ÄÛ²ÝÊÓƵ

Request Info Apply
2025-26 Academic Draft Catalog

Educational Specialist in Professional Administrator License (EdS degree)

Mission

The mission of the College of Education at ÄÛ²ÝÊÓƵ Fox University is to empower educators to reach their full potential and make a positive impact on their students. The college's programs are designed to integrate faith, learning, and living based on a Christ-centered worldview.

Overview

The Education Specialist (EdS) in Professional Administrator License is a post-master’s practitioner degree, positioned midway between a master’s and a doctorate. It is designed for educators seeking preparation and licensure for leadership roles as administrators The program equips educators to apply their knowledge and skills in ways that best serve their schools and districts.

This program fosters the development of educational leaders who can critically evaluate and apply research, analyze educational trends, use evidence effectively, and promote best practices in student and adult learning.

The EdS in Educational Leadership prepares servant leaders who excel in their areas of expertise and understand the broader educational landscape. This empowers them to improve systems and positively impact students' lives.

Degree Outcomes

Educational Objectives

The program aims to enable students to: 

  • Understand and articulate the personal relevance of the six lenses from the College of Education Conceptual Framework:
o   Think Critically
o   Transform Practice
o   Promote Justice and
  •       Professional Dispositions:
o   Commitment to Courage
o   Integrity, and
o   Seeking Multiple Perspectives
  •       Develop expertise in a chosen specialty area. 
  • ·     Analyze organizations, educational initiatives, and processes to guide and promote effective action.
  •       Use technology to solve problems. 
  •       Apply research tools to investigate questions and address problems in educational practice. 
  •       Understand measures of student achievement and effectively gather and use evidence. 

 

Professional Objectives

The program aims to enable students to: 

  •       Obtain professional endorsement
  •       Apply their expertise as servant leaders in collaborative leadership settings. 
  •       Build and sustain collaborative, collegial learning organizations. 
  •       Practice just leadership by providing effective, well-reasoned solutions to challenges in meeting institutional and community goals. 
·       Integrate personal faith commitments into their professional practice. 

Admission Requirements

Admission Requirements for the EdS Program

Applicants must hold a master’s degree in education or a related field from a regionally accredited college or  university with a minimum GPA of 3.0. To be considered for admission, applicants must also submit the following:

  •       Education Specialist application 
  •       Personal essay (as outlined in the application) 
  •       Evidence of scholarly work (e.g., master’s thesis, term paper, publication) 
  •       One official transcript from each college or university attended that shows at least 30 graduate credits have already been earned
  •       Three professional references using the Graduate Programs Reference Forms 
  •       Current professional résumé 
  •       Verification of a valid Oregon teaching or administrative license, or equivalent (if applicable) 
  •       Completed Teacher Standards and Practices Character Questionnaire 
  •       Signed State of Oregon Guide to the Ethical Educator 
  •       Oregon Administrator License District/School Partnership form (if applicable) 
  •       District Employment Verification Form (if applicable) 
·       Availability for an interview (in-person, virtual, or phone) if required 

Transfer Credit

Students may transfer up to 27 semester credit hours of coursework toward their concentration and electives if these credits were completed beyond their first 30 graduate semester credits. Transfer credits must be from a regionally accredited institution, at the graduate level, and must have a grade of B or higher, or a "pass" for pass/no pass courses. TSPC requirements will be considered to ensure alignment with the student’s licensure goals.

Graduation Requirements

To graduate with an EdS degree, students must complete at least 60 semester graduate hours including prior coursework, and maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher.

Grading

  • Achieve a grade of a  B or higher in all core courses. If a grade of a B- or lower is received in a course, that course may be required to be retaken.
  • Achieve a pass in all pass/no pass courses.

Accreditation

The College of Education is accredited by the . We will also seek regional accreditation by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU).

Remediation

The goal of remediation is to identify students' areas of weakness and assist them in overcoming these challenges to achieve mastery. EdS students must maintain an average GPA of 3.0 to continue in the program and graduate. If a student’s GPA falls below 3.0, they may be placed on academic warning, and the Program Director and faculty will recommend a supportive course of action.

If a student receives a grade of C or C- in a single course, they must meet with their academic advisor for counseling and/or remediation. If a student earns a C or C- in two designated courses, they will be subject to academic warning and remediation. Individual remediation plans will be created based on the student’s unique circumstances.

Unprofessional conduct will be addressed through a review of ethics and standards of conduct and mentoring from the student's advisor or designated faculty. Issues of unprofessional conduct during practicum experiences will be handled on a case-by-case basis in collaboration with the sponsoring school or district.

Scholastic dishonesty—including cheating, falsifying information, misrepresenting, or plagiarism—may result in academic probation or dismissal from the program. Completing the remediation activities will restore a student's good academic standing, while unsuccessful completion may result in dismissal.

Progression

All coursework for the Education Specialist in Professional Administrator License must be completed within seven years of matriculation. Extensions beyond this limit require approval from the College of Education (COE) faculty. Only one extension may be granted under special circumstances, such as illness.

If a student withdraws from the program, reinstatement requires action from the Admissions Committee and may involve additional degree requirements.

Internship

Practicum experiences provide valuable opportunities for students to apply their newly acquired knowledge and skills. All practicum experiences will comply with the specific endorsement requirements established by TSPC.

Curriculum Plan

Core Requirements

Choose from the following:

The 30-credit post-master’s EdS Professional Administrator License program is designed to be completed in two to three years. The program includes a three-credit capstone course, which serves as the culminating experience, along with 27 graduate credits in Administration. Students work closely with their academic advisors to develop a personalized plan tailored to their career goals, selecting from the courses listed below.

Graduate-level credits completed within the College of Education or another department may be applied, subject to advisor approval.

This course will offer you a picture of the complexities of the principalship. Serving as the leader in a school setting is perhaps the most challenging position in any school system or structure. The immediate demands in any given day can more than fill a month of diary entries with challenges and successes. The challenge of responding to the immediate, while intentionally charting and leading teams on a course to continuous improvement for all students, fills the "To Do List' to overflowing each and every day.
This course focuses on legal issues that arise in elementary, secondary, and collegiate institutions. The course provides educators with knowledge and analytic skills needed to apply legal frameworks to educational policy including the statutes regulating financial policy. The course investigates creative ways in which law can be used to help address current problems in schools, and helps educators think through questions of ethics and policy that legal disputes raise but do not resolve.
Practicum experiences are carried out at a building level of responsibility by working concurrently in two different authorization level sites. Principal License candidates will begin a practicum in elementary, middle level, and high schools under the direct supervision of a university supervisor and a licensed school administrator as mentor. Assignments will require candidates to learn about issues at the site, work with mentors to resolve the issues, and evaluate how they are being handled. These experiences will be supplemented by online administrative academic projects that focus on school governance and partnerships along with school management topics. The university supervisor, mentors and candidates will communicate in site meetings, virutally and online. Pass/No Pass
Practicum experiences continue at a building level of responsibility. Principal License candidates will complete a practicum in elementary, middle level, and high schools under the direct supervision of a university supervisor and a licensed school administrator. Practicum experiences are supplemented by online administrative academic projects that focus on curriculum and staff development, supervision and evaluation, and personnel hiring. The supervisors and candidates will communicate via the Internet. Pass/No Pass
This course will call on you to go beyond traditional notions of how schools and the larger communities in which they are set engage and strengthen each other. Schools are increasingly called on to do more than present students with opportunities to learn core subject areas. Indeed, they are often the hubs of any community, urban and rural and everything in between. The challenge of a broadened call upon schools to serve as a partner in the community is at times daunting, but one that can and should be viewed as an incredible opportunity to partner to do more for all, both inside and outside the walls of the school house.
This course is designed to provide students with an understanding of the importance of a framework for continuous school improvement that is aligned to the mission, goals and values of a school and district. Getting better at getting better is the underlying work of continuous improvement systems models that serve as the engine to ongoing improvement in a school. Concepts such as alignment and cohesion to mission, values, resource investment, data priorities and communications will be explored.
This is a core requirement of the Professional Administrative Licensure program and requires admission to the doctoral program, the Professional Administrative Licensure program, or specific advisor approval. This course focuses on district-level leadership roles and the importance of shared vision. Participants will assess their management styles in light of the requirements of various upper-level management positions in a variety of educational organizations. The class will examine how education districts of various sizes organize to maximize learning and to perform necessary functions as required by state and national mandates. Topics include establishing a vision for the organization, empowering others to lead, human resource selection and development, working with other leaders, making public presentations, and dealing with hostile constituents.
This is a core requirement of the Professional Administrative Licensure program and requires admission to the doctoral program, the Professional Administrative Licensure program, or specific advisor approval. This course focuses on leadership responsibilities of specialized programs. The class will examine how educators can navigate federal mandates for special programs using Oregon's statutes, administrative rules, and agencies as a model. Participants will be involved through discussions, simulations, and presentations utilizing materials and personnel from a variety of educational organizations. Course topics include: administrating special programs (e.g., special education, talented and gifted, English as a second language); dealing with curricular and legal issues encountered in delivering these services to children; and developing strategies to improve the academic performance of students through special programs. Additional emphasis will be placed on emerging leadership strategies to address the needs of alternative education students.
This is a core requirement of the Professional Administrative Licensure program and requires admission to the doctoral program, the Professional Administrative Licensure program, or specific advisor approval. The role of the school superintendent is increasingly challenging and requires specialized knowledge and skills to avoid common pitfalls. This course provides practical knowledge and skills needed to succeed in the superintendent role focusing on school board relations and communication, facility development, collective bargaining, grievance resolution, board meeting management, board member development, and advanced personnel issues such as dismissal and sexual harassment investigation.
This is a core requirement of the Professional Administrative Licensure program and requires admission to the doctoral program, the Professional Administrative Licensure program, or specific advisor approval. This course surveys the principles and practices useful to the evaluation of organizational programs and policies. Participants examine the models and tools used in informing educational and other leaders as to evaluation purpose, design, and methods for understanding the role of evaluation in program planning, implementation, and accountability. The course focuses on understanding: the purposes of evaluation, the role of the evaluator, evaluation designs and analysis, presentation of evaluation results, and the role of evaluation conclusions in organizational decision making.
This is a core requirement of the Professional Administrative Licensure program and requires admission to the doctoral program, the Professional Administrative Licensure program, or specific advisor approval. Educational leaders must balance the allocation of scarce resources among competing interests while managing the organizational structure and empowering those who support the organizational mission. This course prepares educators to address the value tensions inherent in the allocation of resources and the educational consequences linked to those fiscal decisions. Issues of efficiency, equity, adequacy, and control in educational finance will be specifically addressed from historical, economic, moral, legal, and political perspectives. The course also provides a critical analysis of organizations, how they function, why people in organizations behave as they do, and examines the formal and informal decision-making structures that affect educational organizations.
Practicum experiences are carried out at building or district level of responsibility under the direct supervision of a university supervisor and a licensed district administrator as mentor. Practicum experiences are supplemented by online administrative academic projects that focus on advanced competencies of administration. The supervisors, mentors and candidates will communicate in site meetings, virtually and online. Pass/No Pass
Practicum experiences will continue at a district level of responsibility. Practicum experiences are supplemented by online administrative academic projects that focus on advanced competencies of administration. The supervisors, mentors and candidates will communicate in site meetings, virtually and online. Pass/No Pass
This course approaches the study of ethics by examining the teachings of Jesus and contemporary ethical theories and applies them to the dilemmas of leadership within both public and private education in the culturally diverse communities they serve. Additionally, this course will examine theories and practices of educational equity in relation to various forms of social inequality and marginalization in the American context. Close reading and analysis of contemporary educational research will offer students an opportunity to explore how social justice issues play out in contemporary educational contexts and their implications for practice. Meets or is met by ADMN 543.
After a survey of contemporary leadership theories, this course will focus on strategies for effective organization change, thoughtful organizational development, and the impact of leadership on institutional vitality – both positive and negative. Leadership will be understood as both an art form, open to creativity, passion and care, and a craft requiring disciplined thought and action. Each student will also develop a personal philosophy of leadership. Meets or is met by ADMN 540.
Analysis and investigation of current research in effective teaching methods as related to specific subject areas, learning styles, and current school reform will be applied. Met by ADMN 544.
This course examines how belief structures undergird the methods educators use to motivate people to learn. Through the light of ethical theory, students examine how organizational leaders respond to the situations they face. Students also reflect on and apply their own values and ethical understanding to shed light on case studies that represent situations they often face as educational leaders. Meets EDDL 700.

Complete the following:

Three credits of MEDU 565 are required.
This course is designed to permit the student to analyze, reflect on, and communicate to university and school stakeholders the summary of individual and organizational learning outcomes as a result of participation in the degree program. Students will utilize their practicum experience, their portfolio of evidence, and key learning experiences from coursework to design and present their findings, conclusions and recommendations on leadership principles and practices impacting their organization as the culminating activity in the program. The capstone is variable credit and may be done in one, two, or three semesters, however, the last one hour unit must be completed concurrently or at the conclusion of ADMN 549.