Course Syllabus
Contact Information
Course Details
We cannot improve or change what we do not understand. Leaders who are able to design, study, manage, and lead change within complex school systems have more potential to improve school performance than any external intervention. Knowledge and competencies in designing theories of action, understanding quantitative measurement, and interpreting quantitative evidence enable school administrators to apply an evidence-based approach to performance improvement. Inquiry for performance improvement is designed to develop the capacity of school leaders to manage effective performance by applying competencies of organizational research and development and the science of improvement to the design and implementation of a balanced approach to performance measurement and management.
Course Prerequisites
Graduate Standing
Course Materials
Bryk, A. S., Gomez, L. M., Grunow, A., & LeMahieu, P. G. (2015). Learning to improve: How America’s schools can get better at getting better. Cambridge, MA: Harvard Education Press.
Knowlton, L W., & Phillips, C. C. (2009). The logic model guidebook: Better strategies for great results. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Supplemental Resources
Other major resources and materials will be provided by the instructor and include: Recent refereed research articles from prominent journals in education, educational leadership, and educational policy and evaluation as well as excerpts from research reports, as well as recent monographs and edited volumes in education. All of these are provided in a timely fashion on Canvas. Also used in the course is the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 7th Edition, Washington D.C.: American Psychological Association.
Grades
Breakdown
| Activity | Description | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Class Participation | Your level of learning is proportional to your class participation and out of class study time. Class participation is measured by Engagement and Independent Work. | 10% |
| Weekly Deliverables (H/W) | During the semester, you will have “mini” assignments related to your overall final paper which are connected to important topics we cover in our seminar. The purpose of these activities is to begin the process of developing/compiling the pieces of the final problem-based improvement plan due at the end of the semester. The due dates and details for each of these assignments will be provided on Canvas. | 35% |
| Article Review | The purpose of the article review/critique assignment is to help you develop your skills in reading and understanding current educational research as it pertains to your identified problem or planned change. | 20% |
| Summative Assessment: Problem Based Improvement Plan | This summative assessment provides an opportunity to propose a plan to address an identified problem you are facing in your professional work (e.g., school, district, or other organization) and evaluate the outcomes of your intervention. | 35% |
| Total | 100% |
Course Components
Class Participation
Your level of learning is proportional to your class participation and out of class study time. Class participation is measured by Engagement and Independent Work. Each element is explicated below.
- Engagement – Knowledge is not passively acquired. You learn from doing. Thus, it is expected that you will wholly participate in discussion forums, deeply engage in course assignments, and read independently and critically.
- Independent work – Read, read, and read, and interrogate the readings. Try to approach all readings using the guide found in Appendix B. Use concepts/ideas as a lens to view interactions within your school. Complete all small assignments and activities as asked in completing the course modules.
Weekly Deliverables (H/W's)
During the semester, you will have “mini” assignments related to your overall final paper which are connected to important topics we cover in our seminar. The purpose of these activities is to begin the process of developing/compiling the pieces of the final problem-based improvement plan due at the end of the semester. The due dates and details for each of these assignments will be provided on Canvas.
Article Review
The purpose of the article review/critique assignment is to help you develop your skills in reading and understanding current educational research as it pertains to your identified problem or planned change. For this assignment, your task is to select one empirical research article from a peer-reviewed educational research journal which is connected in some way to your identified problem or planned change and provide both a summary of the research (i.e., the identified problem, research questions, method, findings, and limitations) and critique of the research. Appendix A and the “Critiquing Research Articles” tutorial video on Canvas provide a guide to critically analyzing a research article. Those who, after receiving instruction, are still unsure whether or not an article they have chosen is applicable and appropriate should discuss the matter with the course instructor. If you do not choose a research article which meets the criteria as instructed, you will be asked to re-do your article review after selecting a different article. Thus, be sure and get permission before beginning on this assignment. It is due sometime before the end of the semester.
Summative Assessment: Problem-Based Improvement Plan
This summative assessment provides an opportunity to design a performance measurement plan around an identified problem you are facing in your professional work (e.g., school, district, or other organization) and theory of action. Students may construct their own theory of action or reconstruct a theory of action from an existing intervention, program, reform model, strategic plan, improvement plan, etc. This improvement plan should be firmly anchored in the concepts, ideas, and methods that underlie theory-based and/or improvement science. As with all assignments in this class, APA guidelines for writing should be followed.
Your task is to refine the theory of action you developed in Deliverables 2 & 4 to guide the improvement of a specific area of concern or focus of your school. Provide theoretical and empirical evidence to support the relationship among strategies/activities, mediating conditions (or more proximal outcomes), and distal or final outcomes. Use the theory of action to design a performance measurement plan that is capable of measuring intangible social resources that optimize the delivery of learning. Your design should include concepts that capture mediating conditions, quantitative measures of mediating conditions and outcomes, and data sources (i. e. sample). What follows is a basic framework/structure for the paper, along with the evaluation criteria/rubric for each section.
Course Policies
Communication
Contact via e-mail is preferable. All e-mails will be returned within 24-48 hours of receipt. For urgent matters, you can contact me via my cell at 517-304-3279.
Late Policy
Late assignments are subject to a penalty of one letter grade per week and a zero after three weeks from the original due date.
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
Please review the Graduate Student Handbook for more information about the process of submitting a formal grievance.
Course Summary:
| Date | Details | Due |
|---|---|---|