Educational Leadership

A Master of Education (M.Ed.) or an Education Specialist (Ed.S.) in Educational Leadership prepares you as a leader in education administration. The degree places you on the forefront of theory, and positions you to have an influence on policy-making and improving educational institutions.

This degree is for teachers and administrators who desire to be on the leading edge of their professions. With this degree, professionals will learn the skills to make important changes in the educational field at the local, regional, state and national levels. Students should have leadership skills and a desire to make positive changes in education.

The College of Education has established several educational leadership cohorts in communities where schools encourage personal growth. Cohorts in Sandpoint, Meridian and Grangeville have provided unique learning opportunities for teachers seeking to progress their education while continuing to teach.

This degree is available online, at the Boise campus, at the Coeur d’Alene campus and with various cohorts throughout the state.

Prepare for Success

If you are a teacher seeking to become a principal, superintendent or school administrator, you may consider a degree in educational leadership. Students should possess an academic background comparable to a bachelor’s degree in education.

Your First Year

Master’s degree courses include:

• Educational Policy and Politics for Educational Leaders
• Administration of Special Education Law
• Leading Standards Drive Education
• The Principalship
• School Faculty

• The Superintendency
• Foundations of Educational Research
• School Facilities Planning and Maintenance
• School-Community Relations

What You Can Do

Graduates become superintendents, principals and higher education administrators. Doctoral graduates are prepared for specialized positions in education and to provide administrative leadership.

Opportunities

Most educational leadership graduates are hired in public school district offices, universities, and private institutions and companies. Potential job titles include dean of instruction, academic division director and education specialist. Salaries range from $57,000 to $111,000 in Idaho, but salaries vary from state to state.

Current Research

Current faculty research is being conducted on the following topics:

• Culturally responsive leadership
• Social and cultural contexts of education
• How technological and economic forces transform higher education
• School law
• Standards-based curriculum and assessment

Hands-On Experience

Educational leadership cohort groups form strong bonds that evolve into powerful networks of educational leaders statewide. As research projects evolve, students collaborate with faculty and other students to enhance both teaching and learning. Some of these projects include Dr. Mary Gardiner’s research on the experiences of beginning teachers in rural schools and how school leaders can mentor them effectively. She and her students presented a research paper at the American Educational Research Association (AERA) in New York in March 2008.

Online & Outreach

Instruction may be live, online or Web-assisted to accommodate the schedules of working professionals. Summer classes meet daily in two four-week sessions or are delivered online. It is possible to take most classes online with advisor approval.

Faculty Involvement

A small student-to-faculty ratio provides a unique opportunity for students to interact closely with faculty.

Kathy Canfield-Davis, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Research interests: Multiculturalism, women in leadership, human rights, K-12 policy and governance and educational leadership.
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Mary Gardiner, Ph.D.
Professor
Research interests: Social and Cultural Contexts of Educational Leadership; Qualitative Research; Culturally Responsive Education; Multicultural Leadership; Philosophy of Education; Comparative Education; Social Foundations of Education
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Michael Johnson, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Research interests: the “Walmartization” of higher education; higher education policy and governance; the role of the superintendency; school principal preparation, women in leadership; the effects of globalization; the effect and use of technology in educational leadership
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Russ Joki, Ed.D
Department Chair
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Carolyn Keeler
Professor
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Donald Wattam
Assistant Professor
Research interests: Educational law, rural education leadership, leadership governance
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