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School Administration Practicum

Syllabus

This course meets the North Georgia College and State University graduate credit requirements for EDUC: 7790 - Special Topics-School Administration Practicum

Course Description This course provides prospective school administrators the opportunity to participate in leadership activities within their school building. Students fulfill typical administrative duties assigned at the building level under the supervision of an experienced Baltimore County administrator. Through online collaboration with colleagues, students have the opportunity to discuss and reflect on their experiences, as well as receive feedback from their CaseNEX supervisor. This experience occurs over the course of two CaseNEX sessions. Competencies Upon completion of this course, participants will be able to

• Use effective communication strategies to involve teachers, school staff, parents/guardians, and community members in the school improvement and decision making process;

• Use data to drive instruction, including best practices for collecting different types of data and disaggregating data to target various student populations and skills;

• Discuss the principles and issues relating to the fiscal operations of schools; school safety and security; school management; and emerging issues and trends that impact the school community; and

• Recognize and solve educational problems through the research-based, 5-Step Method of case analysis.

Materials All materials are accessed via the CaseNEX website using the PIN provided and the user name/password you create.

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There are no readings assigned for this course. Instead, students are encouraged to utilize virtual library resources from previous CaseNEX courses, as well as resources from the vast array of school administration websites and journals, including:

• American Association of School Administrators http://www.aasa.org

• American School Board Journal http://www.asbj.com

• Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development http://www.ascd.org

• Baltimore County Public Schools Policies and Rules http://www.bcps.org/system/policies_rules

• National Association of Elementary School Principals http://www.naesp.org

• National Association of Secondary School Principals http://www.nassp.org

• National School Boards Association http://www.nsba.org

Cases Used

• A Matter of Conviction • Ready or Not • Starr Search

Course Schedule Find session dates by selecting Syllabus on the top menu bar. For typical courses, final Discussions, Journals, and Workbooks are due by Saturday at midnight unless otherwise noted. Please see the News Flash for any alterations of the course schedule posted by your instructor. Remember that this course extends for two CaseNEX sessions. Course Outline Weekly session outlines are included to provide reminders to students of Cases to be read, Journal requirements, Discussion prompts and when Workbooks and other requirements are due.

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1. Practicum Duties: Complete at least 80-hours of administrative duties assigned at the building level under the supervision of an experienced Baltimore County administrator (your local supervisor) and a CaseNEX supervisor. By completing an average of five hours of administrative duties per week, you will finish the requirement within the 16-week course.

a. You and your local supervisor should develop a Proposed Administrative Duties Log that highlights the duties in which you will participate over 16 weeks. (Please see Sample List of Administrative Duties below and the link for the Administrative Duties Log). This log should be posted in your Session 1 Journal. It will be reviewed and graded by your instructor. (5 points)

1) Classroom teachers should develop a schedule that exposes them to a broad range of administrative duties. Practicing administrators and central office administrators should choose growth experiences beyond their normal administrative duties.

b. Document your administrative duties each week in the Administrative Duties Log (ADL) form keeping a running total of accumulated hours. http://www.casenex.com/casenex/syllabus/bcps/PracticumDutiesLog.doc

c. Update and attach the ADL form each week to your Journal.

d. At the conclusion of the practicum experience, 1) Post the final ADL in your journal. 2) Ask your local supervisor to sign the ADL to

verify that you have completed 80 hours. 3) Mail the signed form to:

CaseNEX 105 West Main Street, Suite 3 Charlottesville, VA 22902

2. Journal: Completion of weekly journal postings documenting

the administrative duties in which you have participated and reflecting on your experiences. Each weekly journal posting will have two parts.

• Part One: Attach cumulative ADL each week documenting

administrative duties.

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• Part Two: Describe one issue or challenge that you faced with the administrative duty in which you participated. Then, use two of the remaining steps in the CaseNEX 5-Step Method to explore solutions to the issue/challenge you faced. (For a review of the 5-Step Method, read the “Course Tutorial” linked from the TUTORIAL menu).

3. Discussion: Participation in a biweekly discussion led by your

instructor. The discussion format is a problem-solving forum for issues you encounter, questions you propose, problems you identify, and actions you suggest. Students will participate in the discussion weeks 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13, and 15.

4. Workbook: Participants will develop and complete a school

improvement project that addresses one of the eight Blueprint for Progress Performance Goals http://www.bcps.org/offices/super/pdf/Blueprint-for-Progress.pdf.

The topic for this project will be chosen in collaboration with your local supervisor. Post a Proposed Workbook Topic giving the proposed title of the project and a short (3 sentence) description of the issue, action plan and implementation within your Session 2 Workbook. This will be reviewed and graded by your instructor. (5 points)

The remainder of the project will occur in three phases and will be submitted in your Workbook. Each portion will be the equivalent of one Workbook Assignment. Your Workbook can be accessed from the “Talking to Each Other” menu. Post your Workbook assignment following the directions given. Please try to stay within the suggestion for “expected length.”

Workbook Phase One: Issue Identification and Knowledge Research (Due end of Week 4)

Identify a school improvement issue that is facing your school. Look at the issue from multiple perspectives: school administration, teachers, students, parents, community members, district administration, and other potentially affected parties. Gather background knowledge that can be used to further define and substantiate the issue and perspectives. This information should be gathered from

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at least three different types of sources. Potential sources include, but are not limited to:

• Interviews (parents, community members, school district officials, school administrators, teachers, and students);

• District information (student assessment data, school budget documents, district budget documents, demographic data, attendance data, special education data, discipline referrals, staffing summaries, curriculum scope and sequence documents, and policy and procedures handbooks); and

• Experts in the field (course readings and other current research).

Site your sources using APA formatting and styles. (See APA Style.org, Electronic References http://www.apastyle.org/elecref.html). Expected length is 1000 words.

Workbook Phase Two: Action Plan (Due end of Week 8)

Use the knowledge you have gathered in Phase One to create an action plan that addresses the issue you identified. The action plan should be a blueprint that includes the who, where, why, when, how, how much, and why of each step within your plan. The plan should provide enough detail for another person to implement the plan if necessary. Expected length is 500 words.

Workbook Phase Three: Implementation (Due end of Week 14)

Implement all or a portion of your action plan. Some plans may not be fully implemented within the course timeframe. Your Phase Three assignment should address the following components:

• Summarize your implementation. What parts of your plan did you implement? Did your implementation follow the steps within your action plan? What additional steps were required?

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• Reflect on the positive and negative consequences of your plan’s implementation. Were there any unanticipated consequences that occurred as a result of the implementation? Did your plan adequately address the Blueprint for Progress Performance Goal that you were targeting?

• Discuss any changes you would make to the action plan based upon your implementation.

• What follow-up steps/activities are required? Expected length is 1000 words.

Sample List of Administrative Duties

Below is a list of administrative duties you may wish to participate in during your practicum. This list is not exhaustive of everything that occurs within a school. Please feel free to include other activities that you and your local supervisor find appropriate. You and your local supervisor should develop a Proposed Administrative Duties Log that highlights the duties in which you will participate. This log should be posted in your Week 1 Journal. You must complete a total of at least 80 hours during the duration of your practicum. Classroom teachers and practicing school administrators or central office administrators will have a different focus in designing the schedule. While classroom teachers will benefit from experiencing a broad range of administrative duties, practicing school administrators or central office administrators will benefit from growth experiences beyond their normal administrative duties. The roles of classroom teachers will be to participate, assist and observe. The roles of practicing administrators will be to lead, develop, design and implement. Suggested administrative duties for classroom teachers:

• Participate in: a child study meeting an eligibility meeting an IEP meeting a school improvement meeting a meeting to develop the school schedule

• Observe and participate in student discipline meetings such as: an administrator or resource officer conducting a student

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a peer mediation session possibly involving a conflict between students

discussions with a student regarding a discipline matter • Attend a (an)

PTA meeting School board meeting Extra-curricular activity Meeting with a school business or community partner District-wide principal or assistant principal meeting

• Observe a meeting between a parent and principal pre-observation conference or a post-observation

conference • Review

the school budget assessment results from state standardized tests formative test results

• Assist with a school maintenance request writing and/or revision of a current school policy fire drill and school safety supervision bus duty arrival and dismissal hall duty

• Draft a memo to the staff or parents • Conduct a workshop for a portion of the faculty or provide a

professional development workshop Suggested administrative duties for practicing administrators:

• Mentor a new or aspiring administrator in your building • Design an induction program for new teachers • Re-design the school budget to reallocate resources for

instructional improvement • Develop the master schedule • Lead critical meetings addressing student, teacher, parent and

community concerns • Design and implement a new discipline policy • Address significant school maintenance issues • Lead the review of critical assessment data • Design and implement action plans to address needs

Course Requirements and Grades

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If you are turning in an assignment late, you must email your instructor to inform him/her that a late assignment has been posted. Points will be deducted from late work at the instructor’s discretion. Introductory Session (5 points) – Students completing the outlined requirements of the introductory session can earn 5 bonus points. The Journal and Discussion in this session do not count as one of your required Journals or Discussion participation. Discussion (48 points) - Informed participation in online Discussions led by the course instructor is required. Discussion topics will be posted each session by your instructor. Participation should not be limited to simply answering the instructor’s question. Instead, discussions should follow an cumulative process of reviewing and responding to classmates’ and instructor’s comments in a dialogue fashion. You should log into and participate in the discussion at least three separate times. (Please note, your class discussion can be found under the ‘Discuss’ tab on the top menu bar. The ‘Discuss this case’ link found within cases is a ‘global’ discussion area where you can interact with students in other courses. For the purpose of your class discussion assignments, however, please use the menu bar.) Students are required to participate in 8 topics of Discussion and may earn up to 6 points per session, for a total of 48 possible points. Journal (89 points) – Completion of reflections based upon your weekly administrative duties. These reflections are to be completed in your online Journal and should use components of the five-step case analysis method as indicated above in the Course Outline. To access your Journal, click on the “Journal” button on the top menu bar. This entry can only be viewed by you and your instructor. Your instructor will provide feedback for each Journal posting. While you are expected to complete a journal entry each week, your instructor will use the grades from your highest 12 journals in your final point calculation. Each Journal is worth a maximum of 7 points for a total of 84 possible points. All Journals have a suggested length of 250 words. See the Case Analysis Rubric under Course Tutorials for details on how your Journal will be evaluated. Posting the Proposed Administrative Duties Log in the Session 1 Journal will be worth 5 additional Journal points. Workbook (80 points) – Each phase of your course project will count as one Workbook Assignment and will be worth 25 points, for a

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total of 75 possible points. (Posting the Proposed Workbook Topic and brief description in the Session 2 will be worth 5 additional Workbook points). See the Workbook Assignment Rubric under Course Tutorials for details. Workbooks are accessed from the Talking to Each Other menu. Post your Workbook Assignment there following the directions given. (Note: If your Workbook includes images, charts, tables, or other complex formatting, please work in a word processing program and then attach your work to this area. This will ensure that all formatting stays intact). When citing sources, be sure to reference them appropriately using APA style. (See APA Style.org, Electronic References http://www.apastyle.org/elecref.html). Total points: 217 Graduate students must earn a C or higher in order to receive graduate credit. Students receiving two final grades of C will no longer be allowed to register for graduate credit through North Georgia College and State University. The point distribution for graduate students is noted below: A 196 - 217 B 174 - 195 C 152 - 173 Graduate Course Policies and Procedures All attendance and academic integrity policies of North Georgia College & State University apply to this course. These policies can be found in the online graduate bulletin. Graduate Course Access North Georgia College & State University is committed to equal access to its programs, services, and activities for individuals with disabilities. If you believe that you have a disability requiring an accommodation, please contact your instructor

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Introductory Session Exploring the CaseNEX Site Complete these tasks prior to the beginning of Session 1. Readings Read the course requirements, paying special attention to the Case-Analysis and Workbook Assignment Rubrics. They will be used by your instructor throughout the course to evaluate assignments where appropriate. Discussion

Welcome to the School Administration Practicum. Please introduce yourself and tell us a little about your school and teaching responsibilities.

As stated in the syllabus, "the discussion format is a problem-solving forum for issues you encounter, questions you propose, problems you identify, and actions you suggest." It therefore will be an open forum in which you can propose ideas for discussion.

After reviewing the syllabus, do you have any questions? Are you clear on the requirements for the Practicum Administrative Duties, the Journal, the Discussion and the Workbook? Let’s discuss any questions you may have.

Journal What do you find inspiring and challenging about working as an education leader? (100 words or fewer) Note Use CaseMail to send a note to your instructor stating that you will be taking this course. To do so, click on CaseMail on the top menu bar and then ‘Click here to create a new message.’ Use the marked link to look up an address. Continue linking down until you see the class list. Select the instructor’s name and then compose your message and hit ‘Post Message.’

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Session 1 Case Ready or Not Discussion Identify the main issues in the case, Ready or Not. Explore solutions to the issues and address challenges in the case by analyzing and using the remaining 4 steps in the 5-Step Methodology: perspectives, knowledge, actions and consequences. Journal Attach your proposed Administrative Duties Log. Reflect on the duties in which you have participated this week.

Describe one issue or challenge that you faced with the administrative duty in which you participated. Then, use two of the remaining steps (perspectives, knowledge, actions or consequences) in the CaseNEX 5-Step Method to explore solutions to the issue/challenge you faced. Note Check your CaseMail (linked from top menu bar) and News Flash (on the right when you login) for notes from your instructor every time you log on to the site.

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Session 2 Discussion None this session Journal Update and attach your Administrative Duties Log. Reflect on the duties in which you have participated this week. Post: 1. Proposed Workbook Topic with brief description Workbook Post your Proposed Workbook Topic and a brief description.

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Session 3 Case Starr Search Discussion Identify the main issues in the case, Starr Search. Explore solutions to the issues and address challenges in the case by analyzing and using the remaining 4 steps in the 5-Step Method: perspectives, knowledge, actions and consequences. Journal Update and attach your Administrative Duties Log. Reflect on the duties in which you have participated this week.

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Session 4 Discussion None this session Journal Update and attach your Administrative Duties Log. Reflect on the duties in which you have participated this week. Workbook Phase One: Issue Identification and Knowledge Research is due.

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Session 5 Case A Matter of Conviction Discussion Identify the main issues in the case, A Matter of Conviction. Explore solutions to the issues and address challenges in the case by analyzing and using the remaining 4 steps in the 5-Step Methodology: perspectives, knowledge, actions and consequences. Journal Update and attach your Administrative Duties Log. Reflect on the duties in which you have participated this week.

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Session 6 Discussion None this session Journal Update and attach your Administrative Duties Log. Reflect on the duties in which you have participated this week.

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Session 7 Discussion Recall a meeting (discipline, faculty, parent, special education) in which you participated as part of your practicum experience. Share at least three perspectives of participants in the meeting. What actions were taken as a result of the meeting? Describe what might be the long-term and short-term consequences of these actions. Journal Update and attach your Administrative Duties Log. Reflect on the duties in which you have participated this week.

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Session 8 Discussion None this session Journal Update and attach your Administrative Duties Log. Reflect on the duties in which you have participated this week. Workbook Phase Two: Action Plan is due.

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Session 9 Discussion Share an issue facing your school that you have been made aware of through your practicum experience. Look at the issue through the eyes of others and provide at least three perspectives that you have encountered within the school regarding that issue. Journal Update and attach your Administrative Duties Log. Reflect on the duties in which you have participated this week.

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Session 10 Discussion None this session Journal Update and attach your Administrative Duties Log. Reflect on the duties in which you have participated this week.

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Session 11 Discussion Now that you have spent a number of weeks seeing your school through the eyes of a principal, how has your perspective of the school changed? Journal Update and attach your Administrative Duties Log. Reflect on the duties in which you have participated this week.

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Session 12 Discussion None this session Journal Update and attach your Administrative Duties Log. Reflect on the duties in which you have participated this week.

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Session 13 Discussion As a leader, it is important to consider the consequences for decisions that you make. Recall one decision you participated in as part of your practicum. Share at least one positive, negative, and unanticipated consequence to that decision. Journal Update and attach your Administrative Duties Log. Reflect on the duties in which you have participated this week.

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Session 14 Discussion None this session Journal Update and attach your Administrative Duties Log. Reflect on the duties in which you have participated this week. Workbook Phase Three: Implementation is due.

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Session 15 Discussion Now that you have completed the practicum, how will you put into action what you have learned? What are your plans for the future in terms of seeking a new position? What advice or experiences can you share with colleagues about how to interview for a new position? Journal Update and attach your Administrative Duties Log. Reflect on the duties in which you have participated this week.

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Session 16 Discussion None this session Journal Update and attach your Administrative Duties Log. Reflect on the duties in which you have participated this week. Note Remember to mail the completed and signed Administrative Duties Log to: CaseNEX 105 West Main Street, Suite 3 Charlottesville, VA 22902