School of Graduate and Professional Studies
Department of Education
Master of Education in Educational Leadership
Master of Education in Educational Leadership
with Eligibility for Principal Endorsement
Our program prepares aspiring school leaders and principals with a focused emphasis on both character development of the leader and the importance of building a school infrastructure of character. We prepare leaders who model character, inspire collaboration, foster positive relationships, build cohesive systems, and support a culture embedded with character so each child and adult can realize potential.
Learn more at our Instant Admission Webinar Tuesday, August 4th, 12:00 noon. Register here
Why Cultures of Character?
The emphasis on character combined with culture-building allows future leaders to not only design curricular efforts for character education and Social Emotional Learning, but also to extend this work throughout all aspects of the school environment.
Watch our M.Ed. in Educational Leadership webinar to learn more.
Learn how you can save up to 60% in graduate tuition.
Program Features
- Identify and develop your own sense of leadership through clarity of your own vision, values, beliefs, and character orientation.
- Learn how to create a safe, supportive, and nurturing culture including character frameworks.
- Develop your ability to put systems into place and advocate for student-centered cultures of character that promote agency, including story-telling and sharing of best practice.
- Advance your ability to create school environments that promote character development through parent and community partnerships, management efficacy and ongoing school improvement reflective of a growth mindset.
Principal Endorsement Standards
Candidates successfully completing a principal preparation program shall obtain a principal endorsement and are eligible to work as a principal or assistant principal. (Section 21-7.1 of the School Code; also see 23 Ill. Adm.Code 25.337)
Principal endorsement licensure requirements:
- State of Illinois Supervision modules
- State of Illinois Principal Exams (195 & 196)
The M.Ed. in educational leadership with eligibility for principal endorsement provides a strong foundation of knowledge, dispositions and performance. This foundation is based on the Professional Standards for Educational Leaders (PSEL, formerly ISLLC), designed to prepare candidates to become successful school assistant principals and principals. It is also aligned with National Educational Leadership Preparation (NELP) and Illinois Performance Standards for School Leaders.
Master of Education in Educational Leadership Curriculum
The degree requires a student to complete 36 credit hours of prescribed coursework:
- Seven 4-credit hour courses
- A year-long internship (3 courses, 8 credit hours total)
View the 2019-20 Academic Calendar (PDF) for program start dates.
| Complete the program in as little as 24 months | |
|---|---|
| Fall 2020 | |
| MEDU 500 | Mission-driven Leadership (4) |
| Spring 2021 | |
| MEDU 536 | School, Home, & Community (4) |
| MEDU 620 | Curriculum & Program Assessment (4) |
| Summer 2021 | |
| MEDU 535 | Supervision & Instruction (4) |
| MEDU 693 | Educational Internship Residency (3) |
| Fall 2021 | |
| MEDU 622 | School Law & Policies (4) |
| MEDU 691 | Educational Internship I (2) |
| Spring 2022 | |
| MEDU 610 | Operations & Management (4) |
| MEDU 692 | Educational Internship II (3) |
| Spring 2022 | |
| MEDU 696 | Educational Leadership Capstone (4) |
Program Outcomes
- Develop insight into the complexities of culture and change agency
- Examine school improvement efforts in the areas of character, social-emotional learning and positive school cultures
- Build skills for outreach, partnership, and advocacy among stakeholders
- Explore the latest research on school efficacy and leadership
- Link pedagogy, assessment and the school improvement process
- Gain an understanding of management, litigation, and financing
Fellowship Opportunities
With support from your district, you can apply for an administrative fellowship. If you are selected, your district would be provided with funding to cover a substitute for your regular position so you can complete a full-time, semester-long internship with a principal as a mentor. During your internship, you’ll have the chance to create projects designed to bring about a culture of character at your host school.
More information, including how to apply for the fellowship, will be available as part of your educational leadership coursework. North Central College will work with you to ensure the required cooperation from your school district.
Educational Leadership, M.Ed.
WITH ELIGIBILITY FOR THE PRINCIPAL ENDORSEMENT
The purpose of the Master of Educational Leadership Degree (M.Ed) is to develop principals and assistant principals who have the vision, perspective, and skills to lead educational communities. The program provides students with an understanding of the school environment and how an administrator--through his/her abilities at the technical, managerial and institutional levels--creates and fosters a professional learning environment that facilitates the learning of students, teachers, and staff. Students are provided a breadth of theory in leadership as well as a foundation of knowledge, practical experiences and performances necessary for the enterprise of educational leadership. The North Central College program provides a strong foundation of knowledge, dispositions and performance based on the Professional Standards for Educational Leaders (PSEL, formerly ISLLC) leadership standards to prepare candidates to become successful school assistant principals and principals. It is also aligned to NELP and Illinois Performance Standards for School Leaders.
The North Central College Educational Leadership Master's Degree admission standards address the new Illinois State Board of Education requirements for candidates, including appropriate educators license and two-years of professional experience in schools. Latest updates to admission requirements are available on the graduate admissions web page.
The program and its internship requirements can still be completed while employed full-time in a school setting. It does not require a candidate to take a leave of absence. The year-long internship is taken by enrolling in MEDU 691, MEDU 692, and MEDU 693 (optional order as approved).
This one-year internship requires the selection of a principal mentor. As prescribed by the State of Illinois requirements, the principal mentor must have a minimum of two years of experience, an Illinois license and evidence of student growth in two of the past five years as a principal. As part of the program, candidates will be required to participate in training by certified staff in accordance with provisions of Section 24 A-3 of the School Code (105 ILCS/24A-3). This training will involve completion of the State-prescribed teacher supervision modules. Students are also required to take Principal exams as designated for the principal endorsement, currently Principal Exam 195 & 196.
The program includes requirements for fulfilling licensure requirements for the principal endorsement.
Candidates successfully completing a principal preparation program shall obtain a principal endorsement and are eligible to work as a principal or assistant principal. (Section 21-7.1 of the School Code; also see 23 Ill. Adm.Code 25.337)
Degree Requirements
The Masters degree in Educational Leadership requires a student to complete 36 credit hours of prescribed coursework. Students who complete the M.Ed. degree in Educational Leadership may earn a principal endorsement on a State of Illinois educator license, a customary requirement to become a principal or assistant principal.
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MEDU 500 - Mission-Driven Leadership
MEDU 500 - Mission-Driven Leadership
4.00 credit hours
Mission-driven Leadership emphasizes the development of future school leaders, serving as a pre-admission course to either a Masters in Educational Leadership with principal endorsement or Masters of Arts with teacher leader endorsement. Students examine school culture, standards, organizations and the learning community, and the importance of increasing leadership capacity to achieve success in schools today. The course fosters development and competencies in future leaders regarding decisions they will make about their practice and how those decisions impact students, teachers and the community.
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MEDU 535 - Supervision and Instruction
MEDU 535 - Supervision and Instruction
4.00 credit hours
An examination of the educational leader's role as a facilitator of learning. The primary objective of the course is the development of human resources as integral to achieving school success for students. Content includes exploration of coaching, mentoring, supervision, evaluation, pedagogical inquiry, conflict resolution, critical conversations, professional development and instructional development. The emphasis is on developing the skills of leadership that are required to enhance and extend student learning, including instructional supervision whether as a teacher colleague or supervisor. Candidates in principal preparation are required to participate in training by certified staff in accordance with the provisions of Section 24A-3 of the School Code [105 ILCS 5/24A-3] outside of the course and prior to the Internship.
Prerequisite(s)
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MEDU 536 - School, Home and Community
MEDU 536 - School, Home and Community
4.00 credit hours
School, Home and Community is a course for each aspiring leader to discover and define the administrator's or teacher leader's interactive role and relationship in the school, home and community. Through discussion, interactive exploration, action teams and networking, the student experiences ways to be a collaborative leader within the triad of the school, home and community. Focus is on cultural responsiveness, implicit bias, collaboration, inclusion, partnership-building and fostering community stakeholders.
Prerequisite(s)
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MEDU 610 - Operations and Management
MEDU 610 - Operations and Management
4.00 credit hours
A focus on the use of leadership skills in the management function of the school principal. Students learn about the day-to-day responsibilities as well as the general, longer-term responsibilities of the school principal. Care and maintenance of the school plant, operating the food service program and the principal's role in transporting students are studied. Students study the principal's role in developing and managing a school budget. A focus is also given to writing building level operation and management orientated policies and procedures.
Prerequisite(s)
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MEDU 620 - Data-Driven School Improvement
MEDU 620 - Data-Driven School Improvement
4.00 credit hours
Data-Driven School Improvement increases the student's understanding of curricular and program assessment, data-driven decision-making and technology as a transformative tool. Students gain an understanding of data collection and analysis and how to use that information in the decision-making process. Using data collected through program assessment, students learn how to formulate effective school improvement plans, impacting instruction and learning. Students also discover technology as a tool for instructional efficacy and program improvement.
Prerequisite(s)
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MEDU 622 - School Law and Policies
MEDU 622 - School Law and Policies
4.00 credit hours
This course review and analyzes general legal principles, judicial and statutory law and regulatory agencies that impact schools and educational leaders. Relevant federal and state constitutions, statutes and court decisions are examined for their impact upon the responsibilities of teachers, principals, office administrators, superintendents and school board members. Students explore professional ethics, the process and management of litigation, policy development at the district level and the constitutional, statutory and regulatory provisions and accompanying legal issues.
Prerequisite(s)
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MEDU 691 - Educational Internship I
MEDU 691 - Educational Internship I
3.00 credit hours
Provides extensive opportunities for leadership candidates to experience authentic field experiences and leadership development. During the internship, students are required to complete experiences working with all levels of students Pre-K-12, including special education. Internship projects require students to demonstrate proficiency in understanding and developing a school improvement plan, teacher professional development/evaluation and school-wide management of systems and resources. Each project includes a summative evaluation. During the internship experience, students work in partnership with a North Central College faculty supervisor and a field administrator as a mentor. MEDU 691,
Prerequisite(s)
12 credit hours in M.Ed Educational Leadership Program and required training; Graduate Coordinator Approval.
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MEDU 692 - Educational Internship II
MEDU 692 - Educational Internship II
3.00 credit hours
Provides extensive opportunities for leadership candidates to experience authentic field experiences and leadership development. During the internship, students are required to complete experiences working with all levels of students Pre-K-12, including special education. Internship projects require students to demonstrate proficiency in understanding and developing a school improvement plan, teacher professional development/evaluation and school-wide management of systems and resources. Each project includes a summative evaluation. During the internship experience, students work in partnership with a North Central College faculty supervisor and a field administrator as a mentor.
Prerequisite(s)
12 credit hours in M.Ed Educational Leadership Program and required training; Graduate Coordinator Approval.
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MEDU 693 - Educational Internship Residency
MEDU 693 - Educational Internship Residency
2.00 credit hours
This course helps students apply and extend the field experiences of the internship to an immersive sustained administrative experience. Students serve in a full-time administrative role mentored by a field administrator for a minimum of two weeks full-time or four weeks half-time (approximately 80 hours total). This experience, combined with the year-long internship experience of
Prerequisite(s)
12 credit hours in M.Ed Educational Leadership Program; Graduate Coordinator Approval.
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MEDU 696 - Educational Leadership Capstone
MEDU 696 - Educational Leadership Capstone
4.00 credit hours
The capstone experience for the Master of Education in Educational Leadership. It requires the analysis, synthesis and application of all learning and coursework in the program, as well as the graduate's own experiential knowledge. Students are expected to frame contemporary educational issues and provide varied approaches to address those encountered by school administrators. The student develops a personal leadership platform paper and a video of themselves presenting their philosophy with guiding principles for action.
Prerequisite(s)
28 credit hours in the Educational Leadership Program.
Master of Education Grants and Scholarships
Education Alliance Partnership
North Central College has partnered with several businesses and school districts to offer eligible M.Ed. students a 20 percent tuition discount. We invite you to explore the Education Alliance Grant to learn more.
- Find out how your school district can qualify for the Education Alliance Grant. (PDF)
The Kern Family Foundation Cultures of Character Scholarships
The Cultures of Character Scholarship was established thanks to the generosity of the Kern Family Foundation. Annual scholarships will be awarded for 20-40 percent off tuition for select candidates who meet the eligibility criteria.
Scholarship Eligibility
- Interested candidates must be first be accepted to the master of education in educational leadership program.
- Scholarship applications must be completed prior to beginning the first course in the program.
- Awards will be considered based primarily on the applicant’s ability to demonstrate:
- service to an underserved community
- qualifications as an applicant currently underrepresented in administrative ranks
- commitment to fostering a culture of character in a PK-12 school setting through demonstrated experiences or expertise
Scholarship Participation
Recipients of the scholarship are expected to:
- be fully engaged in coursework
- promote the goals of the scholarship through character development work
- participate annually in a minimum of two activities sponsored by North Central College to promote the educational leadership program and/or the scholarship and its aforementioned goals
Next Steps
- More information, including a link to the Cultures of Character Scholarship application, will be provided upon acceptance into the master of education in educational leadership program.
- Learn more about the Cultures of Character scholarship, fellowship opportunities, and character education institute benefits at The Kern Family Foundation Character Initiatives.