The College of Saint Rose
School District Leadership Academy
EDA 601- District Level Leadership and Management
Instructor: Dr. Rich Hawkins
Home Address: P.O. Box 707, Moriches, NY 11955
Phone voice 631 909 1388
fax: 631 909 1452
e-mail:
Course Description: EDA 601- District Level Leadership and Management
EDA 601: This course utilizes the analysis of education case studies and a project based methodology. The emphasis of the course is on district level leadership. It is designed to shape and assess the abilities of potential leaders to analyze, strategize, implement and follow-up, individually and in groups with respect to the problems faced by school district leaders in a variety of settings. The cases cover the full spectrum of challenges faced by school district leaders. The cases and assignments are targeted to specific activities that a district level leader might perform in his or her job. The areas of concentration for study will be designed to parallel the competencies addressed in the internships required by the college. Case studies will be analyzed using a broad range of perspectives. The cases used have been generated from the working experiences of administrators and students of education leadership in different settings. Upon completion students will acquire the knowledge, dispositions and skills necessary to perform the functions of the chief executive officer and instructional leader of a school district.
Throughout the course, students will work in groups and individually, engaging in self and peer critiquing of approaches to the problems presented in the case studies. The work will be tied to the National Policy Board for Educational Administration’s “Standards for Advanced Programs in Educational Leadership.” In 1993, the Policy Board formed a working group (Educational Leadership Constituent’s Council- ELCC) of representatives from the major national associations which focus on education improvement (American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE), American Association of School Administrators (AASA), Association of School Business Officials (ASBO), Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD), National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP), National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP), National Council of Professors of Educational Administration (NCPEA), National School Boards Association (NSBA), and the University Council for Educational Administration (UCEA)). These standards called the ELCC Standards form the basis for all coursework in Education Administration at The College of Saint Rose. The Interstate School Leadership Licensure Consortium (ISLLC) standards are almost identical to the ELCC standards and as such will be very helpful to students trying to ready themselves for their future role as school leaders. The ELCC standards are also correlated to the College of Saint Rose School of Education Standards called the “College of Saint Rose Conceptual Framework” and the New York State Standards called “Essential Knowledge and Skills for Effective School Leadership.”
TEXTS:
Covey, Stephen R. (2004). The 8th Habit: From Effectiveness to Greatness, New York, NY: Free Press
Green, Reginald Leon. (2005). Practicing the Art of Leadership: A Problem-based Approach to Implementing the ISLLC Standards (2nd Ed), Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.
Schlechty, C. Philip, (1990). Schools for the 21st Century, Leadership Imperatives for Educational Reform. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass Publishers.
Standards: This course is designed to meet education leadership standards as follows: ELCC 1-6; CSR 1-8; NYS 1-9
COURSE REQUIREMENTS:
Primary requirements for this course will be participation and contribution. We shall expect to learn from one another giving full recognition to the fact that the members of the class have diverse and rich experiences to share. Throughout the course, each class member will actively participate in class discussions and simulations. Class members are expected to attend every class and be prepared to actively engage in the activities and discussions on that day. It is imperative that assignments and readings are done thoroughly and on time.
PROJECTS:
1. Project I: Presentation of Complete Case Analysis: Presentations scheduled at various times throughout the course. (20 %)
a. Each student will present a case assigned to that student. The case analysis will include:
i. A clear and concise statement of the fundamental issues(s) of the case
ii. A summary of the facts that are in evidence in the case
iii. If needed, a list of the facts not in evidence which are necessary to make the case analysis effective.
iv. The solution or steps that might be taken to move towards resolution of the case
v. Where necessary students shall use qualitative and quantitative data in analyzing and interpreting the issues when making recommendations for modification in the school district.
b. The case will be presented to the class in a fashion that engages the class in a discussion about the case and elicits alternative solutions and/or methods. In other words, don’t tell the class too much. First engage them, then guide them, then tell them what you thought and how their contribution affected your own thinking.
c. A written case analysis (no more than 5 double-spaced pages) will be submitted to the instructor electronically in Word. However, the paper IS NOT TO BE READ to the class. The student should know the case well enough to lead the discussion without reading the written analysis. The presentation should take no more than 10 minutes including questions and answers and concluding remarks.
d. THE GRADE WILL BE BASED ON THE WRITTEN PAPER AND THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE PRESENTATION AS JUDGED BY THE INSTRUCTOR.
2. Project 2: Creation of a Case Worthy of Class Analysis: Due April 15, 2007 (20%)
a. Through interviews with educational leaders (or personal experience) write a narrative no longer than 5 pages double-spaced, and submitted to the instructor electronically in Word, that:
i. Focuses on pertinent and timely issues of educational leadership.
ii. Provides the description of a problem that can sustain discussion of alternative solutions: issues such as competing values, ambiguous outcomes, unrealistic time frames in which to work a solution, external pressures, ineffective communication, etc.
iii. Describes the context in a rich fashion, including the individuals in the case. Be creative.
iv. Encourages the clarification of personal and professional values and beliefs.
v. Ties directly to the New York State Essential Knowledge and Skills for Effective School Leadership. The student should specify the particular NYS standard and/or ISLLC standards illustrated in the case.
vi. Your case may be selected to be presented to the class. If so be prepared to present the case in class using the outline in Project 1 above.
3. Project 3: Staff Development Group Project (This project will be developed by a team and presented on April 22 and 29, 2007 (20%)
a. Policy Review
i. Review your district’s vision and mission statements
ii. Review New York State Regulations for Annual Professional Performance Reviews (APPR) and Professional Development Plans (PDPs) as applied to administration (Part 100.2)
iii. Review your district’s professional development and annual professional performance review plans if such is available for administrators.
iv. Report: Write a formal report to the Board of Education which:
1. Recommends a self-assessment program for building principals and other district administrators with justification for your recommendation; AND
2. Proposes a professional development system for school and district leaders that is aligned with the district’s vision and mission and New York State regulations and New York State School Essential Knowledge and Skills for Effective School Leadership (see page 12).
4. Project 4: Major Issue in Education (DUE April 22, 2007) (20%)
Individual short paper, not more than two pages submitted electronically to the instructor using Word. (This project is to be completed by the third class session and will also be presented orally in class (Not more than five minute presentation and not read.)
a. Research Review
1. Research a major issue in education and explain what the issues are as well as the proposed solutions. Explore the pros and cons being considered and outline your concerns as well as your thoughts on the issues.
2. Relate how the issue may impact various community groups or the organization of the school.
3. Indicate the best practices that may be utilized within the school district as well as the techniques that you might use to resolve the issues.
4. Class Participation (20%): Throughout the course students will be asked to be analytical (base judgments on facts), creative, open to others (willing to change opinion), and focused. Those expectations refer to times when the student is a presenter and to those times that the student is a discussant, presenter host*, interviewer or responder.
THE PARTICIPATION GRADE WILL BE AFFECTED BY LATENESS AND ABSENCE. THE GRADE WILL BE BASED ON THE QUALITY OF THE CONTRIBUTION TO THE OVERALL SUCCESS OF THE CLASS IN MEETING THE GOALS SET FORTH IN THE COURSE OUTLINE.
CRITERIA FOR WRITTEN WORK
Students will be rated on:
n Correct writing (spelling, grammar, sentence structure, etc.)
n Clarity and purpose in the expression of ideas;
n Integration of the knowledge acquired through course readings and discussions and elsewhere;
n Evidence of understanding current laws, policies, practice, research, and data;
n Originality, thoughtfulness, and depth in their response to the assignment
n These assignments are not editorials. Citable references using APA form are required
n No paper. All assignments are to be emailed to me and attached using MS Word only
Grading
(1) Project 1 Case Study Analysis and Presentation 20%
(2) Project 2 Creation of a Case Worthy of Class Analysis 20%
(3) Project 3 Staff Development Group Project 20%
(4) Project 4 Paper 20%
(5) Class Participation Contributions to discussions, presentations, hosting 20%
Calculating Final Grades
Letter grades will be averaged as follows:
A = 95+ B+ = 88-91 B- = 80-84
A- = 92-94 B = 85-87 F = >83
American With Disabilities Act
If you have a physical, psychological, medical or learning disability that may impact your ability to carry out assigned class work, please contact me or CITE as soon as possible. We will review your concerns and determine what accommodations are necessary and appropriate. All information and documentation of your
disability is confidential.
COURSE OUTLINE 601
I. School Climate and Culture
A. Assessing and evaluating student, staff and community needs
B. The change process
C. Building a community of learners
D. Measuring culture and climate
E. Staff relations and school climate
II. The learning environment, curriculum and instruction
A. New York State Standards
B. Data driven decision making
C. Academic issues
D. Extra curricular issues
E. Principles of effective teaching
F. Assessment
G. NCLB issues
III. Identifying effective learning, teaching and assessment practices in the schools
A. INTASC and National Board Standards for effective teaching
B. Characteristics of the effective teacher
C. Literacy issues
D. Supervision, Observation and Evaluation
E. Union issues in evaluation of staff
F. Teaching to the curriculum
G. Special education and performance indicators
H. Schools under review
IV. Diversity in the schools
A. Strategies for effective practices within diverse organizations
B. Family involvement within the diverse organization
C. Effective internal and external communication within the diverse community
D. Communicating with diverse pressure groups
E. What are educational issues that leaders must respond to in diverse communities
V. Dealing with the politics and power of school organizations
A. Conflict management
B. Influence tactics
C. Political games
D. Sources of power and politics
E. Public opinion and pressure groups
VI. Shared decision making
A. Role of the BOE
B. Role of the Superintendent
C. Role of administrators
D. Role of the community
E. Role of the students
F. Consensus building
VII. Decline of school support
A. Tax PAC
B. Aging community
C. Changing population
D. Tax base erosion
E. Rise of alternative schools
F. Need for other school options
VIII. Staff development
A. Teacher Centers
B. School business partnerships
C. University – school district partnerships
D. Mandatory teacher mentor programs
IX. Student organizational patterns
A. Elementary
B. Middle School
C. High School
D. Homogeneous (honors, etc.)
E. Heterogeneous
F. Special education and Inclusion
G. Promotion vs. retention
H. Mastery learning
I. Holding gates
X. In – basket activities
Selected Bibliography
Abbot, Edwin A. (1880). Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions (1998 paperback edition). New York: Penguin Classics.
Barth, Roland S. (1990). Improving Schools from Within: Teachers, Parents, and Principals Can Make the Difference. SanFrancisco: Jossey-Bass.
Belasco, James A. (1994) Flight of the Buffalo: Soaring to Excellence, Learning to Let Employees Lead. New York: Warner Books.
Bennis, Warren. (1994). On Becoming A Leader. New York: Addison Wesley.
Bethune, Gordon and Huler, Scott. (1998). From Worst to First: Behind the Scenes of Continental’s Remarkable Comeback. New York: John Wiley & Sons.
Blanchard, Ken and Bowles, Sheldon. (1998). Gung Ho! Turn on the People in Any Organization. New York: William Morrow and Company.
Booth, C. Wayne, Colomb, C Gregory and Williams, M. Joseph. (1995) The Craft Of Research. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press.
Burroughs, Bryan and Helyar, John. (1991) Barbarians at the Gate: the Fall of RJR Nabisco. New York: Harper Collins.
Carlton, Jim. (1997). Apple: The Inside Story of Intrigue, Egomania and Business Blunders. New York: Times Books.
Collins, James and Porras, Jerry. (1997). Built to Last: Successful Habits of Visionary Companies. New York: Harper Business.
Covey, Steven. (1990). The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change (paperback reprint). New York: Fireside Press.
Covey, Steven. (1992). Principle-Centered Leadership. New York: Fireside Press.
Deal, Terrence E. and Bolman, Lee. G. (2003). Reframing Organizations: Artistry, Choice and Leadership (3rd ed.). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass
Deal, Terrence E. and Peterson, Kent D. (1999). Shaping School Culture: The Heart of Leadership. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Fisher, Roger and Ury, William. (1983). Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In. New York: Penguin Books.
Frankl, Victor E. (1988). Man’s Search for Meaning (Rev. and Updated). New York: Washington Square Press.