Degree Sequence for the Master of Arts in School Leadership & Management

This course introduces school leadership as the work of building thriving schools and communities. Students examine school culture, climate, communication, trust, stakeholder engagement, and community assets. The course emphasizes how leaders understand school context, listen to stakeholders, and identify improvement opportunities that are responsive to students, families, staff, and the broader community.

Major projects / field-based products:

• Thriving Schools and Community Audit
• Culture-climate survey and results
• Leadership reflection
• Audit presentation

This course prepares students to lead school improvement through disciplined inquiry, implementation science, and continuous improvement methods. Students learn to identify problems of practice, analyze contributing factors, develop driver diagrams, plan improvement cycles, and communicate improvement strategies aligned with school and district priorities.

Major projects / field-based products:

• School improvement plan draft
• PDSA cycle or improvement-cycle artifact
• Driver diagram
• Implementation plan

This internship supports job-embedded leadership practice connected to the first semester of the program. Students apply course concepts in authentic school settings under faculty and mentor guidance, gather evidence of leadership practice, and reflect on feedback and outcomes.

Major projects / field-based products:

• Thriving Schools and Community Audit
• Culture-climate survey
• School improvement planning
• Leadership reflection
• Required evidence artifacts

This course prepares students to use action research as a leadership tool for studying practice, improving outcomes, and making evidence-informed decisions. Students develop researchable questions, examine local data, select appropriate methods, consider ethical issues, and design a practical inquiry process connected to school improvement.

Major projects / field-based products:

• Action research plan
• Problem statement
• Literature-informed rationale
• Data collection plan
• Leadership reflection

This course focuses on how school leaders use multiple sources of data to guide instructional improvement, equity, resource allocation, and stakeholder communication. Students learn to interpret student learning data, identify trends and gaps, facilitate data conversations, and translate findings into leadership decisions.

Major projects / field-based products:

• School Data project
• Data visualization presentation
• Equity-focused Teaching Strategies 
• Leadership recommendations aligned to school goals

This internship extends students’ job-embedded leadership practice through action research and data-informed decision-making. Students complete leadership tasks in their school setting, compile artifacts, receive mentor feedback, and connect course products to school or district improvement priorities.

Major projects / field-based products:

• Action research project
• School Data Project
• Leadership reflections
• Evidence documentation

This course examines the legal, ethical, and policy responsibilities of school leaders. Topics include student rights, personnel issues, special education, due process, school safety, compliance, policy interpretation, and legally sound decision-making. Students practice applying legal and policy principles to authentic leadership scenarios.

Major projects / field-based products:

• Legal/policy analysis
• Compliance review
• Leadership response memo
• Scenario-based decision-making artifacts

This course prepares students to lead instructional supervision, observation, feedback, coaching, and professional growth. Students learn to gather evidence from classroom practice, analyze instruction, facilitate coaching conversations, support curriculum alignment, and connect supervision to improved teaching and learning.

Major projects / field-based products:

• Supervision cycle artifact set
• Observation evidence
• Coaching conversation reflection
• Instructional support plan

This course prepares school leaders to create equitable, inclusive, and responsive learning environments for diverse students, families, and communities. Students examine access, opportunity, culture, identity, disability, language, family engagement, and leadership practices that support belonging and success for all learners.

Major projects / field-based products:

• Equity and access audit
• Stakeholder engagement artifact
• Diversity-responsive leadership plan
• Reflection aligned to leadership standards

This internship supports applied leadership practice connected to instructional supervision and leading diverse schools. Students engage in observation, coaching, evidence review, equity-focused analysis, and reflective leadership tasks under mentor and faculty guidance.

Major projects / field-based products:

• Instructional supervision artifacts
• Equity and access evidence
• Coaching reflections
• Internship documentation

This course focuses on leading coherent and equitable systems of academic, behavioral, social-emotional, and special education support. Students examine MTSS, intervention systems, referral processes, progress monitoring, family communication, and leadership routines that improve access and outcomes for students.

Major projects / field-based products:

• Systems map and gap analysis
• MTSS report and recommendations
• Monitoring artifacts
• Support-system improvement plan

The capstone course requires students to synthesize program learning through a culminating leadership project aligned with school or district needs. Students implement or evaluate an improvement project, organize evidence of leadership competencies, analyze impact, and present findings and sustainability recommendations.

Major projects / field-based products:

• Integrated capstone leadership report
• Evidence portfolio
• Professional capstone presentation
• Final leadership reflection

This final internship supports completion of the capstone and equitable systems of support work. Students finalize job-embedded leadership artifacts, document impact, receive mentor feedback, and demonstrate readiness for school leadership responsibilities.

Major projects / field-based products:

• MTSS/support-systems project
• Capstone report
• Evidence portfolio
• Professional presentation
• Final internship verification