Course Syllabus
Contact Information
Course Details
For a list of course activities, scroll to the bottom of this page.
Course Delivery
This is a multi-modal course. Much of your learning will take place online and asynchronously within Canvas. You will also have synchronous learning opportunities with the instructor and your peers during the weekly Live Sessions via Zoom.
Course Prerequisites
Graduate standing
Course Materials
All course materials will be provided on the "Resources" page of each course module.
Program Learning Outcomes (PLO)
- Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of the science of school leadership as defined by visionary, instructional, organizational, collaborative, ethical, and contextual leadership.
- Demonstrate competencies required to lead continuous improvement of school organizations.
- Demonstrate relevant content knowledge and skills required for those associated with building level administration.
Course Learning Outcomes (CLO) Alignment
| CLO | Description | PLO |
|---|---|---|
| A | Synthesize knowledge of the American educational system, including its federal, state, local, and tribal components. | 1, 2, 3 |
| B | Critique political and social claims in course readings and relate them to practical experiences. | 1, 2, 3 |
| C | Outline how schools contribute to citizenship in a democracy through concrete activities. | 1, 2, 3 |
| D | Enhance leadership skills by modeling effective communication, using research for policy improvement, and applying knowledge to improve educational outcomes. | 1, 2, 3 |
| E | Assess the history and expansion of public education and understand how schools are governed. | 1, 2, 3 |
| F | Describe contemporary issues in education policy, reform, and accountability. | 1, 2, 3 |
Grades
Breakdown
| Activity | Description | Points/Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| Concept Checks (x8) |
|
15% |
| Discussion (x5) |
|
25% |
| Live Session Participation (x4) |
|
10% |
| Policy Memo (x2) |
|
30% |
| Final Reflection |
|
20% |
| Total | 100% |
Scale
| Percentage | Letter Grade |
|---|---|
| 90–100% | A |
| 80–89% | B |
| 70–79% | C |
| 60–69% | D |
| Below 60% | F |
Course Components
Concept Checks
The concept checks are intended to ensure that students have the foundational knowledge and/or component skills needed to fully participate in the upcoming Live Session, where they will be asked to apply or extend their learning. This auto-graded quiz holds students accountable for the reading and video lectures. It will serve as a formative assessment to check students’ gist understanding and comprehension of key concepts. Each quiz item will be related to a module learning outcome.
Discussion Boards
Discussion Boards provide an open/free/safe space for low-pressure exchange of ideas, similar to an in-person classroom conversation. Students will integrate new knowledge with existing knowledge and apply that knowledge to a prompt/scenario. Students form and communicate an educated stance on the topic/case at hand. Some posts will also encourage/require analysis & synthesis and use of professional writing with supporting evidence.
For each week with assigned readings, you must write a brief reflection guided by the instructor's discussion prompts. These reflections should be structured and thoughtful, avoiding a disorganized list of ideas or mere summaries of the readings. In addition to your initial post, you must also write a brief response to at least one classmate's post.
Policy Memo
This assignment aims to take an important issue at the local, state, or federal level and develop a brief overview for a decision-maker. The audience might be your principal or superintendent, a board member, or a state or federal policymaker. It is helpful to have links to relevant documents and details, but keeping it consumable for a busy leader with limited knowledge of the topic is more important.
Policy memos are designed to give the reader the background by clearly identifying the problem or issues for consideration, indicating a recommendation for action, and providing supporting evidence. Advocates and policy think tanks often have these brief documents in hand as an aid to educate legislators and other elected officials.
Final Reflection
Reflection is an important part of learning through experience. By reflecting on our experiences, we acknowledge the work we've achieved and the progress we've made, as well as maximize the potential for new learning and understanding.
Course Policies
Generative AI*
In this course, I encourage you to use artificial intelligence (AI) - powered applications and programs such as CoPilot or ChatGPT. These programs can help you with some assignments. When using these tools, it is your responsibility as a scholar to ensure you are clearly communicating the AI involvement in your work.
Remember, generative AI is highly beneficial, but it does come with certain limitations:
-
Opaque Processes: The internal mechanisms that generate specific outputs are not transparent, making it difficult to understand how a particular result is produced.
-
Data Dependency and Bias: Outputs are derived from pre-existing data, often sourced from the internet, which can introduce biases. These outputs might also be inaccurate or entirely fabricated, despite appearing credible.
-
Intellectual Property Issues: There are significant concerns regarding the sourcing and ownership of information. The status of AI-generated content raises numerous questions, such as whether it should be treated like a published resource and what citation responsibilities apply.
The following sections outline the philosophy and specific guidelines for using these tools and features. As generative AI becomes more integrated into everyday applications, these guidelines should be followed unless otherwise directed for a specific assignment or exam.
Remember to review the instructions in each assignment for more specific details on how to incorporate AI in your work.
*CoPilot was used in the development of these guidelines – more specifically, it was employed to rephrase and consolidate certain sections of text sourced from University Policies on Generative AI.
Communication
If you have any general questions about assignments, class logistics, due dates, etc., please post a question in the Course Help Board in the Start Here Module. You can post questions about the course to the Course Help Board throughout the semester. Your classmates may be able to answer your questions.
For any other questions, students should use their OU e-mail or Canvas to communicate with the instructor. They can expect a response usually within 24 hours Monday-Friday. Professional communication is an expectation.
Feedback
I will do my best to enter grades and provide feedback in Canvas within a week of the assignment’s submission date.
Late Policy
Students are expected to adhere to all assignment deadlines as outlined in the course syllabus and are encouraged to proactively manage their time and workload to minimize the likelihood of missed deadlines. In the event of unforeseen circumstances that may prevent meeting a deadline, students should promptly communicate with the instructor as soon as possible, providing a clear explanation of the situation. Early communication allows for a potential extension to be discussed and arranged.
Plagiarism
Plagiarism is the most common form of academic misconduct at OU. There is 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 the OU Libraries Plagiarism Tutorial video and take the short Avoiding Plagiarism Tutorial Canvas course offered by University Libraries.
University Academic Policies and Student Support
Access the University Academic Policies Document.
Course Summary:
| Date | Details | Due |
|---|---|---|