Initiating, Implementing, and Institutionalizing

EDLE 6160 - Professional Learning Communities:

Research and Practice

Course Syllabus - Fall, 2017

Educational Leadership Program

Core Values and Beliefs: Graduates will have the knowledge, skills and motivation to:

Lead learning organizations

Engage ethically with the community

Advocate for diversity, equity and inclusion

Develop theory to practice solutions

Course:EDLE 6160 - Professional Learning Communities: Research and Practice

Place:The University of North Texas at Denton, Matthews Hall, Room 114

Dates/Times:Saturdays 8:00am-3:00p.m. The class will meet Face-to-Face (F2F) on the following Saturdays: September 9; October 7; November 4; and Dec. 2.

Instructor: Dr. Robert H. Voelkel, Jr., N.B.C.T.

Office Hours: Thursdays, Fridays from 10:00am-1:00 pm; 1 hour prior to and 30 minutes after class; by appointment; or Skype

Contact Info:Email:

Office: 940.565.4800

Skype: robert.voelkel1

University of North Texas, Denton, TX: Matthews Hall 218V

GOAL

Students reflect on current research, participate in activities, and use strategies to investigate the characteristics of the professional learning community (PLC) infrastructure in schools.

Description

This course prepares leaders to implement and sustain professional learning communities capable of providing ongoing support for adult and student learning. Using adult learning theory and applicable prior knowledge, students will examine current literature, including case stories, chapters, books and journal articles, to develop a working knowledge of PLC characteristics. Students will also examine the relationship between PLCs and Teacher Collective Efficacy. Students will use this collective learning to individually develop a case study of their school. This case study will address the five dimensions of professional learning communities as defined by Hord (1997).

Required Resources

Hipp, K.A., & Huffman, J.B. (2010). Demystifying professional learning communities:

School leadership at its best. Rowman and Littlefield.

Blankstein, A.M., Houston, P.D., & Cole, R.W. (2008). Sustaining professional learning

communities. Corwin Press.

Selected readings on Blackboard—See course schedule and corresponding section of Blackboard

Suggested Resources

Journal of Staff Development: Learning Communities. Vol 33. No. 3

Huffman, J.B., & Hipp, K.A.(2003). Reculturing schools as professional

learning communities. Rowman and Littlefield.

GENERAL LEARNING OUTCOMES (GLO): Students will . . .

1.1Investigate, identify and define the characteristicsof the professional learning community (PLC) process.

1.2Explore, review and contrast the literature base and theory of PLCs.

1.3Apply principles of adult learning theory in class interactions.

1.4Deepen knowledge of PLCs by developing a matrix that compares and contrasts various PLC model characteristics.

1.5Use collaborative strategies to study and explain a case story.

1.6Design a research project to develop a case study at the site or district level related to the PLC process.

Happiness isn’t being cheerful all the time – It’s being interested, finding out more about something, learning how to appreciate differences, and incorporating something new that builds on what you already know.

Professional Standards for Educational Leadership

The Professional Standards for Educational Leadership replaced the ISLLC Standards used to guide the field of Educational Leadership. A complete list of the Professional Standards is below—the standards emphasized in this class are marked with an asterisk. For the full and detailed explanation of the Professional Standards, please follow this link: Professional Standards for Educational Leadership 2015.

*Standard 1. Mission, Vision, and Core Values

Effective educational leaders develop, advocate, and enact a shared mission, vision, and core values of high-quality education and academic success and well-being of each student.

*Standard 2. Ethics and Professional Norms

Effective educational leaders act ethically and according to professional norms to promote each student’s academic success and well-being.

*Standard 3. Equity and Cultural Responsiveness

Effective educational leaders strive for equity of educational opportunity and culturally responsive practices to promote each student’s academic success and well-being.

*Standard 4. Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment

Effective educational leaders develop and support intellectually rigorous and coherent systems of curriculum, instruction, and assessment to promote each student’s academic success and well-being.

*Standard 5. Community of Care and Support for Students

Effective educational leaders cultivate an inclusive, caring, and supportive school community that promotes the academic success and well-being of each student.

*Standard 6. Professional Capacity of School Personnel

Effective educational leaders develop the professional capacity and practice of school personnel to promote each student’s academic success and well-being.

*Standard 7. Professional Community for Teachers and Staff

Effective educational leaders foster a professional community of teachers and other professional staff to promote each student’s academic success and well-being.

*Standard 8. Meaningful Engagement of Families and Community

Effective educational leaders engage families and the community in meaningful, reciprocal, and mutually beneficial ways to promote each student’s academic success and well-being.

*Standard 9. Operations and Management

Effective educational leaders manage school operations and resources to promote each student’s academic success and well-being.

*Standard 10. School Improvement

Effective educational leaders act as agents of continuous improvement to promote each student’s academic success and well-being.

National Policy Board for Educational Administration (2015). Professional Standards For

Educational Leaders 2015. Reston, VA: Author. Retrieved from

Proficiencies for Texas Administrators

• Learner-Centered Leadership: Through inspiring leadership, the administrator maximizes learning for all students while maintaining professional ethics and personal integrity.
• Learner-Centered Climate: The administrator establishes a climate of mutual trust and respect that enables all members of the learning community to seek and attain excellence.
• Learner-Centered Curriculum and Instruction: The administrator facilitates the implementation of a sound curriculum and appropriate instructional strategies designed to promote optimal learning for all students.
• Learner-Centered Professional Development: The administrator demonstrates a commitment to student learning through a personal growth plan and fosters the professional development of all staff in the learning community.
• Equity in Excellence of All Learners: The administrator promotes equity in excellence for all by acknowledging, respecting, and responding to diversity among students and staff, while building on shared values and other similarities that bond all people.
• Learner-Centered Communication: The administrator effectively communicates the learning community's vision as well as its policies and successes in interactions with staff, students, parents, community members, and the media.

Student Resources

You have access to these resources:

• Locate the “UNT Helpdesk” tab at the top of the Blackboard Learn window, which provides links to student resources of technical information and instruction, and how to contact the Help Desk for assistance.
• If you are new to online courses or unfamiliar with the learning management tools, go to the Blackboard Learn Student Orientation. It is recommended that you become familiar with the tools and tutorials within the Orientation to better equip you for participating in the course.
• See short how-to videos at Blackboard Learn’s On Demand Learning Center for Students.

Student Academic Support Services

Links to all of these services can be found on the Academic Support tab at the top of your course site.

• Academic Resource Center
  Buy textbooks and supplies, access academic catalogs and programs, register for classes, and more.
• Center for Student Rights and Responsibilities

Provides Code of Student Conduct along with other useful links

• Office of Disability Accommodation
  ODA exists to prevent discrimination on the basis of disability and to help students reach a higher level of independence.
• Counseling and Testing Services
  CTS provides counseling services to the UNT community, as well as testing services such as admissions testing, computer-based testing, and career and other testing.
• UNT Libraries

Online library services

• Online Tutoring
  Chat in real time, mark-up your paper using drawing tools, and edit the text of your paper with the tutor’s help.
• The Learning Center Support Programs
  Various program links provided to enhance the student experience.
• Supplemental Instruction

Program for every student, not just for students who are struggling

• UNT Writing Lab
  Offers free writing tutoring to all UNT students, undergraduate and graduate.
• Math Tutor Lab
  Located in GAB, room 440.
• Succeed at UNT
  How to be a successful student information.

COURSE EVALUATION

Toward the end of the term, students will receive an email requesting them to complete a course evaluation. Please complete the course evaluation, as the feedback is essential to the development and refinement of this class to continue to meet the needs of students.

SCHOLARLY EXPECTATIONS

All works submitted for credit must be original works created by the student for the class. It is considered inappropriate and unethical, particularly at the graduate level, to make duplicate submissions of a single work for credit in multiple classes unless specifically requested by the instructor. It is also inappropriate to submit an assignment that has been completed by another student. Any of these instances may result in disciplinary action.

INSTRUCTIONAL DELIVERY AND EXPECTATIONS

This course is blended with asynchronous meetings online and traditional face-to-face delivery. This course will take on a seminar approach in which students will assume some responsibility for instruction and will be expected to have read all materials before each class session. It is imperative that each student attend every class session. In the event of an absence, please contact instructor by email or phone prior to the class session. It is also very important that students arrive promptly at 8:00 a.m. At the discretion of the instructor, failure to attend, arrive promptly, or remain for the duration of each class may be reflected in the course grade or lead to other consequences such as dismissal from course or program.

POLICIES

Disabilities Accommodation

“The University of North Texas complies with Section 504 of the 1973 Rehabilitation Act and with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. The University of North Texas provides academic adjustments and auxiliary aids to individuals with disabilities, as defined under the law. Among other things, this legislation requires that all students with disabilities be guaranteed a learning environment that provides for reasonable accommodation of their disabilities. If you believe you have a disability requiring accommodation, please see the instructor, and/or contact the Office of Disability Accommodation at 940-565-4323 during the first week of class.”

The University of North Texas makes reasonable academic accommodation for students with disabilities. Students seeking accommodation must first register with the Office of Disability Accommodation (ODA) to verify their eligibility. If a disability is verified, the ODA will provide you with an accommodation letter to be delivered to faculty to begin a private discussion regarding your specific needs in a course. You may request accommodations at any time, however, ODA notices of accommodation should be provided as early as possible in the semester to avoid any delay in implementation. Note that students must obtain a new letter of accommodation for every semester and must meet with each faculty member prior to implementation in each class. Students are strongly encouraged to deliver letters of accommodation during faculty office hours or by appointment. Faculty members have the authority to ask students to discuss such letters during their designated office hours to protect the privacy of the student. For additional information, see the Office of Disability Accommodation website at

Academic Integrity

Students are encouraged to become familiar with UNT’s policy on academic integrity: Academic dishonesty, in the form of plagiarism, cheating, or fabrication, will not be tolerated in this class. Any act of academic dishonesty will be reported, and a penalty determined, which may be probation, suspension, or expulsion from the university.

Collection of Student Work

In order to monitor students' achievement, improve instructional programs, and publish research findings, the Department of Teacher Education and Administration collects anonymous student work samples, student demographic information, test scores, and GPAs to be analyzed by internal and external reviewers.

TK20

Some undergraduate and graduate education courses require assignments that must be uploaded and assessed in the UNT TK20 Assessment System. This requires a one-time purchase of TK20, and student subscriptions are effective for seven years from the date of purchase. Please go to the following link for directions on how to purchase TK20: Announcements regarding TK20 will also be posted on this website. Not applicable to this course.

Copyright Notice
Some or all of the materials in this course may be protected by copyright. Federal copyright law prohibits the reproduction, distribution, public performance, or public display of copyrighted materials without the express and written permission of the copyright owner, unless fair use or another exemption under copyright law applies. Additional copyright information may be located at:

Student Conduct and Discipline

The university expectations for student conduct apply to all online instructional forums, including university and electronic classroom, labs, discussion groups, field trips, etc. See

Academic Honesty Policy
Academic dishonesty is defined in the UNT Policy on Student Standards for Academic Integrity. Any suspected case of Academic Dishonestly will be handled in accordance with University policy and procedures. Possible academic penalties range from a verbal or written admonition to a grade of “F” in the course. Further sanctions may apply to incidents involving major violations. You will find the policy and procedures at

ADA Policy

If you have a condition that requires accommodation in this course, please notify the instructor during the first week of class. Any necessary or appropriate accommodations will be made provided timely notice is received, and that the arrangement is consistent with recommendations from Disability Services, when applicable. Students who require this type of assistance should contact the Office of Disability Accommodation (ODA) at (940) 565-4323 or at TTY (940) 369-8652 to make appropriate arrangements. Information on the services provided by the ODA as well as application procedures is available at

Information on UNT’s policies related to disability accommodations is available at

Please note that disability accommodations are not retroactive. Accommodations will be made only after a disability is officially verified.

Student Behavior in the Classroom
Student behavior that interferes with an instructor’s ability to conduct a class or other students' opportunity to learn is unacceptable and disruptive and will not be tolerated in any instructional forum at UNT. Students engaging in unacceptable behavior will be directed to leave the online classroom and the instructor may refer the student to the Center for Student Rights and Responsibilities to consider whether the student's conduct violated the Code of Student Conduct. The university's expectations for student conduct apply to all instructional forums, including university and electronic classroom, labs, discussion groups, field trips, etc. The Code of Student Conduct can be found at

The Educator as Agent of Engaged Learning:

Improving the quality of education in Texas schools and elsewhere is the goal of programs for the education of educators at the University of North Texas. To achieve this goal, programs leading to teacher certification and advanced programs for educators at the University of North Texas 1) emphasize content, curricular, and pedagogical knowledge acquired through research and informed practice of the academic disciplines, 2) incorporate the Texas Teacher Proficiencies for learner centered education, 3) feature collaboration across the university and with schools and other agencies in the design and delivery of programs, and 4) respond to the rapid demographic, social, and technological change in the United States and the world.

The educator as agent of engaged learning summarizes the conceptual framework for UNT's basic and advanced programs. This phrase reflects the directed action that arises from simultaneous commitment to academic knowledge bases and to learner centered practice. "Engaged learning" signifies the deep interaction with worthwhile and appropriate content that occurs for each student in the classrooms of caring and competent educators. "Engaged learning" features the on-going interchange between teacher and student about knowledge and between school and community about what is worth knowing. This conceptual framework recognizes the relationship between UNT and the larger community in promoting the commitment of a diverse citizenry to life-long learning. In our work of developing educators as agents of engaged learning, we value the contributions of professional development schools and other partners and seek collaborations which advance active, meaningful, and continuous learning.

Seeing the engaged learner at the heart of a community that includes educators in various roles, we have chosen to describe each program of educator preparation at UNT with reference to the following key concepts, which are briefly defined below.

1. Content and curricular knowledge refer to the grounding of the educator in content knowledge and knowledge construction and in making meaningful to learners the content of the PreK-16 curriculum.
2. Knowledge of teaching and assessment refers to the ability of the educator to plan, implement, and assess instruction in ways that consistently engage learners or, in advanced programs, to provide leadership for development of programs that promote engagement of learners.
3. Promotion of equity for all learners refers to the skills and attitudes that enable the educator to advocate for all students within the framework of the school program.
4. Encouragement of diversity refers to the ability of the educator to appreciate and affirm formally and informally the various cultural heritages, unique endowments, learning styles, interests, and needs of learners.
5. Professional communication refers to effective interpersonal and professional oral and written communication that includes appropriate applications of information technology.
6. Engaged professional learning refers to the educator's commitment to ethical practice and to continued learning and professional development.

Through the experiences required in each UNT program of study, we expect that basic and advanced students will acquire the knowledge, skills, and dispositions appropriate to the educational role for which they are preparing or in which they are developing expertise.