**SPECIAL TOPICS**

Catalog description

EDLDR 894 Capstone Inquiry Project (3) EDLDR 894 is the culminating course for the on-line M.Ed. in Educational Leadership with an Option in Teacher Leadership. The course is designed around the presentation of a independent inquiry project that reflects the student's developing understanding of the five leadership strands upon which the program is based. While a good deal of latitude is provided to students in designing their project (usually in conjunction with the First Tier course, CI 501 Teacher Inquiry), course faculty and academic advisors also support and guide the student in project development and continuing work across the program. In addition, several general principles guide and shape the specific project work which continues over the course of the M.Ed. program. In addition to the inquiry project being focused on a problem of practice taken from the student's professional work, the final inquiry project should also give evidence of the following elements: (1) a focus on improvement of schooling practices and/or student learning; (2) the use of current research and instances of exemplary practices; (3) incorporation of authentic learning experiences anchored in practice; (4) the use of an inquiry-based model of learning and reflection; and (5) collaborative work either among on-line program participants or with participants outside the program. A portfolio of evidence pertaining to (1) individuals' reflections on teacher leadership, (2) other forms of documentation of instances of opportunities for teacher leadership, and (3) the development of the individual inquiry project will be maintained across the student's progression through the program and can be incorporated into the presentation of the inquiry project or into the synthesis and reflection paper.