Syllabus

Course Description

This course is designed to provide the educational leadership student with the knowledge and skill to observe, analyze, and evaluate instruction in order to improve teacher effectiveness, student learning, and staff development. Best practices in educational instruction and teacher effectiveness are discussed as a base for observation. Providing concrete frameworks for teachers to optimize learning is a key ingredient to observation.

Infusing staff development programs that address the needs of the teaching community is also part of this course. Identification of needs, practices, teacher effectiveness, and student outcomes are part of the staff development component.

The major emphasis in supervision should be on professional growth and development; thus its link to staff development is inseparable. Supervision is a form of staff development and staff development programs are often extensions of supervision. Both should be planned and provided as interdependent arts of a schools overall commitment to striving for quality. -Thomas J: Sergiovanni, The Principalship

Objectives

Students will:

• Increase their knowledge of best practices in instructional domains.
• Develop definitions of supervision.
• Work with dimensions of supervision.
• Apply principles of supervision to their instructional setting.
• Discuss parameters of evaluation.
• Work with formal and informal classroom measures.
• Review teacher evaluation instruments.
• Understand the role that inter-rater reliability plays in observation instruments.
• Uncover beliefs and myths about staff development.
• Target effective models of staff development.
• Develop a plan to evaluate staff development.
• Apply the use of technology in staff development.
• Master skills of effective supervision.
• Implement long and short-term procedures necessary for -meeting staff needs. 
• Understand the inevitability of conflict at the school-site and district levels and develop strategies for early identification as well as conflict resolution, to effectively and fairly conduct personnel grievance hearings.

Curriculum Design

Staff Development and Supervision is a forty-five hour graduate level course. Successful completion of all course and student requirements will earn the student three (3) graduate credits. Students will be involved in a variety of tasks for completion of course requirements. These tasks include: readings, reports and reflections on readings, analysis of concepts, development of plans as related to best practices, and forum postings and interactions with course professor and other students. The work for this course is expected to the original work of the student except where properly documented.  This course also requires a proctored exams.  The specifics of what the proctored exam requires is included in this syllabus.

Time Requirements

This course is offered over a period of 15 weeks. Modules are completed over the 15-week period pending length of assignments per week.

Skill and Hardware Requirements

Students may use either a Macintosh computer or a PC with Windows 2000 or higher. Students should possess basic word processing skills and have Internet access as well as an active email account. Students also are expected to have a basic knowledge of how to use a Web browser, such as Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, Safari, etc.

Course Materials

The textbook for this course is Supervision: A Guide to Practice by Wiles and Bondi (Sixth Edition, 2003) ISBN 0130462675.

Course Outline

Module One: Defining Educational Supervision

Contents:

• Definitions of Supervision
• Dimensions of Supervision
• Supervision in Practice

Module Two: Foundations of Supervisory Leadership

Contents:

• Origins of Leadership Theory
• Organizational Structures
• Roles and Tasks of Leadership
• Analyzing Variables in the School Climate
• Working with the Principal
• Issues for Supervisors
• Case Studies Reflections and Examples

Module Three: Professional Knowledge About Teaching and Learning

Contents:

• Instructional Domains and Best Practices
• Assists Teachers in Implementing Instructional Domains
• Instructional Variables
• Case Studies Reflections and Examples
• Preparing a frequency Chart for Best Practices

Module Four: Organizing for Evaluation

Contents:

• Parameters of Evaluation
• The Role of Research in Evaluation
• School Wide Evaluation Planning
• Testing and Related Concerns
• Types of Tests
• Test Formats
• Informal measures
• Misuse of Tests

Module Five: Improving Classroom Teaching

Contents:

• Variables of Classroom Teaching
• Characteristics of Effective Schools
• Approaches to Working with Teachers
• Teacher Development
• Skills of Instruction
• Questions to be Asked
• The Evaluation of Teaching
• Case Studies

Module Six: Providing Effective Staff Development

Contents:

• History of Staff Development
• Beliefs and Myths About Staff Development
• Models of Effective Staff Development
• Case Studies

Module Seven: Evaluating Staff Development

Contents:

• Who Are Staff Developers and What Do They Do?
• Leadership Roles In Staff Development.
•   Influencing Teacher Education Training
• Assessing Staff Development Needs
• Preparing A Staff Development Plan
• Facilitating Human Development in Staff Development
• Case Studies

Module Eight: The Effective Use of Technology

Contents:

• Current Applications in Schools
• The Basics of Practicing Supervisors
• Curriculum Integration Technology
• Helping Teachers Adjust to Technology
• Student Roles
• Case Studies

Module Nine: Administrative Functions

Contents:

• Systems Tasks to Improve Instruction
• Developing A Decision-Making Database
• Arriving at Decision-Making Procedures
• Developing a Format for Planning
• Developing an Action Plan Format
• Promoting Change in Educational Systems
• Overcoming Common Obstacles in School Change
• The Process of Management

Module Ten: New Directions for Supervision

Contents:

• The Changing Face of American Education
• Who are the Children?
• Changing School Organizations
• Business and Schools in the Twenty-First Century
• Issues in Supervision
  1. Vouchers
  2. Internet Access
  3. Standards
  4. NCLB
• Implications for Supervision
• Course Review

Course Requirements:

1. Students will complete all ten (10) modules Forum Posting assignments and responses/reactions to other students' postings. 100 points.
2. Students will complete all Application to Practice assignments. 100 points
3. Specific assignments to be completed within the Application to Practice include the following:
• Students will develop an instructional domain to use during a teacher evaluation. 10 points.
• Students will post a plan for developing an inter-rater reliability instrument. 15 points.
• Students will target key points to include in a staff development plan. Students are to present this information to professor in professor selected module. 21 points.
• Students will conduct a needs analysis in their educational setting to target staff development concerns. 20 points.
4. Students will complete a proctored exam. 100 points

Students are expected to complete all assignments including the proctored exam, forum postings and responses and completion of Course Review. This course requires rigor and concentration on the part of the student to complete the tasks at hand.

Grades
100-93 - A
  92-85 - B
  84-77 - C
  76-69 - D
  68-  0 - F

Proctored Exams:

General Information

For this course, you will be required to complete an online proctored exam. You, the student, are responsible for locating a qualified proctor to observe you completing this exam. The proctor can be a colleague, the administrator at a local school, or any approved professional. The proctor’s contact information and the location where you plan on completing the exam must be submitted to your professor no later than the Module 6 due date for this course. You and your approved proctor will be required to complete a form verifying that you successfully completed the exam independently. Some facts about the exam:

• Questions will reflect course content for modules 1-8.
• The content of the questions will reflect the type of assignments you completed in Modules 1-8, so it would be to your advantage to review your assignments prior to the proctored exam.
• This exam is designed to take approximately 2 hours to complete.
• Question types will include multiple choice, short answer, and essay.
• You will be able to log in to the exam the day after Module 8 assignments are due to your professor.
• Once you log in, the exam will only be available for 2 hours
• During the exam, you may use the course Web site for assistance, as well as other research sites such as Questia that may assist you in successfully completing the exam.

Selecting a Proctor

Your proctor can be a colleague, the administrator at a local school, or any approved professional. Remember when selecting your proctor that he or she must:

• Be available during a two hour block of time the week of the exam.
• Stay in the room with you during the exam.
• Complete the proctor form.

Your exam location must be a secure location where you will not be interrupted by others. Suggested locations include:

• Your classroom
• Your school computer lab
• Library

Prior to the Module 4 due date send your professor an e-mail suggesting the name of a possible proctor and proposed location. In the subject of the email message type PROCTOR Your e-mail must include the proposed proctor's title, workplace and work e-mail address (if you provide their home e-mail address also, it may be easier to get in touch with them more quickly... but you must provide their work e-mail address).

Your professor will reply to let you know if your proctor selection was approved.

Taking The Exam

The week prior to the exam, your professor will send your proctor an email with the exam instructions and an Exam Affidavit.

The day after the Module 8 due date, you and your proctor will receive an email with the link to the exam. You will only be able to access the exam once. Do not click on the link or attempt to open the Web page until you are ready to begin the exam.

Exam Rules

• The exam is designed to take approximately 2 hours to complete
• Exams submitted more than 2 hours after they are initially accessed will not be accepted (proctors should carefully keep track of time spent on the exam.
• Students who do not propose a suitable exam site and possible proctor will not be allowed to take the exam.
• Students must not communicate with anyone regarding the exam, other than the proctor (or instructor or other designate), either verbally, electronically or otherwise, during the exam.
• The exam must be completed independently.
• Students must not discuss the curricular content of the exam with colleagues from class, either verbally, electronically, or otherwise, until after the final deadline for completion of the exam.
• If technical problems arise such that you are unable to access the on-line exam, notify your proctor at the exam site and get them to e-mail the instructor so that the time limit for the exam may be extended if required.
• The final exam covers Modules 1-8. It is not a closed book exam, you are free to use the textbook, browse the Internet, and the course Web site. Because you will be tested on concepts, browsing absolutely does not help those who have not studied, but may be an aid to those who wish to occasionally clarify their thinking.
• Students and proctors may not remove a printed copy of the final exam from the exam site.
• If the exam is printed during the examination period, the copy must be destroyed by the student or proctor before the student leaves the site of the final exam.
• It is recommended that students who may wish to browse during the exam open 2 copies of the browser during the exam (using one for browsing if necessary, and the other for the exam).
• It is recommended that you "save" frequently during the exam, or write down a few words to help you remember which answer you have chosen for each question in the event that there is a power failure, or you accidentally close the browser window in which you are completing the final exam.

After The Exam

Upon completion of the exam, the student and proctor will complete the Exam Affidavit to verify that the student registered for the course is the student that completed the exam. Upon completion of the form, it should be faxed or scanned and emailed as an attachment to the Teacher Education University Registrar.

Student Academic Integrity

Participants guarantee that all academic class work is original. Any academic dishonesty or plagiarism (to take ideas, writings, etc. from another and offer them as one's own), is a violation of student academic behavior standards as outlined by the Teacher Education University catalog and is subject to academic disciplinary action.

Bibliography

Bailey, Becky. ( 2001). Conscious discipline. Oviedo, FL : Loving Guidance.

Blandford, S. (2000). Managing professional  development  in schools. London: Routledge.

Chipman, M., Irom, P., & Wandersman, A., (2004). Getting to outcomes, 2004: Promoting accountability through methods and tools for planning, implementation and evaluation. Santa Monica, CA: Rand.

Clark, M. A., & Horton-Parker, R. (2002). Professional development schools: New opportunities for training school counselors. Counselor Education and Supervision, 42(1), 58+.

Cooley, V. E. (2001). Implementing technology using the teachers as trainers staff development model. Journal of Technology and Teacher Education, 9(2), 269.

Diaz-Maggioli, Gabriel. (2004). Teacher-centered professional Development. Alexandria, VA : Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Dufour, R. P. (1998, February). Why look elsewhere?: Improving schools from within. School Administrator, 55, 24.

Dunn, K. & Dunn, R. (Eds.). (1998). Practical approaches to individualizing staff development for adults. Westport, CT: Praeger Publishers.

Ediger, M. (1995). Selected major goals for staff development in schools. Education, 116(2), 192+.

Garobo, R. C., & Rothstein, S. W. (1998). Supportive supervision in schools. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press.

Glickman, Carl D. (2002). Leadership for learning: How to help teachers succeed. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Guskey, T.A. (2000). Evaluating professional development. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

Idol, L. (1998). Collaboration in the schools: A master plan for staff development. Journal of Educational and Psychological Consultation, 9(2), 155-162.

Jensen, Eric. (2006). Enriching the brain: How to maximize every learner’s potential. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Killion, Joellen & Harrison, Cindy (1997). The multiple roles of staff developers. Journal of Staff Developmemt. 18, No. 3.

King-Sears, M. E. (2001). Institutionalizing peer-mediated instruction and interventions in schools. Remedial and Special Education, 22(2), 89.

Kussmaul, Donald L. (2004). Finances, finances, finances, School Administrator, 61, 44+.

Lambert, N. M., Hylander, I., & Sandoval, J. H. (Eds.). (2003). Consultee-centered consultation: Improving the quality of professional services in schools and community organizations. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbawn Associates.

Lankshear, C., Snyder, I., & Green, B. (2000). Teachers and technoliteracy .. Managing literacy, technology, and learning in schools. St. Leonards, N.S. W.: Allen & Unwin.

Limber, S. P., & Small, M. A. (2003). State laws and policies to address bullying in schools. School Psychology Review. 32(3), 445+ .

Marzano, R.J., Pickering, D.J. &Pollock, J. E. (2001). Classroom instruction the works: Research-based strategies for increasing student achievement. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Mcauliffe, G. (Ed.). (2002). Working with troubled youth in schools: A guide for all school staff.  Westport, CT: Bergin and Garvey.

Pollock, Jane E. (2007). Improving student learning one teacher at a time. Alexandria VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Pohan, Cathy A. (2003). Creating caring and democratic communities in our classrooms and schools. Childhood Education ,. 369+.

Tromp, K. S. (2001, November). The latest school of thought: Find out how schools are applying security concepts to improve staff and student protection-And where progress remains to be made. Security Management, 45, 60+.

Wizer, D. R., & Mcpherson, S. J. (2005, February). The administrator's role: Strategies for fostering staff development. Learning & Leading with Technology, 32, 14+.

Teacher Education University reserves the right to adjust and adapt this syllabus as necessary.