MODULE SYLLABUS

Leadership Area:Organizational Leadership

Course:EDL 0011 Organizational Leadership for Educational Change and Improvement

Module I-1OrganizationalLeadership for 21st Century Schools

Reference:NJ EXCEL Standards #1 & #2 (ISLLC Standards #1 & #5; TSSA-I, III, V, VI)

Required Time: 40 HoursFormat: Seminars; Field-Based Guided Inquiry; Online Support

MODULE DESCRIPTION

This curriculum module provides a research & theoretical base for understanding leadership, schools as organizations, and the role of the school leader in driving change for continuous improvement of schools, teaching, and learning for all students. Emphasis is placed on understanding the principles of organizational theory and development as they apply to school districts and schools as social systems, particularly focusing on the concepts of organizational change and building productive district and school cultures, and their capacity for continuous improvement. Effective schools research and concepts of systems thinking and systemic reform are examined as they relate to visioning and strategic planning for educational improvement. The roles of data analysis, technology, and action research are explored within the context of educational improvement planning to develop a foundation for further in-depth training in these areas. Knowledge and skills in the areas of communication and consensus-building are emphasized within the context of developing a district and school vision and goals for learning, and strategic planning and management to ensureeffective implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of strategi9es to achieve the vision. Standards and expectations for school leaders’ legal and ethical behavior and decision-making are also thoroughly examined using case studies and simulations. Candidates are also provided opportunities to self-assess and examine their leadership styles, personal dispositions, professional behaviors, and skill levels related to communication, consensus-building, and human relations as a basis for further leadership development in Module 1B “Effective Communications for School Leaders” and Module ID “Human Relations, Conflict Resolution, and Teambuilding”.

COURSE OBJECTIVE

The objective of this course is to develop the knowledge, skills, personal dispositions, and emotional intelligence competencies required of organizational leaders who understand and effectively apply research-based leadership practices that develop and sustain districts/schools as productive learning organizations to support continuous educational improvement and high academic achievement for all students.

COURSE LEARNING OUTCOMES

Upon successful completion of this course, the candidate will be able to:

  1. Demonstrate an understanding of policies, laws, and regulations enacted by local, state, and federal authorities that are required to effectively operate a district/school and educate all students within federal and state laws, and articulate a personal code of ethics as an educational leader responsible for protecting rights of all staff and students.
  1. Demonstrate an understanding of districts/schools as complex political and social systems, principles of organizational culture and development, and effective applications of research-based strategies to drive district/school change and continuous improvement with a focus on enhancing learning for all students.
  1. Demonstrate an understanding of systems thinking, systemic reform, and the role of broad-based communication, consensus-building, and strategic planning and management that focus on improving district/school effectiveness, instruction, and learning for all students.
  1. Demonstrate an understanding of systematic disciplined inquiry into district/school leadership practice, action research, and the uses of data to drive decisions and planning for continuous district/school improvement through effective applications to authentic problems in multiple district and school settings.
  1. Demonstrate an understanding of the role of current technologies as tools to facilitate district/school improvement strategies, enhance personal and staff productivity, model technology use for staff and students, and enhance instruction and learning for all students.

COURSE/MODULE PERFORMANCE INDICATORS

Course/module performance indicators are aligned with the NJ EXCEL Standards for School Leaders Framework and further delineate expected learning outcomes specific to each course and module. The performance indicators are the basis for multiple candidate performance-based assessments by multiple assessors.

Knowledge & Understanding

Upon completion of this course/module, each candidate will demonstrate knowledge and understanding of key concepts through multiple performance-based assessments. Minimally, candidates will be able to:

  1. Formulate learning goals for a pluralistic society and explain their relationship to the diversity of our schools and student needs.
  2. Describe the nature of social and organizational change and their implications for schools as interactive social and cultural systems
  3. Describe the potential use of current technologies to improve educational systems and student learning.
  4. Explain the school leader’s role as an agent of change and improvement for student learning.
  5. Explain the role of effective communication and processes for building consensus and joint action, i.e. collaboration, decision-making, problem-solving, and conflict resolution.
  6. Explain principles of organizational development and capacity building for continuous improvement.
  7. Explain the role of organizational culture in the change and continual improvement process
  8. Explain the role of systems thinking, systemic change, and strategic planning in the educational reform process.
  9. Describe the strategic planning process and the role of his/her district’s strategic plan in improving student learning.
  10. Explain the role, value, and challenges of diversity in the school improvement process.
  11. Explain the importance of the school’s vision and the process for its development, communication, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation.
  12. Explain various ethical frameworks and perspectives on ethical behaviors.

Personal Dispositions

Throughout this course/module, each candidate will demonstrate enhanced self-awareness, self-understanding, and personal growth related to personal beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors in the following areas:

  1. Advocacy for learning for all students.
  2. A school vision of high standards of performance for all students.
  3. The value of diversity of the school & community in the continuous improvement process.
  4. The inclusion of all members of the school community and community-at –large in the visionary & school improvement process.
  5. A willingness to continuously examine one’s own assumptions, beliefs & practices.
  6. Doing the work required for high levels of personal & organizational performance.
  7. The value of integrating the use of technologies in the vision.
  8. Subordinating one’s own interests to the good of the school community.
  9. Accepting consequences for upholding one’s principles & actions.
  10. Combining impartiality, sensitivity & ethical considerations in all interactions.
  11. Using the influence of one’s office constructively & productively to serve all students & their families.
  12. Adhering to a Professional Code of Ethics.

Emotional Intelligence Competencies

Upon completion of this module, each candidate will demonstrate enhanced self-understanding andemotional intelligence competencies related to personal competence (how they manage themselves) and social competence (how they manage relationships) in the following areas, as assessed by candidate pre/post self-assessments and multiple performance-based assessments:

  1. Personal competence and self-awareness (emotional self-awareness, accurate self-assessment, self-confidence)
  2. Personal competence and self-management (emotional self-control, transparency, adaptability, achievement, initiative, optimism)
  3. Social competence and social-awareness (empathy, organizational awareness, service)
  4. Social competence and relationship-management (inspirational leadership, influence, developing others, change catalyst, conflict management, building bonds, teamwork and collaboration)

Application of School Leadership Practices

Upon completion of this course/module, each candidate will demonstrate the ability to effectively applyhis/her knowledge and understanding of research-based school leadership practices. Minimally, candidates will demonstrate the ability to:

  1. Develop a “personal educational platform” consisting of an educational philosophy and vision for school leadership that reflect his/her personal dispositions, philosophy, and vision of school leadership.
  2. Develop and demonstrate a personal code of ethics consistent withtheir personal educational platforms, professional leadership association examples, the NJ EXCEL School Leader Standards, and a variety of additional sources focusing on ethics.
  3. Analyze their district’s job descriptions and qualifications for the superintendent, principal, and assistant principal related to their understanding of how effective educational leadership is currently defined and the district’s and community’s explicit and implicit expectations for district and school leadership?
  4. Analyze the process for development and alignment of their district’s vision, mission, goals, strategic plan, school improvement plans, technology plans, and district policies with district goals for student achievement.
  5. Self-understanding and awareness of the impact of his/her personal dispositions and emotional intelligence on effective school leadership practice;
MODULE SCHEDULE

(NOTE: Refer to Cohort Instructional Schedule for specific dates and topics of class sessions)

Session / TOPICS OF STUDY / Readings/
Resources / Activities / Notes
Session
I /
  1. Understanding Leadership for 21st Century Schools
  1. NJ EXCELSchool Leader Standards Areas
  2. Visionary Leadership
  3. Instructional Leadership
  4. Community Leadership
  5. Strategic Management
  1. NJ Professional Standards for School Leaders (NJPSSL)
  2. Technology Standards for School Administrators (TSSA)
  3. What Makes an EffectiveSchool Leader?
II. Leading Within the Context of Public Education
A. State’s Role in Public Education
B. Social & Cultural Contexts
1. Our changing society
  1. Social problems & tension points
C. Political Context
D. Economic Context
E. Diversity: Who are today’s students?
  1. Diverse needs & abilities
  2. Implications for schools & school leaders
F. The demand for educational improvement
1.High Stakes Testing
  1. Accountability
  2. NCLBA
  1. Improving school leadership to improve learning
1. Importance of effective leadership: review of research
2. Standards for school leaders
3. Implications for school leader recruitment, preparation, retention, assessment, & continuing professional development / NJ EXCELSchool Leader Standards Framework; and NJ EXCEL Candidate Performance Rubric
NAESP (Princ) 1-80
Hoyle 1-16
McEwan (10 Traits) 24-51, 119-130, 174-181
McEwan (7 Steps)
19-184
Hoyle 79-182
Ramsey (Lead) 1-11
Gupton 143-168
Pellicer 91-104
Session
II / III. UnderstandingSchool Leadership: Leader, Know Thyself
  1. Knowing your leadership style
  2. Quality Types of Educational Leaders
  3. Enhancing your leadership qualities
  4. What do you value, believe, care about?
  5. Importance of understanding others’ styles
  6. Analyzing your personal dispositions and emotional intelligence competencies
  7. Role of reflective practice in leadership development
IV. UnderstandingSchoolLeadership: The Nature of Leadership
  1. Review of Research
  2. Models of Leadership
C. What Makes a Leader?
1. Virtues of Educational Leaders
2. Implications of diversity of educational leaders
3. Characteristics & behaviors of effective leaders
  1. Redefining School Leadership for the 21st Century: Roles and Responsibilities
A. The Visionary Leader
B. The Instructional Leader
C. The Community Leader
D. The Strategic Manager
E. The School Leader as Change Agent
D. Balancing school leader roles and responsibilities
E. Instructional Leadership vs. School Management / McEwan (10 Traits) 133-163
Dunklee 1-47
Gupton 1-18
Pellicer 1-60, 74-84
McEwan (7 Steps)
1-15
Goleman 249-257
and App. A & B
Covey 1-268, 329-382
Robbins 183-191
Dyer
Gupton 19-34
Pellicer 1-13, 91-124
Glanz 85-142
Ramsey (Lead) 1-10, 39-63, 107-150, 202-217
Goleman 3-90
McEwan (10 Traits)
Intro, 21-40, 151-161
Dunklee 86-119
Hoyle 109-158
McEwan (7 Steps)
1-184 / Glanz App. A, B
Glanz 1-3, 9-12, 14-82
Jung Typology
humanmetrics.com
Online pre-assessments (EI/DLS)
Leader Know Thyself: Self-Analysis
Glanz 1-19, 25-26, 145-208
Module Activity
I-1-1
Session III / VI. Understanding Schools as Organizations: Power and Politics
A. Do you want power?
B. What is power?
C. Power plays, politics and politicians
D. Power plays, politics, and patience
E. Building coalitions
F. Who are the political players?
G. Power, politics, and inner strength
VII. Authority, Power, & Influence: Understanding the School Leader’s Role
A. Rank & status: Who is king/queen of the jungle?
  1. What legitimates authority?
  2. Competing bases of authority
  3. Sources that grant & limit authority
B. Leadership role expectations & conflict
1. Major functions that influence a leader’s behavior
2. Role ambiguity
3. Role expectations of groups & individuals
  1. Nature of conflict & role compatibility
C. Leadership as an organizational quality
  1. Shaping systems & patterns of interaction
  2. Giving meaning to organizational events
D. Exercising authority effectively
  1. Guidelines for exercising authority
  2. Responding to negative reactions to authority
E. Exercising power effectively
  1. Compliance vs. empowerment
2. Power sharing
  1. Teachers as leaders
  2. Types of influence
  3. Exercising influence
H. Shaping decisions through informal & non-authoritative means / Black 3-94, 221-306
Ramsey (Lead) 92-106
Black 143-217
Pellicer 68-72
Dunklee 86-119
Ramsey (Lead) 39-63
Session IV /

a.VIII. Understanding Organizations

A. Principles of organizational theory

B. Principles of organizational development
  1. Models for organizational development
  2. Role & features of organizational culture
  3. Understanding organizational capacity for change & continuous improvement

IX. Understanding Schools as Organizations

A. Schools are social systems
B. Understanding the bureaucracy
C. Schools are organizations
D. Schools share common features with other organizations & also have unique features

b.

c.X. Understanding Schools as Organizations: Systems Thinking and Strategic Planning

  1. Systems thinking
  2. Systemic change vs. incremental change
  3. Strategic planning
/ Reason
Goleman171-248
Hoyle 17-34
Fidler 1-117
Ramsey (Lead) 11-38
NAESP (Data) 3-68
Glanz (Strategic) / Module Activity
I-1-2 and I-1-3
Session V /

XI. Understanding Schools as Organizations: School Culture

A. What is organizational culture?
B Major elements of school culture
C. Major factors impacting school culture
D. Cultural elements of an effective school
E. The 4 organizational frames
  1. The Political Frame: Map the Terrain
  2. Human Resources Frame: Build Relationships & Empower Yourself
  3. The Structural Frame: Aligning the Structure with Work & Goals
  4. The Symbolic Frame: Celebrate Values & Culture
F. Shaping school culture: Role of the school leader
G. Distinguishing between school culture and school climate
H. Measuring and improving school climate
XII. Improving staff morale
  1. Role of the school leader
  2. Building the school as a professional community
  3. Providing opportunities for professional growth
  4. Empowerment and shared leadership
  5. Staff recognition and rewards
/ Dunklee 48-72, 139-149
Peterson 1-134
Robbins 14-69
Gupton 53-68
Bolman 1-133
Ramsey (Lead) 92-106
Covey 269-328
McEwan (10 Traits)
87-102
McEwan (Teachers)
95-118, 149-170, 201-244 / Module Activity
I-1-4
Case Study
Snowden #5
Session
VI /

XIII. The School Leader as Visionary & Advocate for All Students

  1. Defining “Vision”
  2. The Visioning & Revisioning Process
  3. The “Learning Organization”
  4. The Professional Learning Community
  5. The role of data in developing, communicating, implementing, monitoring & evaluating the vision
  6. Developing a shared vision for learning for all students
  7. Integrating use of technology in the school vision
  8. Communicating the vision
  9. Implementing the vision
  10. Monitoring & evaluating the vision
/ Ramsey (Lead) 26-38
Robbins 1-13,
70-87
Conzemius 1-133
Gupton 35-52,
93-142
Wald 1-42
Robbins 1-14, 276-289
Howell
Wald 59-118
McEwan (10 Traits)
41-52
Session VI / XIV. The School Leader as Consensus Builder
A. School leader vs. administrator/manager
B. School leader as facilitator
B. Sharing leadership
1. Empowering others
2. Distributive leadership vs. collective power
  1. Independence vs. interdependence
  2. Encouraging risk-taking & innovation
  3. Collaboration & relationship management
1. Educators as collaborative leaders
2. Collaborative models
3. Dimensions of collaborative leadership
4. The group dynamics approach
  1. Recognizing possible group problems
  2. Teambuilding: developing productive groups
  3. Importance of group goals
  4. Leadership in group meetings
  5. Role of human relations & conflict resolution
  6. Group problem-solving process
  7. Groupdecision-making process
H. Dealing with Resistance / Rubin 1-12
McEwan (10 Traits) 53-70
Rubin 13-106
Ramsey (Lead) 11-25
Covey 186-328
Scherz 45-100, 113-131 / Case Study
Snowden #28 / Refer to Module
I-1D
(Human Relations)
Session VI / XV. The School Leader as an Agent of Change & Improvement
A. Characteristics of successful change agents
B. Understanding standards-based reform in NJ
C. Role of diversity in school improvement
D. Roles of data, action research, & technology in driving change & improvement
E. Strategic planning for long-term organizational improvement

XVI. Leading the Change Process

  1. Why change efforts fail
  2. Understanding the change process: Review of research
  3. Role of organizational culture
  4. Establishing conditions for change & improvement: gaining support, reducing resistance
  5. Research-based models for change and improvement
  6. Planning for change and improvement
  7. Managing the change process
  8. Learning to cope with & manage conflict
  9. Monitoring & evaluating change, progress, & results
/ McEwan (10 Traits) 71-86, 103-118
Robbins 192-206
Gupton 169-194
Howell
Glanz (Strategic)
Militello
DuFour 1-105
Ramsey (Lead) 64-76
McEwan (10 Traits) 87-117
Reeves (Leading)
Scherz 103-112 / Refer to Modules
I-2, I-3, I-4
Session VII / XVII. Ethical Leadership and Decision-Making
A. Self assessment & reflection: Personal Code of Ethics
B. Importance of acting with integrity, ethics, & fairness
  1. Moral leadership
  2. Role of personal values, beliefs, philosophies, attitudes, experiences
  3. The caring function of leadership
C. Foundations for ethical behavior
  1. Ethic of Justice
  2. Ethic of Critique
  3. Ethic of Care
  4. Ethic of the Profession
  5. Professional Codes of Ethics
D. Legal obligations
E. Obligations of form
F. Breaches of professional practice & courtesies
G. Analyzing Paradoxical Ethical Dilemmas
  1. Individual Rights vs. Community Standards
  2. Traditional Curriculum vs. Hidden Curriculum
  3. Personal Codes vs. Professional Codes
  4. The American Melting Pot vs. The Chinese Hot Pot
  5. Equality vs. Equity
H. Perspectives on the teaching of ethics
  1. Pedagogy
  2. Diversity
  3. Preparation on ethics
  4. Ethics as a process
/ Ramsey (Lead) 187-201
Lennick 3-238
Shapiro 1-25
NJ Code of Ethics
(Title 18A: 12-21)
Shapiro 27-73
Shapiro 91-109 / Personal Code of Ethics (Module Activity I-1-1)
Moral Intelligence
Competency Inventory
(Lennick,
Appendix A-D)
* / Public School Law
  1. Introduction to Public School Law
1. State and local legal and educational structure
  1. Administration of school laws
  2. Overview of Key Statutes
  3. Ethics
  1. Tenure and seniority
  2. Personnel actions
  3. Affirmative Action
  4. Observation and Evaluation
  5. PERC
  6. Administering negotiated agreements
  7. Employee rights
  8. Student rights and responsibilities
  9. Student discipline and safety
  10. Student expression
/ Refer to Module I-1A
(School Law)
* / The School Leader as Communicator
A. Leaders have multiple communication roles
  1. Communicating information
  2. Communicating with students
  3. Communicating with parents/families
  4. Communicating with peers and colleagues
  5. Communicating with the general public
  6. Communicating with the media
  7. Communicating in special situations
  8. The school leader as recipient of communication
  9. The school leader as monitor of communication
  10. The school leader as seeker of communication
B. Developing interpersonal & communication skills
C. Effective verbal communication skills
D. Effective written communication skills
E. Using and reading gestures and body language
F. Making effective presentations
C. Conducting effective meetings
D. Understanding Resistance / Ramsey (Lead) 151-186
Ramsey (Say Right Thing) 1-233
McEwan (10 Traits) 1-21
Dunklee 73-85
Gupton 69-92
McEwan (Teachers) 149-170
McEwan (Parents)
1-166
Glanz (Oper) 91-112
Brock 87-99
Scherz 3-44 / Snowden CS #20 / Refer toModule
I-1B
(Effective Communica-tion)
* /

Surviving & Succeeding as a School Leader

  1. Personal strategies for survival & success
  2. Thinking, looking, & acting like an effective leader
  3. Maintaining balance in one’s professional &
personal life
E. Avoiding Burnout
F. Stress Management / Pellicer 85-90
Ramsey (Lead) 77-91, 107-150, 202-218
Robbins 229-238, 270-288
Gupton 195-204
Brock 1-86, 100-130 / Refer to Inquiry Group Activities / Refer toModule
I-1D
(Stress Mgt.)
GUIDED INQUIRIES and MODULE ACTIVITIES

Problem-Based Activities