3 semester credits

To be effective, school leaders must understand the foundational principles of teaching—curriculum, instruction, and assessment. Education professionals in this course also focus on the considerations with which they need to engage as they plan for the adoption and implementation of a new or substantially revised program to enhance student learning in a content domain. Literacy and math are two content areas that are problematic in many schools, especially those serving diverse students and students who are underperforming. Thus, while the lessons are applicable to other subjects, the focus here is on how to ensure that content standards, curriculum materials, assessment, instruction, professional development, and parental and community involvement, among other initiatives, are aligned in ways that foster student achievement in literacy and math.