Teacher Leadership, Ed.S.

Contact: Dr. Harriet Bessette
Office: KH 3121
Phone: (770) 423-6893
Fax: (770) 423-6263
Email: hbessett@kennesaw.edu
Web address: http://www.kennesaw.edu/education/grad/eds

Candidates may enroll in the Educational Specialist (Ed.S.) program in Teacher Leadership for Learning as a stand alone degree.  All concentrations in the Ed.S. lead to a T-6 certificate except the Educational Leadership concentration, which, upon approval from the Professional Standards Commission leads to either an L-6 or PL-6 certificate. Candidates for the Ed.S. must complete 18 hours of the Common Core and 15 hours in the Concentration. If accepted to the program, candidates may request up to 9 hours of graduate work beyond the M.Ed. to be applied toward the Ed.S. degree. Transfer credit is not accepted for the core course requirements that are central to the program’s distinctive focus and to the development of the program’s cohort experience. Consequently, transfer credit considerations are typically restricted to courses in the concentration, guided electives, and the initial course in applied research methods. However, final decisions about the acceptability of transfer credit are made on a case-by-case basis and must be approved by the concentration advisor and director of the doctoral and specialist programs.

Expected qualifications for applicants to be considered for admission will typically include:

1. an earned master’s degree in professional education or a related field;
2. a clear and renewable Georgia Teaching Certificate or equivalent;
3. current full-time employment as a professional educator with at least 4 years of teaching or administrative experience or both in K-12 education;
4. a competetive Graduate Aptitude & Achievement Index Score. The Graduate Index Score = (GRE Quantitative Score + GRE Verbal Score) x GPA for the master’s degree;
5. recommendation by the institution in which the applicant is employed.

Applicants to the program must submit the following:

1. official transcripts of college coursework, undergraduate and graduate, showing evidence of completion of a master’s degree or its equivalent in a related field;
2. official scores on the General Test of the Graduate Record Exam within the last five years;
3. all relevant professional teaching and/or administrative certificates;
4. professional profile detailing related professional qualifications;
5. reflections on Leadership for Learning;
6. official request for consideration of transfer courses;
7. Documentation of the employing institution’s recommendation of the applicant.

*International applicants have additional requirements; see Graduate Admission  section of this catalog.

Program of Study

Teacher Leadership (GaPSC Rule 505-3-.53) prepares teachers for “providing professional development, building a school culture of continuous improvement and becoming change agents while maintaining the role of classroom teacher” (GaPSC Guidance for Educators, May 9, 2012). Graduates of this performance-based program will be teacher leaders who plan and lead professional development; who mentor and coach other teachers; who align curriculum, instruction, and assessment; who model best teaching practices; who analyze data and improve learning through data-informed decision-making; who apply research-based approaches to instructional challenges; and who collaborate with all stakeholders to improve student learning.

The Ed.S. in Teacher Leadership program includes a minimum of 33 hours of study in three areas and a six-month residency. In the residency, the teacher leader candidate works with the Candidate Support Team to develop an Individual Growth Plan (IGP) and a Residency Project Proposal, then seeks out opportunities at multiple settings to develop and demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and dispositions of effective teacher leaders. Candidates present their Residency Project and Capstone Portfolio as evidence of their accomplishment in the areas specified by the Teacher Leadership standards.