M IS 43179

Fundamentals of School Administration EDAD 633

Online delivery
Spring 2017
Chadron State College

Instructor Dr. Jesse Sealey

Information
Office: Old Admin 113
Office Phone: (308) 432-6336
E-mail: jsealey@csc.edu
CSC Online Link

Office Hours: M, W, F 9:00-10:00 am and T, Th 10:00-11:00 am, or by appointment

Credit Hours Credit Hours: 3.0 graduate credits

and
Course Course Description:
Description Purpose: Examines the role of the school principal as a visionary, building manager,
instructional leader, creator for a learning environment, and decision maker. Focus on
scheduling, co-curriculum activities, cultivating and maintaining collegial relationships,
developing a school district vision, public and human relations, supervision of instruction,
auxiliary services, working with community, and the school improvement process (Chadron
State College 2015-2017 Graduate Catalog, p.57).

Prerequisite An earned baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited institution of higher education.
EDAD 633 is a core requirement course for individuals who are seeking the Masters of
Education degree in Educational Administration or may serve as an elective in a graduate
program with approval of an advisor.

Text and Media Required:

Information Hanson, K.L. (2009). A Casebook for School Leaders: Linking the ISLLC Standards for
Effective Practice (3rd ed). Merrill/Pearson, Upper Saddle River, NJ ISBN 978-0-13-
612682-9
Alvy, H.B. & Robbins, P. (1998). If Only I Knew...Success Strategies for Navigating the
Principalship. Corwin Press/Sage, Thousand Oaks, CA ISBN 978-0-80-396644-4

NSCS Board NSCS Board Policy 4141:

Policy 4141
For this two-credit, sixteen-week course, students should expect to budget an average of 9
hours per week as the reading, viewing, reflecting, and writing requirements will require this
amount of time. Specific indications for expected time on task are included in the instructions
for each assignment and forum discussions. These time expectations indicate how much time
students should devote to completing these tasks to attain associated learning outcomes, so it is
recommended that students pay close attention to these guidelines.
 **Disclaimer: The completion of the minimum time commitment does not ensure a
passing grade. Achievement of the course competencies must be demonstrated.

Educational Educational Administration Candidate Learning Outcomes:

Administration A. Candidates who complete the program are educational leaders who have the
Candidate
knowledge and ability to promote the success of all students by facilitating the
Learning
collaborative development, articulation, implementation, and stewardship of a
Outcomes
school or district vision of learning supported by the school community. ISLLC
Standard 1

B. Candidates who complete the program are educational leaders who have the
knowledge and ability to promote the success of all students by promoting a positive
school culture, providing an effective standards based instructional program,
applying best practice to student learning, and designing comprehensive
professional growth plans for staff based on identified needs. ISLLC Standard 2

C. Candidates who complete the program are educational leaders who have the
knowledge and ability to promote the success of all students by managing the
organization, operations, and resources in a way that promotes a safe, efficient,
and effective learning environment. ISLLC Standard 3

D. Candidates who complete the program are educational leaders who have the
knowledge, ability, and Dispositions to promote the success of all students by
collaborating with families and other community members, responding to
diverse community interests and needs, and mobilizing community resources.
ISLLC Standard 4

E. Candidates who complete the program are educational leaders who have the
knowledge and ability to promote the success of all students by acting fairly, with
integrity, and in an ethical manner. ISLLC Standard 5

F. Candidates who complete the program are educational leaders who have the
knowledge and ability to promote the success of all students by understanding,
responding to, and influencing the larger political, social, economic, legal, and
cultural context. ISLLC Standard 6

G. Internship/Field-Based Experiences. The internship/field-based experiences

provide significant opportunities for candidates to successfully synthesize, apply the
knowledge, practices and skills identified in ISLLC Standards 1-6 through
substantial, sustained, standards-based work in real settings, planned and guided
cooperatively by the institution and school district personnel for graduate credit.
You are required to log 10 hours of leadership experience during this course.

Student Student Learning Outcomes:

Learning Upon completion of this course, students will be able to:
Outcomes 1. Increase their understanding of the nature and functions of the principalship within a
k12 school building.
2. Assess their ability and that of others in the performance of administrative and
leadership roles.
3. Assess their potential as an effective school administrator and leader.
4. Expand their administrative and leadership skills through participation in reflective
 practice, group and individual activities, analysis of case studies, and other activities.
5. Develop an understanding of organizational structure and operation of schools; the
human dimensions of school, including organizational culture and climate; and the
social, political, and economic environment in which schools exist.
Method(s) of Instruction: Course methodology is web-based with threaded discussion
boards, reading in texts and research articles, and reflective discourse between
classmates and the instructor. Instructor feedback is a critical aspect of learning. We
all like to know “how we are doing”. To that end, this course will attempt to model
transformational and constructivist learning processes that encourage a concept of
problem-posing, connections with prior experience, reflection, and reflective discourse
that help shape a new understanding.

1. Facilitating the development, articulation, implementation, and stewardship of a school or

CSC Education district vision of learning supported by the school community. ISLLC Principle 1
Unit Intended (Communication, Thinking Skills, Inclusive Learning Environments)
Program 2. Promoting a positive school culture, providing an effective instructional program,
Outcomes applying best practice to student learning, and designing comprehensive professional
growth plans for staff. ISLLC Principle 2 (Methodology, Professionalism, Assessment,
Thinking Skills, Inclusive Learning Environments)
3. Managing the organizational, operations, and resources in a way that promotes a safe,
efficient and effective learning environment. ISLLC Principle 3 (Communication,
Thinking Skills, Methodology, Professionalism)
4. Collaborating with families and other community members, responding to diverse
community interests and needs and mobilizing community resources. ISLLC Principle 4
(Communication, Methodology, Inclusive Learning Environments)
5. Acting with integrity, fairness, and in an ethical manner. ISLLC Principle 5 (Inclusive
Learning Environments, Communication, Professionalism)
6. Understanding, responding to, and influencing the larger political, social, economic, legal
and cultural context. ISLLC Principle 6 (Professionalism, Thinking Skills, Inclusive
Learning Environments)
7. Demonstrating the ability to accept genuine responsibility for leading, facilitating, and
making decisions typical of those made by educational leaders. CSC Leadership Standard
(Communication, Thinking Skills, Methodology, Professionalism, Assessment, and
Inclusive Learning Environments)

CSC Education Education Unit Conceptual Framework:

Unit Conceptual The conceptual framework, Developing as Visionary Leaders for Lifelong Learning, focuses on
Framework the following components:
Communication
Professionalism
Inclusive Learning Environments
Assessment
Thinking Skills
Methodology
Leadership
Method(s) of Method(s) of Instruction:
Instruction
1. Reading
2. Viewing
3. Discussion
4. Application

Collaborative Learning and Online Learning---The Collaborative learning process is an

important learning strategy for this course to promote authentic learning through questioning
and understanding in sharing thoughts and ideas regarding the essential points from the
readings and how the topic relates to your own experiences. You are encouraged to spend time
each week talking to your principal or other administrators about the week's topics. These
interview hours should be logged and reflected upon for your "Logged hours" assignment
due near the end of the semester.

For the first part, reflect on the discussion. In order to be more thoughtful about your
responses, I would recommend preparing your responses first on a word processor and then
copy and paste them to the discussion board. Do not simply attach your Word Documents as
your post. Copy and paste your initial post into the response frame. Your first response is to
be posted by midnight on Wednesday evening. Your response should be approximately two to
three paragraphs (250 to 350 words) in length citing the key elements from the readings
(including at least one citation) and your own experience to support your response.
For the second part, I would like you to begin by reading through other group members’
responses and provide feedback to two other members of your group regarding their response
by midnight Sunday
It is not helpful to your learning or your fellow group members to post late. Most students find
success by simply making their first post and then checking the discussion thread twice more.
Because the discussion boards are intended to be dynamic, I encourage you to treat them as
such and resist the urge to post generic or ambiguous postings as if the discussion board was a
correspondence course. You will be sharing your thoughts with fellow scholars and I will
expect you to dig deep and demonstrate knowledge of the research presented in the unit by
citing sources (at least each week) as you make your original post. You will receive twenty
points (10 points for your initial post and 5 for each of the two required follow up posts) for
every posting.
You are encouraged to spend time each week talking to your principal or other administrators
about the week's topics. Please log these hours with a short reflection and the time
(hour/minutes) which you spend. These should be compiled into a log which you will submit
as an ASSIGNMENT at the end of the semester. It is expected that you will accumulate at least
10 total hours during the semester.

Course Course Requirements:

Requirements
It is intended that all courses on the graduate level shall require of students greater intellectual
effort, more independence in reading and investigation, and more constructive thinking than do
the undergraduate levels of instruction.

1. Read and study assigned portions of text and selected Internet sites.
2. Respond to appropriate assignments, discussion board questions, research and write
responses to assignments.
3. School board meeting and report: Attend a school board meeting and write the "minutes" as
you saw and heard the meeting unfold. Post your account to the Discussion Board so that others
may read your experience.
4. Participation: Active participation is expected and required.
 5. Journal Article Reviews
6. Concept/Issue Paper: The focus is to be on a topic for research related to this course. The
paper should be 4-6 pages. IMPORTANT: Composition, grammar, and spelling appropriate to
graduate course work is expected. Points may be deducted from the final grade if this
requirement is not meet. Developing your professional writing skills is one of the goals.
7. Mid-term exam
8. Final exam
9. Logged hours
10. Electronic Anthology

Assignments—The assignments are designed to provide you with a means to document what
you are learning. All article reviews should be done in APA format for students in the EDAD
program. You can reference the APA format at the APA Online site
http://www.apastyle.org/elecref.html
All assignments are to be submitted as a Word document within the course ASSIGNMENT link
by the designated time on the due date.

Collaborative Learning and Online Learning---The Collaborative learning process is an

important learning strategy for this course to promote authentic learning through questioning
and understanding in sharing thoughts and ideas regarding the essential points from the
readings and how the topic relates to your own experiences. I will post a discussion prompt for
each module’s discussion board. For the first part, reflect on the discussion prompt posted. In
order to be more thoughtful about your responses, I would recommend preparing your
responses first in Microsoft Word and then copy and paste them to the discussion board. Do not
simply attach your Word
documents as your post. Copy and paste your initial post into the response frame. Your first
response is to be posted by Wednesday evening at midnight. Your response should be
approximately two to three paragraphs (250 to 350 words) in length, citing the key elements
from the readings and your own experience to support your response.
For the second part, I would like you to begin by reading through other group members’
responses and provide feedback to two other members regarding their response by midnight
Sunday. It is not helpful to your learning or your fellow group members to post late. I
understand that with online courses it can be difficult to post daily. However, most students find
success by simply making their first post and then checking the discussion thread twice more.
The secondary post is to provide classmates feedback and a final time to read instructor
feedback. Because the discussion boards are intended to be dynamic, I encourage you to treat
them as such and resist the urge to post generic or ambiguous postings as if the discussion
board was a correspondence course. You will be sharing your thoughts with fellow scholars and
I will expect you to dig deep and demonstrate knowledge of the research presented in the unit
by citing sources as you make your original post. You will receive twenty points for every
posting (10 for the initial post and 5 for each of the two responses). I know that sometimes
technology can be frustrating so please do not hesitate to call me if you have any problems or
concerns with Sakai or the course. The posts will remain open for the duration of the course,
but credit will not be given for posts made after the midnight Sunday due date.

Technology and Technology and Technical Skill Requirements:

Technical Skill
Requirements Microsoft Word, Adobe Acrobat Reader, and Adobe Flash Player are technologies required to
complete the reading, viewing, and creating activities and assignments of this course. Students
must also be proficient in using the basic functions for these software applications..
Tentative Course Jan. 9-15 Introductions and Orientation: Group discussions and responses on Sakai.
Schedule Complete ROSTER portfolio with picture.
Read: Sergiovanni articles linked at the end of syllabus: Begin creating
Electronic Anthology.
Threaded INTRODUCTIONS and reflection discussions. Remember to start
logging time you might spend conferring with your administrators.

Jan. 16-22 Unit 1: Alvy/Robbins Chap. 1-3. Rookie and Veteran Issues, Loneliness at
the Top and the Time Juggernaut: Threaded discussions: Your administrative
rationale and past influences. Remember to log the time you spend conferring
with your administrators.
Read Case Studies #20, #21 and #24.

Jan. 23-29 Unit 2: Alvy/Robbins Chap. 4 Instructional Leader

Read Case Studies #9, #2 and #39.

Jan. 30-Feb. 5 Unit 3: Alvy/Robbins Chap. 5 and 8. Complex Relationships and Authentic
Communications: Threaded discussions. Remember to log the time you spend
conferring with your administrators.
Read Case Studies # 8, #15 and #16.

Feb. 6-12 Unit 4: Alvy/Robbins Chap. 6 and 10. Management Issues, Balancing
Leadership and Management
First Case Study Due. (Submit as separate attachment within Sakai
assignment submission system by Sunday midnight.)

Feb. 13-19 Unit 5: Access online Journals for Reflection Paper Research
Continue working on Reflection Paper.
Continue working on Case Studies. Read Case #5, #26, #27, #30, #37, #42
Begin work on Reflection Paper.
Feb. 20-26 Unit 6: Alvy/Robbins Chapter 7. Becoming A Lifelong Learner: Threaded
Forum Discussion. Remember to log the time you spend conferring with your
administrators.
Read Case Studies #13, #14 and #18.
Second Case Studies Due.

Feb. 27-Mar. 5 Unit 7: Alvy/Robbins Ch. 13 and 14. Principal’s Vision, What Often Forget:
Threaded Forum Discussion. Remember to log the time you spend conferring
with your administrators.
Read Case Studies additional case studies of interest.
Mid-Term anthology submission due.

Mar. 6-12 Spring Break

Mar. 13-19 Unit 8: Alvy/Robbins Chapter 9, Honoring the Experienced/Veteran Staff

Read Case Studies of interest.
Collaborative Discussion: Consider you own school environment. Identify at
least three strategies from Chapter 9 that you will apply in your own setting
to honor and validate the veteran faculty while still challenging them to
accept positive change.
Reflection Paper Due July 17.

Mar. 20-26 Unit 9: Alvy/Robbins Chapter 10. Balancing Leadership & Management.
Threaded discussions: Discussion on puzzlers questions. Remember to log
the time you spend conferring with your administrators.
 Mar. 27-Apr. 2 Third (final) Case Studies are due July 24.
Unit 10: Alvy/Robbins Chapter 11. School Law, Master Contract…
Threaded discussions: Choose either the issue of “due process” in a discipline
issue or “search and seizure”. Describe a real situation where you followed
the legal process appropriately according to guidelines suggested in
Alvy/Robbins. Remember to log the time you spend conferring with your
administrators.

Apr. 3-9 Unit 11: Work on Project Research

Reflection Paper Due

Apr. 10-16 Unit 12: Readings Alvy/Robbins Chapter 12. Proactive Behavior Plans
Threaded discussions: Describe the school-wide behavior plan in place in
your own setting. Critique your school’s behavior plan based on
Alvy/Robbins comprehensive discussions. Remember to log the time you
spend conferring with your administrators.

Apr. 17-23 Unit 13: Alvy/Robbins Chapter 13 and 14. A Principal’s Vision and What
Principals Often Forget Clarity of Vision and the issue of “a principal’s
voice” is so critical.

April 24-30 Threaded discussions: Create a two part personal vision statement: as a
person and as a principal. Add this to the discussion board. Remember to
log the time you spend conferring with your administrators

May 1-5 Electronic Anthology-Due July 31

Grading 1. NO late work will be accepted. Complete assignments on or before the due date.
Procedures 2. Professional Work – All course work should be of professional quality – being free of
typos and grammatically correct. All assignments must be typed, double-spaced, and
have a heading.
3. Grades are figured on a percentage basis of the total possible points.
Final grades must be a C or above. The following scale is used:
Grading Scale
A----93-100
B----86-92
C----79-85
D----60-78
F----59 and below

Chadron State College is committed to an affirmative action program to encourage

Nondiscrimination admission of minority and female students and to provide procedures which will assure
Policy/ equal treatment of all students. The College is committed to creating an environment for
Equal all students that is consistent with nondiscriminatory policy. To that end, it is the policy of
Educational Chadron State College to administer its academic employment programs and related
Opportunities supporting services in a manner which does not discriminate on the basis of gender, race,
Policy color, national origin, age, religion, disability, or marital status. Student requests for
reasonable accommodation based upon documented disabilities should be presented
within the first two weeks of the semester, or within two weeks of the diagnosis, to the
Disabilities Counselor (Crites, Rm. 108, 432-6461).
Expected
Professional Expected Professional Classroom Behavior:
Classroom 1. Demonstrate respect for professor and peers.
Behavior 2. Make choices which demonstrate a commitment to teaching.
3. Accept responsibility for self and choices made.
4. Do not plagiarize from any source, including lesson plans, quotations and on any other
assignment.
5. Complete assignments in the expected manner as described on course syllabus.
6. Assume responsibility for content of syllabus and submit work in a timely manner.
7. Appear to be engaged throughout each class session. This includes participating in
class activities and discussions, as well as answering questions when asked.
8. Attend class regularly, arrive at class on time, and stay for the complete class session.
9. Turn cell phone off prior to class, put it away, and do not text message.
10. Be reflective and continually evaluate the effects of your choices and actions on others
(students, peers, professors).

Student Academic Honesty - Students are expected to conduct themselves in conformity with the
Behavior highest standards with regard to academic honesty. Violation of college, state, or federal
standards with regard to plagiarism, cheating, or falsification of official records will not be
tolerated. Students violating such standards will be subject to discipline, as per campus policies
articulated in the Student Handbook. Please request a copy of the student handbook from the
Vice President for Enrollment Management and Student Services (Crites, Rm. 336, 432-6231 or
access a complete electronic copy of the student handbook. Academic Policies, including
academic dishonesty, can be found between pages 32-34.

Attendance Policy – The College assumes that students will seek to profit from the
instructional program and will recognize the importance of attending every class meeting of
courses for which credit is expected. Responsibility for notifying faculty of absences, and for
arranging potential make-up, rests with the students.

Civility – Civil behavior enhances the academic setting, and is expected at all times. Courtesy
and respect for others are essential elements of the academic culture. The academic
environment welcomes a difference of opinion, discourse, and debate within a civil
environment.

Netiquette – Netiquette refers to the use of common courtesy in online communication. To

foster civility in the course environment, use the following guidelines in all course
communications (email messages, discussions, etc.):
 Clearly label posts and emails: course, assignment or post topic, name, and other
relevant subject headings
 Use capital letters sparingly. THEY LOOK LIKE SHOUTING.
 Forward emails only with a writer's permission.
 Be considerate of others' feelings and use language carefully.
 Cite all quotations, references, and sources.
 Use humor carefully. It is hard to "read" tone; sometimes humor can be misread as
criticism or personal attack. Feel free to use emoticons like :) for a smiley face to let
others know you are being humorous.
 Use complete sentences and standard English grammar to compose posts. Write in
proper paragraphs. Review work before submitting it.
 Text speak, such as "ur" for "your" or "ru" for "are you" etc., is only acceptable when
texting.
Disclaimer This syllabus and schedule is articulated as an expectation of class topics, learning activities,
and expected student learning. However, the instructor reserves the right to make changes in
this schedule that, within the instructor's professional judgment, would result in enhanced or
more effective learning on the part of the students. These modifications will not substantially
change the intent or objectives of this course and will be done within the policies and
procedures of Chadron State College.

CSC Mission & Chadron State College (CSC) will enrich the quality of life in the region by providing
Master Academic educational opportunities, research, service and programs that contribute significantly to the
Plan (MAP) vitality and diversity of the region.
Mission Statement

MAP Priorities
2014-2018 CSC is committed to the achievement of tasks/projects that align with the following Priorities:
1) Continue to implement and improve the Essential Studies Program (ESP).
2) Define, develop, and promote co-curricular experiences that foster undergraduate and
graduate student engagement.
3) Create and implement a strategic vision(s) for teaching and learning technologies, teaching
and learning center (TLC) and the library learning commons (LLC).
4) Evaluate campus-wide processes for student recruitment, advising and retention; recommend
a plan for continuous improvement.
5) Study, create, and implement a strategic vision for the graduate studies program.
6) Evaluate campus-wide processes for faculty and staff recruitment and retention; recommend
a plan for continuous improvement.