Howard Payne University now offers a Master of Education in Instructional Leadership completely online. The degree is designed for teachers who want to advance their knowledge and skills and become certified principals in the State of Texas.
The Master of Education in Instructional Leadership online degree is approved by The State Board for Educator Certification and by The Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS).
Dr. Michael Rosato, dean of the School of Education, says in an interview “I am excited about the program because it will offer teachers throughout the state of Texas the opportunity to pursue a high-quality master’s degree from Howard Payne University in a convenient format.”
The curriculum is aligned with the State standards for principals and provides students with an appropriate balance of theory with practical application. Classes will be taught in eight-week terms. The program is a 36-hour non-thesis degree which could be completed in as little as 22 months. The thesis will be replaced with six hours of required supervised internship. No residency is required.
HPU offers three components in the program that make the new degree distinctive. First, the entire Instructional Leadership curriculum will be delivered and presented from a Biblical world-view perspective, consistent with the Christian mission of the university.
Secondly, special attention will be given to the study of Professional Learning Communities (PLC). Garnering resources from all professionals within a particular school building is a cornerstone of PLCs. Professional Learning Communities have proven to be one of the best approaches for principals to recognize, solicit and utilize the expertise of every teacher, counselor and administrator.
The final distinctive component of the new degree is the examination of neurogenesis and the practice of brain-based learning theory. Graduate students in the program will learn the remarkable results of applying brain based learning theories. The results include significant increased student academic success, decreased aggressive student behavior, decreased need for prescribed drugs for ADD/ADHD students, decreased child obesity, decreased student depression and decreased excessive student anxiety.
HPU has partnered with The Learning House, Inc., a comprehensive online education solutions partner, to provide the online platform for the courses. Courses will be developed and taught by the full-time professors in the School of Education. Additionally, expert practitioners will also assist in teaching some of the courses in the program.
“In my experience developing and directing similar programs, offering students the opportunity to learn from both full-time professors as well as highly-skilled professionals in the field is a hallmark of an excellent program of this type,” says Rosato.
Contact:
For more information about the M.Ed. degree, contact the program director, Dr. Steve Mills at 806-831-8072 or smills@hputx.edu.
You may also contact Dr. Rosato at 325-649-8203 or at mrosato@hputx.edu.
On the Web:
http://www.elearnportal.com/hpu/master-of-education-instructional-leadership
