Educational Leadership Program

EDL 3892 - Leadership and Service Seminar

3 Credits

The Leadership and Service course explores the nature of leadership in an organizational setting from a range of perspectives and paradigms, as well as through an Ignatian lens. The course will engage students in service learning as well as a series of analytical exercises designed to help them understand themselves as a leader. The course challenges students to consider how one uses one's own gifts in a purpose-driven vocation in the service of others.

Prerequisite(s): CORE 1500^*; CORE 1000

^* Concurrent enrollment allowed.

Attributes: UUC:Reflection-in-Action, UUC:Social & Behavioral Sci, UUC:Self in Contemplation

EDL 3910 - Internship in Orientation Leadership

1 Credit (Repeatable for credit)

This course is an experiential education internship with the SLU 101 Summer Orientation program for selected SLU 101 Leaders. It is open to all disciplines and provides students with theoretical and skill-based knowledge to apply in leadership positions including student development theory, group management, role modeling, and other related issues.

Prerequisite(s): CORE 1000; CORE 1500<sup>*

*</sup> Concurrent enrollment allowed.

Attributes: UUC:Reflection-in-Action

EDL 3915 - Internship in Peer Instruction

1 Credit (Repeatable for credit)

This course serves as an internship for students selected as peer instructors for the UNIV 1010. This internship is designed to provide students with knowledge to apply to the classroom setting, including student development theory, classroom management and teaching techniques, paraprofessional role modeling, and other related issues.

Prerequisite(s): CORE 1000; CORE 1500<sup>*

*</sup> Concurrent enrollment allowed.

Attributes: UUC:Reflection-in-Action

EDL 3930 - Special Topics

3 Credits (Repeatable for credit)

EDL 3980 - Independent Study

1 or 3 Credits (Repeatable for credit)

EDL 5000 - Educational Leadership Non-Certification Practicum

0-3 Credits (Repeatable for credit)

The Leadership Practicum provides students an opportunity to explore practical applications of content and skills learned in their graduate programs to actual settings. Designed for students who are not seeking state certification as public school building or district administrators, this practicum provides flexible opportunities to experience leadership at an executive level in private K-12 education, higher education, business, or non-profit/social service sectors. (Offered Summer, Fall, and Spring)

EDL 5003 - Catholic Leadership Practicum

1 Credit (Repeatable for credit)

The Catholic Leadership Practicum provides students an opportunity to integrate and explore practical applications of content and skills learned in their graduate program to an educational setting. Using the Ignatian Pedagogical Paradigm as a framework, students will reflect on and evaluate their experiences and actions as Catholic school leaders. Problems of practice will be explored and a portfolio of artifacts will be created.

Attributes: Catholic Leadership

EDL 5100 - Foundations: Becoming While Doing, Creating Hope for All

3 Credits

This course focuses on the development of personal, social, and systems intelligences essential for leading equitable learning organizations. Students will explore the creation of student-centered cultures, equity-driven leadership, vision and mission alignment. The course situates leadership within individual, school, community, and political contexts, emphasizing reflective practice and cultural responsiveness. Offered in the fall.

EDL 5103 - Foundations of Mission Driven Leadership

3 Credits

This course examines the foundations of leadership in a Catholic school including: 1) mission, vision, and core values; 2) school organization and governance including: canon law and Catholic education; 3) the role of school boards and how to develop and leverage them effectively 4) the historical foundations of Catholic education in the United States; 5) introduction to the NSBECS, systems-thinking, decision making, and change and innovation; 6) the effectiveness of the Catholic school and use of human capital to advance the mission of the Catholic school.

Attributes: Catholic Leadership

EDL 5150 - Special Dimensions of Mission Driven Leadership

3 Credits (Repeatable for credit)

Leading Catholic schools today is both rewarding and complex. This course explores administrative elements including: 1) charism; 2) building positive school climate and culture; 3) spiritual leadership; 4) role of the family and parish community building; 5) Church documents on the mission and purpose of Catholic education. Roles of the principal and the institution will be explored with special emphasis given to the unique aspects of Catholic schools.

Attributes: Catholic Leadership

EDL 5190 - Building Level Administration and Community Relations

3 Credits

This course is designed to strengthen students' knowledge and skills as instructional leaders by identifying and researching current and emerging curricular issues. Students will learn to coordinate and synthesize curriculum development utilizing appropriate instruction designs, manage delivery and resources as they relate to curriculum, and utilize assessment results. Students will conduct and report results of a building level audit of curriculum supports and implementation.

EDL 5200 - School-Community Relations

2-3 Credits (Repeatable for credit)

A study of the nature, scope, principles, and practices of public relations including organization and administration.

EDL 5210 - Special Education and the Catholic School

3 Credits

This course is designed for Catholic school principals and other teacher/leaders whose goal is to develop inclusive practices within the Catholic school setting. this course will examine the moral and practical foundations of developing special education programs with the Catholic schools setting. This course will also explore the connection between Church documents and serving students with disabilities in faith-based settings.

EDL 5220 - Multi-tiered Systems of Support for Instructional Leaders

3 Credits

The purpose of this course is to provide candidates with the skills to (a) identify and assess at the universal level specific academic and behavior support needs; (b) design and implement behavior interventions at the school-wide and classroom levels across all students that include systems, practices, and data; (c) design learning environments that prevent and remediate problem behaviors, and (d) involve the key stakeholders (school personnel, students, families, community members) to develop agreed upon expectations and strategies to facilitate success for all students. Attention is focused on creating and sustaining secondary (targeted group or simple individual plans), and tertiary (individual) systems of support that improve lifestyle results (personal, health, social, family, work, recreation) for all children and youth by making problem behavior less effective, efficient, and relevant, and desired behavior more functional.

Prerequisite(s): EDL 5110 with a grade of C or higher

EDL 5230 - Coaching for Instructional Leaders

1 Credit (Repeatable up to 3 credits)

This course is designed to prepare aspiring Catholic school principals by focusing on coaching skills, professional dispositions, and faith-based decision-making frameworks essential for Catholic school leadership. Through mentorship with a seasoned Catholic school principal, candidates will engage in reflective practice and develop the necessary skills to navigate instructional leadership through a faith-informed lens. This course provides a unique opportunity to bridge theoretical understanding with practical application in a faith-based context. Through mentorship and self-reflection, candidates will cultivate the leadership dispositions and skills needed to be effective Catholic school principals. This course accompanies each of the courses that comprise the Certificate in Catholic School Principalship.

EDL 5300 - Legal and Ethical Foundations for Learning Leaders

2-3 Credits

This course explores the legal and ethical responsibilities of future leaders functioning as learning leaders in creating equitable, safe, and inclusive learning environments. Through case studies, students will examine how laws and policies intersect with ethical decision-making, equity, and the political context of schools, as well as how leaders can advocate for just and culturally responsive practices.

EDL 5303 - Law & Ethics in Catholic Education

3 Credits

This course provides an introduction to ethics and legal sources and documents related to Catholic schools. Selected case studies will be used to examine ethics and legal issues related to school students, teachers, and administrators. Current and relevant topics such as school handbooks, contracts, Title funding, school vouchers, alternative school models (i.e. faith-based charter schools), and tax-credit programs are explored.

Attributes: Catholic Leadership

EDL 5450 - Leading Equitable Systems for Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment

3 Credits

This course helps future leaders function as learning leaders in their work creating, managing, and evaluating equitable and challenging curriculum, instruction, and assessment systems in the classrooms they will supervise. Emphasizing cultural proficiency with equity, students will learn to apply data literacy and collaborative leadership strategies to align curriculum and assessment with school vision and mission. The course addresses curriculum as a system and integrates innovation and continuous improvement practices.

EDL 5500 - Professional Seminar: Leading Learning Organizations through the School Leader Paradigm

2 Credits

This capstone seminar integrates all aspects of the School Leader Paradigm, challenging students to synthesize their learning and demonstrate leadership across culture, systems, and learning domains. Through collaborative inquiry and authentic leadership experiences, students will reflect on their growth as learning leaders and develop action plans for leading equitable, student-centered learning organizations.

Restrictions:

Enrollment is limited to students with a major in Educational Leadership.

EDL 5630 - School Leadership: Cultivating Culture, Relationships, and Equity

3 Credits

This course develops leaders' abilities to build positive, student-centered school cultures grounded in equity, wellness, and strong relationships.Students will explore strategies to foster ethical practices, global-mindedness, and traditions that cultivate a sense of belonging for all learners. Emphasis is placed on the essential behaviors and intelligences needed to create a climate of trust, high expectations, and mutual respect, as well as strategies for leading through change and innovation.

EDL 5660 - Leadership Management of Operations, Systems, and Change

3 Credits

This course prepares learning leaders to design and manage student-centered systems that support the school's mission and vision. It is divided into four themes: Personal Leadership, School Leadership, Leadership for Equity, and Instructional Leadership. Within those themes more managerial topics are explored which include operational management, safety and crisis planning, technology integration, and inclusive services for all students. Emphasis is placed on leadership and aligning systems to equitable practices.

EDL 5730 - Developing Human Capital: Professional Learning and Reflective Practice

3 Credits (Repeatable for credit)

This course explores how learning leaders cultivate a culture of professional growth, reflective practice, and continuous improvement among educators. Students will analyze and apply systems for professional development and teacher evaluation that are focused on equity, capacity building, and human capital management.

EDL 5733 - Hiring for Mission, Developing Talent, and Faith Formation

3 Credits (Repeatable for credit)

This course explores elements related to human capital in Catholic schools. It blends current research and best practices in the field of education and in other professions as well as adult learning theory. Topics included are: 1) hiring for mission; 2) developing talent; 3) retaining faculty and staff; 4) professional learning and development; 5) faith formation; 6) faculty and staff evaluation; and 7) succession planning.

Attributes: Catholic Leadership

EDL 5910 - Internship: Elementary Principal

2-6 Credits

Students work under the direction of a successful elementary practicing administrator and thereby gain on-the-job experience in administration and supervision, aligned with the Missouri leader standards.

EDL 5911 - Internship: Secondary Principal

3 Credits

Students work under the direction of a successful secondary practicing administrator and thereby gain on-the-job experience in administration and supervision, aligned with the Missouri leader standards.

EDL 5913 - Internship: Building Principal

0-3 Credits (Repeatable for credit)

This internship experience is to give prospective school leaders a realistic context to learn and practice the craft of school leadership not found in a formal university classroom. It allows interns to apply what they have learned in a real context. It allows them to assess their commitment and genuine interest in the profession. The internship experiences offered at Saint Louis University for administrative certification for building level administration (Principal) are designed to align with State of Missouri certification requirements. (Offered every semester)

EDL 5914 - Internship: Superintendent Internship

0-3 Credits (Repeatable for credit)

This internship experience is to give prospective school leaders a realistic context to learn and practice the craft of school leadership not found in a formal university classroom. It allows interns to apply what they have learned in a real context. It allow them to assess their commitment and genuine interest in the profession. The internship experiences offered at Saint Louis University for administrative certification for district level administration (Superintendent) are designed to align with State of Missouri certification requirements. (Offered every semester)

EDL 5915 - Special Education Leadership Internship

1-3 Credits (Repeatable up to 3 credits)

This course is designed to prepare the special education administrator to lead in the school setting while building collaboration with the community and stakeholders. The focus is on collaboration with teams of teachers, related service providers, parents and building administrators, special education staff supervision, P.L. 101-476, IDEA, P.L. 108-446, IDEA 2004, State and Federal Compliance, state assessments and alternative assessments, researched based curriculum/ interventions/ strategies, data team meetings, allocation of resources and maintaining a highly qualified special education team. This internship provides hands-on experience in special education settings under the supervision of a certified special education professional such as a director of Special Education. Interns will apply evidence-based instructional strategies, collaborate with multidisciplinary teams, and engage in reflective practice to develop essential competencies for serving students with diverse learning needs. Emphasis is placed on adhering to ethical guidelines, demonstrating professional behavior, and effectively communicating with students, families, and other professionals.

EDL 5930 - Special Topics

1-3 Credits (Repeatable for credit)

EDL 5950 - Special Study for Written Comprehensive Exams

0 Credits (Repeatable for credit)

EDL 5980 - Graduate Independent Study in Education Leadership

1-3 Credits (Repeatable for credit)

Prior permission of guiding professor.

EDL 6110 - School District Administration

3 Credits

Organization and operation of city and suburban public school systems; school-community relations and school politics; basic principles, concepts issues; federal, state, and local relations in education; reality in school administration. (Offered every Fall semester)

EDL 6140 - The Politics of Education

2-3 Credits

An overview of the politics of education with attention to local-state-federal relationships, teacher-administrator-school board relationships, policy development and analysis in schools, rural/suburban/urban school systems and problems, and the place of the school in society.

EDL 6180 - Special Education Law and Administration

2 or 3 Credits

Designed to prepare the administrator for management of programs in special education. The focus is on legal issues, budget, legislation, organization, management, local, state and federal programs pertaining to special education discussed, as well as the preparation of grant proposals. Evaluation of programs and personnel. (Offered occasionally in Summer)

EDL 6190 - School, Community, and Politics

3 Credits

This course is designed to introduce the doctoral level student to the principles and techniques of communications, public relations, community engagement, marketing, as well as the social, political, and ethical dimensions of school administration. (Offered occasionally)

EDL 6200 - Ethics of Ed Leadership

3 Credits

Course centers on identifying, analyzing, and developing effective methods of confronting ethical issues in educational leadership. Case studies will be utilized to emphasize the interplay between theory and practice. (Offered annually.)

EDL 6300 - Advanced School Law

2 or 3 Credits

Detailed examination of Missouri school laws, legal research, analysis of selected cases. (Offered every Fall semester.)

EDL 6390 - Gateway Leadership Institute

2-3 Credits (Repeatable up to 6 credits)

This course examines the concepts of instructional leadership. Each year different national and local experts in the field convene to present and discuss educational issues focused on improving teaching, learning, and leading.

EDL 6400 - Sem: Human Resources Admin

2-3 Credits

An introduction to the basic principles and practices of public school human resource administration. Topics will include motivation, leadership, recruitment, selection, induction, orientation, staff development, salary administration, collective bargaining, evaluation, and supervision. (Offered every spring semester.)

EDL 6450 - Curriculum Design and Implementation Fidelity

3 Credits

The course examines the concepts of curriculum leadership and applies these concepts to the process of curriculum management and improvement. It is designed to strengthen students knowledge and skills as district instructional leaders by investigating current and emerging curricular issues. Students will audit a district's curriculum as it relates to written curriculum, implementation, practices, policies, personnel, finance, and facilities. This systematic review will provide a district wide curriculum understanding. The course requires active, thoughtful, and analytical thinking on the part of the student in order to synthesize and integrate the material into a working knowledge base.

EDL 6470 - School Facilities

2-3 Credits

Problems concerning predictions of enrollment; projection of educational programs; educational specifications of buildings; site location, size acquisition; architectural and construction contracts; lay and professional staff committees; bonding, staffing and equipping buildings. (Offered annually.)

EDL 6500 - School Finance: Equity-Driven Resource Management

2 Credits

This course prepares future principals as learning leaders to strategically manage financial and operational resources to support the school's vision, mission, and equity goals. Students will analyze funding systems, develop budgets that prioritize student-centered needs, and examine how resource allocation affects equity, culture, and learning outcomes.

EDL 6503 - Operational Vitality: Catholic School Finance and Advancement

3 Credits

This course examines the critical relationship between mission and finances in Catholic schools. It explores: 1) The forces that have led to the closures of schools, eliting of enrollments, and the characteristics of viable schools; 2) Understanding terminology, data, and the ability to read, understand, and prepare documents related to financial planning and financial management; 3) The budget cycle and processes utilized in the development of a master budget; 4) Alternative forms of governance and finance utilized by Catholic schools to achieve their mission; 5) The basics of public school finance; 6) Advancement techniques and processes; 7) The state of school choice and the different means of achieving it.

Attributes: Catholic Leadership

EDL 6510 - Seminar: Advanced Religious Education

3 Credits

An advanced seminar for those with adequate work in philosophical and psychological foundations dealing with curricular or administrational aspects of program leadership. Specific topics of concern will vary from semester to semester.

EDL 6690 - School Business Administration

2-3 Credits

Role of the business manager; fiscal planning models; needs assessment; budget planning and administration; accounting; auditing; personnel functions of the business office; property management. (Offered every Fall semester.)

EDL 6730 - District Level Professional Development and Teacher Evaluation

3 Credits

This course considers the importance and difficulty of motivating educators to seek life long personal improvement as reflective professional practitioners through high quality professional development and how the system of evaluation can incorporate and integrate this type of development. Strategies of adult motivation and techniques of adult behavioral change are studied. Current systems of staff evaluation are analyzed and specific evaluative techniques and methods are practiced using the MO New Evaluation System Model. Offered annually.

EDL 6810 - Leading Change in the 21st Century

3 Credits

This course on Change Leadership in the 21st Century is designed to equip students with the knowledge, skills, and mindset necessary to navigate and lead organizational change effectively. Drawing on the works of influential thought leaders such as Michael Fullan, Malcolm Gladwell, Brene Brown, Kotter, and others, it covers the theories, strategies, and real-world applications of change leadership, providing a comprehensive understanding of how to navigate and drive change within an organization understanding the dynamics of change and the principles of effective leadership in a rapidly evolving world.

EDL 6830 - Innovative Leadership: Leading for Innovation

3 Credits

This course explore the principles of innovative leadership in today's dynamic and fast-paced environment. Through a combination of readings from books and articles, case studies, and interactive discussion, students will develop the skills and knowledge necessary to lead innovation within their organizations.

EDL 6840 - Investigating Managerial Leadership Excellence

3 Credits

This course is designed to develop managerial leadership skills and strategies for effective management. Students will explore practical applications to become successful managers and leaders in today's dynamic environments. This course on Managerial Leadership Excellence is designed to equip individuals with the essential skills and knowledge needed to excel in leadership roles within organizations. Participants will explore various aspects of effective leadership, including strategic decision-making, team management, communication, and organizational culture. Throughout the course, participants will engage with cutting-edge theories and practical ideas derived from experts in the field of managerial leadership. The course adopts a holistic approach, blending theoretical foundations with real-world applications, case studies, and interactive discussions.

EDL 6930 - Special Topics

3 Credits (Repeatable for credit)

EDL 6950 - Special Study for Written Comprehensive Exams

0 Credits (Repeatable for credit)

EDL 6960 - Project Guidance

0-6 Credits (Repeatable for credit)

EDL 6970 - Advanced Research Topics in Education Leadership

3 Credits (Repeatable for credit)

Discussion of theories of research and the process of hypothesis development.

Restrictions:

Enrollment limited to students in a Doctor of Education degree.

EDL 6971 - Advanced Research Topics in Education Leadership

3 Credits (Repeatable for credit)

Discussion of theories of research and the process of hypothesis development. Same as EDL 6970, but for Ed.D. students.

EDL 6980 - Graduate Independent Study in Education Leadership

1-3 Credits (Repeatable for credit)

Prior permission of major professor required.

EDL 6990 - Dissertation Research

0-6 Credits (Repeatable for credit)