UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA UNIT: School of Education
AT GREENSBORO DEPT: Educational Leadership and Cultural Foundations
COURSE SYLLABUS
1. Course Prefix and Number: ELC 670
2. Course Title: Leadership for Teaching and Learning
3. Credits: 3
4. Course Prerequisites/Corequisites: None
5. For Whom Planned: This is a required course for Master of School Administration students. Given space availability, it will be open to graduate students in other programs.
6. Instructor Information: Varies
7. Course Purpose/Catalog Description: Examines conceptions of “good” schools and the nature of instruction, curriculum, assessment, and professional development. Explores leadership, change, and school renewal work toward good schooling and pedagogy.
8. Teachers Academy Conceptual Framework Mission Statement: The mission of professional education at UNCG is to prepare and support the professional development of caring, collaborative, and competent educators who work in diverse settings. This mission is carried out in an environment that nurtures the active engagement of all participants, values individual as well as cultural diversity and recognizes the importance of reflection and integration of theory and practice. UNCG's professional education programs are guided by shared commitments to: (a) equity and excellence in teaching, research, and service; (b) professional integrity and ethical deliberation in dealing with students and colleagues (university-based, school-based, and community-based); (c) the construction of a professional knowledge base through collaboration and collegiality; and (d) the dissemination of professional knowledge, skills and dispositions through the preparation and continuing professional development of teachers, principals and other school personnel.
9. Course Goals and/or Objectives/Student Learning Outcomes:
1. To understand the culture and practices of good schools and be able to articulate the nature of curriculum and instruction in such schools.
2. To explore the relationship between what we know about how students learn, authentic pedagogy, and teaching for high-stakes testing.
3. To explore aspects of curriculum, particularly authentic and multicultural curriculum and its relationship to the North Carolina Standard Course of Study.
4. To explore multiple forms of student assessment, including authentic assessment of student performance.
5. To understand the relationship between leadership, change, and developing a school’s capacity to inquire, learn, and collaborate for the improvement of teaching and learning.
6. To understand and be able to apply several school renewal processes.
7. To understand the implications for principals of the relationships between good schooling, pedagogy, leadership, change, and school renewal.
10. Teaching Strategies: Teaching strategies will involve a combination of lecture, discussion, and student work. Student in class work will primarily be in groups. Portions of the course may eventually be web-based.
10. Evaluation Methods and Guidelines for Assignments:
1. Written Opening Exercises / Group Tasks during Class Sessions (one-fourth of grade):
Written Opening Exercises
Class sessions will often begin with a written opening exercise that briefly assesses your comprehension of, and reflection on, the reading(s) assigned for that class session. These opening exercises will count for one-fourth of the course grade. If a student is not present for a class session, the opening exercise cannot be made up. The opening exercise for a session will be waived only if the student receives an excused absence for the class session. Requests for excused absences must be submitted in writing, preferably in advance of the class session that will be missed.
Written opening exercise will take different forms. Possibilities include, but are not limited to: a traditional short answer quiz; developing several discussion questions suggested by the readings; fast write reactions to readings (what you agree with, disagree with, what’s problematic, etc.); a brief reflection on the application of a reading to your practice; or an explanation of a key concept or theory in the reading.
Assessment Rubric:
A = clear evidence that readings were carefully attended to; evidence of ability to draw insight from readings or call attention to key or significant aspects of the readings
B = reasonable evidence that readings were carefully attended to
C = uncertain evidence whether readings were carefully attended to
Group Tasks during Class Sessions
Students will be asked to regularly work on tasks during class sessions. It is important that students take these class work sessions seriously. These are not time fillers, opportunities for socializing, or times to exchange professional “war stories” unrelated to the assigned task. Instead, they are intended to serve as opportunities to learn about the substance and process of teaching, learning, leadership, change, and school renewal. They are intended as opportunities to work with or apply the concepts and ideas contained in the readings and the mini-lectures. Interacting and constructing knowledge with colleagues both in the student’s school and in this course is potentially the most significant source of professional learning (as opposed to books, a professor, an outside “expert”, etc.). Sometimes additional work will be required on a group task assigned during class after the class session is over. Most/all of this can probably be accomplished electronically.
2. Covenant Assignment (one-fourth of grade):
This assignment includes:
a. Knowledge statements (what we know about good classrooms, schools, teaching & learning)
b. Evidence statements (direct quotes or paraphrases with accompanying citations that provide the evidence for knowledge statement)
c. Value/belief statements (the beliefs or values that flow from the cited knowledge statements)
d. An explanation and elaboration of what the belief statement means to the members of the group (one paragraph for each belief).
The assignment is turned in as one product for the entire group. The work should be fueled by inquiry into the nature of good schooling, including the educational literature on good schools. Students may use any sources they wish for the inquiry including course books and readings, course mini-lectures, and outside readings.
Assessment Rubric for Covenant:
A = Clear, well-written statements;
Strong support for each knowledge statement;
Clear connection between evidence statements and knowledge statements
(including citation and reference information);
Consistency and connection between knowledge statements and values;
Clear explanation of value statements
B = Generally clear, well-written statements;
Some support for each knowledge statement;
Occasional unclear connection between evidence statements and knowledge
statements
Occasional lack of consistency or unclear connection between knowledge
statements and values;
Occasional unclear explanation of value statements
C = Frequently unclear statements;
Minimal support for knowledge statements;
Frequent unclear connection between evidence statements and knowledge
statements
Frequent lack of consistency or unclear connection between knowledge
statements and values;
Frequent unclear explanation of value statements
3. Mid-term exam (one-fourth of grade)
A rubric will be developed for each question on the exam.
4. Final Exam (one-fourth of grade)
A rubric will be developed for each question on the exam.
12. Required Text(s)/Readings/References:
Allen, L., Rogers, D., Hensley, F., Glanton, M. & Livingston, M. (1999). A guide to
renewing your school. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Lambert, L. (1998). Building leadership capacity in schools. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.
Meier, D. (2000). Will standards save public education? Boston: Beacon Press.
Meier, D. (1995). The power of their ideas: Lessons for America from a small school in Harlem. Boston: Beacon Press.
Newmann, F.M. (ed.), Authentic Achievement: Restructuring schools for intellectual quality. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Wood, G.H. (1992). Schools that work: America’s most innovative public education programs. New York: Penguin Books.
Readings
Banks, J.A. (1994). Aims, characteristics, and approaches & A transformed curriculum and multiple perspectives. From An introduction to multicultural curriculum (pp. 1-13 & 24-29). Needham Heights, MA: Allyn & Bacon.
Fullan, M.G. (1993). The complexity of the change process. From: Change forces (pp. 19-41). Bristol, PA: Falmer Press.
13. Topical Outline:
Session 1 Introductions & Course Overview
Session 2 Changing and Renewing Schools: A Purpose Beyond Test Scores
Session 3 Changing and Renewing Schools: Toward What Purpose?
Session 4 What do we know about good schooling? (Teaching/Learning)
Session 5 What do we know about good schooling? (Assessment)
Session 6 What do we know about good schooling? (Curriculum)
Session 7 What do we know about good schooling? (Professional Development)
Session 8 Midterm Exam
Session 9 What processes can be used to initiate school renewal?
Session 10 What processes can be used to initiate school renewal? Developing a covenant
Session 11 What do we know about change for teaching and learning?
Session 12 What do we mean by leadership?
Session 13 What does leadership for teaching, learning, and school renewal look like?
Session 14 Final Exam
Session 15 Sharing and Celebrating our Work
14. Other Information:
Attendance Policy and Additional Requirements:
Students are expected to attend and participate fully in all class sessions and all web-based discussions and projects. Course attendance and participation in discussion and activities is a responsibility each student has to make the course a meaningful learning experience for self and other classmates. In order for students to participate in class sessions in a meaningful and informed manner, it is important that they read, analyze, and reflect on course readings prior to the class session for which the readings are assigned. Student unable to attend a class session should inform the instructor in writing.
Academic Honor Code:
Each student is required to sign the honor statement on all major work submitted for the course. Please review the UNCG Academic Integrity Policy (http://saf.dept.uncg.edu/studiscp/Honor.html).
15. Recommended Text(s) and/or Readings: A bibliography or list of references highlighting recent scholarship (pedagogy and research) in the subject area
16. Alignment with State and National Standards: Attach a matrix aligning the course goals/objectives with INTASC and/or NBPTS, DPI guidelines or competencies, standards of your professional organization (CEC, NCTM, NCTE, NCSS, NASD, etc.). See the CUI 553 matrix as an example. If these were included as part of the course goals/objectives listed #9, you do not have to repeat them in a matrix.