Online Graduate Certificate in Instructional Leadership
Instructional Leadership
Program Overview
Are you passionate about educational leadership and creating a supportive, uplifting learning environment in K–12 schools? The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, offers an online Graduate Certificate in Instructional Leadership. This fully online program is for educators with a Master of Science or Specialist in Education degree in Education or a related field. Once you complete the program, you will have the knowledge, skills, and values required to lead in educational practice settings effectively.
Why Earn a Graduate Certificate in K-12 Educational Leadership?
There has never been a more pivotal time for the future of our K-12 schools, and those schools need experienced educators willing to step forward and lead. The Instructional Leadership Graduate Certificate is intended for educators with a Master of Science or Specialist in Education degree in Education or a related field. The certificate also requires a 350-hour internship. This fieldwork experience bridges the gap between theory and practice. It allows you to understand the skills and dispositions needed to lead schools and the standards under which you will work while adding to your knowledge with standards-based projects.
Admission Requirements
- UTK Graduate School requirements; visit Graduate Admissions to get started.
- Candidates for admission must submit the following supplemental portfolio to the Program Coordinator, Tammy Knierim, at tknierim@utk.edu.
- A copy of your current and valid Tennessee educator license (you must have at least two (2) years of qualifying experience as an educator as defined by the TN Department of Education). This requirement does not apply to students in the non-licensure program.
- Your two most recent rating forms from current, immediate supervising administrators.
- At least two letters of recommendation: (1) your current principal and (2) another present or former principal or assistant principal (these can be the same references requested by the Grad School application process – please make sure you ask your references to upload an actual recommendation memo when they receive the link from the UTK Grad School).
- A signed mentor-agreement form from a principal or assistant/vice principal who is willing to serve as your mentor for the fieldwork experience. Also include contact information for your District leadership. You can find this form on the K12 Instructional Leadership webpage.
- A current resume
- Personal statement which includes the following: professional goals (explain how this preparation program would assist you in reaching these goals. Please provide a response that is detailed and specific); most recent professional development activities; professional activities involving leadership roles; professional organizations. o Professional honors received; a description of a personal experience where knowledge of curriculum and instruction was used to improve student achievement; a description of any personal experience(s) where collaboration, cooperation, and/or relationship building in a professional environment was demonstrated. Attach evidence of this experience, if applicable.
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Featured Courses
Here are some of the courses you can take during the online Instructional Leadership Graduate Certificate program:
Leading Professional Learning Communities is designed to assist aspiring school leaders in acquiring the knowledge, skills, and dispositions associated with leading professional learning communities in schools. Students in the course will learn how to develop, support, and nurture teacher and staff efficacy in meeting each student’s academic, social, emotional, and physical needs. The course focuses on developing leadership character in aspiring school leaders to create and sustain a positive learning community that nurtures and supports professional learning and instructional practice.
This course examines the role of the administrator as an instructional leader, specifically as it relates to their knowledge of reform initiatives, best practices, and instructional strategies, and their role as professional development facilitators. It approaches the process of leadership through the lens of curriculum and instruction. Specifically, students will learn and understand the alignment of curriculum, instruction, and assessment.
It provides a grounding in education resource management theory and practice, allowing students to acquire a working knowledge of the context of school finance at the national, state, and local levels and understand the strategies and mechanics of school resource utilization that are most closely associated with increased student academic success.
Designed to offer future K-12 educational leaders and scholars a broad and engaging background in personnel supervision and evaluation’s theoretical and pragmatic aspects. Course topics will be covered in light of significant, recent developments in the teacher evaluation and supervision field in Tennessee and the nation. The course will be broken into three modules: developing staff, supervising, and evaluating personnel.
