Syllabus Template - University of Southern California



EDUC 720 Leadership for Principals

Summer, 2016

(Revised June 6, 2016)

First of all, congratulations! This is your last class so make it a good one!

Instructors: Michael Escalante Ed.D. & Greg Franklin, Ed.D.

Office hours by appointment – Greg 714-566-5750 cell, Mike 818-802-4769 cell

| |

|Course Overview |

|The course will be designed as a seminar, with each session examining one issue/element (from the concentration courses) which principals must face,|

|as follows: |

|presentation of the issue (related research, readings, background knowledge) |

|case study video presentation involving a real-life interview and application of the issue |

|discussion, analysis & critique of case study (what was done, how might it have been done differently, etc.) |

|application of issue to students’ school/setting (developing an entry plan) to improve one’s own setting) |

|Course Requirements |

|Students will be assigned in groups of two to interview a principal and video the interview to be presented in class. The students will design the |

|interview questions. Each group will interview one principal. The questions will be based on the course units. A minimum of two groups will present |

|each evening beginning with week 2. Attendance to class is extremely important as is class participation in the discussion. Guest speakers will come|

|to address the classes on the various units. It is expected the students will not only be courteous and attentive but also ask insightful questions |

|of the presenters. It is expected that the students will read the assigned materials and complete the 8 page final assignment. |

|Textbooks and other materials |

|Alvy, H & Robbins, P. (1998). If I Only Knew; Success Strategies for Navigating the Principalship Thousand Oaks, Corwin Press |

|Andelson, Steven J. D. (1998). FRISK Documentation Model. Torrance: Four Star Printing |

|Marzano, R, Water, T. McNulty B.(2005). School Leadership That Works..Alexandria, Virginia; ASCD. |

|Watkins, Michael. (2006). First 90 Days: Critical Success Strategies for New Leaders at All Levels (or newer edition) |

|Fullan, Michael. (2014). The Principal: Three Keys To Maximizing Impact. San Francisco, Josey-Bass |

|Online readings, some readings can be found on Blackboard |

|Class Participation |

|Small group discussions will occur during class meetings and students are expected to participate fully in them. Students are encouraged to ask |

|questions and actively participate in both planned and impromptu class discussions so long as the discussion forwards the purpose of the class. |

|Effort invested during class time will reduce the effort necessary outside class. Of course, attendance is a necessary condition for participation. |

|Each student will be assigned a section of the class readings for a brief presentation. |

| |

|Oral Report_______________________________________________________________________ |

|The students will be assigned to a group of two. Each group will interview a principal on video tape and then present it in class the following |

|week. The interviews will be based on the six major topic of the class. The students will work in class to design the appropriate interview |

|questions. |

| |

|Final Assignment:____________________________________________________________ |

|Students will write a paper of 7-8 pages which summarizes your entry plan at a school where you have just been assigned as the principal. (Do not |

|include the title page and the references as part of the 7-8 pages). |

|Grading |

|Final Assignment: 35% Participation: 30% Video Presentation 35% |

|Academic Integrity |

|SCampus, the USC student guidebook contains the Student Conduct Code and information on Academic Integrity. It is the student’s responsibility to be|

|familiar with and abide by these guidelines, which are found at . A summary of |

|behaviors violating University standards can be also found at: . |

|Academic Accommodations |

|Any student requesting academic accommodations based on a disability is required to register with Disability Services and Programs (DSP) each |

|semester. A letter of verification for approved accommodations can be obtained from DSP. Please be sure the letter is delivered to me as early in |

|the semester as possible. DSP is located in STU 301 and is open 8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. The phone number for DSP is (213) |

|740-7766. |

|Incompletes |

|IN – incomplete (work not completed because of documented illness or some other emergency occurring after the twelfth week of the semester; |

|arrangements for the IN and its removal should be initiated by the student and agreed to by the instructor prior to the final exam); IX – lapsed |

|incomplete. |

|Conditions for Removing a Grade of Incomplete. If an IN is assigned as the student’s grade, the instructor will fill out the Incomplete (IN) |

|Completion form which will specify to the student and to the department the work remaining to be done, the procedures for its completion, the grade |

|in the course to date and the weight to be assigned to the work remaining to be done when computing the final grade. A student may remove the IN by |

|completing only the portion of required work not finished as a result of documented illness or emergency occurring after the twelfth week of the |

|semester. Previously graded work may not be repeated for credit. It is not possible to remove an IN by re-registering for the course, even within |

|the designated time. |

|Time Limit for Removal of an Incomplete. One calendar year is allowed to remove an IN. Individual academic units may have more stringent policies |

|regarding these time limits. If the IN is not removed within the designated time, the course is considered “lapsed,” the grade is changed to an “IX”|

|and it will be calculated into the grade point average as 0 points. Courses offered on a Credit/No Credit basis or taken on a Pass/No Pass basis for|

|which a mark of Incomplete is assigned will be lapsed with a mark of NC or NP and will not be calculated into the grade point average. |

| |

|Date |Overview of Module |

|Week 1 |Supervision of instructional programs, facilitating professional development: coaching to implement effective strategies for student success |

|June 30 |Collaborative leadership: use of walk-through? Action Walks and commonly agreed upon school plan elements |

| |Student Presenters: Amanda Heineman, Lauren Steinman |

| |Principal video: Amanda Heineman, Lauren Steinman |

| |Guest Speaker: Christine Matos, Principal of Tustin High School |

|Week 2 |Supervision of Personnel: |

|July 7 |Hiring and retaining excellent teachers |

| |Using teacher evaluation to improve student achievement |

| |Student Presenters: |

| |Principal video: |

| |Guest Presenter: Dr. Michele Doll, Asst Supt of HR, Covina Valley USD |

|Week 3 |Introduction to the Principalship and data driven decision making: |

|July 14 |Student Presenters: |

| |Principal Video: |

| |Guest Speaker: Maggie Villegas, Director of Elementary Education, and Dr. Grant Litfin, Director of Secondary Education, Tustin Unified |

|Week 4 |Diversity: |

|July 21 |Ensuring that all students are successful; examining subgroup (EL, ethnicities, SES, Special Ed) growth & needs, planning for reducing gaps |

| |Teacher and student expectations: challenging stereotypes and increasing expectations for and from all |

| |Summer Leadership Conference, 4 pm, Radisson Hotel, class to follow 7:30 pm |

| |Student Presenters: |

| |Guest Speaker: Dr. Ramiro Rubalcaba, Principal of Azusa High School |

|Week 5 |Community Engagement & Involvement –. |

|July 28 |Involving parents in meaningful ways to improve student learning outcomes |

| |Local community/business/partnerships |

| |Student Presenters: Brandee Ramirez, Kristy Andre |

| |Principal Video: Brandee Ramirez, Kristy Andre |

| |Guest Speaker: Jim Coombs, Principal of Buena Park HS |

|Week 6 |Politics and external relations: |

|Aug 4 |How to survive the politics of the Principalship, effectively work with your district and balance political pressures inside and outside the school |

| |How to communicate with school staff, the district office, and the community and meet the differing demands of the principalship in urban, rural, and suburban communities |

| |Student Presenters: |

| |Principal Video |

| |Guest Speaker: Dr. John Garcia, Superintendent of Downey Unified |

Principal Video Taping Teams

Unit 1 – Heineman and Steinman

Unit 2 –

Unit 3 –

Unit 4 –

Unit 5 – Ramirez and Andre

Unit 6 –

Unit 1: Supervision of the Instructional Program (July 2nd)

(Entire class will be together in VKC 250)

Introduction:

Supervision of instructional program

• Facilitating professional development: coaching in the implementation of effective strategies.

• Collaborative leadership: the use of walk-throughs/Action Walks and commonly agreed upon school plan elements

Unit learning goals:

• Students will identify, evaluate and apply

• select strategies for supervision of instruction at their site which will result in improved student learning outcomes;

• align those strategies to principles of effective professional development, with a focus on strategy-focused coaching.

• Students will be able to design a system of collaborative leadership for their site which draws upon best practices and their comprehensive school plans.

Readings and assignments to complete before class:

• Alvy, H & Robbins, P. (1998). If I Only Knew; Success Strategies for Navigating the Principalship Chapters 4 & 13,

• Fullan, Michael. (2014) Chapter 1

• Ginsberg, M. B., Murphy, D. (2002) How walkthroughs open doors. Cooperating School Districts of Greater St. Louis, Inc. pp. 1-5.

Unit 2: Supervision of Personnel (JULY 9th)

(Separate Classrooms 4-6:45, Group speaker 7:30-10 TTH 114)

Introduction:

• Hiring & supporting new teachers

• Using teacher evaluation to improve student achievement

Unit learning goals:

• Students will

• understand and be able to evaluate and apply effective strategies for recruiting, hiring and retaining new teachers;

• understand and be able to evaluate and apply various strategies for teacher evaluation which are most likely to result in improved student achievement.

Readings and assignments to complete before class:

• Stronge, J.H. & Hindman, J.L. (2003). Hiring the Best Teachers Educational Leadership, 60(8). 48-52.

• Marshall, K. (2005). It’s time to rethink teacher supervision and evaluation. Phi Delta Kappan, 86

• (10). 727-735.

• Alvy, H & Robbins, P. (1998). If I Only Knew; Success Strategies for Navigating the Principalship

• Chapters 9, 10 & 11

• Fullan, Michael. (2014) Chapter 2

• Andelson, Steven J. D. (1998). FRISK Documentation Model. Torrance: Four Star Printing –

(Group Project)

Unit 3: The Principalship and Data-Driven Decision Making (July 16th)

(Separate Classrooms 4-6:45, Group speaker 7:30-10 VKC 150

Introduction:

The focus of this unit is on

• Providing an introduction to the role of Principal

• Building goal-focused school teams who use data to guide decisions leading to measurable student learning outcomes

• Case studies of schools using formative and summative data to improve student learning outcomes

Unit learning goals:

Students will:

• Identify various types of data (i.e, classroom observation data; teacher retention rates, number of new teachers; school demographics, number of CAP students, attendance rates, suspensions, attendance at parent meetings, identification for Special Education) to assess the school’s organization for learning that, as early as elementary school, are high predictors of student success in school.

• Examine multiple standards-aligned, criterion-referenced formative measures, including student work, projects, portfolios, writing samples, etc. to determine the impact of specific grade-level curriculum and instructional practices on student learning (as measure by standards-aligned assessments) overall and with a specific populations of students

• Examine trends in year-to-year grade-level scores on standardized tests as one indicator of determining whether improvement in teaching has produced improved results

• Using standardized test scores and grades, examine whether a cohort of students establishes a trajectory of growth over multiple years.

Readings and assignments to complete before class:

• Alvy, H & Robbins, P. (1998). If I Only Knew; Success Strategies for Navigating the Principalship Chapters 1,2& 3

• Fullan, Michael. (2014) Chapter 3

Marzano, R, Water, T. McNulty B.(2005). School Leadership That Works..Alexandria, Virginia; ASCD

Unit 4: Diversity (July 23rd)

(Leadership Conference, Radisson Hotel 4-7:30, Group speaker 7:30-10 VKC 150)

Introduction:

• Creating schools where all students experience equitable access to culturally relevant and responsive opportunities to learn

• Sustaining a learning community in which adults and students are gaining knowledge in a mutually respectful learning environment

Unit learning goals:

• Examine the social, political, and ethnic influences on teaching and learning at work in California’s ethnic landscape

• Implement practices for a culturally relevant and responsive relationship between the teacher as teacher and learner and the student as an agent for his or her own learning.

Readings and assignments to complete before class:

• Nieto, S. (2004). Affirming Diversity: the Sociopolitical Context of Multicultural Education. 3rd edition. Allyn & Bacon, Inc. chapters 8 & 10 -- this is in the reader but you may also buy it online at: URL: ( a SafariX WebBook at half price of printed version)

• Fullan, Michael. (2014) Chapter 4

• Alvy, H & Robbins, P. (1998). If I Only Knew; Success Strategies for Navigating the Principalship

Chapter 7

Unit 5: Community Engagement & Involvement (July 30th)

(Separate Classrooms 4-6:45, Group speaker 7:30-10 VKC 150)

Introduction:

The focus of this unit is on:

• Establish community involvement processes in educational planning and decision-making.

• Establish clear and measurable objectives bases on parent and community input to help foster a sense of cooperation and communication between parents, community, and school.

• Focus on families in order to have an effect on children and their ability to benefit from educational programs and be able to respond to the diversity in children and families.

Unit learning goals:

Students will be able to:

• Understand the role of the principal in relation to the school community.

• Provide communication regarding student academic achievement and standards mastery

• Plan, train, and support parents in conjunction with a Parent Center.

• Become aware of school/community/business partnerships.

• Develop effective discussion for parents to be involved in the development of the Parent/School involvement policy.

Reading and assignments to complete before class:

• Alvy, H & Robbins, P. (1998). If I Only Knew; Success Strategies for Navigating the Principalship

Chapters 5, 8 & 12

• Decker, Larry J., Decker, Virginia A. & Associates (2000). Engaging Families and Communities—chapters 2, 4, 5, 6 Retrieved May 3, 2006 from

• Flore, Douglas J., School-Community Relations, Second Edition, Chapter 3, 5, and 6

• Fullan, Michael. (2014) Chapter 5

Unit 6: Politics and External Relations (August 6th)

(Separate Classrooms 4-6:45, Group speaker 7:30-10 VKC 150

Introduction:

The purpose of this unit is to address the political realities of surviving and succeeding in your role as principal.

Unit learning goals:

The objectives of this unit will be to learn:

• How to survive the politics of the principalship.

• How to effectively work with your district (models of varying types of control, size and power)

• How to balance political pressures inside and outside the school

• How to communicate with school staff, the district office, and the community

• The differing demands of the principalship in urban, rural, and suburban communities

Readings and assignments to complete before class:

• Alvy, H & Robbins, P. (1998). If I Only Knew; Success Strategies for Navigating the Principalship Chapters 6 & 14

• Pilitch, B., & Fredericks, R. (2005). A principal’s guide to school politics: A pair of veteran retired principals offer some practical advice on how to deal with school politics – and stay out of trouble. Principal Magazine, 84(3), 10-15.

• Rooney, J. (2000). Survival skills for the new principal. Educational Leadership, 58(1), 77-78.

• Howe, M., & Townsend, R. (2000). The principal as political leader. High School Magazine, 7(6), 11-16

• Fullan, Michael. (2014) Chapter 6

• Ramsey, R. D. (2006). Lead, follow, or get out of the way (p. 31-53. 79-102, 145-158). Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

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