Curriculum Leadership is designed to promote the utilization of effective teaching methods to ensure alignment to effective learning outcomes and student achievement. This CAGS opportunity offers the opportunity to enhance one’s philosophical and pedagogical practices to ensure alignment to the school’s mission, vision, and purpose and ultimately impact student achievement. This CAGS is aligned to the Curriculum and Teaching specialization.

CT5000 — Curriculum and Instructional Strategies

This course provides an overview of theories, principles, practices and issues in curriculum and instruction. It explores the pedagogical and curricular requirements in schools and integrates theory and practice. This course focuses on the design, implementation and evaluation of curricula. Using six architectural principles as a framework, the course investigates strategies and methods to teach diverse learners.

CT5003 — Principles of Teaching & Learning

This course is developed for students who are classroom teachers and other educators. The course focuses on four essential questions: How do people learn and develop? How can my teaching and classroom environment support learning for understanding? How can learning theory inform my teaching practice? How can interactions among the learner, the classroom environment, and the teaching/learning process produce motivation to learn and build strong learning communities?

CT5008 — High Stakes Testing: Implications for Teaching and Learning

This course provides Learners working in educational settings opportunities to research and understand the underpinnings of the current No Child Left Behind legislation as it relates to accountability and high stakes testing. Learners will study historical precedents, local and federal accountability rules, intended and unintended consequences of high stakes testing, as well as the impact of high stakes testing on the individual student, the school, the community, and the country. Learners will be encouraged to distinguish between testing and accountability. Reflection and discussion will enhance deep understanding.

IL5001 — Instructional Leader as Advocate and Decisioner

In this course, Learners examine the role of instructional leader as that of advocate and decision maker. The importance of this particular role is grounded in the realization that the instructional leader articulates the vision that reflects the mission, core values, beliefs, and purpose of the educational enterprise. Additionally, the instructional leader’s role as advocate is to support the development and maintenance of high standards of performance and achievement. As decision maker and standard bearer for the enterprise, the instructional leader models the way and leads by example.

ED5014 — School Organization

Examines the organizational structure of schools and school systems and their relationships to and effects on school programs, teaching strategies, testing and measurement, and evaluaton of programs in schools.

ED5033 — School-Based Leadership

In this course, Learners are provided the leadership concepts and skills needed to be dynamic, innovative, and adaptive school leaders. One of the major roles of school leaders is to cultivate the development of a culture that promotes learner-centered schools. In a learner-centered school, there is a shared responsibility of leadership among the entire school staff that fosters the creation of authentic learning communities. This course offers Learners the opportunity to explore the authentic learning communities from a shared – school based leadership perspective.