Professor: Elizabeth Murakami, Ph.D.
EDLE 6100 Theories of Organizational Development and Reform
Instructor:Title:
Email:
Phone:
Skype: / University of North Texas
College of Education
Department of Teacher Education and Administration
Matthews Hall
Denton, Texas 76203-5017
Fall 2017 08/28/2017 - 12/15/2017 (16wk)
EDLE 6100 Theories of Organizational Development and Reform
Midwestern State University, 3410 Taft Blvd, Wichita Falls, TX 76308 / Class: Wednesdays 5:30-8:20pm
Student Office Hours: Thursdays 3-5pm or by appointment via skype or zoom
Core Values and Beliefs / Graduates will have the knowledge, skills, and motivation to:
Lead learning organizations
Engage ethically with the community
Advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion
Develop theory to practice solutions
Course Description
This course is designed to study the major theories of organizational development and change that provide foundations for educational administration and leadership. The course provides educational leaders and administrators with a body of theories that impacts high quality practice in the field. This body of theories applies specifically to relevant organizational development and reform. Prerequisites: EPSY 5050, EPSY 5210, EPSY 6120, and EPSY 6020, or consent of instructor.
The course delivery for this course is blended with traditional face-to-face delivery and asynchronous activities online. Students are required to attend every class session. In the event of an absence, please contact instructor by email or phone prior to the class session. It is important that students arrive promptly at 5:30 p.m. This course has been developed as a seminar where students assume some responsibility for instruction and are expected to come prepared and have read all materials before each class session. Advising hours in this satellite site are set for Thursdays between 3-5pm in ½ hour increments. Please contact the instructor to set an appointment.
Required Resources
- American Psychological Association. (2009). Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (6th ed.). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
- Owens, R. G., & Valesky, T. C. (2015). Organizational behavior in education: Leadership and school reform (11th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.
- Selected readings as assigned.
Suggested Resources
- Roberts, C. M. (2010). The dissertation journey (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin.
- Rudestam, K.E., & Newton, R.R. (2007). Surviving your dissertation: A comprehensive guide to content and process (3rd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE.
- Bloomberg, L.D., & Volpe, M. (2012). Completing your qualitative dissertation: A roadmap from beginning to end (2nded.). Los Angeles: SAGE.
Selected Readings for this course:
- Murakami-Ramalho, E., Militello, M., & Piert, J. (2013). A view from within: How doctoral students in educational administration develop research knowledge and identity. Studies in Higher Education 38(2), 256-271.
- Pazey, B.L., Cole, H., & Spikes, D. (2017). A single voice in the crowd: A case study of one student’s determination to challenge top down school reform. Teachers College Record (online version).
Other Readings to Be Provided on Blackboard, as applicable.
Learner Outcomes
As a result of activities, course readings, and experiences, students will be invited to:
Implement appropriate leadership skills, techniques, and group processing skills to define roles, assign functions, delegate effectively, and determine accountability for goal attainment.
Implement processes for gathering, analyzing, and using data for informed decision-making in a research format.
Identify, analyze, and resolve problems using appropriate problem-solving techniques and decision-making skills.
Use strategies that facilitate working with other groups and stakeholders such as team building, building consensus, and collaborative decision-making.
Identify and analyze positive reform strategies for implementation in the instructional environment.
Analyze and apply political influences to benefit the educational organization.
Develop skills to express ideas orally and in writing.
Certification Exam Alignment with Texas Superintendent Competencies
Texas Examination of Educator Standards (TExES) Superintendent (195) competencies addressed in this course include Competency 010: The superintendent knows how to apply organizational decision-making and problem-solving skills to comply with federal and state requirements and facilitate positive change in varied contexts.
Professional Standards for Educational Leadership
The Professional Standards for Educational Leadership[1] replaced the ISLLC Standards used to guide the field of Educational Leadership. A complete list of the Professional Standards is below—the standards emphasized in this class are marked with an asterisk. For the full and detailed explanation of the Professional Standards, please follow this link: Professional Standards for Educational Leadership 2015.
*Standard 1. Mission, Vision, and Core Values
Effective educational leaders develop, advocate, and enact a shared mission, vision, and core values of high-quality education and academic success and well-being of each student.
*Standard 2. Ethics and Professional Norms
Effective educational leaders act ethically and according to professional norms to promote each student’s academic success and well-being.
*Standard 3. Equity and Cultural Responsiveness
Effective educational leaders strive for equity of educational opportunity and culturally responsive practices to promote each student’s academic success and well-being.
*Standard 4. Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment
Effective educational leaders develop and support intellectually rigorous and coherent systems of curriculum, instruction, and assessment to promote each student’s academic success and well-being.
*Standard 5. Community of Care and Support for Students
Effective educational leaders cultivate an inclusive, caring, and supportive school community that promotes the academic success and well-being of each student.
*Standard 6. Professional Capacity of School Personnel
Effective educational leaders develop the professional capacity and practice of school personnel to promote each student’s academic success and well-being.
*Standard 7. Professional Community for Teachers and Staff
Effective educational leaders foster a professional community of teachers and other professional staff to promote each student’s academic success and well-being.
*Standard 8. Meaningful Engagement of Families and Community
Effective educational leaders engage families and the community in meaningful, reciprocal, and mutually beneficial ways to promote each student’s academic success and well-being.
*Standard 9. Operations and Management
Effective educational leaders manage school operations and resources to promote each student’s academic success and well-being.
*Standard 10. School Improvement
Effective educational leaders act as agents of continuous improvement to promote each student’s academic success and well-being.
Student Roles and Responsibilities
Throughout the course, students will be required to complete written assignments, participate in class discussions, and prepare oral presentations. Student performance will be evaluated by various data collection, written and/or oral assessments as well as class participation. Because this course is student-centered, you will be expected to participate and contribute to class discussions. Students are expected to read all assigned readings, prepare oral presentations, and complete assignments. If a class session must be missed for personal or professional reasons, please contact the instructor prior to the session and make arrangements with a classmate for notes and materials to be collected. Final grades will be assigned according to the A-F format. Assignments will be evaluated using the following criteria:
Written assignments should:
a.Posted on Blackboard before or by the due date
b.Be completed on time
c.Be free of grammatical errors
d.Be well organized and written
e.Reflect all aspects of the assignment
f.Be typed, double-spaced, using 12 point Times New Roman fonts; unless otherwise indicated by the instructor.
g.Follow the guidelines indicated by the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (6th edition).
h.Include a Statement of Authorship: The following statement must be completed and submitted with each paper submitted for grading, unless otherwise indicated by the instructor. You can copy and paste the statement into your paper. This statement must be signed by the student and should appear at the bottom of the title cover page:
I certify that I am the author of this paper titled______and that any assistance I received in its preparation is fully acknowledged and disclosed in the paper. I have also cited any sources from which I used data, ideas, or words, either quoted directly or paraphrased. I also certify that this paper was prepared by me specifically for this course and has not been submitted before in any other class by me or anyone else. I understand that falsification of information will affect my status as a graduate student.______
Student’s SignatureDate
Examples of Academic Dishonesty:
a.Cheating: deception in which a student misrepresents that he/she has mastered information on an academic exercise that he/she has not mastered; giving or receiving aid unauthorized by the instructor on assignments or examinations.
b.Academic misconduct: tampering with grades or taking part in obtaining or distributing any part of a scheduled test.
c.Fabrication: use of invented information or falsified research.
d.Plagiarism: unacknowledged quotation and/or paraphrase of someone else’s word, ideas, or data, as one’s own work, submitted for credit. Failure to identify information or essays from the Internet and submitting them as one’s own work also constitutes plagiarism. The American Heritage Dictionary defines plagiarism as “to steal and use (the writings of another) as one’s own.” In standard academic practice, this means if a student copies any more than three consecutive words written or spoken by another, he or she must acknowledge the source of these words by using the proper notation as indicated in the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (6th ed.).
Attendance, Late Assignments, and Make-Up Work:
a. This graduate level course relies heavily on student participation and contributions. Online and face-to-face participation is considered. Class attendance is expected throughout the course, and it is the student’s professional responsibility to be part of discussions. In a face-to-face class, absence from class means that the student did not participate in a given discussion in class. Each absence will result in a deduction of 10 points from the overall course grade. Two tardies (15 minutes or more), or leaving class early twice equals one absence.
b.All assignments are due at the beginning of class. Post your document online before class. Late assignments will result in an automatic 5-point grade reduction.
c.Assignments are not accepted after one week from the original date due if any previous agreement with the professor of late assignment. If you are absent from a class session, it is still your responsibility to submit assignments on the dates that they are due or earlier.
Class participation should be active and relevant to the topic of discussion, which includes:
a.Attending and being prepared to class by reading the assigned chapters and completing the coursework each week
b.Asking insightful questions and being respectful to others in online and face-to-face discussions
c.Remaining focused on the topic
d.Being respectful towards other peoples’ ideas
e.Actively listening to comments and building on others’ ideas
f.Challenging ideas in a constructive and professional manner
g.Providing leadership in group work
h.Accepting responsibility for completing make-up work
i.Completing assignments and being prepared for class discussions and activities
Group presentations should:
a.Be well organized
b.Be clearly and creatively presented
c.Reflect all aspects of the assignment
d.Reflect a compelling argument, based on both research and practice. The group should be able to engage the audience, invite for participation and be open to feedback and constructive criticism from colleagues.
e. Total points for class and online participation are determined by averaging ratings of your contributions made throughout the semester. Points are awarded as follows:
Excellent 11-15 points
Good contributions06-10 points
Minimal, but acceptable contributions03-05 points
No acceptable contribution00-02 points
Blackboard Hybrid Activities
All students enrolled in this course will have access to relevant course information and materials through Blackboard. Online discussions will begin following the second class to allow time for all students to successfully log in to Blackboard. It is very important you participate in every online discussion. Failure to do so will impact the participation grade. Each week, students are expected to answer the initial open-ended discussion and respond to at least one of the comments/observation made by another student in the course. It should be noted that students are not limited to one response. The mandatory response is simply designed to encourage online discussion and the formation of an online community of learners.
It is the student’s responsibility to access this system periodically. It is important to consider that what is posted on Blackboard or internet is public. The instructor reserves the discretion to add or delete from the content as necessary, acting within the policies and procedures of the University. Online discussions should be:
a.Relevant to the topic of discussion in class
b.Reflective of class experiences and future topics of interest
c.Uses language that is respectful of other colleagues’ opinions
d.Mindful of the academic and graduate program expectations for writing (avoiding text messaging language)
1
Professor: Elizabeth Murakami, Ph.D.
EDLE 6100 Theories of Organizational Development and Reform
Grading Criteria
1
Professor: Elizabeth Murakami, Ph.D.
EDLE 6100 Theories of Organizational Development and Reform
Assignments / Possible PointsAssignments (4@5 points each)
Each student must complete a total of 4 written assignments. Assignments will focus on the development of knowledge based on readings and discussions. Due dates for assignments can be found in the tentative schedule. / 20
Online Dialogues (18 @ 2 points each)
Online dialogues include chapter review summaries and application of knowledge acquired in relation to developing knowledge as a scholar. Online dialogues also include reviewing and supporting colleagues in the development of their work in a peer-review scholarly format. / 36
Final Project: Dissertation Chapter 1
Students will develop a study formatted as the first chapter of a dissertation proposal. The assignment is explained in more detail in the syllabus. / 20
Research Presentation
Students will present their conceptualized study formatted as the first chapter of their dissertation proposals. This presentation will be limited to 15 minutes. Presentations will be graded on demonstrated research knowledge and application of findings. / 09
Participation (clause 2) and attendance (clause 4)
All students are expected to participate in online and face-to-face discussions. Information about absences and participation are available in more detail in the syllabus. / 15
TOTAL / 100
Grading Requirements:
Course Grade / Course AverageA / 90-100 plus no more than one absence
B / 80 - 89 plus no more than one absence
90-100 plus two absences
C / 75 – 89 plus no more than one absence
80 – 89 plus two absences
90-100 plus three absences
F / 74 or below; or any average with more than three absences are unacceptable in a graduate program and may incur in a failing grade
I* / Incomplete
*I (incomplete)is assigned to a graduate course at the end of the semester and later, will default to F unless the instructor has designated a different automatic grade. Incomplete is a non-punitive grade given only during the last one-fourth of a term/semester and only if the student is (1) passing the course; (2) has a justifiable reason (such as serious illness) for not completing the work on schedule. The student must arrange with the instructor to finish the course at a later date by completing specified requirements. These requirements must be entered on the grade roster by the instructor. More information on academics can be found in the graduate catalog
The awarding of grades is not automatic and the judgment of the instructor does determine whether each assignment is completed satisfactorily. Each assignment follows a defined rubric for content, thoroughness, and efficacy in meeting requirements for the course. All required projects must be submitted by the due date. Late assignments are ineligible for a grade of “A.”The instructor also reserves the right to modify or make changes to the syllabus as needed during the semester. Students will be notified should changes be made to the course requirements, content, assignments, due dates, or other material relevant to the completion of this course.
Tentative Course Schedule
Sessions / Tentative Course ScheduleAgenda*
Shaded sessions are initially planned as online, and
Non-shaded sessions are initially planned as face-to-face / Assignments
Online dialogues are due every Sunday with two responses due by Wednesday end of day.
Written assignments are due by no later than Wednesdays,end of day.
August 31, 2017
Read Owens & Valesky Chapter 1 & Murakami Militello 7 Piert (2013) for this week / Introduction
- Overview of course syllabus
- Focus: Theory, Organizational Development, and Reform
- Guidelines for assignments and developing a dissertation’s first chapter
Assignment #1: Epistemological reflection
September 7, 2017
Read Owens & Valesky Chapter 1&2 for this week / Theory of Action and Theory of Practice
- Review of Chapter
- Adversarial concepts and ideas
- Examining & selecting dissertations to review (Chapter 1)
September 14, 2017
Read Owens & Valesky Chapter 3 for this week / Organizational Theory and Behavior
- Review of Chapter:Analyzing education through structures and behavior
- Reviewing scholars’ dissertations for individual presentations
September 21, 2017
Read Owens & Valesky Chapter 4 for this week / Systems Thinking and Organizations
- Review of Chapter: Social systems and role theory
- Application of knowledge based on dissertation examinations
Assignment #2 Dissertation Analysis Presentations (due Saturday, 9/24and review one by 9/27)
September 28, 2017
Read Owens & Valesky Chapter 5 for this week / Motivation: Self and Others in the Organization
- Review of Chapter: Studying individuals in the organization
- Conceptual Framework exercise
- Guidelines to begin developing Dissertation Chapter 1
(6) Assignment #3: Share your conceptual framework figure generated in class in the discussion area with a brief written explanation of conceptual framework
October 5, 2017
Read Owens & Valesky Chapter 6 for this week / The Human Dimension of Organization
- Review of Chapter: Human capital and the organizational culture
- Chapter 1 (a) Introduction and Problem Statement
Post the first iteration of an(a)Introduction and Problem Statement
October 12, 2017
Read Owens & Valesky Chapter 7 for this week / Organizational Culture and Climate
- Review of Chapter: Theories and frameworks related to organizational culture and climate
- Chapter 1 (b) Statement of Purpose and (c) Research Question(s)
Assignment #4: Online post and review two colleagues' written (a) Introduction and Problem Statement, (b) Statement of Purpose, and (c) Research Question(s)
October 19, 2017
Read Owens & Valesky Chapter 8 for this week / Organizational Change
- Review of Chapter: School reform and change
- Chapter 1 (e) Researcher Perspectives, (f) Researcher Assumptions and (g) Rationale and Significance of the Study
(10) Online post and review of two colleagues' written (e) Researcher Perspectives, (f) Researcher Assumptions and (g) Rationale and Significance of the Study
October 26, 2017
Read Owens & Valesky Chapter 9 for this week / Leadership Studies
- Review of Chapter: Observable Issues in Leadership
- Chapter 1 (d) overview of Research Approach (Methodology)
(12) Online post and review of two colleagues' written (h) Overview of Research Approach and (d) overview of Research Approach
November 2, 2017
Read Owens & Valesky Chapter 10 for this week / Decision Making and Dynamic Systems
- Review of Chapter: Structuring dynamic systems
- Chapter 1 (h) Definition of key terminology
(14) Online post and review of two colleagues' written (h) Definition of Key Terms
November 9, 2017
Read Owens & Valesky Chapter 11 for this week / Communications in Organizations
- Review of Chapter: Developing studies focusing on conflict
- Chapter 1 in relation to other chapters
(16) Online dialogue to discuss individual journeys or roadmaps for the dissertation
November 16, 2017
Read Owens & Valesky Chapter 12 for this week / School Reform
- Review of Chapter: Contemporary discussion of school reform
Finalizing/Reviewing/Revising Chapter 1
November 23, 2017 / Thanksgiving Holiday / Writing week
November 30, 2017 / Critical Friends - Peer Review Week / (18) Online dialogue: Review one colleague’s Chapter 1 and provide suggestions
December 7, 2017 / Presentations
Student Resources available at UNT