SYLLABUS---EDAD-611-Educational-Organization-and-Leadership---Fall-2020

Assistant Professor of Educational Leadership Department of Educational Professions Contact Information: Cell Phone: 610-621-9011 Email: cdbaker@frostburg.edu Frostburg State University

FROSTBURG STATE UNIVERSITY DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATIONAL PROFESSIONS

Course Syllabus EDAD 611: Educational Organization and Leadership

Fall 2020 August 17, 2020 through November 18, 2020

Delivered online via Canvas and WebEx Conferencing

Instructor: Curt Baker, Ed.D

Assistant Professor of Educational Leadership Department of Educational Professions

Contact Information:

Cell Phone: 610-621-9011

Email: cdbaker@frostburg.edu

Frostburg State University website: www.frostburg.edu

GRADUATE COURSE CATALOG DESCRIPTION

Responsibilities, philosophies and techniques of the principal; student activities and supporting services; necessary technical skills; reading in the field; professional organizations, research literature and ethics in administration Theories and concepts, societal forces that affect

educational administration, administrative process and division of responsibility, organizational variables, the administrator as an individual and leader and professional organizations

PURPOSE

Impactful educational leaders bring out the best in those they touch For these individuals, achieving success is not enough; the real goal is to do something truly extraordinary in service to students, families, and the community they serve

This course, which is designed for aspiring educational leaders, will:

(i) Develop core educational leadership skills consistent with the Professional

Standards for Educational Leaders (PSEL Standards);

(ii) Introduce students to theories and best practices relating to educational leadership; (iii) Present difficult problems that will challenge each student to grapple with and

develop expertise in addressing difficult real-world issues; and (iv) Enable each student to find and develop their own leadership style and approach

LEARNING OUTCOMES

Upon completion of this course, students will be able to demonstrate:

Knowledge of:

 The PSEL Standards

 Theories and concepts related to leadership and the related societal forces affecting

 Carrying out situational analysis that is both creative and thoughtful

 Responding to challenging situations

 Principal-level leadership

Dispositions to:

 Utilize knowledge of research on educational leadership in fulfilling the duties of a

building leader, including “instructional leadership”

 Accept, appreciate, and value the duty and responsibility of being a building leader

 Act ethically as a building leader, especially in challenging circumstances

PSEL STANDARDS AND ASSESSMENTS

PSEL Standard

Assessment Role

Models?

Atlanta Case

Managing Conflict

Dream Job * Reflection

1A Develop an educational mission for

the school to promote the academic

success and well-being of each

student

1B In collaboration with members of the

school and the community and using

relevant data, develop and promote a

vision for the school on the

successful learning and development

of each child and on instructional and

organizational practices that promote

such success

1C Articulate, advocate, and cultivate

core values that define the school’s

culture and stress the imperative of

child-centered education; high

expectations and student support;

equity, inclusiveness, and social

justice; openness, caring, and trust;

and continuous improvement

1E Review the school’s mission and

vision and adjust them to changing

expectations and opportunities for the

school, and changing needs and

situations of students

1F Develop shared understanding of and

commitment to mission, vision, and

core values within the school and the

community

1G Model and pursue the school’s

mission, vision, and core values in all

2A Act ethically and professionally in

personal conduct, relationships with

others, decision-making, stewardship

of the school’s resources, and all

aspects of school leadership

2C Place children at the center of

education and accept responsibility

for each student’s academic success

and well being

PSEL Standard

Assessment Role

Models?

Atlanta Case

Managing Conflict

Dream Job * Reflection

3F Promote the preparation of students

to live productively in and contribute

to the diverse cultural contexts of a

global society

3G Act with cultural competence and

responsiveness in their interactions,

3H Address matters of equity and

cultural responsiveness in all aspects

5A Build and maintain a safe, caring,

and healthy school environment that

meets the academic, social,

emotional, and physical needs of

each student

5B Create and sustain a school

environment in which each student is

known, accepted and valued, trusted

and respected, cared for, and

encouraged to be an active and

responsible member of the school

community

5D Promote adult-student, student-peer,

and school-community relationships

that value and support academic

learning and positive social and

emotional development

5E Cultivate and reinforce student

engagement in school and positive

6G Develop the capacity, opportunities,

and support for teacher leadership

and leadership from other members

of the school community

7B Empower and entrust teachers and

staff with collective responsibility for

meeting the academic, social,

emotional, and physical needs of

each student, pursuant to the mission,

vision, and core values of the school

PSEL Standard

Assessment Role

Models?

Atlanta Case

Managing Conflict

Dream Job * Reflection

7C Establish and sustain a professional

culture of engagement and

commitment to shared vision, goals,

and objectives pertaining to the

education of the whole child; high

expectations for professional work;

ethical and equitable practice; trust

and open communication;

collaboration, collective efficacy, and

continuous individual and

organizational learning and

8D Maintain a presence in the

community to understand its

strengths and needs, develop

productive relationships, and engage

its resources for the school

8E Create means for the school

community to partner with families

to support student learning in and out

of school

8F Understand, value, and employ the

community’s cultural, social,

intellectual, and political resources to

promote student learning and school

improvement

8H Advocate for the school and district,

and for the importance of education

and student needs and priorities to

families and the community

8I Advocate publicly for the needs and

priorities of students, families, and

8J Build and sustain productive

partnerships with public and private

sectors to promote school

improvement and student learning

9J Develop and manage productive

relationships with the central office

PSEL Standard

Assessment Role

Models?

Atlanta Case

Managing Conflict

Dream Job * Reflection

10A Seek to make school more effective

for each student, teachers and staff,

10D Engage others in an ongoing process

of evidence-based inquiry, learning,

strategic goal setting, planning

implementation, and evaluation for

continuous school and classroom

improvement

10J Develop and promote leadership

among teachers and staff for inquiry,

experimentation and innovation, and

initiating and implementing

improvement

* Key Assessment

REQUIRED AND SUPPLEMENTAL READING

Required Reading

Course Textbook

Green, R L (2017) Practicing the art of leadership: A problem-based approach to

implementing the Professional Standards for Educational Leaders (5th Edition) Pearson Educational Leadership

Case Study

Simons, R L., & Kindred, N (2017) Atlanta Schools: Measures to Improve Performance

Boston, MA: Harvard Business School Publishing

On Leadership

Bennis, W (1989 or subsequent editions) On Becoming a Leader

Required Viewing (and corresponding reading)

Herb Kelleher

Background

reshaped-the-industry-dies-at-87.html

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/03/obituaries/herb-kelleher-whose-southwest-airlines-Videos

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MyiI8FoJk54&list=PL5tmtnTafxuCdaHWacupMqBG187-F0ENu&index=3&t=0s

Other Required Reading

Murphy, J., Louis, S., & Smylie, M (2017) Positive school leadership: How the Professional

Standards for Educational Leaders can be brought to life Kappan, 99(1), 21–24

Restorative Justice Colorado (2016) Colorado restorative practices in schools guidelines:

Principles, practices, implementation and training Retrieved from:

https://www.rjcolorado.org/_literature_157121/Colorado_Restorative_Practices_in_Schools_Guidelines

Rooney, J (2013) For principals: Planning the first year Educational Leadership, 70(June), 73–

76 Retrieved from

http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/summer13/vol70/num09/For-Principals@-Planning-the-First-Year.aspx

Supplemental Reading

See the References section of the course textbook (Green, 2017), which contains an extensive list

of relevant books and scholarly articles In addition:

Bennis, W., & Nanus, B (1986) Leaders: Strategies for taking charge New York, NY: Harper

Perennial

Ivory G (2015) Developing a Leadership Platform In: Ivory G., Hyle A.E., McClellan R.,

Acker-Hocevar M (eds) Quandaries of the Small-District Superintendency Palgrave

Macmillan, New York

Owings, W.A and Kaplan, L S (2012) Leadership and organizational behavior in education:

Theory into practice

Sergiovanni, T J., & Green, R L (2015) The principalship: A reflective practice perspective

(7th Edition) Pearson

Ubben, G C., Hughes, L W., & Norris, C J (2017) The Principal: Creative leadership for

excellence in schools (8th Edition) Pearson

COURSE GRADING

The final course grade will be computed from the assignments listed in the table below:

Assignment

Total Points Possible for Assignment

Weight

(Percentage of Final Grade)

Assignment Due Date

“Role Models?”

Atlanta Schools Case

Key Assessment: Dream

The final grade for this course will be awarded using the following point scale:

Grade Points Range Percent of Total Possible

DESCRIPTION OF COURSE ASSIGNMENTS

Graded Assignments

1 Role Models? (100 points possible)

For this assignment, you are to review materials that provide insight into the leadership styles and approaches of four very different individuals, then prepare a paper that responds

to the following prompt:

Prompt

Given what you have learned about Herb Kelleher, Marin Alsop, Shirley Chisholm, and John Wooden – and taking into account your course readings to date – you are to answer the following two questions:

a For each individual, what behaviors, traits, mindsets, approaches, and/or other factors contributed to their success as a leader? Why?

b Which of these behaviors, traits, mindsets, approaches, and/or other factors are relevant to successful leadership in an educational setting? Which are not? Why? The paper should be: (i) double spaced and (ii) no less than four and no more than eight pages in length Grading rubric will be separately provided

2 Atlanta Public Schools Case Study (150 points possible)

For this assignment, you will read and engage in a class discussion of a case study about the Atlanta Public Schools, then prepare a paper that responds to the following prompt:

Prompt

You are in your second year as the Principal of an Elementary School in Atlanta

Public Schools This is your first Principalship, a position that you have dreamed about for who knows how long Your first year was a bit rocky as you learned the ropes, and you are keenly aware of the importance of delivering results this year And wouldn’t it be great to receive a performance bonus! Heaven knows the extra money would help at home

Predictive testing indicates that your school has a shot at achieving suitable pass rates, but a betting person would bet against you Two of your best ELA teachers are out

on maternity leave, and the long term subs are worthless

No one has spoken to you directly about helping borderline students during test

administration, but it is in the wind and you know that your teachers are talking about

it In an “all-Principals” meeting today, the Superintendent again reinforced, in no

uncertain terms, her “No exceptions, no excuses” mantra Your job is on the line and you know it You have reason to believe that your mentor principal, with whom you have become close, intends to “do whatever it takes” to make her numbers

You never, ever thought you would find yourself in this position What will you do? The paper should be (i) double spaced and (ii) no less than four and no more than eight pages in length Grading rubric will be separately provided

3 Managing Conflict (150 points possible)

For this assignment, you will respond to the following prompt:

Prompt

You are the newly named principal of Pleasant Hills Middle School (grades 6-8), which serves a total of 500 students Your student population is approximately 75% white, 10% Hispanic, 10% African American, and 5% mixed/other races Although the

overall percentage of students living in poverty is about 35%, a large majority of your Hispanic and African American students come from low income households

Student discipline has been an issue in your building In fact, as shown in the table below, a recent study indicated that PHMS’s out-of-school suspension rate last year was substantially higher than the other middle schools with which it is typically compared

Middle School

Out-of-School Suspension Rate

(# of suspensions / student population)

In conversations with folks in the building, you have detected a strong interest among many teachers in moving away from a “traditional” disciplinary approach toward a restorative practices approach Your conversations, however, have created a firestorm

in the building The building’s teachers’ union representative, for example, demanded

an immediate meeting with you at which she indicated that “these students are out of

control and any effort to move away from suspending them will be viewed as an

intentional effort on your part to create an unsafe working environment Rest assured that we will grieve this if you insist on moving down the restorative practices path.” For good measure, she followed it up in writing

How will you proceed from here?

The paper should be (i) double spaced and (ii) no less than four and no more than eight pages in length Grading rubric will be separately provided

4 KEY ASSESSMENT: Dream Job (400 points possible)

For this assignment, you will respond to the following prompt:

Prompt

You have applied to be the next Principal of Brightside [Elementary, Middle, or High]

School Your application materials were submitted about a week ago, and today you received the following letter:

Dear [You]:

Thank you so much for your application to become the next Principal of Brightside

[Elementary, Middle, or High] School! I am pleased to report that we are very

interested in your candidacy and have moved you forward to the next step in the selection process Congratulations!

By no later than November 18, 2020, we ask that you answer, in writing, each of the eight questions below Your responses, and the responses of other candidates, will be reviewed by the members of our selection committee, which will then choose

approximately three finalists who will be invited to interview for the position We will, of course, notify you promptly if you are selected as a finalist

We thank you for your interest in becoming the next Principal of Brightside and look forward to hearing from you shortly

Sincerely,

Matt Damon

Human Resources Director

Our Motto: “We always look on the Brightside!”

Candidate Questions for Response

1: What should staff/students/parents/community expect from you and from the school if you were to become principal?