LEADERSHIP COURSES
Basic Theories of Educational
Administration
School-based
leadership is examined from an organizational behavior perspective. Its
purposes include developing knowledge and expertise in organization leadership,
exploring topics such as motivation, communication, and conflict. School-based
leadership is examined in the light of school improvement efforts and the
knowledge and skills leaders need to effectively move the organization toward
continuous growth and development.
Shared Governance In
Schools
This course
focuses on shared leadership in schools, that is, transformational, empowering,
democratic, collaborative leadership. Specifically, this course provides an
opportunity to examine cutting-edge models of school leadership in a reflective
manner. The purpose of this course is to
understand leadership and its impacts on individuals and school organizations.
School-based leadership is examined in the light of school improvement efforts
and the knowledge and skills leaders need to effectively move the organization
toward continuous growth and development.
School Staff Development
This course is
a study of professional development and leadership concepts with exercises of
practical application. The purposes
include developing successful instructional leadership skills including design
and implementation of effective staff development; developing knowledge and
expertise in the areas of needs assessment, design, implementation, and
evaluation of staff development programs; developing knowledge in theoretical
bases related to adult development, learning, and change; surveying related
local roles and responsibilities; and encouraging on-going research and reading
in the field.
Techniques for Teacher Observation
This course is
a study of teacher observation techniques and leadership concepts with
exercises of practical application. The
purposes include developing expertise in observation, data collection,
analysis, and conducting conferences; and encouraging on-going research and
reading in the field. Instruction and participant exploration will focus on an
integration of the extant data base, theory, rationale, knowledge base, and
delivery strategies supporting the teacher observation process in a school
system's bureaucratic structure.
This course
examines a range of theories, concepts, models, and research findings described
in the literature related to understanding school culture. In addition the
course reviews constructive approaches to changing and building school culture
characterized by inclusion, collaboration, and shared leadership for school
improvement.
School Personnel Selection and
Evaluation
The goal of
this course is for participants to be familiar with the process of recruitment,
selection, induction, and evaluation of teachers by school administrators. Additionally the course will examine the components of the employee
selection process, make application of the major employee selection processes
to simulated job situations, develop understanding of teacher evaluation
procedures in order to develop skills in selecting appropriate elements for a
given school, demonstrate understanding and skills of technology used in the
current educational environment, and become familiar with scholarly literature
on the topics of teacher employment and evaluation.
Leadership Practicum
The goal of the
leadership practicum is to allow participants to experience leadership roles
within a school as well as work with current leadership to understand the how
and why certain decisions must be made.
An activity log is completed to record the all the activities the
student in involved in for the entire course of leadership study. Additionally, a website is created and
maintained to show what each participant is learning throughout the entire
course of study. The course allows participants to observe and participate in a variety of diverse activities
expected of highly trained educational leaders, experience administrative
assignments they have not previously assumed in their careers, develop
administrative skills necessary to the successful practice of educational
leadership, and refine leadership skills.
Curriculum Design
The goal of
this course is to study the principles of curriculum design and instruction. Exercises
are provided to allow students to experience practical application. It is designed for building administrators,
department chairpersons, instructional lead teachers, staff development
specialists, curriculum leaders, and central office supervisors and administrators.
The purposes include developing knowledge and leadership skills in curriculum
development, research-based instructional strategies and curriculum design, and
supporting the success of all students. Learning will focus on an integration
of the extant knowledge base, supporting theory, and leadership and delivery
strategies supporting curriculum development and instruction in a
standards-based school.
Leadership for Standards Based Education
We have entered
a world of standards based instruction.
Teachers are being evaluated using standards based rubrics. This course is a study of leadership for
standards-based education. It is designed for building administrators,
department chairpersons, instructional lead teachers, staff development
specialists, curriculum leaders, and central office supervisors and
administrators. The purposes include developing an understanding of the
leadership behaviors that relate to student achievement, knowledge of effective
school improvement processes, skill in designing standards-based instructional
units. Learning will focus on an integration of the extant knowledge base,
practical processes and tool usage, and instructional delivery strategies in a
standards-based educational system. The
capstone assignment is a culminating exercise that allows students to explore
various ideas associated with standards based instruction.
Action Research
This course is
a study of the use of data in action research for school change with exercises
of practical application. The purposes include developing knowledge and skills
for planning and carrying out various forms of data analysis and action
research projects and encouraging on-going research and reading in the field.
Learning will focus on an integration of the extant knowledge base, rationale,
and strategies supporting action research and data use in classrooms and
schools. This course provides the
opportunity to carry out various projects to get real life experience.
Student Discipline
This course is
a study of classroom and school wide student management principles based on
meta-analyses of related research. The purposes include developing knowledge
and successful leadership skills in design and implementation of effective
student management programs; developing knowledge in research bases related to
leadership behavior, goal development, and teachers’ actions related to
establishing and enforcing rules and procedures, carrying out disciplinary
actions, maintaining effective teacher-student relationships, and maintaining
an appropriate mental set; developing skills of with-it-ness, emotional
objectivity, and active speaking and listening; examining and adjusting local
roles and responsibilities; and encouraging on-going research and reading in
the field. Learning will focus on an integration of the knowledge base and
strategies supporting effective student management.
Planning for School Improvement
This course is
designed to give practical experience in writing a school improvement
plan. Students are given school and
school district data and students use that information to write a school
improvement plan for the school.
Ethics
This course
provides and introduction to the ethical obligations of educational
administrators as professional educators in the state of
Organizational Change and Development
This course
focuses on research-based knowledge, skills, and dispositions related to
initiating, monitoring, and evaluating school-based group and organizational
change consistent with school and district-level vision. Students will examine
theories, case studies, ad leadership strategies that promote change,
collaborative structural and process arrangements linked to effective change,
and effective use of data-based research strategies associated with school
improvement.
School Law
TBD
Special Education Law
TBD
Legal Foundations of Human Resources
Management
TBD
Budgeting and Managing School Accounts
TBD
Maintaining and Operating Educational
Facilities
TBD
Political and Social Context of
Education
TBD