Practicum in Educational Leadership - Focus on Professional Practices is the first of the program's two-part field experience — genuine administrative work under a practicing principal or assistant principal.
What D036 covers
The course provides candidates with an authentic, real-world work experience as an educational leader in a K-12 school environment. This is the first of a two-part experience designed to take place under the leadership and supervision of a practicing school principal or assistant principal at an approved practicum school site.
The course includes an emphasis on the application of knowledge and skills to areas directly or indirectly affecting students, with collaboration within the school and local community as a focal point, plus assigned administrative duties as defined by the candidate's state of residence. Candidates must complete a minimum of 18 CUs before enrolling.
The D036 performance assessment
Expect a performance assessment requiring you to document and reflect on administrative duties completed during your practicum, analyzing their effect on student outcomes.
Key topics in D036
- Authentic K-12 administrative experience
- Collaboration within school and community
- Application of leadership knowledge to student-affecting areas
Writing tips for D036
Follow the task instructions and rubric line by line
WGU performance assessments for D036 are graded against a fixed rubric — every rubric line has to be visibly addressed, usually with a labeled heading that mirrors the rubric language. Skipping a rubric point because it seems minor is the single most common reason a competent submission comes back "Not Yet Competent" for revision.
Ground leadership recommendations in a specific school context, not leadership theory alone
Educational Leadership courses like D036 typically hand you a school scenario (enrollment size, demographics, specific challenges) and expect your recommendations to genuinely fit that context, not just cite leadership theory in the abstract. Evaluators check whether your reasoning is grounded in the specific school situation given.
Because WGU is self-paced, don't let "no deadline pressure" become no submission
There's no weekly due date forcing progress, which means procrastination costs more at WGU than at a traditional term-based school — a stalled task can quietly eat weeks of a term. Treat your own target date for each D036 assessment as a real deadline.
Stuck on your D036 task?
Our writers know WGU's competency-based format and this course's performance assessment. Get an original, properly cited paper matched to your task instructions.
Why students seek help with D036
Candidates sometimes submit a log of administrative tasks without the reflective analysis (how did this affect students, what did you learn) the course specifically requires — the rubric typically wants genuine reflection, not just a task log.
How GradeEssays helps with D036
Share your practicum experience details and rubric, and your writer will help build a reflection genuinely analyzing the effect of your administrative work on student outcomes.
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Place Your Order View All ServicesPrerequisites and program context
D036 requires a minimum of 18 completed CUs before enrollment.
- Master of Science, Educational Leadership