing on practices and supported in theory. Students will participate in class activities and complete projects that analyze the systems, problems, and challenges of the K-12 school and the principal's role in each. The course addresses the knowledge, skills, and abilities that students are required to demonstrate prior to becoming licensed as a principal in Minnesota. As half of the director of special education competencies required for licensure are specifically designated as general education administration this course is also recommended for those seeking the director of special education license.

* Required overview course for principal students. It is offered every semester.

EDPA 5322—Leaders in the Superintendency and Central Office
3 credits

Examines the role and responsibilities of the school superintendent as chief executive officer of a complex organization, with a particular focus on those responsibilities that are changing in the face of current pressures on public school administration. The course addresses skills that students are required to demonstrate for state administrative licensure.

* Required overview course for superintendent students.

EDPA 5324—Strategic Financial Planning and Policy for Educational Leaders
3 credits

This course is designed to provide students with a fundamental understanding of financial management and the budgetary process, both in terms of their theoretical underpinnings and their practical applications.

* This course is required of all students.

EDPA 5341—The American Middle School
3 credits

Focus on the uniqueness of the early adolescent and appropriate learning situations. For educators working with middle-level students.

EDPA 5344—School Law
3 credits

This course reviews the legal foundations of educational policy with an emphasis on statutory themes and case law. Implications for educational organizations and administrative practice are drawn from case studies with special attention given to issues emerging in recent court rulings.

EDPA 5348—Leaders of Human Resources Administration
2 credits

This course deals with the management concepts, functions, and practices of the personnel subsystem in education. It is designed to provide basic personnel administrative background in the selection, assignment, evaluation, and development of school personnel. In addition, attention will be given to collective bargaining and the grievance process.

EDPA 5368—Leadership for Special Education Services
3 credits

This course is designated to help prospective and practicing school administrators obtain the knowledge and skill competencies required for licensure as a director of special education in Minnesota. The course will provide an overview of the legal basis, administrative practices and critical issues related to the leadership and administration of special education. This class best serves administrators, supervisors, and other professionals responsible for the management of special education at the district and building levels. It is required for the director of special education license endorsement but also contains essential understandings that address competencies required as part of the principal, superintendent and director of community education licensure competencies.

* Required overview course for director of special education students.

EDPA 5372—Youth in Modern Society
3 credits

Youth in advanced societies and as a social entity; functions and roles in industrial society, family, education, politics and government, economy and work, welfare and religion; organizations, social movements, and subcultures; empirical research and cross-cultural perspectives.

EDPA 5374—Leadership for Professional Development
4 credits
(Prerequisites: post-baccalaureate, at least 3 yrs teaching experience)

Designing, implementing, and evaluating staff development in PK-12 settings. Research-based standards for effective staff development. Need for embedded time for collaborative learning, evaluating staff/student outcomes.

EDPA 5376—Organizational Approaches to Youth Development
3 credits

Defining youth development within framework of formal and informal organizations; organizational systems responsible for youth development in the community; policy issues surrounding these systems.

EDPA 5384—Collaboration in Heterogeneous Classrooms and Schools
3 credits

Policy, research, and practice base for addressing range of student abilities/backgrounds in diverse schools. Collaborative approaches to curricular, instructional, and social support.

EDPA 5385—Licensure Seminar: Program Policies and Inclusionary Leadership
1 credit

This course, meeting throughout the candidate’s program, addresses the pre-assessment requirement for licensure, reflective practice as a developed skill, review of the competencies for each license area to provide students with an understanding of their meaning and options for developing the knowledge and skills inherent for each, and preparation for the oral assessment and its relationship to an administrative employment interview.

* This course is required of all students.

EDPA 5386—Leadership Portfolio Seminar
1 credit

This course addresses the development of the administrative licensure portfolio, with emphasis on leader skills, presentation skills, and personal portfolio development. Through the course students develop skills to create unique electronic portfolios and visual presentations that capitalize on their personal skills and simultaneously address the required competencies for licensure by the State of Minnesota as principal, superintendent, director of special education, or director of community education. Portfolio components include resume, vita, philosophy, vision, reflections and exhibits – all which become essential elements to demonstrate proficiency of required competencies. Preparation for presentation to the candidate’s review panel as well as portfolio organization is emphasized throughout.

* This course is required of all students. It is offered every semester.

EDPA 5387—Leadership for Teaching and Learning
2 credits

This course will explore the administration of teaching and learning as a system in an inclusive school. Through the eyes of multiple experts, components of this system will be explored focusing on the questions an administrator must address when functioning as a leader of learning. Question areas will include: When your district adopts a curriculum, what are the questions an administrator must ask to assure alignment with the mission, goals and culture of your school? What must be considered to assure that curriculum and instructional techniques are inclusive of each culture represented by your school’s membership? What is the framework for building a master schedule that supports rather than merely frames teaching and learning? What are the questions that leadership must answer in the assessment and evaluation of the learning system? And, how can professional development be used as a tool to maximize the successes of each member of the community of learners.

EDPA 5388—Leadership for Master(ful) Scheduling
2 credits

Maximize effectiveness for teachers and students by creatively using time, space and motion in your school to support the best practices of teaching and learning. This course recognizes that an effective master schedule is an enabling variable in this important equation. It is not the heart, brain or soul of the school and therefore should not dictate what a school is or is not able to do for EACH child. The strong master schedule must support teaching and learning, not constrain it. This course will allow the school leader to (1) develop broad perspectives on scheduling models for schools; (2) walk through the entire process of building the master schedule while addressing the issues of pedagogy, participants, politics and practices of a school organization; (3) provide hands-on learning, using the state-of-the-art, web-based Infinite Campus Student System, as the participant practices building a master schedule on-line.

EDPA 5389—Community Education Leadership
3 credits

This course is required for students seeking licensure endorsement for director of community education but also contains essential understandings that address competencies required as part of the superintendent, K-12 principal, and director of special education license competencies. Emphasis will be placed on the competencies of leadership, community relations, communication, community assessment, program development, program evaluation, and the philosophy/ administration of community education and alternative education program.

* Required overview course of director of community education students.

EDPA 5391—Special Education Law for Leaders
1 credit

Competencies of leadership, policy, and political influence. Legal/regulatory applications focusing on special education law.

EDPA 5392—Special Education Finance: Program Models Policy and Law
2 credits

Participants will be introduced to special education revenue sources, compliance, and budget monitoring. The course assumes that the participant has knowledge of special education, although key special education policy, case law, and program models will be addressed in the course.

*Required for director of special education licensure students

EDPA 5393—Leading School Finance Elections
1 credit

Marriage of research and successful practice presenting a comprehensive planning model for school leaders preparing for and conducting school finance elections. Emphasis on systems and strategies for planning and implementing a success referendum rather than specific campaign strategies.

*Required for superintendent licensure students

EDPA 5394—Leadership in Community Education Finance and Law
1 credit

Topics covered: understanding timelines; UFARS; legislation; interrelatedness with district budget; relationship with district goals; collaborative planning; levying; contracted services; joint powers agreement; leases; strategic planning; leveraging resources, managing other sources of funding. Includes opportunities for practice in planning, presenting, and balancing a budget; analyzing and auditing a budget, levy planning; and grant writing. This course is part of the core of the graduate program in educational administration for licensure as a community education director.

*Required for director of community education licensure students

EDPA 5396—Field Experience in K-12 Educational Administration: Authentic Practice in Leadership
3 credits

Field experiences and/or internships for student seeking licensure as K-12 principal, superintendents, director of special education, and director of community education. Content and credits dependent upon licensure requirements and specified in individual field experience agreements.

* This course is required of all students. It is offered every semester.

EDPA 5501—Principles and Methods of Evaluation
3 credits, elective (same as EPSY 5243)

Introductory course in program evaluation; planning an evaluation study, collecting and analyzing information, reporting results; evaluation strategies; overview of the field of program evaluation.

See also: Course schedules