School Leadership Concentration
School Leadership
The School Leadership concentration is designed to develop and refine leadership expertise
of practitioners in P-20 education at the local, state, or national levels through
a focus on leadership, policy, and research. The program equips leaders to adapt to
change, engage in critical thinking, and address complex challenges. Emphasis on strategic
thinking, data-informed planning, policy analysis, organizational culture, decision-making,
ethics, and forward thinking aligned with real-world leadership experiences such as
internships are part of the program.
An administrative license is not required for this concentration.
We offer two degrees in Educational Leadership with a concentration in School Leadership: Educational Specialist (Ed.S.) and Doctor of Education (Ed.D.). This concentration does not lead to an administrator license.
Post-master's students who are accepted into the Ed.D. School Leadership Concentration
will earn the Ed.S. in School Leadership en route to the Ed.D. This articulation is
only for students who apply directly to the Ed.D.
Educational Specialist
This program is designed for educators already holding a master's degree. For some students, the Ed.S. realizes their educational goals; for others, it may be an intermediary degree between the master's and doctorate.
The educational specialist program consists of 30 credit hours.
Click here for more information on Ed.S.!
Doctor of Education
This terminal degree program is designed for students already holding a master's or specialist degree, and includes a doctoral dissertation as the culminating activity.
For students with a valid master's degree, the program of study requires a minimum
of 60 credits. Post-master's students will earn the Ed.S. in School Leadership en
route to the Ed.D. Twelve of these credits are the minimum required for the dissertation.
Students with valid educational specialist degrees have a program of study calling
for 42 credits. Twelve of these credits are the minimum required for the dissertation.
The Qualifying Examination is administered toward the end of the required coursework.
Upon satisfactory completion of both the written and oral components, students enroll
in dissertation credits and begin their research project under the direction of their
dissertation chair.
Click here for more information on Ed.D.!
Cohort Model
All students matriculate through their program as part of an online cohort. Cohort students will begin the program in the same semester and continue with the same group taking a minimum of 6 credit hours per semester. Each cohort has a site through D2L specifically designed to assist students in advisement and other concentration specific information. Students take classes during fall, spring, and summer semesters.
Course Delivery
All courses in the School Leadership concentraion are asynchronous and 100% online. Some professors may have periodic synchronous meetings via ZOOM to have discussions or present group projects. Courses are accessed through the online delivery system Desire to Learn (D2L).
Meet the ELPA Faculty and Staff
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![Photo of Dr. Ginger Christian Program Coordinator](/coe/elpa/pictures/drchristian-content-square.jpg)
Alumni Spotlight
![Dr. Kyle Loudermilk- Tennessee 2022-23 Principal of the Year](/coe/elpa/pictures/kyle-content-square.jpg)
Dr. Kyle Loudermilk is an esteemed alumni of the ELPA School Leadership program. Dr. Loudermilk continues to prioritize developing educator capacity and collaboration to increase student achievement, set high expectations and make progress toward closing achievement gaps for all students. He currently serves students and educators at Sevier Middle School in Kingsport City Schools.
“The journey through the Principal of the Year process has been a very humbling and honoring experience,” Loudermilk said in a KCS news release. “I have enjoyed being able to reflect upon and share about the wonderful people that I have been blessed to work alongside in Kingsport City Schools. Any accolade or recognition is a direct highlight of the amazing work that takes place within KCS everyday.”
Wagner, R. (2022, December 7). Sevier Middle's Loudermilk named Tennessee Principal of the Year. Times News. https://www.timesnews.net/news/education/sevier-middles-loudermilk-named-tennessee-principal-of-the-year/article_a8fc8260-7649-11ed-93f0-ab7c8b4bfc83.html