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5921 The Principalship Syllabus Dr. Diane Rauschenfels EduE 177 218-310-9550 cell 218-726-8547 office

Overview of Course The role of the principal is critical to the climate of the building and the success of the students. This course will examine characteristics of administrators that assist and/or detract from the leadership perspective desired. Technical knowledge is required. Also, knowledge of people and how they act and react in given circumstances is crucial. Students will be given the opportunity to gain technical knowledge and share opinions and concerns regarding the way to handle given situations. Students will also be given an opportunity to complete a self-analysis relative to the code of ethics. The parent component of involvement will also be a focus. Student Outcomes This course will enable participants to:

demonstrate an understanding of issues affecting education demonstrate an understanding of facilities development, planning and management exhibit an understanding of school districts as political systems, including governance models recognize and apply an understanding of individual and group behavior in normal and stressful situations demonstrate understanding and application of the Code of Ethics for Administrators under Part 3512.5200 demonstrate understanding of different leadership and decision-making strategies, including but not limited to collaborative models and model appropriately their implementation demonstrate the ability to develop plans that connect every student with a school adult, eliminate bullying and profiling, and implement recommended threat assessment procedures. demonstrate the ability to work with parents, teachers, and other staff in ALL levels of schooling demonstrate understanding of the characteristics of effective transitions from one level of schooling to the next.

Readings Required resources-

Fullan, M. (2003). The moral imperative of school leadership. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press. AND Pierce, M., & Stapleton, D. eds. (2003). The 21st century principal: Current issues in leadership and policy. Cambridge, MA: Harvard Education Press. Others will be assigned during the evolution of the course. Instructional Strategies Face to Face meetings are currently scheduled for Saturdays September 24, October 29, and December 3. Moodle Discussions are weekly web-based threaded discussions--original posts and responses with critical reflection, collaboration, and discussion on assignments.

IMPORTANT
I invite any of you who have any disability, either permanent or temporary, or any other special circumstances which might affect your ability to perform in this class to inform me so that together we can adapt methods, materials, or assignments as needed to provide equitable participation. Course Requirements and Expectations As members of an online learning community, the expectation is that we all contribute to the learning of the group and each other, and share in creating a quality learning environment. Class members bring diverse and extraordinary experience to the process, and we will encourage and rely on that experience to deepen the learning of the group. Participation is expected in the online threaded discussions. This class is a combination of face to face class meetings and online discussions. Our face to fact meetings are planned as a foundation and springboard for our online discussions. Moodle Discussions Asynchronous threaded discussions constitute the majority of interaction in the course after the initial in-person meeting. Discussion topics and questions will be posted usually in one to two week units. The minimum expectation is that you will complete the assigned reading, and participate in each threaded discussion assignment by posting initial input, engaging in web

dialogue, and providing feedback/responses to group members. I expect that you will make at least two substantial posts each week. I suggest you allow yourselves 3 - 4 hours per week to engage in threaded discussions. Considerations Writing your insights, thoughts, and responses to others in a way that's relatively public and semi-permanent (at least for the duration of the semester) can be a little unnerving at first and can stifle creativity or thoughtful discussion. Always remember this rule of thumb--if it's worth doing, it's worth doing badly! So don't worry about misspellings, incomplete sentences, or questionable grammar. Remember to maintain a tone of civility and respect when discussing potentially controversial topics. As to kind of posts Productive, satisfying discussions are often the result of risk-taking, feedback, questioning, and occasional disagreements, as well as affirming, supportive interaction. With each unit's discussion topic, I will ask you for thoughtful input that reflects the reading, your own experience, and your thoughts or insights. I will also ask you to reflect on others' posts, do you agree or disagree, do you have questions, and does this lead you to think about something else? Asynchronous online discussions With asynchronous online discussions, it is also important to simply "be present" to find ways to describe in writing what you might be doing non-verbally, e.g. nodding your head, smiling, or looking quizzically at someone. Imagine making a statement in person in a class, and having no response from the audience. This doesn't help the flow of conversation. So let people know you're there, that you've read their posts, even if you don't have something content-related to contribute at that moment. Also, let others in your small group know when you might be out of town or away from your computer, and when you'll return. Netiquette: Netiquette refers to network etiquette. Apply proper netiquette 'rules' when engaging in various online communications. Here is a good website on the core rules of netiquette. Grading and Assessment: Your grade will be based on:

10% budget assignment 15% response assessment of special education rules and regulations 10% parent involvement plan 10% presentation of shared decision making models 10% self analysis relative to Code of Ethics 10% analysis of building safety 10% transitions interviews 25% online discussions and assignments related to a variety of topics. Participation in discussions is a strong expectation in this course. You will be expected to post at least two times per discussion/assignment (one initial and one or two response posts.) These should be substantial posts. Self-Assessment Rather than my grading your posts, I'd like to propose that you do a self-assessment at the midterm time and at the end of the course. Review the Discussion Rubric and the grading and assessment criteria. Send me an email with your self-assessment. Keep in mind, this should take you a couple of minutes to do! Ask yourself-Did I spend at least 2 hours each week posting and reading posts in Moodle? (Not counting your article reading, web search, and/or your research times.) Did I respond to all of the questions? Did I read and respond to others in my group? Were my posts/responses more than always casual/friendly? Were they often descriptive? Were they sometimes detailed, analytical, and reflective (use the discussion rubric to do your self evaluation)? Send me an email by the November 22nd meeting so we have an opportunity to discuss should our assessments differ too greatly. Use the following format: Attendance in Moodle: ________ hours (the minimum requirement for this class is two hours per week for posting and reading posts, not counting your article reading, web search, and/or your research times). Initial Post-Rating: ________ (1= Casual/Friendly, 2=Descriptive, or 3= Complete in terms of responding to all the questions asked and Reflective/Analytical)

Response Post-Rating: _______ (1= Casual/Friendly, 2= Descriptive, or 3= At least one or two Reflective/Analytical responses) I will consider your self assessment along with my own evaluation of your posts based on the same rubric. A minimum of 2 - 3 detailed, thoughtful posts per unit is adequate. More is always welcome! Please remember that early initial postings will help with more reflective dialog within and/or across your groups. Questions? Please ask them in Moodle under the News Forum.

Student Conduct Code: Appropriate classroom conduct promotes an environment of academic achievement and integrity. Disruptive classroom behavior that substantially or repeatedly interrupts either the instructor's ability to teach, or student learning, is prohibited. Student are expected adhere to Board of Regents Policy: Student Conduct Code: http://www1.umn.edu/regents/policies/academic/Student_Conduct_Code.pdf Teaching & Learning: Instructor and Student Responsibilities: UMD is committed to providing a positive, safe, and inclusive place for all who study and work here. Instructors and students have mutual responsibility to insure that the environment in all of these settings supports teaching and learning, is respectful of the rights and freedoms of all members, and promotes a civil and open exchange of ideas. To reference the full policy please see: http://www.d.umn.edu/vcaa/TeachingLearning.html Academic Integrity: Academic dishonesty tarnishes UMDs reputation and discredits the accomplishments of students. Academic dishonesty is regarded as a serious offense by all members of the academic community. UMDs Student Academic Integrity Policy can be found at: http://www.d.umn.edu/conduct/integrity/ Final Exams: All 1xxx-5xxx courses offered for undergraduate credit should include a final graded component or end of term evaluation that assesses the level of student achievement of one or more course objectives. All final graded components are to be administered or due at the time and place according to the final exam schedule and not during the last week of class. To reference the full policy please see: http://www.d.umn.edu/vcaa/FinalExams.html Excused Absences: Students are expected to attend all scheduled class meetings. It is the responsibility of students to plan their schedules to avoid excessive conflict with course requirements. However, there are legitimate and verifiable circumstances that lead to excused student absence from the classroom. These are subpoenas, jury duty, military duty, religious

observances, illness, bereavement for immediate family, and NCAA varsity intercollegiate athletics. For complete information, please see: http://www.d.umn.edu/vcaa/ExcusedAbsence.html Appropriate Student Use of Class Notes and Course Materials: Taking notes is a means of recording information but more importantly of personally absorbing and integrating the educational experience. However, broadly disseminating class notes beyond the classroom community or accepting compensation for taking and distributing classroom notes undermines instructor interests in their intellectual work product while not substantially furthering instructor and student interests in effective learning. For additional information, please see: http://www.d.umn.edu/vcaa/ClassNotesAppropriateUseof.html Students with disabilities: It is the policy and practice of the University of Minnesota Duluth to create inclusive learning environments for all students, including students with disabilities. If there are aspects of this course that result in barriers to your inclusion or your ability to meet course requirements such as time limited exams, inaccessible web content, or the use of noncaptioned videos please notify the instructor as soon as possible. You are also encouraged to contact the Office of Disability Resources to discuss and arrange reasonable accommodations. Please call 218-726-6130 or visit the DR website at www.d.umn.edu/access for more information.