MSEd In Educational Leadership

This 30-credit hour degree is designed for elementary and secondary teachers or counselors seeking positions as school building administrators at some time in their careers (additional courses are required for district level certification).

The future of educational leadership

Transformational change in a school begins with one person. Through St. Bonaventure’s Educational Leadership (EDL) program, that one person is you.

At St. Bonaventure, we understand that our world needs school and district leaders who are trained in critical reflection and are dedicated to improving opportunities for all students. Our program is more than a certificate or advanced degree – we empower future leaders through critical inquiry, reflection and dynamic leadership strategies.

We offer three school leadership programs to help you lead your school and inspire your students:

M.S.Ed. in Educational Leadership (30 credits)
- Download the program fact sheet

School Building Leader (SBL) Certificate (24 credits)
- Download the program fact sheet
- Go to the program website

School District Leader (SDL) Certificate (12 credits)
- Download the program fact sheet
- Go to the program website

Fully online format

Courses are fully online, with opportunities to connect with your professor and class members virtually.

Students in the M.S.Ed. in Educational Leadership and the Advanced Certificate in School Building leadership programs meet the National Educational Leadership Program (NELP) standards for building level administrators.

1. Mission, Vision, and Improvement
Candidates who successfully complete a building-level educational leadership preparation program understand and demonstrate the capacity to promote the current and future success and well-being of each student and adult by applying the knowledge, skills, and commitments necessary to collaboratively lead, design, and implement a school mission, vision, and process for continuous improvement that reflects a core set of values and priorities that include data use, technology, equity, diversity, digital citizenship, and community.

2. Ethics and Professional Norms
Candidates who successfully complete a building-level educational leadership preparation program understand and demonstrate the capacity to promote the current and future success and well-being of each student and adult by applying the knowledge, skills, and commitments necessary to understand and demonstrate the capacity to advocate for ethical decisions and cultivate and enact professional norms.

3. Equity, Inclusiveness, and Cultural Responsiveness
Candidates who successfully complete a building-level educational leadership preparation program understand and demonstrate the capacity to promote the current and future success and well-being of each student and adult by applying the knowledge, skills, and commitments necessary to develop and maintain a supportive, equitable, culturally responsive, and inclusive school culture.

4. Learning and Instruction
Candidates who successfully complete a building-level educational leadership preparation program understand and demonstrate the capacity to promote the current and future success and well-being of each student and adult by applying the knowledge, skills, and commitments necessary to evaluate, develop, and implement coherent systems of curriculum, instruction, data systems, supports, and assessment.

5. Community and External Leadership
Candidates who successfully complete a building-level educational leadership preparation program understand and demonstrate the capacity to promote the current and future success and well-being of each student and adult by applying the knowledge, skills, and commitments necessary to engage families, community, and school personnel in order to strengthen student learning, support school improvement, and advocate for the needs of their school and community.

6. Operations and Management
Candidates who successfully complete a building-level educational leadership preparation program understand and demonstrate the capacity to promote the current and future success and well-being of each student and adult by applying the knowledge, skills, and commitments necessary to improve management, communication, technology, school-level governance, and operation systems to develop and improve data-informed and equitable school resource plans and to apply laws, policies, and regulations.

7. Building Professional Capacity
Candidates who successfully complete a building-level educational leadership preparation program understand and demonstrate the capacity to promote the current and future success and well-being of each student and adult by applying the knowledge, skills, and commitments necessary to build the school’s professional capacity, engage staff in the development of a collaborative professional culture, and improve systems of staff supervision, evaluation, support, and professional learning.

8. Internship
Candidates successfully complete an internship under the supervision of knowledgeable, expert practitioners that engages candidates in multiple and diverse school settings and provides candidates with coherent, authentic, and sustained opportunities to synthesize and apply the knowledge and skills identified in NELP standards 1–7 in ways that approximate the full range of responsibilities required of building-level leaders and enable them to promote the current and future success and well-being of each student and adult in their school.

The full text of these standards and the components can be found at: https://www.npbea.org/nelp/

Students in the Advanced Certificate in School District leadership program meet the National Educational Leadership Program (NELP) standards for District level administrators.

1. Mission, Vision, and Improvement
Candidates who successfully complete a district-level educational leadership preparation program understand and demonstrate the capacity to promote the current and future success and well-being of each student and adult by applying the knowledge, skills, and commitments necessary to collaboratively lead, design, and implement a district mission, vision, and process for continuous improvement that reflects a core set of values and priorities that include data use, technology, equity, diversity, digital citizenship, and community.

2. Ethics and Professional Norms
Candidates who successfully complete a district-level educational leadership preparation program understand and demonstrate the capacity to promote the current and future success and well-being of each student and adult by applying the knowledge, skills, and commitments necessary to understand and demonstrate the capacity to advocate for ethical decisions and cultivate and enact professional norms.

3. Equity, Inclusiveness, and Cultural Responsiveness
Candidates who successfully complete a district-level educational leadership preparation program understand and demonstrate the capacity to promote the current and future success and well-being of each student and adult by applying the knowledge, skills, and commitments necessary to develop and maintain a supportive, equitable, culturally responsive, and inclusive district culture.

4. Learning and Instruction
Candidates who successfully complete a district-level educational leadership preparation program understand and demonstrate the capacity to promote the current and future success and well-being of each student and adult by applying the knowledge, skills, and commitments necessary to evaluate, develop, and implement coherent systems of curriculum, instruction, data systems, supports, and assessment.

5. Community and External Leadership
Candidates who successfully complete a district-level educational leadership preparation program understand and demonstrate the capacity to promote the current and future success and well-being of each student and adult by applying the knowledge, skills, and commitments necessary to engage families, community, and other constituents in the work of schools and the district and to advocate for district, student, and community needs.

6. Operations and Management
Candidates who successfully complete a district-level educational leadership preparation program understand and demonstrate the capacity to promote the current and future success and well-being of each student and adult by applying the knowledge, skills, and commitments necessary to develop, monitor, evaluate, and manage data-informed and equitable district systems for operations, resources, technology, and human capital management.

7. Policy, Governance, and Advocacy
Candidates who successfully complete a district-level educational leadership preparation program understand and demonstrate the capacity to promote the present and future success and wellbeing of students and district personnel by applying the knowledge, skills, and commitments necessary to cultivate relationships, lead collaborative decision making and governance, and represent and advocate for district needs in broader policy conversations.

8. Internship
Candidates successfully complete an internship under the supervision of knowledgeable, expert practitioners that engages candidates in multiple and diverse district settings and provides candidates with coherent, authentic, and sustained opportunities to synthesize and apply the knowledge and skills identified in NELP Standards 1–7 in ways that approximate the full range of responsibilities required of district-level leaders and enable them to promote the current and future success and well-being of each student and adult in their district

The full text of these standards and the components can be found at: https://www.npbea.org/nelp/

St. Bonaventure merges graduate literacy programs into one covering birth-12th grade

Jul 22, 2020 St. Bonaventure University has turned two graduate programs into one, greatly enhancing the marketability of students who can now earn a master’s degree in B-12 literacy.

The university’s School of Education has offered graduate programs in childhood (Birth-6) literacy and adolescent (5-12) literacy for years. New York’s State Education Department approved the new B-12 program last week.

The program can now be taken in either a hybrid format – all courses online, but with three face-to-face meeting days on campus each semester – or completely online.

For this coming academic year, the face-to-face meetings will instead be Zoom sessions for all students. Face-to-face sessions will resume once the pandemic is over, but students will still have the flexibility to attend those classes virtually via Zoom.

By offering a choice of hybrid or fully online, students can select the format that best meets their needs while still experiencing the high quality program.

SBU’s literacy program enhances classroom teachers’ knowledge of how to teach reading and addresses children’s literacy needs in the B-12 general education classroom, said Sheri Voss, program director.

“Teachers with literacy degrees are highly sought after by school districts because of the wide-ranging skill set they offer to both students and other personnel,” Voss said.

The program, which can be completed in a year or less, will welcome its first cohort of students in the fall.

“This revision of our MSED literacy programs enhances the utility and convenience of the program for our students,” said Dr. Joseph Zimmer, provost and vice president of Academic Affairs. “With the needs for high quality literacy teachers in our region, this program continues the long legacy of excellence in literacy education at St. Bonaventure.”

To complete the program, students must do the state’s required practicum over seven weeks in July/August 2021.

Candidates for the master’s program must already have Initial Elementary or Secondary Teacher Certification, or have it by the end of the semester after beginning the program. The practicum will be held on campus, but can also be taken virtually.

“The skills I have learned throughout my time in St. Bonaventure’s literacy program have already proven valuable in my career and will remain valuable, no matter which path my career takes me,” said Kristin Miller, a 2020 graduate of SBU’s Childhood Literacy program and now a teacher for Michigan Virtual Schools. “I have nothing but praise for SBU’s program and the hands-on experiences that had such an impact on my time there.”

Learn more about the B-12 literacy program at www.sbu.edu/literacy.