Educational Leadership MED
Program Purpose
Spencer W. Kimball observed that "those individuals whom we most love, admire, and respect as leaders are so regarded by us precisely because they embody, in many ways, the qualities that Jesus had in his life and in his leadership" (see Jesus, the Perfect Leader, 1979). We aspire to be disciples of Jesus Christ who love God and lead with all our "heart, might, mind, and strength" (see D&C 4:2). We provide a whole souled education designed to bless and build students as Christ-centered disciple leaders who see each individual as a cherished child of a loving God (see Omni 1:26). We strive to develop students in each of the following areas:
- Heads: We challenge our students to develop clear, critical and innovative thinking by engaging with high quality research, foundational theory, and current problems of practice facing schools and communities.
- Hands: We expect students to learn by doing, applying what they learn through rigorous internships, authentic assignments, and experiential field work.
- Hearts: We invite students to consistently reflect on and develop their faith, values, purpose, dispositions, and sense of stewardship as Christ-centered educational leaders.
As we work together to develop our heads, hands, and hearts, we will be better prepared to bless and build God's children as Christ-centered disciple leaders.
Learning Outcomes
UELS 1: Visionary Leadership.
Effective educational leaders facilitate the development, articulation, implementation, and stewardship of a shared vision that promotes each student's academic success and well-being.
Effective educational leaders support teaching and learning by facilitating coherent systems of curriculum, instruction, and assessment to promote each student'sacademic success and well-being.
Effective educational leaders manage school operations and resources to promote the success and well-being of faculty, staff, and students.
Effective educational leaders engage families and the community in order to create an inclusive, caring, safe, and supportive school environment to promote each student's academic success and well-being.
Effective educational leaders act ethically and professionally to promote eachstudent's academic success and well-being.
Effective educational leaders act as agents of continuous improvement andfoster a professional community of teachers and staff to promote each student's academic success and well-being.
Effective educational leaders honor the heritage and background of each student, use culturally responsive practices, and strive for cultural competency and equity of educational opportunity to promote each student's academic success and well-being.
Evidence of Learning
Comprehensive Presentation
Students are given a scenario on which to present. Their presentation is observed and evaluated by a panel of professors who evaluate student mastery on rubric that aligns with our national and state standards. Students are evaluated on mastery of each standard. 2018 was the first year we piloted this new instrument. We updated the instrument in 2019 to more closely align with the state and national standards.
Educational Leadership PRAXIS Exam
In order to be recommended for licensure from the state of Utah, our students need to pass the Educational Leadership PRAXIS test, which is aligned with our state and national standards. The is a proprietary measurement tool that is valid and reliable.