School Leadership, Management, and Administration (SLMA)

Return to School Leadership Management, and Administration | Courses Index

[1] Graduate Courses in School Leadership, Management, and Administration (SLMA)

6V27 BUILDING ADMINISTRATOR INTERNSHIP Building-level administrator interns will engage in coherent, authentic, and sustained opportunities in multiple and diverse school settings to apply leadership knowledge and skills identified in NELP standards 1-7. The internship will be conducted in P-8 and 5-12 school settings. Internships are conducted over a minimum of six months (10-15 hours per week) of concentrated building-level experiences. Candidates and Internship Supervisor will select and work with the intern’s mentor. The selected mentor will have demonstrated effectiveness as an educational leader. UCA’s internship supervisor will provide training and support to both the mentor and intern.

6V62 INTERNSHIP FOR THE CURRICULUM ADMINISTRATOR (Variable credit: 1-3 credit hours.) Substantial, sustained, and standards-based internship experiences are designed to meet the individual needs of prospective school leaders in synthesizing the knowledge base and honing leadership skills through application. The internship course hours are variable and repeatable where each candidate must complete a total of three (3) credit hours of internship for at least two semesters. Candidates will be required to complete experiences at elementary, middle, and high school levels. The internship is an opportunity for candidates to develop skills integrating theory and practice in order to function effectively as curriculum directors in real school settings. These experiences will be planned and guided cooperatively by university and school district personnel. The supervised internship will involve the study of administrative areas, observation of administrators in action, participatory activities, and specific administrative assignments that offer opportunities for interns to internalize and employ administrative skills learned during their graduate coursework. The internship provides each candidate with on-the-job experiences and opportunities to reflect on the impact of his/her leadership.

6V64 INTERNSHIP FOR THE PROGRAM ADMINISTRATOR: SPECIAL EDUCATION (Variable credit: 1-3 credit hours.) Substantial, sustained, and standards-based internship experiences are designed to meet the individual needs of prospective school leaders in synthesizing the knowledge base and honing leadership skills through application. The internship course hours are variable and repeatable where each candidate must complete a total of three (3) credit hours of internship for at least two semesters. Candidates will be required to complete experiences at elementary, middle, and high school levels. The internship is an opportunity for candidates to develop skills integrating theory and practice in order to function effectively as special education program coordinators in school settings. These experiences will be planned and guided cooperatively by university and school district personnel. The supervised internship will involve the study of administrative areas, observation of administrators in action, participatory activities, and specific administrative assignments that offer opportunities for interns to internalize and employ administrative skills learned during their graduate coursework. The internship provides each candidate with on-the-job experiences and opportunities to reflect on the impact of his/her leadership.

6V65 INTERNSHIP FOR THE PROGRAM ADMINISTRATOR: GIFTED/TALENTED (Variable credit: 1-3 credit hours.) Substantial, sustained, and standards-based internship experiences are designed to meet the individual needs of prospective school leaders in synthesizing the knowledge base and honing leadership skills through application. The internship course hours are variable and repeatable where each candidate must complete a total of three (3) credit hours of internship for at least two semesters. Candidates will be required to complete experiences at elementary, middle, and high school levels. The internship is an opportunity for candidates to develop skills integrating theory and practice in order to function effectively as gifted/talented program coordinators in school settings. These experiences will be planned and guided cooperatively by university and school district personnel. The supervised internship will involve the study of administrative areas, observation of administrators in action, participatory activities, and specific administrative assignments that offer opportunities for interns to internalize and employ administrative skills learned during their graduate coursework. The internship provides each candidate with on-the-job experiences and opportunities to reflect on the impact of his/her leadership. Prerequisite: Permission of department.

6172 PORTFOLIO DEVELOPMENT AND DEFENSE PREPARATION CURRICULUM ADMINISTRATION This course provides guidance in the development and defense of the professional portfolio for curriculum administrators that is reflective of national and state educational leadership standards and that demonstrates the knowledge, dispositions, and skills gained through course-related field experiences, required internship experiences, and individualized internship experiences that candidates engage in while enrolled in School Leadership, Management, and Administration. The Chalk and Wire electronic portfolio system will be used to organize materials in the candidate’s portfolio. Taken in the last semester of programs.

6174 PORTFOLIO DEVELOPMENT AND DEFENSE: SPECIAL EDUCATION This course provides guidance in the development and defense of the professional portfolio for program administrators that is reflective of national and state educational leadership standards and that demonstrates the knowledge, dispositions, and skills gained through course-related field experiences, required internship experiences, and individualized internship experiences that candidates engage in while enrolled in School Leadership, Management, and Administration. The Chalk and Wire electronic portfolio system will be used to organize materials in the candidate’s portfolio. Taken in the last semester of program.

6175 PORTFOLIO DEVELOPMENT AND DEFENSE: GIFTED/TALENTED This course provides guidance in the development and defense of the professional portfolio for gifted/talented program administrators that is reflective of national and state educational leadership standards and that demonstrates the knowledge, dispositions, and skills gained through course-related field experiences, required internship experiences, and individualized internship experiences that candidates engage in while enrolled in School Leadership, Management, and Administration. The Chalk and Wire electronic portfolio system will be used to organize materials in the candidate’s portfolio. Taken in the last semester of programs. Prerequisite: Permission of department.

6311 LEADERSHIP AND THE COMMUNITY This course develops emerging leaders’ knowledge, dispositions, and skills to collaboratively build positive relationships with families and community members/partners to engage in and support the school’s vision and school improvement goals and collectively provide support structures that strengthen students’ academic, social/emotional, and physical development and well-being.

6313 ETHICS, LAW, AND LEADERSHIP This course provides an in-depth study of K-12 school law including federal and state statutes and judicial decisions, with an emphasis on Arkansas K-12 education. The emerging leader will also study ethics of school leadership and gain the knowledge, skills, and dispositions to model professional norms (fairness, integrity, transparency, trust, digital citizenship, collaboration, perseverance, reflection, lifelong learning) and advocate for ethical decisions and behaviors in all aspects of schooling.

6315 LEADERSHIP FOR EDUCATION EQUITY This course engages emerging leaders in a critical analysis of the philosophical, political, and practical matters reflective of the local, regional, national, and global contexts in regards to equity in education. Emerging leaders will examine a broad range of topics that pertain to theory, history, race and ethnicity, social power, language, gender, sexuality, and physicality for the purpose of influencing organizational policies and practices that contribute to an equitable school and for the well-being of all students.

6317 LEADERSHIP OF OPERATIONS AND MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS This course prepares emerging leaders to apply their knowledge, skills, and dispositions to manage school communications, technology, governance, and operations systems to develop and improve data-informed and equitable distribution of school resources and to adhere to the laws, policies, and regulations in efforts to support the school’s mission in meeting the learning needs of all students.

6319 INSTRUCTIONAL LEADERSHIP I: CULTIVATING TEACHER LEADERS This course prepares emerging leaders to cultivate the school’s professional capacity through distributive leadership by recruiting, selecting, hiring, supporting, and retaining high-quality educational personnel and creating leadership pathways for faculty. The emerging building-level leader will develop a professional culture by implementing the school’s system of supervision, support, evaluation, and actionable feedback that promotes professional learning and teacher leadership within the classrooms.

6321 INSTRUCTIONAL LEADERSHIP II: TEACHER LEADERS AND EVIDENCE-BASED PRACTICES This course prepares emerging leaders to develop and support the school’s professional community of learners by collaboratively conducting a process-based approach to evaluate the equity and quality of the school’s instructional program for both academic/non-academic practices. Using evidenced-based practices, the results of the evaluations will inform decision-making processes leading to continuous school improvements that sustain a coherent curriculum, instruction, and assessment system that supports the well-being for adult and student learning.

6323 INSTRUCTIONAL LEADERSHIP III: EVIDENCE-BASED STUDENT-CENTERED LEARNING This course prepares emerging leaders to develop the capacity to work collaboratively with the professional learning community to employ an outcomes-based approach using a variety of appropriate data, both academic and perceptual/attitudinal, to measure student growth and to inform continuous improvements for students’ learning and well-being.

6325 VISIONARY LEADERSHIP: BUILDING A CULTURE OF TRUST AND HIGH EXPECTATIONS This course prepares emerging leaders to develop their knowledge, skills, and dispositions to establish a school culture where trust is paramount in order to collaboratively develop a school vision and mission based on shared values for continuous improvements, to advocate for a supportive and inclusive school culture, to create and sustain a culture of professional learning that results in higher teacher retention and student learning, to provide educational resources for inclusive and culturally responsive instructional and behavior support practices for students, and to engage families and community to strengthen learning in and out of school.