About the program
The University of North Texas at Dallas is partnering with Duncanville ISD to bring a new leadership opportunity to current educators in the school district. The Duncanville ISD Future Leaders Academy is a unique partnership designed to increase and develop future school leaders to serve in our schools.
Duncanville ISD educators will work to earn a Master’s in Educational Leadership degree provided through UNT Dallas. In collaboration with Duncanville ISD, specialized curriculum has been developed to capture the district’s specific strategic initiatives, data, mission, vision, values, and needs into the degree coursework.
Who will benefit from this program?
This program is ideal for current Duncanville ISD educators who are excited and energized by the opportunity to engage in a rigorous course of study, preparing them to lead in one of Duncanville ISD's schools.
Additional benefits
- Flexible Scheduling: UNT Dallas courses meet online, face-to-face, and in a hybrid format depending on the course. All face-to-face courses will meet at a Duncanville ISD location.
- Affordability: For qualified candidates, Duncanville ISD will cover 50% of tuition costs. UNT Dallas is the most affordable university in DFW; graduate courses average $911 per course.
Cohort 1 Spring Application Process and Timeline
Step 1: Launch FLA Cohort 1 Advertising (March 28, 2023 – Friday, April 14)
UNT Dallas in collaboration with Duncanville ISD will launch an advertising campaign to promote the cohort. We will ask the district to send emails to teachers to target potential candidates for the program. Candidates should have an interest in building a career in Duncanville ISD and have demonstrated leadership abilities for their campus. These individuals should also have a special interest in stakeholder engagement and community support.
Step 2: Information Sessions for Potential Candidates (In-person Sessions:
Tuesday, March 28, 2023, at 5 p.m. and Thursday, April 6, 2023, at 5 p.m.) Location Duncanville Education Plaza. Virtual Session: Tuesday, April 4, 2023, at 6 p.m. Zoom link will be provided.
UNT Dallas will host an information session via Zoom or face to face for candidates who are interested in the cohort. UNT Dallas will explore the entrance requirements, timeline for selecting candidates, and the proposed degree plan. Duncanville should be prepared to discuss expectations for their employees including tuition reimbursement, length of time individuals are expected to remain in the district, and expectations for participating in graduate school.
Step 3: Submit an Interest Application to the Educational Leadership Program (March 28, 2023 – Tuesday, April 14, 2023)
Potential candidates will submit an interest application to the Educational Leadership program. This interest application will designate the candidate as part of the DISD FLA Cohort II program.
Interest applications are due Tuesday, April 14, 2023.
Step 4: Apply to the UNT Dallas Graduate School (March 28, 2023 – Tuesday, April 14, 2023)
Candidates who express interest in the cohort should also apply to the UNT Dallas Graduate School. Candidates must request transcripts from all colleges that they have attended and submit a $50 application fee. Once the file is complete, the UNT Graduate School will forward the application to the Educational Leadership program.
Applications must be submitted on or before Tuesday, April 14, 2023 at 5:00 pm.
Step 5: Program materials sent to candidates/Submit Educational Leadership Program Documents (Tuesday, March 28, 2023 – Tuesday, April 14, 2023)
Once the application to the Graduate School is complete, candidates will receive Educational Leadership program documents via email.
These documents include: EDLE Program Application, Code of Ethics, and an essay form along with the completed UNT Dallas Graduate Application with transcripts and application fee.
These documents are due to the Graduate School on or before Tuesday, April 14 at 5:00 pm.
Step 6: Complete the EDLE Program Interview (Tuesday, March 28, 2023 – Tuesday, April 14, 2023)
A program interview with the UNT Dallas Educational Leadership department is required. Invitations will be sent to set up appointments for the interview via Zoom. Candidates can expect to spend 30 to 45 minutes working through various scenarios, questions, and other tasks. Interviews will be completed by Tuesday, April 14, 2023.
Step 7: Candidates Notified for Advancement to Second Round with DISD (Tuesday, April 14 @ 3:00 pm)
Candidates will receive an email from the Educational Leadership program with notification of their advancement to the second round of interviews with the district.
Step 8: Duncanville ISD Program Interviews (Monday, April 17 – Friday April 28) (*tentative)
Candidates who advance to the second round will be interviewed by a panel of professionals from the Duncanville Independent School District. Candidates will be notified of the date and time for their interview from DISD.
Step 9: Candidates are Notified of Acceptance into the DISD FLA Cohort II (Friday, May 5)
Duncanville ISD will work with UNT Dallas to finalize the list of candidates for the program. Candidates will receive an email from the UNT Dallas Educational Leadership program coordinator with notification of their acceptance or denial to the FLA 1I Cohort.
Step 10: FLA Cohort 1I Member Orientation (Tuesday, May 23 @ 6:30 pm, location TBA)
Candidates who are accepted into the program will attend a mandatory orientation for UNT Dallas. The orientation will include a welcome to the program, information about registration, and other details for students. This can be a face-to-face presentation or a Zoom meeting.