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Graduation Requirements for the Teacher Leadership Concentration
The HTH GSE M.Ed. in Teacher Leadership culminates in a year-long action research project that the student designs and implements in their classroom or school. To complete this project, students work with their GSE faculty advisor, take a series of courses, and participate in a research seminar with their colleagues. Each student presents and discusses this project in their digital portfolio, which they present to their committee and to community members prior to graduation from the program.
The Action Research Project
Students within the Teacher Leadership concentration will design, implement, and publish (in the HTH GSE journal) an action research project based in their classroom or school. They will identify their project topic/question, develop a research proposal, and refine this proposal in the first year during the Action Research courses. Before beginning their action research thesis project in their second year, students must present their final research proposal to their master’s committee. Once the committee agrees that the proposal is sufficiently developed, the student may enroll in the first master’s thesis project course, HTH 280.
The final product produced from this action research project is a written document intended for an educational audience. It must include an introduction, a review of relevant literature, an explanation of methodology and analysis, an interpretation of results, and a discussion of conclusions and implications. The text must adhere to the APA style guidelines outlined in the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 5th edition (2000). That said, the final product may take a variety of forms, ranging from a written report/article to an interactive website.
The Digital Portfolio
Each candidate’s digital portfolio in the Teacher Leadership concentration will include, but not be limited to:
- The candidate’s resume.
- A statement of the candidate’s philosophy of education and learning.
- Links to the proposal, abstract, and completed text of the candidate’s action research project.
- Annotated evidence (lessons plans, units of study, projects, meeting agendas, photos, video, performance evaluations, journal entries, artifacts from their action research study, etc.) that documents mastery of each of the dimensions of the HTH GSE conceptual framework: inquiry & design, leadership, and reflection.
The Master’s Committee and Assessing Student Learning
Each master’s committee for the Teacher Leadership program consists of the
candidate’s GSE faculty advisor, another GSE faculty member, and an expert
HTH teacher, all of whom must hold a master’s degree or higher. The GSE
faculty advisor will have taken an active role in supporting and advising
the student throughout the program.
Prior to graduation, candidates submit their Digital Portfolio to their master’s committee for assessment. This committee reviews and assesses the portfolios using a rubric that identifies satisfactory growth in the dimensions of inquiry & design, leadership, and reflection. If there is any discrepancy between the two grades, a third individual (GSE faculty member, Mentor Leader or HTH expert teacher) will assess the portfolio and make a final determination. This ensures a clear, fair, and effective assessment process.