Secondary Education, Rank II (0432)
Department website: http://www.wku.edu/ste/
Program Coordinator
Janet L. Tassell, janet.tassell@wku.edu, (270) 745-5306
Program Contact
Rachael Lee, rachael.lee@wku.edu, (270) 745-2819
This non-degree program is designed to develop Teacher Leaders who can positively impact student learning in their classrooms and schools. Courses and experiences include Professional Learning Communities in which students interact with other graduate students from various content areas and grade levels to discuss and work on real world challenges and promising practices they encounter in schools. The program is divided into two instructional components.
The first component, Professional Education, provides advanced level pedagogy, leadership, and content related to Kentucky Teacher Standards and applicable to all P-12 teachers working in the wide gamut of developmental levels and content areas.
The second component, Specialization, directs the candidate into an individual program in content, pedagogy, and/or areas of professional growth concurrent with the goals of each candidate.
Concentration(s)
- Agriculture (KAG)
- Art (KAR)
- Biology (KBI)
- Business and Marketing Education (KBU)
- English and Allied Language Arts (KEN)
- Environmental Education (KEV)
- Family and Consumer Sciences (KFA)
- French (KFR)
- German (KGR)
- Gifted Education Endorsement (KE37)
- Health Education (KHE)
- Industrial Sciences (KIT)
- Kentucky Computer Technology (KCT)
- Mathematics (KMA)
- Music Education (KMU)
- Physical Education (KPE)
- Social Studies (KSS)
- Spanish (KSP)
- Teaching English as a Second Language Endorsement (KE36)
Program Admission
Applicants must have or be eligible for a teaching certificate1 for Secondary Education (Grades 8-12, 5-12, or P-12).
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Applicants whose certificates have expired may be admitted, but they may enroll for only six hours before they must apply to the EPSB for re-issued certificates. After completion of six hours, a student admitted with an expired certificate must submit a copy of the re-issued certificate before being allowed to register for any additional courses.
Graduate School Admission
Please refer to the admission section of this catalog for Graduate School admission requirements.
Program Requirements (33-39 hours)
During the first course in the program, TCHL 500, students will complete an assessment process that will be used in determining which TCHL core courses they must take. Students are expected to enroll in TCHL 500 at the beginning of their program and in TCHL 560 toward the end, and in general, students should complete the professional education core (the TCHL courses except TCHL 560) as early as possible. Students should consult with their advisors regarding the optimal sequence of course work to meet their professional goals. An Action Research Project for Teacher Leaders focusing on a classroom, school, or district issue is the capstone for the completion of the program.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | ||
| Professional Education Core | ||
| TCHL 500 | Foundations of Teacher Leadership 1 | 3 |
| TCHL 530 | Curriculum Development | 3 |
| TCHL 545 | Classroom Instruction Strategies 2 | 3 |
| TCHL 555 | School and Classroom Assessment 2 | 3 |
| TCHL 559 | Capstone Project Design for Teacher Leadership | 1 |
| TCHL 560 | Capstone Project for Teacher Leadership | 3 |
| Mid-Point Assessment Requirements | ||
| To ensure master's candidates are proficient on Advanced Level Teacher Standards, it is recommended that a majority of the Critical Performances associated with the above TCHL courses be completed prior to the Specialization Component. Students must achieve an average of 3.0 on all Critical Performances and an average score of 3 on dispositions even though a candidate's program of studies does not include the courses. Additional course work may be required based on the assessment results. | ||
| Electives | ||
| Specialization Component | 17-23 | |
Advisor-approved content-specific courses (6 hrs) | ||
Advisor-approved education course (3 hrs) | ||
Additional Electives (8-14 hrs) 3 | ||
| Total Hours | 33-39 | |
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While enrolled in TCHL 500, students will use several documents, including their KTIP assessments or in-kind examples, dispositions self-surveys, referrals from school personnel, and their respective School Improvement Plans, to develop with their respective program advisors individualized programs of study of 30-37 hours related to Kentucky Teacher Standards and professional goals. Each student's program of study will include some or all of the TCHL courses, plus additional education-related or content courses.
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All students must complete these courses or pass proficiency evaluations for these courses.
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With advisor approval, students may select appropriate elective courses from: discipline in which the student is certified; academic disciplines related to P-12 common core standards; CEBS content courses in exceptional education, interdisciplinary early childhood education, library media education, literacy, or psychology; and approved endorsements (e.g., English as a Second Language, Gifted and Talented Education, Environmental Education, Instructional Computer Technology).
Program Completion Requirements
- Successfully complete TCHL 560 (Course grade of C or higher).
- Give acceptable presentation of action research in an approved venue.
- Achieve a minimum 2.5 GPA in course work.