Course Syllabus
Download the syllabus.
Contact Information
Course Details
For a list of course activities, scroll to the bottom of this page.
Course Prerequisites
Graduate Standing.
Course Materials
- Horton, Michael (2020). Excellence: Every Classroom, Every Lesson, Every Day. New York: Rowman & Littlefield.
- Martin, Josh (2020). Turning a School Around. New York: Rowman & Littlefield.
Grades
Breakdown
| Activity | Description | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Assignment 1: Attend School Board Meeting | Attend one school board meeting and make minutes of what happens and write a short (one page) account of what takes place at the meeting. Make sure you address any issues raised at the meeting and their resolution. Be sure and submit an agenda with your paper. Listen to see if comments are made about school improvement and address those in your paper | 50 |
| Assignment 2: Leadership Interview | Identify someone who is recognized as an effective instructional leader in a school and interview that person. Write a paper that summarizes your interview and reflects on the impact of those findings on your personal and professional goals. | 100 |
| Assignment 3: Vision Performance Activity | As a prospective instructional leader, create a vision for a school that will guide you in your work with teachers. This vision should serve as a pathway for you to follow as you lead teachers in the improvement of instruction that leads to greater depths of student achievement Your vision must demonstrate that you have the capacity to collaboratively evaluate, develop, and communicate your vision. Make sure your vision has a core set of values and priorities that enhances teaching and learning. | 200 |
| Assignment 4: Book Review | Read Michael Horton’s book Excellence: every classroom, every lesson, every day. Discuss in class what you have learned from his book that will help you become a better instructional leader and developer of teachers. Write an 8-10-page summary that addresses the following seven points: Use APA 7th edition for formatting purposes. Make sure you support what you say with relevant references. | 100 |
| Attendance | Fifty (50) points will be deducted for each class night unattended unless excused. | -50 for missing |
| Total | 450 |
Course Policies
Communication
The best way to communicate with me is through Canvas or email. I will respond as quickly as possible.
Late Policy
No late work accepted unless student notifies me of an emergency.
University Academic Policies and Student Support
Course Catalog
Search the OU Course Catalog.
Student Handbook
Please familiarize yourself with the OU Student Handbook.
Online Library
Access digital materials and other resources at OU Libraries.
Academic Misconduct
In addition to the course conduct policies outlined by your professor in the Course Syllabus in the online classroom, please review the Graduate Student Handbook.
It is the responsibility of each student to be familiar with the definitions, policies, and procedures concerning academic misconduct. The Student Code is available from the Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs, and is contained in the Student's Guide to Academic Integrity.
This site also defines misconduct, provides examples of prohibited conduct, and explains the sanctions available for those found guilty of misconduct.
Plagiarism
Plagiarism is the most common form of academic misconduct at OU. There is basically no college-level assignment that can be satisfactorily completed by copying. OU's basic assumption about writing is that all written assignments show the student's own understanding in the student's own words. That means all writing assignments, in class or out, are assumed to be composed entirely of words generated (not simply found) by the student, except where words written by someone else are specifically marked as such with proper citation. Including other people's words in your paper is helpful when you do it honestly and correctly. When you don't, it's plagiarism.
For more information about plagiarism, watch this video and then take this short course offered by University Libraries.
Reasonable Accommodation for Disabilities
The University of Oklahoma is committed to providing reasonable accommodation for all students with disabilities. Students with disabilities who require accommodations in this course should contact their professor as early in the semester as possible.
Students with disabilities must be registered with the Disability Resource Center prior to receiving accommodations in this course.
If you have a disability and you would like to make a request for reasonable accommodation, please see the Graduate Student Handbook or get in touch with the Accessibility and Disability Resource Center.
Adjustments for Pregnancy/Childbirth Related Issues
Should you need modifications or adjustments to your course requirements because of documented pregnancy-related or childbirth-related issues, please contact me as soon as possible to discuss your options. Generally, modifications will be made where medically necessary and similar in scope to accommodations based on temporary disability. Learn more about the rights of pregnant and parenting students by consulting the FAQ sheets provided by the Institutional Equity Office.
Title IX Resources
For any concerns regarding gender-based discrimination, sexual harassment, sexual misconduct, stalking, or intimate partner violence, the University offers a variety of resources, including advocates on-call 24/7, counseling services, mutual no contact orders, scheduling adjustments, and disciplinary sanctions against the perpetrator. Please contact the Sexual Misconduct Office at 405-325-2215 (8-5, M-F) or OU Advocates at 405-615-0013 (24/7) to learn more or to report an incident.
Religious Holidays
It is the policy of the University to excuse absences of students that result from religious observances and to provide for the rescheduling of examinations and additional required classwork that may fall on religious holidays without penalty. It is the responsibility of the student to make alternate arrangements with the instructor at least one week prior to the actual date of the religious holiday.
Copyright Policy
It is illegal to download, upload, reproduce, or distribute any copyrighted material, in any form and in any fashion, without permission from the copyright holder or his/her authorized agent. The University of Oklahoma expects all members of its community to comply fully with federal copyright laws. If such laws appear to have been violated by any user, the university reserves the right (1) to terminate that user’s access to some or all of the university’s computer systems and information resources and (2) to take additional disciplinary actions as deemed necessary or appropriate. Repeat offenders will be sanctioned and their privileges terminated.
Registration and Withdrawal
If you choose to withdraw from this course, you must complete the appropriate University form and turn the form in before the deadline. If you stop attending the course and doing the coursework without doing the required paperwork, your grade will be calculated with missed homework and examination grades entered as zero. This could result in receiving a grade of F in the course. Deadlines are shown in the Academic Calendar, which is available from the Office of the Registrar.
Student Grievances
In addition to any policies outlined related to submitting an informal or formal grievance by your professor in the Course Syllabus in the online classroom, please review the Graduate Student Handbook for more information about the process of submitting a formal grievance.
Course Summary:
| Date | Details | Due |
|---|---|---|