Practicum in Educational Leadership - Focus on Instruction and Operations (D037) is the second practicum in Western Governors University's M.S. Educational Leadership. It shifts the lens from community and professional norms to how a school actually runs.
WGU's program guide describes it as the second part of an authentic K-12 leadership experience under a practicing principal or assistant principal at an approved site. The emphasis is on applying knowledge and skills to areas affecting school operations and school personnel.
The single competency asks candidates to develop leadership strategies that maximize instructional, operational and human capital capacities. That makes D037 more strategic than D036: you are expected to propose and justify ways to improve, not only evaluate.
Practicum at a Glance
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| University | Western Governors University (WGU) |
| Course | D037 Practicum, Focus on Instruction and Operations |
| Program | M.S. Educational Leadership |
| Position | Second of two practica, late in the standard path |
| Competency units | 3 (2019 program guide) |
| Entry requirement | At least 18 competency units completed |
| Setting | Approved K-12 site, supervised by a principal or assistant principal |
As with the first practicum, administrative duties are defined by your state of residence. Check your course page and state guidance for current requirements.
The Three Capacities in D037
| Capacity | What it covers | Example leadership work |
|---|---|---|
| Instructional | Teaching and learning quality | Walkthroughs, feedback cycles, data meetings |
| Operational | Schedules, facilities, safety | Master schedule review, duty rosters, drills |
| Human capital | Staff skills and deployment | Coaching, induction, professional learning |
Strong D037 work shows how these interact. A new instructional priority usually needs schedule changes and staff development to succeed.
Building a Leadership Strategy from Practicum Evidence
A useful sequence is: identify a need at your site using data or observation, set a goal, design a strategy that uses instructional, operational and human capital levers, carry out the parts you can under supervision, and evaluate the early effects.
Example: Walkthroughs show few opportunities for student discussion in grade 7 classes. The candidate proposes a strategy with three parts: a short professional learning session on discussion protocols (human capital), a revised schedule that gives grade 7 teachers a shared planning period (operational), and a fortnightly walkthrough focus with feedback (instructional). She leads the first session and two walkthrough cycles, then reports what changed and what she would adjust.
Evidence That Persuades
Evaluators look for a clear link between the need, your actions and the results. Walkthrough tallies, meeting notes, staff feedback and schedules (anonymized) all make a stronger case than general statements that "teachers responded well".
How D037 Builds on D036
The two practica are designed as a sequence. Seeing the difference helps you choose activities that fit this course rather than repeating earlier ones:
| Aspect | D036 | D037 |
|---|---|---|
| Emphasis | Areas affecting students | Operations and personnel |
| Key verb | Evaluate practices | Develop strategies |
| Typical focus | Mission, norms, community | Instruction, systems, staff |
If you began a family engagement project in D036, D037 is the place to look at the staff, schedule and systems that would sustain it. That continuity can make both reflections stronger.
Typical Practicum Work and How to Approach It
Follow the task instructions and rubric in your own course. Work in a course like D037 typically involves:
| Type of work | What it tests | How to approach it |
|---|---|---|
| Needs analysis | Using site evidence | Data or observations, then the gap |
| Leadership strategy | Strategic thinking | Goal, actions per capacity, timeline |
| Activity log | Range of duties | Date, activity, capacity, outcome |
| Reflection | Learning from results | What worked, evidence, next steps |
Where Students Get Stuck
- Strategies that ignore operations. Show where time, space and staffing come from.
- Too ambitious a scope. Choose a need you can act on within the practicum.
- Weak evidence. Collect simple before and after information from the start.
- Repeating D036. Keep the focus on instruction, operations and personnel this time.
Practical Tips for D037
- Agree on one instructional need with your supervisor in the first week.
- Draw on what you learned in People and Talent and Systems Management courses.
- Log each activity against the capacity it develops.
- Keep staff and student details anonymous in all written work.
How We Help with D037
Send the task instructions, rubric, your logs, evidence and any evaluator feedback. A writer with school leadership experience can explain the expectations, review your strategy and reflections, and help you organize evidence clearly.
GradeEssays is independent of Western Governors University. We cannot complete practicum duties, invent evidence or write logs of activities you did not do; your practicum record must be your own work under WGU's academic integrity policy. Feedback and models are written from scratch, with free revisions within the scope of your original request.
Show Real Impact in D037
Share the task, rubric and feedback. A writer with school leadership experience reviews your drafts and explains how to present your evidence.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Developing leadership strategies to maximize the effectiveness of instructional, operational and human capital capacities.
The program guide describes D037 as the second of a two-part experience; check your degree plan for the required order.
The 2019 program guide says candidates must complete at least 18 competency units before enrolling.
A practicing principal or assistant principal at an approved K-12 practicum site.
Anonymized data, walkthrough notes, schedules and staff feedback that link your actions to results.
No. Practicum work must reflect what you actually did at your site. We give feedback and explain how to present it.