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Penn State University recently announced the launch of a new Master of Education in Educational Leadership--Teacher Leadership option, which is delivered entirely online. The program was developed by Penn State Educational Leadership Program faculty for online delivery through Penn State's World Campus.

According to the university, the aim of the master's program is to enable teachers to develop their leadership potential; deepen their knowledge of schools, teachers and student learning; and renew a passion for their work.

"The demands on teachers' time are intense," Nona A. Prestine, Ph.D., professor of education and lead professor for the new College of Education master's degree program, said in a statement. "The rise of the standards and accountability movement, specifically the No Child Left Behind legislation, has placed enormous pressure on schools and districts to meet ever-rising yearly progress expectations for student achievement. Today, the leadership of teachers is acknowledged as a vibrant and essential feature of any significant and sustainable school improvement effort."

The 30-credit program is organized around the following five strands of leadership:

• as the exercise of responsible influence
• in understanding the internal organization of schools and connections with parents and the community
• in support of ongoing professional growth and development
• in support of curriculum, instruction and assessment practices
• as practice-based inquiry grounded in reflection and action research

"I believe that the three processes of examination, reflection and application result in robust learning and teaching," Patricia Best, D.Ed., who developed the How Schools Work course for the teacher leadership option, said in a statement. "It is that focus that I am bringing to this course. Those who aspire to educational leadership in the classroom need to be both successful learners themselves, as well as having experienced the effort and challenges of learning that many of their students will experience. Effective teacher leaders play a pivotal role in student learning and well being, not only in their classrooms but also in their school systems."

Applications are now being accepted for the program, which will begin in the fall of 2011.

For related news and information from Schools.com, see:

• Study to examine links between teacher stress and student achievement
• Elementary School Teacher Salary & Career Outlook
• Degree value in dollars: It pays to be unpopular (infographic)
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