Curriculum
Lehigh’s M.Ed. in Educational Leadership (K-12) is made for working educators. Most of our students complete the 30-credit degree while employed full time, whether they choose the hybrid or online program option.
Hybrid: Students choosing a hybrid modality will take online courses in the fall and spring and then complete electives on campus in the summer term.
Online synchronous: Complete coursework on your own schedule with live sessions that give you real-time interaction with faculty and peers.
The vibrant in-class discussions and engaging assignments ensure that your classes are as enjoyable as they are rigorous.
“The type of assignments you’ll find in our classes combine academic evidence with the realities of school operations. Our goal is to help leaders produce the best possible outcomes for students, educators, schools, and communities.”
Craig Hochbein, associate professor, M.Ed. in Educational Leadership
Principal Certification Program
Students of the master’s program have the option to work toward their Pennsylvania Principal Certification by taking an additional 10 credit hours. The Principal Certification program features two internships taken alongside two principalship courses. Students are able to accrue internship hours while they continue to work at their full-time jobs.
To enroll in the Principal Certification program, students must reside in the state of Pennsylvania and complete their coursework on campus. Students who do not reside in Pennsylvania, but are interested in principal certification, should review their state’s requirements.
Request Information
To learn more about the M.Ed. in Educational Leadership (K-12) at Lehigh University College of Education and download a brochure, please fill out the form. You can also talk one-on-one with an enrollment specialist directly by calling (610) 215-2867 or emailing us at edprograms@lehigh.edu.
Course Descriptions
Basic principles of research; techniques of gathering and analyzing data; design of studies in education. Emphasis on critical reviews of research reports representing various methodologies. Research report required.
Examination of the influence of culture, gender and disabilities on behavior and attitudes. Historical and current perspectives on race, culture, gender and minority group issues in education and psychology. Lecture/small group discussion. Course is restricted to graduate students in the College of Education only.
Theory development relating to individuals and organizations emphasizing leadership, decision-making, motivation and change. Analysis of existing leadership approaches focusing on demonstrating the application theories to administrative practice.
Theory, research and processes associated with the design and management of school curriculum; implementation of effective instructional and assessment practices enhancing student learning. School leader’s role in designing and implementing a comprehensive school improvement process, and using data to guide curriculum, instruction and assessment programs.
Skills, competencies and best practices of instructional leadership and student achievement. Includes framing and communicating school goals dealing with student learning, supervising and evaluating instructional practices, coordinating the curriculum to student outcomes, monitoring student progress, creating a professional learning community and engaging in reflective practice as a school leader.
Issues facing school administrators as they develop and implement plans to address the needs of all students in their schools and districts. Addresses administrators’ obligations for the development and monitoring of Individualized Education Programs for children and youth with disabilities as well as other duties encumbered by administrators.
Exploration of the development and practice of leadership with experiential opportunities for application. Formal and informal authority, the practice of leadership and individual and organizational dynamics are explored to improve the understanding of adaptive work in organizations.
Emphasis on establishing skills in human resource management and supervision, including staff selection, supervision models, assessment and feedback methods, managing a diverse workforce and adult development related to professional growth options. This course is designed specifically for individuals enrolled in a supervisory certification program.
Theoretical and practical foundation in school resource allocation. Trends in revenue and expenditures, staffing and operations are explored. The economics of education and school business administration are discussed in terms of the policies they affect and create.
Examination of legal and ethical issues in effective leadership in the public schools, including awareness, analysis and applications of judicial interpretations of the constitutions, statutes, regulations and common law relating to educational issues.
Optional Tracks
Principal Certification Track: PA principal certification (10 credits)
Roles, responsibilities and operational tasks of principals in the first half of the school year; engagement in practical application of the knowledge, theories, systems and processes with an emphasis on fall semester responsibilities. Focus on applying the skills and knowledge of the course using problem-based learning experiences drawn directly from internship. Must be completed during Principal Internship I.
Roles, responsibilities and operational tasks of principals in the second half of the school year; engagement in practical application of the knowledge, theories, systems and processes with an emphasis on budgeting, state testing requirements and closing the school down in the summer. Focus on applying the skills and knowledge of the course using problem-based learning experiences drawn directly from the internship. Must be completed during Principal Internship II.
Practical experiences in meeting the challenges inherent in the principal positions during the first half of the school year. Emphasis on data-based decision making, instructional leadership, and day to day operations. Must be completed with The Principalship I.
Practical experiences in meeting the challenges inherent in the principal positions during the second half of the school year. Emphasis on data-based decision making, instructional leadership, and day to day operations. Must be completed with The Principalship II.
Curriculum and Instruction Track
Examination of the influence of culture, gender, and disabilities on behavior and attitudes. Historical and current perspectives on race, culture, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity diversity, and minority group issues in education and psychology. Lecture/small group discussion. This course is restricted to graduate students in the College of Education.
Skills, competencies, and best practices of instructional leadership and student achievement. Includes framing and communicating school goals dealing with student learning, supervising and evaluating instructional practices, coordinating the curriculum to student outcomes, monitoring student progress, creating a professional learning community, and engaging in reflective practice as a school leader.
A survey of the methods used to facilitate a curriculum development process based on the theories and findings from research and practice. Application of concepts to practical problems in curriculum leadership to acquire skills in the change process for instruction innovation. Emphasis on current theory and research in standards, technology, and curriculum integration.
Emphasis on establishing skills in human resource management and supervision, including staff selection, supervision models, assessment and feedback methods, managing a diverse workforce, and adult development related to professional growth options. This course is designed specifically for individuals enrolled in a supervisory certification program.
Supervised field experience in all aspects of district-wide curriculum and instructional activities. Requires monthly seminar meetings.
Advanced supervised field experience in all aspects of district-wide curriculum and instructional activities. Requires monthly seminar meetings.
Prerequisites: EDL 428
Prerequisites: EDL 428
Social, Emotional, and Behavioral Wellness Track
Examination of the influence of culture, gender, and disabilities on behavior and attitudes. Historical and current perspectives on race, culture, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity diversity, and minority group issues in education and psychology. Lecture/small group discussion. This course is restricted to graduate students in the College of Education.
This course takes students from a beginning understanding of social and emotional learning (SEL) and its relevance for educators to an understanding of practices that can be used in schools to promote resilience, wellness, and positive developmental outcomes for all students. Students will examine how the research grounded in different theoretical traditions frames social and emotional wellness and will evaluate whether the practices identified in research can address the needs of specific student populations.
Training in multi-tiered systems of support (MTSS) to address emotional, social, and well-being of all students. Topics include the rationale for MTSS; Tier 1 evidence-based programs; targeted interventions, at the Tier 2 and 3 levels, to address the continuum of students’ behavioral needs; and an overview of the common mental health concerns that PreK-12 students experience. School personnel will learn how to integrate and apply the DSM-5 and IDEA to inform educational and mental health decisions within an MTSS framework.
This course is designed to provide educators and mental health trainees with a comprehensive exploration of psychological trauma and resilience; including the history and current theories in the field; the nature of trauma; how trauma and loss affects individuals and systems; grief reactions; learning and behavior and traumatic stress; and the development of trauma-responsive schools. Cultural-sensitivity, survivor-centeredness, and social justice efforts are emphasized within a trauma-informed care approach to prevention and practice.
Special Education Leadership Track
Examination of the influence of culture, gender, and disabilities on behavior and attitudes. Historical and current perspectives on race, culture, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity diversity, and minority group issues in education and psychology. Lecture/small group discussion. This course is restricted to graduate students in the College of Education.
This course will examine the empirical research and evidence-based practices behind the science of reading instructional framework. In this course, participants will examine: the structure of the English language, typical and atypical reading development, the pillars of reading and their interdependence. This course will also focus on scientifically-supported strategies to create motivating literacy environments for a diverse community of readers, including students with or at-risk for reading disabilities.
In this course, participants will gain an in-depth understanding of linguistics and phonics, including the importance of sociocultural environments as contexts that influence literacy skills. The connection between the phonological system, decoding, and word recognition will be discussed, and the best practices involved in explicit, systematic and cumulative phonological and phonics instruction will be examined and applied. The course will include an emphasis on instruction for at-risk students and students with reading disabilities, including causes of reading difficulties.
This course will address how meaning is derived from spoken and written language. Participants will learn the processes of language acquisition, the etymological and morphological foundations of English, and the role semantics and syntax play in deriving meaning. Empirical contemporary theories of reading comprehension development will be emphasized. Participants will also explore the impact reading fluency, content knowledge, metacognitive skills, and sociocultural environments have on reading comprehension, as well as apply the evidenced-based practices shown to bolster these specific pillars.
This course will focus on developing participants’ knowledge of the theories, evidence-based methods, and materials that can be used to teach writing as well as an understanding of typical developmental aspects of writing and the skills of successful independent writers. The course will also focus on the relationship between reading and writing and data-based decision-making to teach writing to all students, including students with disabilities and multilingual learners.
This course will examine and critique systems of assessments used to identify students at-risk or with reading disabilities, determine areas of strengths and needed support, and evaluate intervention effectiveness in order to adapt and improve instruction. Emphasis will be placed on understanding dyslexia and other specific reading disabilities, as well as the use of Response to Intervention and Multi-Tiered System of Supports frameworks to engage in systematic data-based decision-making and instruction for students in need of supplemental intervention.
Independent School Leadership Track
Examination of the influence of culture, gender, and disabilities on behavior and attitudes. Historical and current perspectives on race, culture, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity diversity, and minority group issues in education and psychology. Lecture/small group discussion. This course is restricted to graduate students in the College of Education.
Practices and theories about reform, change, and decision making look at who you need to communicate with and why each entity needs to be managed differently. Identify the educational stakeholders, the current trends that effect change, and what precipitates the need for change in the educational system. Addresses the process of change as it relates to individuals, the school board, teachers, students, and the administration with special emphasis on leadership, decision-making, motivation, and the dimensions of change.
Theory development relating to individuals and organizations with special emphasis on the superintendent’s prolonged effective working relationship with the board of education, the administration, the professional and support staffs and the community. Implementation, follow through, and maintenance are emphasized relating to the interpersonal savvy a superintendent needs to effectively establish trust, build and mend relationships, guide decision-making, instill motivation, lead stakeholders and manage change.
Examines federal and state Department of Education policies, laws, and regulations governing educational practice, policy, ethics and programming at the district level. Topics include a study of policy-making and related policies in a district, the role of the educational community in developing a collaborative decision-making organization, equality of educational opportunity for all students, and how policy efforts are reshaped by federal, state and local systemic reform efforts.
Analysis of the forces, factors, agencies, formal governmental systems and informal subsystems that influence educational policy in local districts and state and national governments.
The historical background, theory, methodology, and current practices of program evaluation in the human services area. Emphasis on conducting evaluations of educational programs and gathering data to make effective program decisions. Participants are required to design a program evaluation research plan.
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