Note:
Course content may be changed, term to term, without
notice. The information below is provided as a guide
for course selection and is not binding in any form,
and should not be used to purchase course materials.
EDUC 648 Course Syllabus
COURSE SYLLABUS
EDUC 648
SCHOOL FINANCE AND MANAGEMENT
COURSE DESCRIPTION
Basic methods of school finance and business management and principles of plant, finance,
budgeting and accounting will be discussed. Federal and State regulations and grants will be
studied.
RATIONALE
Financial and managerial leadership of a school building or district is a primary factor in the
success or failure of school instructional programs. This course provides an opportunity for
public and private school practicing and prospective administrators to gain an understanding of
their role in these critical areas. A comprehensive understanding of the financial implications of
systemic reform, centralized goal setting, accountability standards, and decentralized forms of
site-based management, school choice, charter schools, and the voucher system will be the main
focus of this study.
I.
II.
PREREQUISITES
For information regarding prerequisites for this course, please refer to the Academic
Course Catalog.
REQUIRED RESOURCE PURCHASES
Click on the following link to view the required resource(s) for the term in which you are
registered: http://bookstore.mbsdirect.net/liberty.htm
III.
IV.
ADDITIONAL MATERIALS FOR LEARNING
A.
Computer with basic audio/video output equipment
B.
Internet access (broadband recommended)
C.
Microsoft Office
MEASURABLE LEARNING OUTCOMES
Upon successful completion of this course, the student will be able to:
A.
Apply the differences in equity, quality, equality, diversity, efficiency in
developing financial policies, budget development, and financial allocations for
educational programs.
B.
Illustrate that expenditures for quality schools and quality educational programs
benefit the community in dollars returned, in increased earnings, and in standards
of living.
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EDUC 648 Course Syllabus
V.
C.
Apply the biblical principles of accountability, stewardship, and integrity to
public school and private school finance.
D.
Analyze the economic conditions and dynamics of the diverse school community,
including emerging financial issues and trends that impact the school community
and new sources of revenue to supplement local, state, and federal funding.
E.
Identify issues that develop during the budgeting process, accounting, auditing,
and purchasing processes, allocation of resources, and managing and protecting
school funds.
F.
Identify the political, social, cultural, and economic systems and processes that
impact schools and their distribution of financial resources.
G.
Apply financial concepts through numeric problems, interviews with district and
building administrators, and computer simulations.
H.
Describe the philosophical and historical basis for funding schools as a national
economic investment, whether public, private, or charter programs are involved.
VDOE Competencies Met in this Course for School Administrators
1.b.7
Effective communication skills including consensus building, negotiation, and
mediation skills.
1.c.3
Management decisions that ensure successful teaching and learning including,
human resources management and development, theories of motivation, change in
school culture, innovation and creativity, conflict resolution, adult learning and
professional development models.
1.c.4
Principles and issues related to fiscal operations of school management.
1.c.7
Technologies that support management functions.
1.c.8
Application of data-driven decision making to initiate and continue improvement
in school and classroom practices.
1.d.4
Principles of effective two-way communication, including consensus building and
negotiation skills.
1.e.4
Intentional and purposeful effort to model professional, moral, and ethical
standards as well as personal integrity.
1.f.3
Identify and respond to internal and external forces and influences on a school.
1.f.4
Identify and apply the processes of educational policy development at the state,
local, and school level.
1.f.5
Identify and demonstrate ways to influence educational policy development at the
state, local, and school level.
1.g.1
Experiential activities that complement, implement, and parallel the university
curriculum.
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EDUC 648 Course Syllabus
1.g.2
VI.
Activities that emphasize student work with practical application that shall take
place in the internship, the practicum field experience, as well as throughout the
university program.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS AND ASSIGNMENTS
A.
Textbook readings and lecture presentations/notes
B.
Course Requirements Checklist
After reading the Course Syllabus and Student Expectations, the student will
complete the related checklist found in Module/Week 1.
C.
Discussion Board Forums (5)
There will be 5 Discussion Board Forums throughout the course. The purpose of
Discussion Board Forums is to generate interaction among candidates in regards to
relevant current course topics. The candidate is required to submit 1 thread of 300–
400 words. The candidate must reply to at least 2 other candidates’ threads. Each
reply must be at least 75 words. For each thread, the candidate must support his/her
assertions with at least 2 citations in current APA format. Each reply must cite at
least 2 sources. Acceptable sources include the textbook, Bible, and other
appropriate professional literature.
D.
Practicum Requirements
The candidate must complete the practicum in order to earn a passing grade in this
course. During this course, the candidate is required to complete 30 practicum
hours in a school. The majority of the hours must be completed while school is in
session and students are present. Before beginning the practicum, the candidate
must submit the Practicum Proposal Form. Upon completion of the practicum, the
candidate must submit the Field Experience Summary (FES). The form
submissions are non-graded assignments; however, they are required for licensure
candidates. Forms are available by clicking here.
E.
ELCC Finance Project
For the duration of the course, the candidate will study the financial processes
governing a specific program in his/her school or district and evaluate that
program’s contributions to the success of its students. Findings must be submitted
in a PowerPoint presentation in accordance with the specific format provided in
the Assignment Instructions folder. This assignment is divided into several
sections; the candidate must therefore consult the Course Schedule for specific
due dates.
F.
Biblical Integration Paper
In light of the biblical principles of stewardship, faithfulness, planning, and the
authority of the government discussed in the course, the candidate will write a 5–
7-page Biblical Integration Paper. The candidate will develop a school finance
philosophy based on biblical principles. The paper must be supported with at least
5 sources, 1 of which must be the Bible.
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EDUC 648 Course Syllabus
G.
Quizzes (6)
There will be 6 open-book/open-notes quizzes in the course consisting of 20–30
multiple-choice and true/false questions. Each quiz has a time limit of 2 hours.
VII.
COURSE GRADING AND POLICIES
A.
Points
Course Requirements Checklist
Discussion Board Forums (5 at 40 pts ea)
ELCC Finance Project:
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Final Submission
Biblical Integration Paper
Quizzes (2 at 40 pts ea, 4 at 60 pts ea)
10
200
Total
B.
60
60
60
60
60
180
320
1010
Scale
A = 960–1010 A- = 940–959 B+ = 920–939 B = 890–919 B- = 870–889
C+ = 850–869 C = 820–849 C- = 800–819 D+ = 780–799 D = 750–779
D- = 730–749 F = 0–729
C.
LiveText Submission Policy
Assignments that are to be submitted to LiveText must be submitted there in order
to receive credit for them. This includes assignments that are also submitted in
Blackboard, including those submitted to SafeAssign.
D.
Late Assignment Policy
If the student is unable to complete an assignment on time, then he or she must
contact the instructor immediately by email.
Assignments that are submitted after the due date without prior approval from the
instructor will receive the following deductions:
1.
Late assignments submitted within one week of the due date will
receive a 10% deduction.
2.
Assignments submitted more than one week late will receive a 20%
deduction.
3.
Assignments submitted two weeks late or after the final date of the
course will not be accepted.
4.
Late Discussion Board threads or replies will not be accepted.
Special circumstances (e.g., death in the family, personal health issues) will be
reviewed by the instructor on a case-by-case basis.
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EDUC 648 Course Syllabus
E.
Disability Assistance
Students with a documented disability may contact Liberty University Online’s
Office of Disability Academic Support (ODAS) at LUOODAS@liberty.edu to
make arrangements for academic accommodations. Further information can be
found at www.liberty.edu/disabilitysupport.
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COUR ### Course Schedule
COURSE SCHEDULE
EDUC 648
Textbook: Brimley et al., Financing Education in a Climate of Change (2012).
MODULE/
WEEK
READING & STUDY
ASSIGNMENTS
POINTS
1
Brimley et al.: chs. 1, 10
1 presentation
2 lecture notes
Course Requirements Checklist
MAT/MED Specialization AGQ
MAT/MED Professional AGQ
DB Forum 1
Quiz 1
2
Brimley et al.: chs. 2–4
Bible Readings
2 presentations
3 lecture notes
DB Forum 2
Practicum Proposal Form
Quiz 2
40
0
60
3
Brimley et al.: chs. 5–6
Bible Readings
1 presentation
3 lecture notes
DB Forum 3
ELCC Finance Project: Step 1
Quiz 3
40
60
60
4
Brimley et al.: ch. 7
1 presentation
Biblical Integration Paper
180
5
Brimley et al.: chs. 8–9,
11
1 presentation
3 lecture notes
DB Forum 4
ELCC Finance Project: Step 2
Quiz 4
40
60
60
6
Brimley et al.: chs. 12–14
1 presentation
3 lecture notes
ELCC Finance Project: Step 3
Quiz 5
60
60
7
Brimley et al.: chs. 15–16
1 presentation
2 lecture notes
DB Forum 5
ELCC Finance Project: Step 4
Quiz 6
40
60
40
8
1 presentation
ELCC Finance Project: Final Submission
Field Experience Summary
Field Experience Assessment
60
0
0
TOTAL
1010
DB = Discussion Board
ELCC = Educational Leadership Constituents Council
10
0
0
40
40
AGQ = Advising Guide Quiz
NOTE:
Each course week begins on Monday morning at 12:00 a.m. (ET) and ends on
Sunday night at 11:59 p.m. (ET). The final week ends at 11:59 p.m.