Leaders Among Leadership

School leaders are no strangers to dealing with challenges. For years, school leadership has dealt with issues of teacher recruitment, retention, student success, and safety. More recently, they have also had to address important conversations about equity and social justice. These historic and new challenges require a different approach to education and preparation of school leadership. And much like the challenges facing school leadership, the FSU Educational Leadership & Administration (EDA) program has evolved to help graduates emerge and find success in leadership roles across the country.

Dr. Christopher Small is the director of the online M.S./Ed.S. programs, and he has helped the program climb the national rankings. He attributes the success of the program to its mix of relevant research and practice-based opportunities in local schools and districts. Students in the program take part in evaluating, recruiting, and hiring teachers; examining and evaluating student data to develop growth-mindset approaches to instructional planning; and cultivating teacher efficacy. Afterwards, students engage in reflective conversations to evaluate and provide context for leadership decision making. The program also uses virtual leadership simulations to enhance student learning around “courageous leadership conversations and building supporting school climates for students, teachers, and stakeholders,” says Small.

STUDENT FOCUS

But beyond the curriculum and experiences, Small believes that the program’s reputation has gained so much attention due to the way it treats students. “We are intentional about building relationships with students from start to finish and creating spaces for them to network and support each other as a learning community,” says Small. “We work to set high expectations for our scholars, but also provide the resources and scaffolding needed to ensure high success rates.”

“I chose the Educational Leadership & Administration program because of my passion for furthering my aspirations as a teacher and aspiring school leader,” says Heather Jackson, current student in the program. “I appreciate the sense of community and camaraderie in the virtual family. The professors in the program go out of their way to support each student and ensure we are growing in our knowledge and gaining leadership experiences.”

Fellow student Christie Owen shares the same high praise for the EDA program. “This program is tailored to fit the demands of life as an educator, while simultaneously pushing us to be better leaders,” she says. “Everything I have learned so far in the program I have been able to apply in real world situations, ranging from training in ethics, cultural competency, and cultivating other teacher leaders to build a positive culture within a school.”

From left to right: Dionne Caines, Christie Owen, Heather Jackson, all current students in the program

FACULTY LEADERS

The program faculty also boast a rich range of diversity, strengths, and backgrounds. Current faculty include award-winning school administrators and former turnaround school leaders, as well as researchers that have a long history of school and instructional research. “The richness of our courses being taught by such a variety of faculty allow for students to glean from experts in the field that have also lived the day-to-day and year-to-year experience of school principals,” says Small.

In addition to the faculty’s diverse range of research topics, students frequently mention how much they appreciate their instructors’ attentiveness. Dionne Caines is another current student in the program, and she says that she feels supported by her professors. “They genuinely care about the academic success of each student,” Caines says. “Although the program is online, the professors are intentional about making connections with us through periodic Zoom meetings throughout the semester. Often the meetings were related to course work; however, some meetings were optional, simply to just check in to see if we’re okay.”

Jackson agrees with the sentiment. “I feel like I have my own team cheering me on every step of the way each semester.”

Owen says that beyond the support from faculty members, she also feels encouraged to work closely with peers. “The networking aspect of the program has helped me meet other educators who I

can collaborate with locally, as well as get to know educators who give me insight on what certain programs and policies look like in other school districts,” she says.

UPWARD PROGRESS

Despite the program’s nationally recognized successes, Small says the program continues to evolve and improves. Particularly, he believes that the online program can continue to support and reach school districts across the state, providing resources and training to leaders. He also wants to continue supporting students, and he aims to continue to increase the Florida Educational Leadership Examination (FELE) first-time pass rates, especially for students of color. The program plans to accomplish this while maintaining an enrollment of around 100 graduate students.

For Caines, a high FELE first-time pass rate was one of the main reasons why she chose the program. “That was proof that Florida State’s Educational Leadership & Administration program would more than prepare me to be an impactful leader in my district,” she says.

Increasing FELE pass rate and growing the program might seem like a tall order, but considering the challenges facing school districts, Florida State University’s Educational Leadership & Administration is proud to play its part as a model of excellence in the state and beyond. With faculty like Small and students like Caines, Jackson and Owen, the future of the EDA program looks bright.