EDU-693: Administration and Supervision Practicum

This unified 3-credit practicum merges the year-long practicum sequence of EDU-688 and EDU-690 into a single 15-week graduate course requiring 240 hours of in-school leadership experience. The course blends leadership theory and practice, focusing on the ongoing professional growth of aspiring school leaders in real-world settings. Under the guidance of an experienced on-site mentor and a university supervisor, candidates participate in a variety of school leadership activities addressing diverse dimensions of effective school leadership, including visionary, instructional, organizational, community, ethical, and political leadership. Seminar discussions and readings (delivered online) complement the practicum by addressing the conceptualization, planning, and management of innovation and change in schools. Candidates will identify a significant school-based problem of practice and develop an analytic "Vision and Change" improvement project, planning and leading a strategic initiative to address the problem. Key assignments from the original two-course sequence have been retained in streamlined form, including an instructional walkthrough observation, a school culture and equity audit with disciplinary leadership case analysis, a family and community engagement project, an education policy research reflection, and final leadership project presentation, all aligned to national leadersip standards. Throughout the practicum, candidates are supervised and evaluated by both the faculty instructor and the site administrator, utilizing current School of Education practicum assessment instruments and rubrics aligned to the National Educational Leadership Preparation (NELP) program standards and the Professional Standards for Educational Leaders (PSEL). This intensive practicum experience is designed to prepare candidates with the knowledge, skills, and professional dispositions needed to effective school leadership and Maryland Administrator licensure (Supervisor of Instruction, Assistant Principal, and Principal). ( 3 credits )