Internship in School Administration

University of North CarolinaWilmington

EDN 570-571 Syllabus

Dr. William Sterrett, Office: EB 380

910-962-7995

Office Hours: M, W.- 9a.m.-1 p.m. in office; Wed 8-10pm online;or by appointment

The Watson School of Education develops highly competent professionals to serve in educational leadership roles through: Ethical and Professional Standards, Informed Decision-making, Reflective Practice, Pedagogy, Diversity, Content Knowledge, Effective Communications and Technological Competencies.

Course Rationale and Description

The internship course is designed to provide students with opportunities to apply ideas presented in the general content management skills courses in school settings. The internship allows students to engage in observations and critical analysis of administrative management and leadership under the guidance of the on-site administrator and university supervisor and to develop knowledge, skills and dispositions about the application of their own management and leadership proficiencies.

Course Objectives

  1. Develop a school profile that identifies the six elements consistent with the Interstate School Leaders Licensure Consortium (ISLLC) standards.
  2. Develop an understanding of the basic principles of school planning, including effective strategic planning and collaborative site-based decision-making.
  3. Develop an understanding of resource allocation in the areas of money, time, and space.
  4. Develop knowledge of the principles of effective personnel recruitment, selection, induction, socialization, and continuous renewal of educators.
  5. Identify and develop strategies that support and challenge the emergence of formal and informal leadership.
  6. Develop an understanding and technical skills related to instructional improvement in a school-wide setting, as supported through teacher evaluation and performance improvement.
  7. Develop the ability to establish effective interpersonal relationships with administrators, teachers, students, parents and supervisor, using effective communication techniques and strategies.

Course Procedures

During the internship year, full-time students will have two public school placements, in two different partnership districts, and at two different levels where they have not had previous teaching experience. Except in occasional instances, these administrators will have engaged in Professional Development System (PDS) training regarding the collaborative systemic effort that drives the school/university partnership in developing administrators. During each placement the intern will be engaged in both formal scheduled events and informal leadership opportunities that arise within the specific school context. The formal events include site visitations with interns, site administrators, and university supervisors collaborating on the intern’s development.

Course Evaluation and Grading

Requirements of this course entail tasks related to student’s roles as school administrators and those that will serve a learning function to guide students’ personal and professional development as a school leader. Evaluation of interns will be based on the 100% completion of the following products:

  1. Weekly reflections – These are confidential reflections that allow the intern to reflect on their weeks’ experiences, what they did, how they handled situations and what they would do differently. Also it is a time for the intern to share their frustrations, joys, successes and ask any questions that they may not want to ask their mentoring principal.
  2. School profile – This is a notebook of artifacts that the intern collects during each internship semester. The artifacts collected can be ideals, thoughts, slogans, practices and just about any thing that they believe will be helpful to them when they become an administrator. As they collect their artifacts they then must connect them to an ISSLC Standard and then write a brief summary explaining how the artifacts connect to the standard they have chosen.
  3. Coaching Plan- This is plan of growth that is developed between the intern and their mentoring principal and approved by the university supervisor.
  4. Leadership Project- This is a major project developed by the mentoring principal and intern and contributes to the overall success of the school.
  5. Time Sheets – Each intern is responsible for recording hours accrued throughout each day and month. Timesheets must be signed by the mentoring principal and submitted to the university supervisor.
  6. Program Evaluation – At the conclusion of the total internship experience each intern is required to complete an anonymous on-line program evaluation.