Curriculum and Instruction

The M.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction is designed for teachers who want to further develop their skills in the classroom and who want to become educational leaders within their school and school division. The program was revised in 2008 to focus on the emerging role in Virginia of the "teacher as leader," as well as to offer support for those teachers who choose to seek National Board Certification. (Note: Subject to approval, this program will include a thirty-hour curriculum for licensed teachers plus an additional six hours for those without a license.)

Students develop the knowledge and skills necessary to:

• Research, analyze, evaluate, and apply curriculum, pedagogy, and assessment to improve the academic achievement of all students.
• Understand the role of diversity as defined by the No Child Left Behind legislation to design and apply instructional activities and strategies to meet their needs.
• Demonstrate the knowledge, dispositions, and skills consistent with professional ISLLC standards necessary to reflect on research, philosophy, professional literature, and K-12 instructional practices and improve the academic achievement of all students.
• Engage in self-directed professional behaviors to provide leadership in educational organizations, school improvement efforts, staff development, and policy development within the school, school division, and beyond.