Iowa Principal Leadership Academy
Syllabus Standard VI: Educational Leaders Who Understand, Respond to and Influence
Political, Social, Economic, Legal, and Cultural Contexts to Support Students
Seminar 2: The Role of the School Board and Community and the Impact on Education
Problem-Based Learning Theme 6:
How do you effectively coordinate school improvement within the larger political, social, economic, legal, and
cultural context in order to promote success for all students?
Purpose: The purpose of this seminar on the role School Board and Community is to prepare each principal
candidate with the theory and best practice needed to develop the knowledge, skills, and dispositions necessary
to be successful in developing the program content and problem-based learning theme in ISSL Standard VI.
Furthermore, the seminar will focus on the highlighted knowledge, dispositions, and performances of ISSL
Standard VI.
ISLL Standard 6: A school administrator is an educational leader who promotes the success of all
students by understanding, responding to, and influencing the larger political, social, economic, legal, and
cultural context.
Knowledge: The administrator has the knowledge and understanding of








Principles of representative governance that undergird the system of American schools
The role of public education in developing and renewing a democratic society and an economically
productive nation
The law as related to education and schooling
The political, social, cultural, and economic systems and processes that impact schools
Models and strategies of change and conflict resolution as applied to the larger political, social, cultural,
and economic contexts of schooling
Global issues and forces affecting teaching and learning
The dynamics of policy development and advocacy under our democratic political system
The importance of diversity and equity in a democratic society
Dispositions: The administrator believes in, values, and is committed to:





Education as a key to opportunity and social mobility
Recognizing a variety of ideas, values, and cultures
Importance of a continuing dialogue with other decision makers affecting education
Actively participating in the political and policy-making context in the service of education
Using legal system to protect student rights and improve student opportunities
Performances: The administrator facilitates processes and engages in activities ensuring that:





The environment in which schools operate is influenced on behalf of students and their families
Communication occurs among the school community concerning trends, issues, and potential changes in
the environment in which the school operates
There is ongoing dialogue with representatives of diverse community groups
The school community works within the framework of policies, laws, and regulations enacted by local,
state, and federal authorities
Public policy is shaped to provide quality education for students

Lines of communication are developed with decision makers outside the school community
This seminar will also include theory that supports the understandings of Distributive Leadership Principles 4-5
and Design Principle 1.
Distributed Leadership Principle 4: The roles and activities of leadership flow from the expertise required for learning
and improvement, not from the formal dictates of the institution.
Distributed Leadership Principle 5: The exercise of authority requires reciprocity of accountability and capacity.
Design Principle 3: Reduce isolation and open practice up to direct observation, analysis and criticism.
Endorsement 189 Content and Competencies:
Content Standard 4: Knowledge of family support systems, factors which place families at risk, child care issues, and
home-school community relationships and interactions designed to promote parent education, family involvement, and
interagency collaboration.
Content Standard 5: Knowledge of school law and legislative and public policy issues affecting children and families.
Content Standard 6: Historical, social, philosophical, psychological foundations related to elementary and secondary
education
Competency 6: Understands, responds to, and influences the larger political, social, economic, legal, and cultural context.
Tool Box Activities This Seminar Will Address:
Overview of Tool Box Activities:
 As a Cohort Group, define the role of the school in communicating student needs to various publics in
order to heighten public awareness of problems and changes that are affecting teaching and learning.
Journal results.
 The demographics of many rural and urban schools have undergone many changes, what steps can a
leader take to help all staff understand the changes and move from the “if only we could turn the clock
back” mentality and move to making changes that support the more divergent or problem-based student
population? Discuss possibilities based on research and best practice with Cohort Group members.
Journal results.
 As a Cohort Group discuss the methods leaders can use to raise issues that impact the school with local
legislators. Journal the findings.
 From a current research base and discussion with Cohort Group, define 5 ways that the principal can
maintain an on-going dialogue with members of the school and community about external forces that
impact the school’s work toward their vision. Journal results.
 From a current research base, define the best ways that schools can ensure that they are listening to their
various publics and parents. Journal results.
 “The ethical leader abides by the spirit as well as the intent of policies, laws, and regulations that govern
the school and society through the year. The leader understands what these regulations are designed to
accomplish and is meticulous in adhering to these principles. Furthermore, the leader’s behavior is
demonstrated both in the school and in the larger community. Finally, this leader assumes full
responsibility for attempting to inspire others to that same behavior.” (A Framework for School Leaders:
Linking the ISLLC Standards to Practice, Hessel and Holloway 2002). Reflect with your Cohort Group
on this statement. Journal your reflection.
_________________________________________________________________________________________
BEFORE WEEKEND
 Review the course syllabus
 Obtain a copy of the local school board’s policy manual and make note of the theme of each
section of the manual and prepare to discuss those themes in class.
 Bring copies of the School Improvement Advisory Committees meeting minutes for the past two
years.
 Go to the following websites and write notes of major topics highlighted at each site: Iowa
Department of Education: www.educateiowa.gov, Iowa Association of School Boards: www.iasb.org, School Administrators of Iowa: www.sai-iowa.org.
 What is your definition of Iowa Code 281 – Administrative Code 79?
_________________________________________________________________________________________
Resources and Materials:






Iowa Association of School Boards: www.ia-sb.org
Iowa Department of Education: www.educateiowa.org
Iowa General Assembly: www.legis.state.ia.us
Iowa Governor’s Office: www.governor.iowa.gov
Iowa PTA: www.iowapta.org
School Administrators of Iowa: www.sai-iowa.org
This is a problem-centered course:
A problem is a troubled perplexed, trying situation…not an assigned task…It is indispensable to distinguish
between genuine and mock problems. Does a question naturally suggest itself with some situation? Or is it an
aloof thing, only for the purposes of conveying information? Would it arouse observation and engage
experimentation outside of school? Or is it the teacher’s or textbook’s, made a problem for the pupil only
because he cannot get the required mark unless he deals with it? (John Dewey, Democracy and Education,
1916)
Economic Development Overall Goal: The principal goal of Economic Development is to provide the
principal candidate with the background knowledge of situations they need to know in order to support the
development of the knowledge, performances, and dispositions of ISSL Standard VI and to support the
development of each Problem-based Theme.
Specific Seminar Goals:
 To understand the current framework of local, state, national, and global economic policies,
laws, and regulations that impact Iowa schools
 To understand the role of the School Improvement Advisory Committee
 To review “economic “ changes in the law in the previous legislative session that impact
teaching and learning in most Iowa school districts.
 To understand the need for and importance of membership and involvement in local, state, and
national organizations including SAI and IASB
 To understand the need to support educational initiatives that shift the focus from a mainly
traditional curriculum to supporting classrooms that develop knowledge-based individuals with
skills that include entrepreneurialism, technology, information processing, creativity, and
complex reasoning processes
 To provide a rationale for education as a key to opportunity and social mobility that appreciates
other ideas, values, and cultures
 To comprehend the need for ongoing dialogue and communication concerning trends, issues, and
changes with representatives of diverse community groups
Specific Seminar Continuing Objectives:
 To continue to dialogue with and receive legal issue support from the instructor as an expert
mentor throughout Problem-based Learning Theme VI in completing the action research, action
plan, tool box activities, and reflective journaling.
 To develop specific course tool box journaling and action requirements through consultation
with other Cohort Group members and the instructor as an expert mentor.
 Continue to critique the reference materials and sites and to share knowledge and understandings
with cohort group, instructor, and other mentors.
Student Assignments and Expectations: Listed in Syllabus 6: Problem-Based Learning Theme 6.
Evaluation:
Continuous Improvement Continuum: Teaching and Learning in the Wider Context
Level 5 on the rubric is assigned for work of the highest academic quality.
Level 4 on the rubric is assigned for professional quality work at the required quality level.
Level 3 on the rubric is assigned for adequate work, but not distinguished as sound quality at the
proficient level. Those with a Level 3 Rubric will have the opportunity to revise and complete
quality work.
All work for the Iowa Principal Leadership Academy must be completed at Rubric Levels 4 or 5 to be
considered proficient. All work must be completed at the proficient level.