Educational Leadership News

Educational Leadership

NEWS ISSUE 1 | MAY, 2014

RELEVANT AND RESPONSIVE

Responsive, innovative, relevant, and accessible are some of the adjectives used to describe the master’s in educational leadership program offered through Minnesota State Mankato. Enrollment in the program has doubled since 2010, when the program’s curriculum was updated and offerings were expanded to the University’s extended campus location at 7700 France in Edina.

“The vast majority of our students are full-time, working professionals. They have different needs than undergraduate students,” said Barb Wilson, assistant professor of educational leadership. “Our environments and our schedules are designed for adult learners. For example, we offer a two-year course rotation; easy-access locations; classrooms with computer labs and round tables for group work; hybrid classes [combination of online and face-to-face]; Saturday classes; TelePresence options; and courses and guest lectures led by experts in the field.”

In addition to being responsive to the needs of students, the program responds to the needs of the profession. Expectations and requirements for effective educational leadership

are changing. The program’s curriculum requirements reflect those changes: multi-cultural studies; communication skills; evidence-based research of best practice; leadership studies; leadership and technology; emerging education issues; as well as leadership practicums.

Many students in the educational leadership graduate program pursue a master’s degree with strong career goals. Wilson explained that while the course of study is structured, it also allows flexibility for students to

make it their own. “Some students are interested in K-12 education, others plan to work in a non-profit, and many are working in higher education,” she said. “The program encourages each student to customize and integrate courses to support their particular interests.”

For more information about the master’s in educational leadership program at Minnesota State Mankato, contact Barbara Wilson at barbara.wilson@mnsu.edu or 952-818-8883.

PHOTO BY DAN MOEN

Enrollment in Educational Leadership Graduate Program Doubles

What do faculty think about

OUTSIDE THE CLASS ROOM?

Professional practices change when someone has the courage to challenge the status quo, conducts the difficult research and delivers data that show results. We are impacting education practices because faculty of the Department of Educational Leadership regularly pose questions and ask for proof.

Here is a small sample of the types of things that our faculty members are asking and researching.

Jason Kaufman Our Contemplative Nature Associate professor of educational leadership and licensed psychologist, Jason Kaufman understands the benefits of interacting with nature. He says the contemplative nature of the activities offer potential for personal growth. Kaufman calls on the field of ecopsychology to lead others in experiencing the benefits as well. “The discipline of ecopsychology is poised,” wrote Kaufman, “ … to help people around the world actualize its discoveries in practice by encouraging and guiding a contemplative exploration of self and society in relation to nature.

For more information on Kaufman’s writings, visit http://faculty.mnsu.edu/jasonkaufman/

Scott Wurdinger Time for Action: Stop Teaching to the Test and Start Teaching Skills Scott Wurdinger, professor of educational leadership, disagrees with the American education system’s heavy focus on memorization and standardized tests to measure academic achievement. His book Time for Action provides practical examples that can move the education system in the right direction. Wurdinger writes, “Students deserve an education that teaches them how to solve challenging problems and inspires them to become lifelong learners.” For more information about Wurdinger’s research, visit http:// ed.mnsu.edu/edleadership/faculty/wurdinger.html

Kyle Momsen and Julie Carlson To Know I Can Might Be Enough: Women’s Self-Efficacy and Their Identified Leadership Values Professor of educational leadership Julie Carlson and graduate student Kyle Momsen wondered if the department’s Women in Leadership course impacted female students’ levels of self-efficacy and leadership values. Over the course of three summers, they surveyed women before and after their participation in the class. Momsen and Carlson found self-efficacy levels increased in each dimension. To learn more about their research, visit http://advancingwomen. com/awl/awl_wordpress/

Candace Raskin and Barb Wilson The Landscape of Minnesota School Board Members: A Study of the Characteristics and Work of Public School Board Members Serving Minnesota Public Schools Minnesota School Boards serve a vital role in K-12 education. Professors Candace Raskin and Barbara Wilson, along with their colleagues Anne Weyandt and Roberta Thatcher, wondered how school board members viewed their roles, responsibilities, and work. The team surveyed all school board members serving in Minnesota. Would their findings match best practices identified in the literature on effective school boards? To learn more about their research, visit http://issuu.com/msbajournal/docs/march2013.

SERIOUS AS SINGLETON

Minnesota State Mankato’s Department of Educational Leadership is serious about preparing leaders who can eliminate the racial achievement gap in Minnesota schools. Securing Glenn Singleton as a keynote speaker is about as serious as it gets.

Singleton presented at the College of Education’s conference on diversity on April 17th, 2014.

Making time for courageous conversations about race and the achievement gap remains a high need. Singleton wrote the book on the subject, literally. He is the author of Courageous Conversations About Race: A Field Guide for Achieving Racial Equity in Schools, which earned “Book of the Year” recognition from both the National Staff Development Council and ForeWord Magazine in 2006.

A nationally renowned lecturer and education innovator, Singleton helps administrators, teachers, students, parents, and community stakeholders identify and examine the intersection of race and schooling.

This presentation was made possible, in part, through a generous gift from Darryl and Shirley Hill. Darryl and Shirley met as education students in 1954 at what was then Mankato State Teachers College.

“Minnesota State Mankato gave us the training to use our leadership abilities to help other people make their lives better,” said Darryl. “It’s our hope that this extra training for administrators and teachers will help them in the education of our youth,” he added. “We wanted to continue to help Minnesota State Mankato provide ‘big ideas’ in education.”

For more information about courageous conversations about race and the achievement gap, please contact Melissa Krull at melissa.krull@mnsu.edu or 952-818-8864.

PHOTO BY KIMBERLY RASKIN

Glenn Singleton delivered a keynote speech April 17th, 2014

Check Out Our

DOCTORAL GRADUATES

Our program offers something beyond the traditional and typical.We think the best way to learn about us is to ask questions. So, we encourage you to ask our graduates about us and ask us about our graduates.

2013-2014 EDUCATIONAL LEADERSHIP DOCTORAL GRADUATES We are proud to present the educational leadership doctoral graduates of 2013-2014. Look at the interesting things they have been studying.

Timothy Alan Berry

Contextual Pedagogy: A Praxis for Engaging Black Male High School Students Toward Eliminating the Achievement Gap

Randy D. Haley

Measuring Success for English Language Learners from a Multi-Dimensional Perspective

Jason Kaufman

Organizational Culture as a Function of Institutional Type in Higher Education

Jamie Mahlberg

An Examination of the Influence of Formative Self-Assessment on College Student Mastery Orientation in College Courses

Mariam Qureshi

The Good Teacher: A Qualitative Analysis of Perceptions of Asian American Parents

Bryan Romsa

Undergraduate Sport Management Students’ Perceptions of Leadership Behaviors through Service Learning: A Quantitative, Quasi-Experimental Study

Tony VonBank

Building a Culture of Innovation: A Case Study in Digital Technology Integration in Public Schools

Anne F. Weyandt

Examining Structure and Culture: A Case Study of Three Middle Colleges

DEVELOPING COURAGEOUS LEADERS Human capital—the collective skills, knowledge, or other intangible assets of individuals—is the single most important resource in the American education system.

Minnesota State Mankato’s Institute for Courageous Principal Leadership delivers innovative training that equips principals with the knowledge and leadership skills necessary to increase outcomes and opportunities for every student.

Currently, our faculty members guide more than 100 principals from 12 districts and one charter school. The goal for each principal is to create a school culture where every student is fully engaged, educated and included.

In 2012, Minneapolis Public Schools chose Minnesota State as their university partner for the Aspiring Transformational Principal Academy. Together, we prepare visionary, passionate leaders who are eager to assume principal roles and dramatically increase outcomes and opportunities for MPS students, families, and schools.

Catch a glimpse of the effect of our work with the Academy in this short video.

For more information on the Institute for Courageous Principal Leadership, contact Candace Raskin at candace.raskin@mnsu.ed or 952-818-8881.

A member of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities System and an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity University. This document is available in alternative format to individuals with disabilities by calling the College of Education at 507-389-5445 (V), 800-627-3529 or 711 (MRS/TTY).

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