From the Program Director

Photo of the Program Director

Welcome to California Lutheran University's Graduate School of Education! As program director for the Central Coast Learning Center in Orcutt, California, I'm pleased to tell you about our innovative Educational Leadership master's program, which is designed to meet your needs as a working professional.

CLU is dedicated to providing a world-class education in friendly, supportive environments. Our center is conveniently located by Santa Maria, near Santa Barbara, Lompoc and San Luis Obispo.

Our Educational Leadership program offers the opportunity to learn from outstanding faculty members who have worked as administrators, ensuring that your academic experience is not only rich and engaging, but practical.

One of the unique features of this program is the professional learning community partnerships established with neighboring school districts. The partnerships provide students with:

  • Signature assignments that emphasize real-world experiences
  • An appreciation of the daily benefits and rewards of leadership
  • A concentrated focus on the challenges administrators encounter on a daily basis
  • The development of leadership skills required to successfully implement creative solutions to daily challenges
  • Experienced mentors that include local school administrators and faculty from throughout the region

Our program draws on the strength of CLU's mission to develop leaders for a global society in the roles of assistant principal, principal, director, assistant superintendent and superintendent, as well as positions in fields including teacher leadership, higher education and nonprofit administration.

The Educational Leadership program culminates in a Master of Arts in Educational Leadership and a Preliminary Administrative Services Credential. An accelerated program format allows students to complete their degree in one year while remaining employed full time. As a student, you'll benefit from a cohort comprised of working professionals, and develop friendships and working relationships that will last a lifetime.

Thank you for considering the Integrated Master of Arts and Credential in Educational Leadership program at CLU's Central Coast Learning Center. We have a superb program for aspiring leaders, a passion for education, and the desire to support you in your educational goals. Feel free to contact me by email or phone with your questions. I look forward to welcoming you to the program at our Central Coast Learning Center!

Victoria L. Kelly, Ed.D.
Program Director
Educational Leadership Program
Central Coast Learning Center
vkelly@callutheran.edu
(805) 938-8931
My faculty profile »


Program Overview

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Schools today need 21st-century leaders who are knowledgeable, reflective, and have the ability to work with a diverse array of constituents. They need administrative leaders who can promote the success of their students and ensure a safe, efficient, and effective learning environment.

California Lutheran University offers the Preliminary Adminstration Services Credential and Master of Arts in Educational Leadership through an accelerated format incorporating on-campus and online course work in four 11-week terms. Program entry begins durng the summer, with graduation in 12 months, just in time for the "hiring season."

Program Highlights

  • Designed for working professionals
  • Course work completed in 12 months
  • 60% of face-to-face instruction and 40% online
  • Preliminary Administrative Services Credential completed in 21 units. Nine additional units fulfills requirements for a Master of Arts in Educational Leadership degree
  • Weekend format (two weekends per month, Friday evening and Saturday during the day)
  • Master's degree and credential programs offered in two locations: Thousand Oaks and the Central Coast Learning Center located in Orcutt*
  • Expert faculty of full-time professors and highly regarded practicing educational leaders

Learn more NCATE logoabout CLU's Graduate School of Education »



Meeting Format

  • One year to complete program
  • Sixteen weekends in a calendar year
  • Friday evening 5:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
  • Saturday 9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Cohort Classes

  • EDLD 502 Current Social, Cutlural and Political Issues in Education
  • EDLD 504 Educational Leadership: School Law and Public Policy
  • EDLD 568 Educational Leadership: Organizational Leadership and Public Education
  • EDLD 570 Educational Leadership: Curriculum Leadership and Program Evaluation
  • EDLD 572 Educational Leadership: Managing Resources
  • EDLD 580 Educational Leadership: Organizational Transformation: Leading for Learning
  • EDLD 550 Educational Leadership: Focusing on Student Achievement
  • EDLD 510A Action Research for Practitioners - Advanced Studies
  • EDLD 591 Fieldwork

 

Course Description

EDLD 502 Current Social, Cultural and Political Issues in Education: EDLD 502 is an in-depth systematic study of the social, cultural, and political issues and trends that affect educational leaders in today's American schools. This study is achieved through the completing of five student learning outcomes (SLOs).

 EDLD 504 Educational Leadership: School Law and Public Policy: Implications and trends of court decisions at the federal, state, and local levels as they affect the role of counselor, teacher, and administrator; their impact on district policy and finance, and on district and local programs and activities.  Also studied is the importance of policy development and implementation and its impact on K-12 education.

EDLD 568 Educational Leadership: Organizational Leadership and Public Education: An overview of organizational and leadership theories and their impact on K-12 schools.    The organizational patterns of education at the federal, state, and local levels, with emphasis on the interrelationships in the educational professional bureaucracy as they relate to the framework of decision making and the functions at the local level in meeting individual student needs.

EDLD 570 Educational Leadership: Curriculum Leadership and Program Evaluation: An overview of curriculum; theory, development, organization, evaluation, improvement and implementation; historical background and comparative educational patterns; the social, psychological, and philosophical roots. Candidates learn how to evaluate curricular and instructional programs for their effective use and implementation.  Candidates learn to apply, model, and analyze both formative and summative assessment strategies and demonstrate an understanding of standards-based accountability systems.

EDLD 572 Educational Leadership: Managing Resources: People, Policy, and Practice: The processes of managing human and fiscal resources with a focus on student achievement, including the selection and hiring of employees, supervision and evaluation techniques, fiscal resources, and grant writing.

EDLD 580 Educational Leadership: Organizational Transformation: Leading for Learning: A focus on school culture and its implications for student achievement. Candidates learn formative approaches to supervision practices that increase student achievement as well as how to evaluate instruction for school improvement.  Current practices such as Response to Intervention (RTI) and Professional Learning Communities (PLCs) are studied.

EDLD 550: Educational Leadership: Focusing on Student Achievement: An emphasis on using the California Standards for the Teaching Profession to guide instructional practice and the development of coaching and mentoring skills to promote student achievement.

EDLD 510A Action Research for Practitioners - Advanced Studies: Designed for students in programs in the Department of Advanced Studies. A systematic study and analysis of current research and methods of conducting research in educational settings. The objectives in this course focus on (A) knowledge base (B) techniques; and (C) applications of action research

EDLD 591 Fieldwork: This course provides opportunity for the candidate to work with a university supervisor on fieldwork activities specifically designed to enhance the candidate’s leadership ability.  All fieldwork assignments are tied to specific coursework each semester a candidate is enrolled in the Preliminary Administrative Services Credential program.

 

Admission Requirements

  1. Checklist
  2. Completed Application Form
  3. $50 Application Fee (please make checks payable to CLU)
  4. Official transcripts verifying bachelor's degree and any graduate work
  5. Personal Statement
  6. Recommendation Form
  7. Petition to Waive the GRE or GRE Scores
  8. Copy of current teaching credential

Application Process

Apply Online

Interested individuals are encouraged to make an appointment to meet with a graduate admission counselor to review specific program information, admission requirements, start terms, deadline dates, and review financial aid options.

Please call (805) 493-3335 to schedule an appointment to meet with a graduate admission counselor or to request information.

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