WITH ELIGIBILITY FOR THE PRINCIPAL ENDORSEMENT
The North Central College Master of Education (M.Ed.) in Educational Leadership degree is grounded in the moral purpose of building the capacity of aspiring leaders so they can go forward and bring Cultures of Character practices into the heart of their school communities. The program is based on the belief that leader character is a defining element in the development of effective and ethical building administrators. Program coursework is approached through the lens of virtue ethics and provides leadership candidates with an understanding of the school environment and how administrators—through their abilities at the technical, managerial and institutional levels—create and foster a professional learning environment. Based on the belief that character is a defining element of effective and authentic leadership, there is an emphasis on the development of leader virtues, leader character and the cultivation of practical wisdom.
Leadership candidates are provided a breadth of theory in leadership as well as a foundation of knowledge, practical experiences and performances necessary for the enterprise of educational leadership. The North Central College Educational Leadership program provides a strong foundation of knowledge, dispositions, and performance based on the Professional Standards for Educational Leaders (PSEL) to prepare candidates to become successful school leaders. It is also aligned to the National Educational Leadership Preparation (NELP) standards and the Illinois Performance Standards for School Leaders (IPSSL). The North Central College Educational Leadership Master’s Degree Phase I and Phase II admission requirements address the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) requirements for candidates including appropriate educator licensure and two-years of professional experience in schools. Latest updates to admission requirements are available on the graduate admissions web page.
The Educational Leadership program and its internship requirements are designed to be completed while employed full-time in a school setting. Candidates are not required to take a leave of absence. This one-year internship requires the support of a principal mentor. As prescribed by the State of Illinois requirements, the principal mentor must have a minimum of two years of experience, an Illinois license and evidence of student growth in two of the past five years as a principal.
As part of the program, candidates will be required to participate in evaluation training and pre-qualification in accordance with provisions of Section 24 A-3 of the School Code (105 ILCS/24A-3). Leadership candidates are also required to take the Illinois Licensure Testing System (ILTS) exams designated for the principal endorsement. Candidates passing the 195/196 ‘Principal as Instructional Leader’ exam and successfully completing a principal preparation program meet the ISBE requirements for adding a principal endorsement to their Professional Educator License (PEL) and are eligible to serve as a principal or assistant principal in Illinois public schools. (Section 21-7.1 of the School Code; also see 23 Ill. Adm. Code 25.337)
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