800891Fall11SyllabuPSU.doc 7/1/16
Pittsburg State University
Schools of Education
Department of Teaching and Leadership
FALL 2011
Note: This syllabus
represents our plan.
However, the instructors
may make changes during
the semester if
circumstances warrant
alterations.
Courses:
LDSP 800 Educational Leadership I
(3 hours credit)
LDSP 891 Methods of Research
(3 hours credit)
Class sessions:
Location:
Wednesdays, 5:00 – 9:00 p.m.
PSU, 223 Hughes hall
Instructors:
Office:
Brenda Roberts, Ed.D.
304 Hughes Hall, PSU
(620) 235-4498
broberts@pittstate.edu
M-Th 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.
By Appointment
e-mail:
Office hours:
Renee’Goostree, Ed.S.
303 Hughes Hall, PSU
(620) 235-4576
rgoostre@pittstate.edu
W 10 – 11:30a.m.
1:00 – 5:00 p.m.
By Appointment
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Course Description
LDSP 800 Educational Leadership I and LDSP 891 Methods of Research lay the foundation for
the entire Educational Leadership Master’s Program and licensure as a building leader for those
seeking administrator certification. These courses are “bundled” meaning they are co-taught by
two LDSP faculty members on the same evening. Also, the content and course requirements for
the two courses are intertwined to provide students with a coherent and meaningful overall
learning experience. Even though we outline the specific objectives for each course, you will
often find the content and learning experiences during the semester tightly woven together.
Specifically, Educational Leadership I serves as one of the first courses in the program leading to
a Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership and/or licensure as a building leader. The course
equips students with an understanding of the role leaders play within organizations, particularly
educational institutions. Furthermore, this course lays the foundation of knowledge; skills and
values students will need to lead their organizations to success. Course topics include: leadership
roles and responsibilities, organizational theory, oral and written communication, problemsolving, decision-making, facilitating small groups, managing conflict, nurturing change within
organizations, and ethical behavior as a leader. During this class, students will also begin
compiling their Leadership Portfolios that they will submit to gain full admission to the
Educational Leadership program. Finally, the course also serves as the prerequisite to LDSP 801
Educational Leadership II.
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LDSP 891 acquaints students with the methods and techniques of research and evaluation. It
emphasizes the collection, analysis, and interpretation of data as a means of improving
educational practice. It also focuses on building the skills needed to read educational research
with a critical eye.
Course Objectives
During LDSP 800 Educational Leadership I, students will:
1. become acquainted with the requirements and expectations of the Master’s Degree in
Educational Leadership program.
2. understand the roles and responsibilities of leaders.
3. apply the theory of organizations to educational institutions.
4. write with clarity, simplicity, and appropriate tone.
5. speak with clarity, enthusiasm, and a sensitivity towards their audience.
6. use various problem-solving techniques to find workable solutions.
7. understand how and when to use different modes of making decisions.
8. understand how to successfully nurture change within an organization.
9. develop skills for resolving conflict in a positive manner.
10. understand the different models of leadership and styles.
11. understand how to shape a positive culture within an organization.
12. develop a personal and professional set of ethics that comports with leadership in
a pluralistic and diverse society.
13. understand the concept of educational equity in a pluralistic and diverse society.
14. demonstrate effective leadership skills in facilitating groups.
15. understanding adult learning/development and how these concepts relate to
leadership in a changing organization.
16. apply their knowledge of school improvement and leadership to devise a plan to
address the challenges within a dysfunctional school.
17. begin compiling their Leadership Portfolio for submission to the Educational
Leadership Admission Committee for full admission.
During LDSP 891 Methods of Research, students will:
1. differentiate between research and program evaluation.
2. define the various types of program evaluation.
3. come to value the contribution of research and evaluation to educational practice.
4. know how to use the 6-step evaluation process to evaluate the effectiveness of
professional interventions.
5. share the results of an evaluation in a written report.
6. use the program evaluation process to take stock of a school, determine if an
intervention worked, or to solve a problem.
7. successfully search the Internet and library resources to locate suitable information to
guide their evaluations and choice of interventions.
[To see a full listing of the Kansas State Licensure Standards and the Interstate School
Leader Licensing Consortium (ISLLC) Standards addressed during LDSP 800 Educational
Leadership I and LDSP 891 Methods of Research, please visit the ANGEL site supporting
this course.]
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Instructional Resources
Required text for LDSP 800:
Gorton, R., & Alston, J. (2012). School leadership and administration: Important concepts, case
studies and simulations (9th ed.). McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. ISBN-978-0-07-811026-9
Required text for LDSP 891:
LeTendre, B. G. & Lipka, R. P. (2000). An elementary educator’s guide to program evaluation:
Getting answers to your questions. Norwood, MA: Christopher-Gordon Publishers, Inc.
[NOTE: The authors are providing a copy of this book at no charge but ask that you make a
$10 cash donation to the Special Services and Leadership Studies Foundation. These funds
are earmarked for students to use to defray the costs they may encounter in conducting their
practicum projects and presenting their projects and research at conferences.]
Required Case Study packet for LDSP 800 & LDSP 891:
Hallinger, P. & Habschmidt, B. L. (1994). Leadership and school culture: Problem-based
learning project (Student edition). Eugene, OR: ERIC Clearinghouse on Educational
Management. [NOTE: This packet will be provided by your instructors.]
Electronic Resources Required
ANGEL will be utilized to facilitate your online learning. You will need access to a computer
with the following capabilities:
1. Internet connection
2. Internet browser, either Firefox, Safari, Camino, Netscape or Explorer
3. Microsoft Word (Office 2003 or 2007)
4. Microsoft PowerPoint (Office 2003 or 2007)
5. Adobe Acrobat Reader
6. SKYPE [must have a web cam to use the video component]
7. GUS PIN (Personal Identification Number) for access to GUS to obtain your final grade in
this course and to enroll in future classes.
8. Per PSU policy you must have a GUS email account. It is strongly recommended you set
this account to default to the personal email account that you check daily.
9. PSU Student ID # and password for access to the ANGEL site.
10. Off-campus library access to the PSU Axe Library databases is available with your PSU ID#
and Gus PIN. You may want to bookmark the Axe Library home page.
Teaching Strategies
Teaching strategies will include class discussion, brief lectures, short writing projects,
cooperative learning experiences, peer review, literature and publications review, simulations,
case studies, team projects, and written projects.
Both LDSP 800 and 891 will use ANGEL as a tool to augment the class sessions.
You have already been entered into the following ANGEL sites:
11WF-LDSP-800-01: Educational Leadership I & LDSP-891-01: Methods of Research
Please verify that you can access this ANGEL site by going to the PSU home page and clicking
the ANGEL Login. You will need your GUS PIN and your password to get into the above
course site. If you have difficulties gaining access, please contact the instructor or the Gorilla
Geeks at (620) 235-4600.
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In addition to the 64 hours of face-to-face time that we will spend together this semester on
Wednesday evenings from 5:00 to 9:00 p.m., you can expect to devote the following amount of
time outside of class time to complete the learning activities:
15 hours minimum engaging in field experiences (observations and participation) for
Educational Leadership I
15 hours working with your small group creating the documents (school profile and
school improvement plan) for Unison School (a case study)
2-6 hours each week reading text, doing homework assignments, writing journal entries
Submitting Written Work & Going Digital!!
As you do your written assignments, some work will be submitted as hard copy and some work
will submit digitally. Always keep a back-up copy of your work.
As you do your written assignments, please use the following procedure:
1. Use Microsoft WORD as your word processor.
2. Include the following heading on each page of your assignment documents:
Name
Email address
Date submitted
Assignment title
3. When you name your file, please use the following format that puts your last name first:
LASTNAME Assignment Title.doc
Example: Roberts ArticleSummary.doc
You must always include the file extension .doc so it will be recognized as a WORD
document. This is particularly important across platforms (from Mac to Windows).
Evaluation of Student Learning
To successfully complete this course, students need to do the homework assignments by the
designated due dates. Students will be assessed in relation to course objectives through multiple
indicators. Graduate level performance over the required readings, papers, presentations, and
projects is expected. A rubric will be provided for major assignments.
Observations by the instructor of each student’s active involvement in class will be a factor in the
final grade. Positive participation is required. Negative comments to other class members and
rude or disrespectful behavior, such as side conversations while the instructor or other class
members are addressing the group, are not acceptable.
Class Participation
The activities and discussions in class constitute an important part of the course. Therefore, you
should make every effort to arrive on time and attend class. Students who miss class need to
have valid and justifiable reasons for missing class and need to confirm the reasons before the
class, unless a serious emergency occurs and contact cannot be made. Students who miss more
than one class or are habitually tardy should expect a grade reduction.
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If circumstances dictate that you must miss a class, please inform your instructor beforehand and
make arrangements with another student to get the handouts and share class notes with you. It is
your responsibility to visit with your instructor and find out what work you need to make up. In
some cases, you may have to complete alternative assignments.
Late work
Students should turn in assignments by the class time designated as the due date in the course
schedule. Even if you miss a class, you must turn in your assignment at the designated due date.
On rare occasions such as extreme emergencies, your instructor may give you permission to turn
an assignment in late, but you need to contact your instructor personally. If late work is accepted,
reduced grades should be expected.
Incomplete Work
Incompletes will not be granted for this course except in extreme cases as approved by
the instructor. Students should contact the instructor immediately upon becoming
unable to work consistently toward completion of the course.
Inclement Weather
On rare occasions due to inclement weather, the instructors may cancel class. The LDSP Office
will contact you via email to let you know that your class has been canceled. You should
always check the Announcements folder on the course ANGEL site. If we have to cancel a class
due to weather, we will also post on ANGEL an alternative learning activity for the evening.
Thus, make sure that you check the Announcements section to get your assignments.
Respect For The Integrity Of The Academic Process
In both Professional Behavior and Social and Emotional Well-being for Faculty & Students
The rights and responsibilities that accompany academic freedom are at the heart of the
intellectual purposes of the University. Our conduct as community members should protect and
promote the University’s pursuit of its academic mission. We are all, therefore, expected to
conduct ourselves with integrity in our learning, teaching and research.
To access the PSU Academic Integrity policy, go to:
http://www.pittstate.edu/office/registrar/catalog/2009-2011/AcademicIntegrity.htm
Severe Weather Emergency Plan
To access the PSU plan for established procedures to follow in the event that the Pittsburg area
experiences a severe weather emergency, go to:
http://www.pittstate.edu/office/police/severe-weather-information.dot
Policy on Smoking & Tobacco Use
Pittsburg State University is a smoke free and tobacco free workplace. Smoking and
tobacco use is prohibited, without exception, in all buildings, facilities and vehicles
owned by the University. Smoking is prohibited in all areas within a ten-foot radius
outside of any doorway, open window or air intake leading into University buildings or
facilities.
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