Syllabus for EDL-800

THE SUPERINTENDENCY

COURSE DESCRIPTION

This course provides both the theoretical constructs and the practical applications involved in the responsibilities exclusive to district-level administrative leadership. These include the macro-level applications of budgeting, staff development, community and external stakeholder relations, and advocacy. This course will also guide students in developing the initial components of a districtwide action research project focused on central office functions.   

COURSE OBJECTIVES

After completing this course, students will be able to:

1. Explain the roles and functions of the school district superintendent and other senior administrators in the operation of a PreK–12 school district.  
2. Analyze the organizational structure of a PreK–12 school district and its relationship with federal and state rules and regulations.
3. Critique current models of school district governance (i.e., school board structure and executive leadership) in operating schools with a view to maximizing student learning and conducting school business efficiently.
4. Assess the leadership requirements of the role of superintendent and senior administrator and their responsibilities and qualifications.
5. Differentiate the various responsibilities and approaches used by senior staff to manage finances, human resources, facilities, technology, and other support services in a typical PreK–12 school district.
6. Develop effective approaches or solutions to issues and challenges that are likely to face the executive leadership of a school district.  
7. Compose a personal philosophy of leadership that supports the student’s interest in serving as a superintendent or other senior school district administrator.
8. Explain the professional responsibilities of current administrators serving in key district leadership positions to maximize student learning and professional growth.
9. Evaluate a current issue or problem in a school district in a manner that reflects the student’s  ability to apply the knowledge and skills learned in this course.
10. Develop district and personal strategies to promote student achievement that are fair, have integrity, and are ethical.

COURSE MATERIALS

You will need the following materials to complete your coursework. Some course materials may be free, open source, or available from other providers. You can access free or open-source materials by clicking the links provided below or in the module details documents. To purchase course materials, please visit the University's textbook supplier.

Required Textbook

• Kowalski, T. J.  (2013).  The School Superintendent: Theory, Practice, and Cases, 3d ed.  Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.

 ISBN:  978-1452241081

COURSE STRUCTURE

The Superintendency is a three-credit graduate course, consisting of six instructional modules:

Module 1: The Superintendent and Senior Administrators

• 1.1  Educational governance
• 1.2  Position of superintendent of schools
• 1.3  Senior district administrators such as assistant superintendents, school business administrators, and district-wide directors
• 1.4  Qualifications/responsibilities of school executives
• 1.5  Varied roles of the superintendent
• 1.6  Developing a shared vision
• 1.7  Executive management

Module 2: District Organization and Structure

• 2.1 School district structure
• 2.2  Organizational models
• 2.3  Legal aspects of school districts
• 2.4  School board composition
• 2.5  Elected/appointed school boards
• 2.6  Government and political structure

Module 3: District Governance and Policy Development

• 3.1 Administrators and school board members
• 3.2  Formal and informal roles and functions
• 3.3  Conflict and conflict resolution
• 3.4  School policy development
• 3.5  External forces influencing policy
• 3.6  Administering educational policy

Module 4: District Leadership

• 4.1  Executive leadership
• 4.2  Senior administrators and leadership
• 4.3  Emerging needs at the district level
• 4.4  Relationships between district and schools
• 4.5  Instructional leadership
• 4.6  Community and stakeholder relations
• 4.7  Creating and leading partnerships

Module 5: District Organization and Structure

• 5.1 Leadership and management
• 5.2  Fiscal and budgetary affairs
• 5.3  Instructional support services
• 5.4  Developing human resources
• 5.5 Supporting programs for special students
• 5.6  Managing legal and ethical affairs
• 5.7  Contract negotiations

Module 6: Challenges and Opportunities

• 6.1  Importance and impact of change
• 6.2  School reform movements
• 6.3  Federal and state programs
• 6.4  State standards and curriculum
• 6.5  Professional involvement
• 6.6  Career issues

Each module, in turn, comprises topics, learning outcomes, an overview, a reading assignment, and assignments as well as an online discussion.

ASSESSMENT METHODS

For your formal work in the course, you are required to participate in online discussion forums, complete all assignments (case studies, written assignments, meeting report, and interview), and submit a final project. See below for more details.

Consult the Course Calendar for assignment due dates.

Promoting Originality

One or more of your course activities may utilize a tool designed to promote original work and evaluate your submissions for plagiarism. More information about this tool is available in this document.

Discussion Forums

Each module in the course has one or more online class discussions.

Online discussions provide an opportunity for you to interact with your classmates. During this aspect of the course, you respond to prompts that assist you in developing your ideas, you share those ideas with your classmates, and you comment on their posts. Online discussions promote development of a community of learners, critical thinking, and exploratory learning.

Please participate in online discussions as you would in constructive face-to-face discussions. You are expected to post well-reasoned and thoughtful reflections for each item, making reference, as appropriate, to your readings. You are also expected to reply to your classmates' posts in a respectful, professional, and courteous manner. You may, of course, post questions asking for clarification or further elucidation on a topic.

Located within the Evaluation Rubrics section of the course Web site is the online discussion forum rubric used to aid in the grading of all online discussions.

Written Assignments

You will complete a written assignment in each module. Answer the written assignment question(s) as completely as possible. These assignments usually require answers of between 250 and 500 words, one to two double-spaced pages in a typical font.

To submit all assignments, go to the Submit Assignments area of the course Web site.

Located within the Evaluation Rubrics section of the course Web site is the written assignment rubric used to aid in the grading of all written assignments.

Case Studies

In modules 2, 4, and 6 you will complete case study assignments. For these assignments you will read a case study from your textbook and respond with a 500-word essay in which you analyze the case, discuss the issues, offer a solution, and test your solution.

Located within the Evaluation Rubrics section of the course Web site is the rubric used to aid in the grading of all case studies.

Meeting and Interview Report Assignments

In Modules 3 and 5 you will submit reports on a meeting you attended and an interview you conducted. Because you need to arrange for attending the school board meeting and conducting the interview ahead of time, be sure to read over these assignments in the first week or so of class so that you can make the necessary arrangements and still have time to write and submit your reports.

Located within the Evaluation Rubrics section of the course Web site are the rubrics used to aid in the grading of your meeting report and interview report.

Final District-Based Project

For your final project, you will use your school district as a laboratory to carry out a decision-making process about an important issue. You will produce a paper of between 1000 and 1500 words that is well organized, clearly written, grammatically correct. You will find detailed information about this project in the Final Project area of course Web site.

Located within the Evaluation Rubrics section of the course Web site is the rubric used to aid in the grading of the final project

GRADING AND EVALUATION

Your grade in the course will be determined as follows:  

• Online discussions (11)—18 percent
• Written assignments (6)—24 percent
• Case studies (3)—18 percent
• Field assignments (2)—20 percent
• Final project—20 percent

All activities will receive a numerical grade of 0–100. You will receive a score of 0 for any work not submitted. Your final grade in the course will be a letter grade. Letter grade equivalents for numerical grades are as follows:

To receive credit for the course, you must earn a letter grade of C or higher on the weighted average of all assigned course work (e.g., assignments, discussion postings, projects, etc.). Graduate students must maintain a B average overall to remain in good academic standing.

ACADEMIC POLICIES

To ensure success in all your academic endeavors and coursework at Thomas Edison State University, familiarize yourself with all administrative and academic policies including those related to academic integrity, course late submissions, course extensions, and grading policies.

For more, see:

• University-wide policies
• Undergraduate course policies and regulations
• Graduate academic policies
• Nursing student policies
• Academic code of conduct