Memo: Faculty Senate Executive Board

Memo: Faculty Senate Executive Board

From: Dr. Richard Fulton, Director of Teacher Education

Date: Friday, September 14, 2012

Please accept this letter as an overview of the proposed Master of Arts in Education: Teacher Leadership, scheduled to begin in Fall 2013.

Why is this program needed? The M.A. in Education: Teacher Leadership proposal is a result of Fort Lewis College Strategic Planning from the Fall 2011 and over 10 years of various planning and discussions of offering Master level programs to educators in the Four Corners region. Focus groups have been held over the past year to incorporate local educators ideas and feedback into the development of this M.A. proposal. With over 2400 teachers within 100 miles and currently 140 of these educators identified as Fort Lewis College graduates, we believe a starting cohort of 22 students is a feasible proposition.

What other programs would be offered in Teacher Education? If in the future, the Teacher Leadership program may saturate the market locally with in five to ten years, unless, as currently proposed by Colorado Department of Education, Teacher Leadership establishes a license status. A very likely next step for a Masters in Education would be to add a Principal License to the MA by developing Instructional Leadership, Finance and Legal courses. In addition, we have excellent tenured faculty and highly marketable regional market for M.A. in Culturally Diverse Education, which does have a Colorado Department of Education endorsement.

How much would graduate program cost students and the college? The MA budget has been established $300/credit hour as a standard tuition (comparable with similar institutions, with a $35/course fee for library, technology support, and career services. Summer courses, planned to two-week blocks, could add a family fee to use the Student Life Center. A basis of $5000/course cost for instructors is included in the budget. However, the Teacher Education Department would be able to cover their undergraduate and graduate program courses within existing staffing with 2-3 courses per year at the graduate level and perhaps 1-2 courses per year covered by adjunct in the undergraduate program. The costs to the college will come primarily in the first three start up years, with extra work placed onparticularly on the IT and Registrar’s Office. The Teacher Education Department has budgeted for Graduate Program Coordinator at an Administrative Assistant III level with more financial support occurring at year 4 when a second cohort could be added. A 5 years budget is outlined below:

Table 1: Projected Expense and Revenue Estimates
ESTIMATED AMOUNT in DOLLARS
Year 1 / Year 2 / Year 3 / Year 4 / Year 5
Operating Expenses:
1 / Faculty / 51,080 / 49,803 / 89,390 / 88,113 / 95,775
2 / Financial Aid Specific to Program / 5,000 / 10,000 / 17,500 / 25,000 / 25,000
3 / Instructional Materials / 2,000 / 3,000 / 3,000 / 4,000 / 5,000
4 / Program Administration Graduate Program Coordinator 1.0 FTE / 45,972 / 45,972 / 45,972 / 45,972 / 45,972
5 / Rent/Lease / 4,000 / 4,000 / 4,000 / 6,000 / 7,000
6 / Other Operating Costs / 2,000 / 3,000 / 3,000 / 45,000 / 45,000
Program Start-Up Expenses
7 / Capital Construction
9 / Equipment Acquisitions / 5,000 / 5,000 / 5,000 / 5,000 / 5,000
10 / Library Acquisitions / 8,000 / 5,000 / 3,000 / 3,000 / 3,000
11 / Total Program Exp. / 123,052 / 125,775 / 170,862 / 222,085 / 231,747
Enrollment Revenue:
12 / General Fund: State Funds
13 / Cash Revenue: Tuition / 118,800 / 117,000 / 189,000 / 270,000 / 270,000
14 / Cash Revenue: Fees / 7,040 / 15,750 / 36,750 / 56,250 / 56,250
Other Revenue
16 / Corporate Grants/Donations
17 / Carryover prior year / 2,788 / 9,763 / 64,651 / 168,816
TOTAL PROGRAM REVENUE / 125,840 / 135,538 / 235,513 / 390,901 / 495,066

The long-term business plan for a MA in Education would pay off over time if two or more cohorts operate alternating years. By offering a Principal license and Culturally Linguistically Diverse endorsement we believe offering two or more cohorts will be very feasible.

How would the courses be offered?The Teacher Leadership courses will be a mix of face-to-face, five, 4-hour, evening class sessions and online assignments and threaded discussions for a 3 credit course and five 3 hour evening session for 2 credit courses. In addition, two 8-hour Saturday workshops or during-the-week workshops will be planned per course (one 8 hour workshop or trip for 2 credit courses). During the summer, two week intensive 3 credit courses will be held comprised of at least 45 contact hours. In between class meetings and all-day workshops substantial on-line threaded discussions, group projects and individual assignments will be required.

What are the format for the oral and written comprehensive exams and thesis? The written and oral comprehensive exams will consist of a bank of “essential questions” developed for each course. The thesis will consist of an action research project that teachers will perform in their schools under the guidance of the Master program advisors and be approved by the Fort Lewis College’s Internal Review Board and school district research procedures. The research project development will begin in the first year in ED 600 Introduction to Graduate Research in Education and continue in the second year in ED 750 and ED 760 Action Research I and II. Students will be required to have their research proposal approved prior to Action Research I. The ED 780 Thesis Project will be completed during the final Summer term. The Summer term will conclude with a Regional Conference on Innovation and Change, with graduates presenting their thesis in a workshop or research symposium format. This would be a perfect opportunity to bring regional educators to campus with families in a learning and recreating environment.

Who will teach in the program? In our initial planning, Fort Lewis College faculty would likely teach courses in the summer and occasional Fall or Winter course, according to their expertise area, undergraduate schedules, and potential overload situations. Specifically, we will have three or four tenure track faculty members teach in the program (two or three courses each semester, two in the summer) and adjunct faculty members teach one or two courses each semester. In addition, selected tenure track faculty members would serve as graduate advisors and receive up to 2 credits for these duties. Adjunct faculty would have the following qualifications: Ph.D or Ed.D or M.A. with demonstrated professional expertise in discipline being taught and experience in teaching at the graduate level or presenting at conferences. Demonstrated professional experience in a particular discipline would include significant tenure as a principal or teacher leader or instructional coach, professional development coordinator for a school district, district assessment coordinator, technology coordinator, or superintendent of schools. It would also be expected that these professionals have either taught in similar graduate programs, provided extensive professional development to teachers in their district, contracted for similar instructional roles, and/or presented on the specific discipline at regional or national conferences. The College has already contacted many competent potential adjunct faculty members in the region. In conclusion, the program can be adequately supported by a combination of full-time faculty members and local adjunct faculty.

What will the impact of the new initiative have on faculty workload? Developing program framework, syllabi and training adjunct faculty ahead of the implementation of the program in Fall 2013 will moderate the impact on current faculty workload. Selected faculty will receive course release to work on syllabi and program requirements during the AY 12-13. Starting in the AY 13-14, the use of adjunct faculty will help mitigate faculty workload at the undergraduate and graduate level. It would be expected during the first five years, 25% of the courses will be taught by adjuncts, and until a satisfactory number of qualified tenure track positions are created to teach part-time and eventually full-time in the graduate program. Until additional positions are formed, there will be a mix of adjunct faculty, tenure track faculty with one graduate course and two undergraduate courses, or some faculty working with a course overload to cover all the required courses and advising.Furthermore, the Teacher Leadership program will require full-time faculty to advise graduate research studies. The full-time faculty will need to have these responsibilities covered in their normal teaching load or paid as overload.

What are the requirements students must fulfill?

a. Admission requirements: In order to be admitted to the M.A. or Professional Certificate Program, the graduate student must complete a Fort Lewis College Graduate Student Admissions form, pay a $40 application fee, submit an official undergraduate transcript demonstrating at least a 3.0 cumulative GPA and (if applicable) official graduate transcripts with the potential for no more than 9 transfer credits. Candidates must also submit a written letter of intent discussing their personal strengths and areas of growth they would bring to the program and a summary of their relevant teacher leadership experience, and ideas of potential action research project. Three professional recommendations will be required, including two peers in the educational field and one from their current principal or direct supervisor. The applicant will need to include a letter from their current employer that documents that 1) the applicant has at least one year of full-time teaching experience in P-12 schools, 2) procedures to conduct research within the district (M.A. applicant only), and 3) signed memo of understanding from current building principal (form provided by the College). All applicants must complete an interview with the Director of Teacher Education and/or Teacher Education Graduate Study Committee.

b. Program requirements: Each student should meet the following requirements throughout the tenure of the program: full-time employment in a school setting where teacher leadership activities (and research for M.A. students) can occur, be assigned a Fort Lewis College advisor, have their current administrator sign a memo of understanding and sign again if any change in setting or principal occurs, and be in continuous contact with instructors and advisors in regards to practical applications of each course and professional growth, maintain at least a 3.0 GPA, complete the 30 credit hours of courses for the M.A. and 18 credits for the Professional Certificate and otherwise be in good standing in terms professionalism and ethical behavior. Students in the M.A. program would be required to have their Thesis Proposal Advisors selected and Thesis Proposal approved prior to enrollment in ED 750 Action Research I. Prior to enrolling in ED 780- Thesis Project, students will complete written and oral comprehensive exams. Students will be required to present their thesis research at the Annual Teacher Leadership Summer Regional Institute as part of ED 780 Thesis Project. The Teacher Education Department will be responsible for notifying the registrar when students are admitted in the program, fail to meet program requirements and complete the certificate in order to keep records. Any exceptions to these requirements will be presented to the Graduate Program Professional Review Committee, which will be composed of at least three Teacher Education faculty members.

What are the proposed course sequences?

Master in Education: Teacher Leadership Course Sequence (30 credits):

Fall 13/14 Aug-Dec / Winter 14/15 Jan Apr / Summer 14/15 May-June
ED 600-Introduction to Graduate Research in Education / ED 610- 21st Century Curriculum Design / ED 620- Cultural Competency in Schools
ED 720- Data Analysis and Transforming Assessments / ED 630- Emerging Technology in Education / ED 740- Effective School Leadership
Fall 14/15 / Winter 15/16 / Summer 15/16
ED 710- Instructional Coaching / ED 730- Student Centered Differentiated Instruction / ED 780 Thesis Project
ED 750 Action Research I: Innovative Practice / ED 760 Action Research II: Teacher Leadership (MA) / Summer Regional Institute

Professional Certificate Course Sequence (18 credits)

Fall 13/14 / Winter 14/15 / Summer 14/15
ED 710-Instructional Coaching / ED 630- Emerging Technology in Education / ED 740- Effective School Leadership
ED 720- Data Analysis and Transforming Assessments / ED 730- Student Centered Differentiated Instruction / ED 620- Cultural Competency in Schools

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