Pittsburg State University
Teaching and Leadership
LDSP 901 Educational Systems Leadership I
Fall 2011
James C. Christman Ed.D
jchristm@pittstate.edu
Christman: 620-235-4068
Fax 620-235-4520
Course Prerequisite
Students wishing to enroll must be admitted to graduate studies and have basic computer
skills. Variance requires permission of the instructor.
Purpose of the Course
The purpose of this course is to provide prospective educational administrators with
organizational, analytical and problem-solving skills related to organizational and systemwide leadership affairs PREK – 12.
What if there is inclement weather?
Each individual student will make the judgment as to their attendance in the event weather
conditions are hazardous or questionable. In the event the instructor cancels class a phone
tree developed with class members will be used to inform everyone of the cancellation.
Special Notice: Is it acceptable to bring cell phones, pagers, etc.?
Yes and No. You may bring them, however please have the courtesy to turn off the sound
mechanism during class.
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Student Outcome
Core Student Outcome Throughout Educational Systems Leadership Coursework
As a result of successful completion of this program the student will understand the rationale
and reasons educational leaders should:
CO 1
CO 2
CO 3
CO 4
CO 5
CO 6
CO 7
CO 8
CO 9
CO 10
CO 11
Maintain personal, physical and emotional wellness.
Manage time effectively.
Relate local policy to state and federal regulations and requirements.
Promote the value of understanding and celebrating school/community cultures.
Understand and be able to communicate with all culture group in the community.
Demonstrate that good judgment and actions communicate as well as words.
Define processes for gathering, analyzing and using data for informed decision
making.
Discuss legal concepts, regulations, and codes for school operations.
Demonstrate knowledge of adult learning theory and motivation.
Exhibit multicultural and ethnic understanding and sensitivity.
Understand the need to provide for individual differences of students and skills
needed to be a district leader and advocate for all students.
LDSP 901 - 997
Fall Content Area Outcomes
Area : Policy and Governance Leadership
1. Describe the system of public school governance in our democracy.
2. Describe procedures for superintendent-board of education interpersonal and working
relationships.
3. Relate local policy to state and federal regulations and requirements.
4. Describe procedures to avoid civil and criminal liabilities.
Area : Curriculum Leadership, Planning and Development
1. Develop core curriculum design and delivery systems for diverse school
communities.
2. Describe curriculum planning/futures methods to anticipate occupational trends and
their educational implication for lifelong learners.
3. Describe a process to create developmentally appropriate curriculum and instructional
practices for all children and adolescents.
4. Demonstrate an understanding of the use of assessments to determine present and
future student learning needs.
5. Demonstrate an understanding of curricular alignment to ensure improved student
performance and higher order thinking.
Area : Instructional Leadership
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1. Demonstrate an understanding of development, implementation, and monitoring of
change processes to improve student learning, adult development, and climates for
learning.
2. Analyze available instructional resources and assign them in the most cost-effective
and equitable manner to enhance student outcomes.
3. Demonstrate an understanding of instructional strategies that include the role of
multicultural sensitivity and learning styles.
4. Describe alternative methods of monitoring and evaluating student achievement
based on objectives and learning outcomes.
5. Describe how to interpret and use testing/assessment results to improve education.
6. Describe a student achievement monitoring and reporting system.
Area : Area Communications and Community Relations
1. Demonstrate an understanding of political theory and skills needed to build
community support for district priorities.
2. Demonstrate that good judgment and actions communicate as well as words.
3. Write and speak clearly and forcefully.
4. Identify the political context of the community environment.
5. Demonstrate conflict medication.
6. Demonstrate consensus building.
7. Identify, track, and deal with issues.
8. Identify an internal and external communication plan.
Area : Area Values and Ethics Leadership
1. Exhibit multicultural and ethic understanding and sensitivity.
2. Demonstrate ethical and personal integrity.
3. Describe a strategy to promote the value that moral and ethical practices are
established and practiced inn each classroom and school.
4. Describe a strategy to ensure that diversity of religion, ethnicity, and way of life in
the district are not violated.
5. Formulate a plan to coordinate social, health, and other community agencies to
support each child in the district.
Course Content
This course will include information and discussion in the following areas:
Area #1 Curriculum Leadership, Planning and Development (Area 1KS Licensing Req.)
Area #2 Instructional Leadership (Area 1 & 3 KS Licensing Req.)
Area #3 Policy and Governance Leadership (Area 3 KS Licensing Req.)
Area #4 Facilities Operation & Maintenance (Area 5 KS Licensing Req.)
Area #5 Support Services Leadership (Area 5 KS Licensing Req.)
Area #6 Legal Aspects will be interwoven in each area (Area 1, 2, 3, &5 Licensing Req.)
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Instructional Strategies: (listed are examples but other strategies may be used)
 Lecture
 Group work;
 Individual work;
 Field experiences from LDSP 997 in conjunction with class content;
 Simulations;
 Role playing;
 Class discussion;
 Individual conferencing;
 Guest experts;
 Observations;
 Case study
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Leadership Resource Sites on the Web
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http://library.pittstate.edu/
http://www.newhorizons.org/
http://www.nsdc.org/
http://ericir.syr.edu/Eric/
http://strange.simplenet.com/psycsite/
http://www.asbointl.org/
http://www.edweek.org
http://www.nsba.org/itte/hotlinks.html
Pittsburg State University Library
New Horizons for Learning
National Staff Development Council
ERIC
PSYC SITE
Association of School Business Officials
Education Week
Education Trends and Tools
Policy, Governance, and Legal Sites
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http://www.imk.org/public/usa/
http://www.aasa.org/
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http://www.ksbe.org/
http://washlaw.edu/
http://www.ed.gov
http://www.nsba.org/
United School Administrators of Kansas
American Association of School
Administrators
Kansas State Board Association
Wash Law web
United States Department of Education
National School Boards Association
Facility Related Web Sites
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http://www.cefpi.com
Council of Educational Facility Planners
International
http://www.abcschoolequip.com/
ABC School Equipment
http://www.shpinc.com/homepages/corporate/shp/soq/index.html
The Schoolhouse Quality
http://www.spmmag.com/
School Plant Planning and Management
http://asumag.com/home/default.html American School & University
http://www.schoolconstructionnews.com/
School Construction News
http://www.aia.com/
American Institute of Architects
Instructional & Curricular Leadership & School Improvement Related Web Sites
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http://www.ncrel.org/sdrs/pathways.htm
Pathways to School Improvement
http://www.eyesoftime.com/teacher/index.htm The School Page : Educators Resource
www.ael.org/
Appalachia Educational Laboratory
www.wested.org/
Far West Laboratory for Educational Research and Development
www.mcrel.org
Mid-continent Regional Educational Laboratory
http://educationnorthwest.org Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory
www.sedl.org/
Southwest Educational Development Laboratory
Recommended Journals: Any related to leadership in Organizational settings:
Print: School Business Affairs; Educational Leadership
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On-Line:
 http://www.aasa.org/
School Administrator & Leadership News
 http://www.asbj.com/
American School Board Journal
 http://www.buildings.com/
Buildings
 http://ascd.org/
Curricular Leadership Online
 http://www.nsba.org/itte/hotlinksedresearch.cfm
Education Research (Compilation)
Require Materials:
A set of school district policies
A building student handbook
A building faculty/staff handbook
A classified staff handbook
A negotiated agreement
Student Organization guidelines/handbooks
Organizational Flowchart of Authority
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GRADING
LEAFERSHIP PORTFOLIO
Material Needed: Several Three-ring notebooks, Labels for sections, Three-ring hole punch.
901 – Letter Grade
997 – Pass / Fail
A Grade Qualities (Going beyond “meeting the standard or competency”)
Thoroughness/Depth/Detail: Provides broad range of perspectives, information, and
alternatives to the topic. Avoid irrelevant details.
Organization: Well organized and easy to follow. Logical flow in place.
Presentation: Professionally completed. Variety of methods and materials used. Very
impressive. Creates a high level of interest in wanting to read or look through materials.
Mechanics: Few mistakes, graduate level work
Attendance: Regular
Participation: Active participation in class discussions.
B Grade Qualities (Meeting the standard or competency
Any of these in conjunction with any combination of qualities
Thoroughness/Depth/Detail: Provides a couple of perspectives, information, and
alternatives to the topic. May include irrelevant details.
Organization: Some difficulty in following. Basically a logical flow.
Presentation: Professionally completed. Few methods and materials used. Blend just a
listing of information require.
Mechanics: Several mistakes, graduate level work
Attendance: Two absences.
Participation: Active participation in class discussions.
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C Grade Qualities (Barely meeting standard or competencies)
A or B qualities with less than 80% attendance.
F Grade Qualities (Does not meet the standards for an A, B or C grade)
3 or more absences
Will be required to retake the course in order to satisfy certification requirements.
Incomplete Work/In-Progress
Except for research, incomplete work at the graduate level is subject to a rule that it must
be completed in next enrollment period or, with instructor permission, no later than one
year after receiving the incomplete. An incomplete not removed within one year shall be
regarded as a failure and the IN grade will be changed to F and included in the
computation of the student’s GPA.
A grade of In Progress (IP) may be given when a student is enrolled in a course that
requires the student to engage in projects that extend past the end of the semester. As
with incomplete grades, an In Progress not removed within one year shall be regarded as
a failure and the IP will be changed to an F and included in the computation of the
student’s GPA
Dishonesty in Academic Work
Academic Misconduct
Education at the university level requires intellectual integrity and trust between
faculty and students. Professors are obliged to master their subject and present as fair an
account of it as possible. For their part, students are obligated to course requirements.
Academic dishonesty violates both integrity and trust. It jeopardizes the effectiveness of the
educational process and the reliability of publicly reported records of achievement.
Academic dishonesty by a student is defined as unethical activity associated with
course work or grades.
It includes:
(a) Giving or receiving unauthorized aid on examinations,
(b) Giving or receiving unauthorized aid in the preparation of notebooks,
themes, reports, paper or any other assignments,
(c) Submitting the same work for more than once course without the
instructor’s permission, and,
(d) Plagiarism. Plagiarism is defined as using ideas or writings of another and
claiming them as one’s own. Copying any material directly (be it the
work of other students, professors, or colleagues) or copying information
from print or electronic sources (including the internet) without explicitly
acknowledging the true source of the material is plagiarism, students
should follow the citation directions provided by the instructor and/or
department in which the class is offered.
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Unless otherwise stated by the instructor, exams, quizzes, and out-of-class
assignments are meant to be individual, rather than group, work. Hence, copying from other
students’ quizzes or exams, as well as presenting as one’s own work an assignment prepared
wholly or in part by another is in violation of academic honesty.
The above guidelines do not preclude group study for exams, sharing of sources for
research projects, or students discussing their ideas with other members of the class unless
explicitly prohibited by the instructor.
Since the violation of academic honesty strikes at the heart of the educational process,
it is subject to the severest sanctions, up to and including receiving an “F” or “XF” (an “XF”
indicates the “F” was the result of academic dishonesty) for the entire class and dismissal
from the university.
When an instructor has a reasonable good faith belief that a student(s) has committed
academic misconduct, that instructor has the sole discretion to give the student as F on the
assignment/test to which the student committed academic misconduct or an F for the entire
course. If such an F negatively affects the student’s final grade in the course, that student(s)
may appeal the final grade pursuant to the current Pittsburg State University Catalog’s Grade
Appeal process.
When the instructor wishes to impose an “XF”, and/or more severe sanctions, he or
she must first notify their department chair, dean, and University’s Academic Honesty
Committee Chairperson in writing. In addition, the same procedure applies if similar
sanctions seem warranted for a student(s) or former student(s) who have assisted in a serious
act of academic dishonesty.
Admission Requirement
Prior to completion of 6 graduate hours, the student will create a leadership portfolio
that the General School Administration Admissions Committee will review to decide on full
admittance to the Ed, S or District Certification Program. The Educational Leadership
Admissions Committee will meet 3 times during the year (on or around Oct. 15, Mar. 15,
July 1) to review student portfolios. Admissions committee members will use an established
rubric to judge a student’s potential for success in the program. The course requirements of
LDSP 901 will include the creation of this individually compiled leadership portfolio. If a
student does not take LDSP 901 as one of the first 6 hours, the student will individually
compile the leadership portfolio along with written statement justification for not including
LDSP 901 as one of the student’s first 6 hours in the program. One member of the
Educational Leadership faculty will take responsibility for helping these students compile the
required portfolio
The leadership portfolio will include the following:
1. ____An application for admission to Graduate School
2. ____Official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended by the student.
3. ____Three letter of recommendation:
- A current or previous supervisor;
- A school board member or a parent;
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- A former graduate school professor; one must attest, with concrete examples, to
the student’s potential as an educational leader.
4. ____ A resume of educational and professional experiences.
5. ____ A copy of current certification
6. ____ A written statement of the student’s professional goals.
7. ____ A written leadership autobiography describing the leadership roles the student
has assumed during his/her adult life.
8. ____ A written sample where the student responded on the spot to a specified topic.
9. ____ A written response to a case study where the student had a least one-week to
construct his/her response.
Resume Guidelines
Heading – Name, address, and contact numbers
Experience – List of position beginning with current and working back to first position
Education – List institutions and degree starting with most current degree
Experiential Summary – same order as experience, list: position , size of district and
building by enrollment, and your major job responsibilities, and major accomplishments
in the job
Community/Civic Work – List any special presentations you have given, can be for your
district if it is major player in the writing development of the document
Honors/Awards – List any honor or awards, typically things like community service,
appointment to state of regional committee, professional awards, etc.
Specialized Training – List any special training you may have received, things like
workshops with themes or state QPA, etc.
References – List people who can give professional positive opinions about your skills
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Create a District Profile – Standard 4, Standard 6
You are to create a community profile of your district using the following guidelines:
Format: You create your own style (use a professional look)
Contents:
 People: Describe the make-up of your community in as many ways as possible.
 Industry/Business: What is located in the geographical area
 Related: Where do people in your community work (commuters, stay at home, etc.)
 Student Enrollment: Trends (Minimum of last 7 years)
 Customs and Traditions: What activities or events could be considered traditional
(include sacred cows, you may want to break this down by buildings)?
 Political Issues: Describe any major issues that have impacted the
district/community
 History: Describe the history of your district/community, when was it established,
what has happened, etc.
 Other: This is your section to describe any uniqueness you district/community may
possess
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Field Base Project
Field Base Project: Special project approved by instructor. These range from special
district needs such as establishment of district newsletter to creating an
administrative evaluation process/instrument.
Title Page
Name
Date
Title of Project
Title of Course (see above)
Section I
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Introduction relative to project (Why you are doing it beside it is a class
requirement)
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Specific statement of what the project entails
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Definition of Terms (if necessary)
Section II
Review and report any findings in current professional literature or conference
proceedings and analysis applicable to your project.
Section III
Report actual methods and procedures used to address the topic. Include any data
collected and analysis applicable to your project.
Section IV
State or show results, conclusions, products, recommendations and/or changes as a
result of your findings or work.
References
List if you used any formal information/literature.
Appendix
List any tables, charts, diagrams, and materials to support the project.
Style
You create but the presentation of information must be professional in appearance.
Double space, 1 ½ inch margins
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Book Reviews
First Break All the Rules – What the world’s Greatest Managers Do Differently
Marcus Buckingham and Curt Coffman
ISBN: 0-684-85286-1
Leadership on the Line – Staying Alive Through the Dangers of Leading
Ronald A. Heifetz and Marty Linsky
ISBN: 1-57851-437-1
Fertilizers, Pills, and Magnetic Strips: The Fate of Public Education in America
Gene v. Glass
ISBN:13:978-1-59311-892-1
Book Review Sections
 Title/Author
 Overview of Key Points
 Include charts or quotes if it helps make a point
 Describe how various points might be benefit or useful to a school leaders
Readings – Article reviews
o 1 over curriculum leadership in planning/ development. Implementation, or
assessment
o 1 over district level leadership and student achievement
o 1 policy and governance leadership
o 1 over a facility design issue (i.e.- creating an optimum computer lab)
o 1 over leadership and support services
o 1 over a district level legal issue
Class Reflections
Due after each class
First half of reflection:
Give a brief, factual summary; answer pre-identified items
Second half of reflection:
Describe your personal reflection of the activity as it pertains to your knowledge in the field
of education. Explain what you learned, how you might use the information in the future.
Feel free to offer opinions in this section.
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Other Expectation related to class and/or grading
Participation
Positive participation and attendance is required.
Policy on Absences:
Attendance and class participation are expected of all class members. Since graduate students
generally have full time position with job expectations it is left up to the student to determine
their attendance. Lack of attendance will lower your grade or result in failure of the class
In the event of absence, students are responsible for:
1. obtaining notes from other class member and
2. obtaining handouts from the instructor or class member asked by the student to collect the
handouts in their absence
3. complete an alternative assignment agreed upon by the instructor to make-up for
information missed during the class.
Tentative Reporting/Monitoring Schedule
o Visits will be scheduled as necessary to field based locations by the university
supervisor.
o Students will schedule individual conferences to discuss their experiences.
o Assignment may vary or be adjusted based on individual student needs
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CLASS SCHEDULE
LDSP 901
FALL 2010
August
25
September 1
8
15
22
29
October
13
20
27
November 3
10
17
December 1
8
15
15