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Student teaching one-on-one in elementary school setting.

Elementary Math Instructional Leader Certification

McDaniel's Elementary Math Instructional Leader program is designed for practicing Elementary or Early Childhood educators seeking to develop their knowledge and skills in mathematical content, pedagogy, and leadership specific to the elementary setting.

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Degree Types
Graduate Certificate
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Program Cost
$552 per credit
Key
Format
Online
Calculator
Total credits
21

About The Program

McDaniel College’s Elementary Mathematics Instructional Leader (EMIL) program was the first Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) approved program for PreK–6 Mathematics Instructional Leader certification. It was developed as a partnership between McDaniel College’s Elementary Mathematics Specialists and Teacher Leaders Project (EMS&TL) and supported by the Brookhill Foundation.

Why McDaniel for Elementary Math Instructional Leaders

Key features of the EMIL program include:

  • COMMUNITY: Connect with other mathematics specialists – locally & regionally.
  • PRACTICAL EXPERIENCE: Complete an internship focusing on the role of the mathematics instructional leader.
  • EXPERT PRACTITIONERS: Engage with faculty who are practicing, leading experts in mathematics education.
  • KNOWLEDGE ENHANCEMENT: Enrich conceptual mathematical understandings for practicing elementary & early childhood educators.
  • CONTENT-SPECIFIC LEADERSHIP: Cultivate content-specific pedagogical and leadership knowledge & skills.
  • CONVENIENCE: Participate at your convenience in a 100% online program while cultivating your sense of belonging in the community.
  • MULTIPLE PACING OPTIONS: Choose the pace of your program completion. 8-week sessions allow for a more leisurely pace or an accelerated progression that can be completed as quickly as 4 semesters.
  • PERSONALIZED COMMUNICATION: Be seen and valued as a unique individual in one-on-one communication with the Program Coordinator specific to your timing and needs.

What You Need to Know About the Elementary Math Instructional Leader Certification

Admissions Requirements

Applicants to the program must submit:

  • Completed application for graduate study
  • Official transcripts verifying completion of an undergraduate degree from a regionally accredited college or university.
  • Passing Praxis II scores
  • Initial Certification in elementary or early childhood education with 27 months of successful teaching experience (Note: Your 27 months of experience must be completed by the end of the program)

MSDE Certification Requirements

To qualify for certification by the Maryland State Department of Education, you must:

  • Hold a valid, professional certificate;
  • Complete a minimum of 21 semester hours of post-baccalaureate credit, or Department-approved Continuing Professional Development credits, which include the following areas:
    • Content knowledge for teaching mathematics, including numbers and operations, algebra and functions, geometry and measurement, and data analysis and probability
    • Pedagogical knowledge for teaching mathematics, including learners and learning, teaching, curriculum, and assessment
    • Leadership knowledge and skills
    • At least 3 semester hours or the equivalent in a supervised practicum or school-based internship in which the applicant works with a range of students in grades PreK—6 and adult learners in a variety of professional development settings; and
  • Present verification of 27 months of satisfactory teaching experience including mathematics

Special Opportunities

Grad students in classroom.

Extend Your MSDE Certification Sequence

Students who complete the program can extend the MSDE certification sequence into an M.S. in Elementary Education.

Certification and Reputation

McDaniel’s Elementary Mathematics Instructional Leader (EMIL) program has been evaluated at the state and national level to ensure you’ll get great value and lasting degree equity. Our program is:

  • Nationally Recognized”—a status granted by the Educational Leadership Constituent Council (ELCC)
  • Approved by the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE)
  • Aligned to the National Standards for Elementary Mathematics Specialists (2013) and the NCTM CAEP Standards for Elementary Mathematics Specialists (2012)

Advancing Your Career

Upon successful completion of the program, you’ll be qualified for the following career paths:

  • Elementary Mathematics Instructional Leader
  • Elementary Mathematics Specialist
  • Elementary Mathematics Curriculum Specialist
  • Elementary Mathematics Coach
  • Elementary Mathematics Teacher Leader
2024 Bailer Award Melissa Couillard

2024 Bailer Award Recipient Melissa Couillard M.S. ’13

Melissa Couillard M.S. '13 earned teacher certification from the college in 1994 and went on to earn a master’s degree in Elementary Education with Elementary Math Instructional Leader Certification.

She has served as an elementary mathematics resource teacher for Carroll County Public Schools since 2006. 

From 2003 to 2005, she worked part time providing support to the elementary mathematics department in Carroll County Public Schools then taught fifth grade STEM at Mount Airy Elementary School for one year before taking on her current role. She also taught at McDaniel as an adjunct lecturer for one semester in August 2018.

Couillard holds Maryland State Department of Education certificate endorsements as an elementary mathematics instructional leader and in English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL).

The Joseph R. Bailer Award was established by the family of Dr. Bailer, one of the college’s most highly respected career educators, and is presented annually to a McDaniel College master’s degree recipient who has made a significant contribution to the field of education.