Post-Graduate Certificate in Transformational Leadership and Administration in Deaf Education

The course deals in-depth with the history and role of schooling in American society. It addresses the nature and roots of curriculum as well as relationships between child development and curriculum, teacher education, and evaluation. Various model programs across the nation will be explored. Students become familiar with theories of curriculum, and important trends in early childhood, elementary, and secondary levels, including special education. The course specifically addresses the challenges facing the educational leader, including teacher educators, as reflected in the professional literature.

This course considers educational institutions as political entities that are influenced by policy and political ideologies. Federal policies impacting schools from kindergarten to post-secondary levels are examined, and their consequences are analyzed. Roles of educational institutions in implementing change to promote social justice and equity are considered.

This course provides students with a broad overview of the history of curriculum in deaf education, which provides the foundation for understanding modern practices in deaf education. Students will be introduced to a variety of curricula used in deaf education, and they will be provided with tools to help evaluate the fit of a curriculum in their context. Finally, strategies for working with teachers to ensure fidelity of curriculum implementation will be discussed.

This doctoral-level field experience course provides students with opportunities to experience practices related to clinical supervision of in-service or pre-service teachers, including observation and conferencing techniques, record-keeping, and providing instructional leadership. This course consists of seminars and field experiences. Seminars are used for sharing experiences with peers and exploring various approaches in teacher evaluation, with an emphasis on inclusive and equitable practices and minimizing bias. A minimum of 50 hours of field experience is required for this course.

Students explore organizational change and leadership in educational organizations, including K-12 schools, schools for the deaf, school districts, and teacher education. This course examines basic organizational theories and models of leadership and management including management styles, strategic planning, organizational improvement, stakeholder engagement, and personal leadership. There will be specific emphasis on shared leadership, communication skills, and promotion of equitable and inclusive environments.

This course is designed to build on the knowledge gained during previous special education course work and goes deeper into government oversight of special education, including statutory, regulatory, and case law. As the governing documents for providing free appropriate public education, IEPs are given special attention. Students will experience the full IEP process from development through implementation.

This course is the second of two seminars investigating critical issues in deaf education.  Candidates will revisit the critical issues explored in Seminar I and apply principles and concepts learned in the program to propose transformational approaches and/or solutions to these issues. Current leaders or administrators of deaf schools and programs will be available to guide discussions and share successes and failures in implementing change at their schools. Characteristics of transformational leaders will be reassessed and as a culminating experience, candidates will create a professional portfolio on self-assessment, reflection, personal and professional goal-setting, and discoveries made.

This internship provides an intensive school-based experience for students to develop their skills as school-based leaders and administrators. A minimum of 60 clock hours per credit hour must be completed in the internship setting.