The University of West Alabama

Education Specialist
Teacher Leader  

The goal of the Teacher Leadership Program at UWA embraces the mission of enhancing school leadership among teacher leaders resulting in the improvement of academic achievement for all students through opportunities to work collaboratively with school administrators, colleagues, students, parents and families, and the larger community to achieve school-wide goals. The Education Specialist Degree program which leads to Alabama Class AA certification is designed to extend further the skills necessary for teacher leaders to foster student achievement through quality educational practices that are grounded in research based strategies.

To be admitted to this program, the prospective student must meet all requirements for admission to the School of Graduate Studies, hold a valid Master’s level certification in education, and meet program specific admission requirements.

Candidates are encouraged to meet with their assigned advisor as soon as possible after being admitted to the UWA School of Graduate Studies to discuss program requirements and procedures. 

Program Requirements

To be admitted to this program, the prospective student must meet all requirements for admission to the School of Graduate Studies and hold valid master’s level certification in any teaching field or area of instructional support. Three years of full time teaching experience in a P-12 setting and a portfolio are also mandatory. Required contents of the portfolio may be found in the Graduate Catalogue.

ED 601, Curriculum Design (3)
ED 604, Advanced Educational Research (3)
EE 627, Educational Assessment (3)
EE 628, School Reform Models (3)
IL 651, Mentoring Strategies and Professional Learning Communities (3)
IL 652, Organizational Leadership  (3)
IL 657, Problem Based Experiences I  (3)
IL 658, Problem Based Experiences II (3)
TL 655, Literacy & Numeracy Coaching and Content Learning  (3)
TL 656, Standards Based Teacher Leadership  (3)

Total Hours = 33