Jan Mulqueeny, Ed.D.
Adjunct Professor
Educational Leadership
Cell Phone: 630-975-3560
Email : jmulqueeny@roosevelt.edu
jmulqueeny@dist126.org
Office Hours : Before/After class
Schaumburg Room 520
Course dates : 9/1, 9/15,
9/29, 10/13, 10/27, 11/10,
12/01
ELOC 451: Instructional Leadership
Fall 2009
C
OURSE
D
ESCRIPTION
The purpose of this course is to explore different concepts relating to the teaching and learning process that inform the practice of instructional leadership. Current research and best practices in the areas of curriculum and instruction, student learning, assessment, accountability issues, professional development, and school improvement will be researched and reviewed and applied to current educational contexts. An emphasis will be placed on developing a collaborative school culture that supports the learning of all students, with specific attention to students who have traditionally been marginalized in public schools.
A CCOMMODATION OF P ERSONS WITH D ISABILITIES
Students with disabilities or other conditions that require special accommodations are encouraged to identify themselves to the instructor and/or to the Academic Success
Center/Office of Disability Services at 312-341-3810 as early as possible.
B
ROAD
G
OALS
R
ELATED TO THE
C
OLLEGE OF
E
DUCATION
’
S
C
ONCEPTUAL
F
RAMEWORK http://www.roosevelt.edu/education/framework.htm
Respect for knowledge and learning is a key pillar of democratic learning communities. This course is designed to provide candidates content area knowledge particular to the field of instructional leadership and useful strategies for interpreting and adapting educational contexts and procedures. Devotion to social justice and global responsibility is another mainstay of democratic learning communities. This course is developed around key goals of social justice leadership: creating a culture of high achievement for all students, ensuring that students and faculty become critical learners, and providing resources and the environment to realize the first two goals. The cornerstone of democratic learning communities is passion for the educator’s craft . This course recognizes that the professional school leader combines personal artistry with technical skills, such as expertise with technology.
C
OURSE
O
BJECTIVES
/L
EARNING
O
UTCOMES
: P
ROFESSIONAL
S
TANDARDS
This course is structured to address Standard #2 of the Educational Leadership Constituent
Council (ELCC) and the Interstate School Leaders Licensure Consortium (ISLLC) standards of professional practice.
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2
Standard 2 - Instructional Leadership : A school administrator is an educational leader who promotes the success of all students by advocating, nurturing, and sustaining a school culture and instructional program conducive to student learning and staff professional growth. Goals under this Standard include developing school leaders with the capacity to: a) Promote a Positive School Culture and Ensure Equity b) Guide an Effective Instructional Program c) Apply Best Practice to Student Learning e) Create and Utilize Accountability Systems
M ETHODOLOGY
This course will involve a variety of written and oral activities both online and in the classroom.
Activities include group and individual work, presentations, discussions, and lectures. Each class session will include discussions of the readings. Learners in this class are expected to demonstrate a high level of scholarship in all course activities and assignments in keeping with the norms of graduate coursework. Throughout our time together, participants will have the opportunity to make links from theory to practice and construct knowledge through readings, discussions, lectures, and personal reflection.
A TTENDANCE
Your full participation in the course is critical to the understanding of the course content and expectations for requirements of the course. Since we only meet seven times, your grade will be affected if you miss more than one class session and/or are late to class on a continual basis.
Online participation will also be assessed. Special circumstances are considered and need to be discussed with me prior to or directly following an absence .
A CADEMIC H ONESTY /P LAGIARISM P OLICY
Plagiarism is a serious offense in a university setting as well as in the publishing world.
Plagiarism occurs when you use someone else’s work without giving them credit. When using the exact words of another author, quotation marks should be used around the sentence, phrase, or passage. Summarizing a passage from another source or rearranging the order of a sentence or sentences is paraphrasing. Every time you paraphrase the work of another author, you should give credit to the author and do so early in your work. Please refer to the following link for citing references: http://sociology.camden.rutgers.edu/curriculum/citation.htm
Please also see: http://www.roosevelt.edu/plagiarism/default.htm
and http://www.roosevelt.edu/current/judicial/academic-dishonesty.htm
Please also check the current Student Handbook online at: http://www.roosevelt.edu/pdfs/studentHandbook.pdf
U NIVERSITY P OLICY ON A BSENCE TO O BSERVE R ELIGIOUS H OLIDAYS
Roosevelt University respects the rights of students to observe major religious holidays and will make accommodations, upon request, for such observances. Students who wish to observe religious holidays must inform their instructors in writing within the first two weeks of each semester of their intent to observe the holiday so that alternative arrangements convenient to both students and faculty can be made at the earliest opportunity. See the Student Handbook for further details.
L
ANGUAGE
: In course discussions and in your writing please adhere to the recommendations presented in A Guide to Bias-Free Communications

R
EQUIRED
R
EADINGS AND
M
ATERIALS
Reeves, Douglas, B. (2006) The Learning Leader: How to Focus School Improvement for Better
Results ASCD: ISBN 978-1-4166-0332-0
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Marzano, Robert (2003) What Works in Schools: Translating Research into Action ASCD: ISBN
978-0-87120-717-3
Website for course: RU Online: http://roosevelt.blackboard.com/webapps/login/ or Google Docs and http://eloc440.wikispaces.com/ELOC+451
A
DDITIONAL
M
ATERIALS
Additional required readings may be handed out in class or provided electronically. You will also be expected to find materials to support your school improvement plan.
A SSIGNMENTS
1. Participation: Involvement in class and online. Please plan to attend all class sessions, be on time, and fully participate in class activities and discussions. It is important to point out that participation is more than talking in class . Participation means allowing oneself to become engaged in the learning process of this course.
*Note – The class will be creating a list of resources: websites, articles, etc. that may be useful to one another. Everyone is expected to contribute to the list at least twice.
Total = 20 points
2. Summaries of Self-Selected Reading
To successfully complete the school improvement project, each student will need to read additional material to address gaps in personal knowledge. Two of the readings will be summarized and posted for class members to view. Provide a summary that includes all bibliographic information as well as a paragraph reflecting on why you chose this research/book, etc.
Total = 20 points
3. Instructional Leadership aka School Improvement Project: Multiple Components
As instructional leaders you will be called upon to guide focused improvement plans that address all aspects of schools: academics, social/emotional support, professional learning communities, strategic plans, etc. The jargon and format continue to shift, but the basic premises and need for leadership do not change. It is the job of schools to do all they can to prepare students for the future. Currently, Response to Intervention (RtI), Problem
Solving, and PBIS are the current buzzwords. You will create an improvement plan focused on one area. You may work individually or as a member of a group.
Total = 50 points
Components
A.
Overview : Brief description of the situation: school information (grade levels, student & teacher demographics, subgroups, other important info), data sources, strengths and concerns.
B.
Curricular Area : Be as specific as possible. Is there a strand of mathematics, a specific area of writing or reading? No “low impact” areas such as spelling or conventions in writing. Include ILS addressed.

C.
Data Analysis : What does the available data tell you? What are the trends? What data would you like to have that you might not have? How might you get it if you were in an administrative position? Does this fit into your school or departments RtI plans?
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D.
Subgroup performance : How do subgroups (ELLs, racial/ethnic groups, gender, special education, free/reduced lunch) students compare to the aggregate for the school and/or the district & state? What factors may influence this performance? How do you know?
Cite resources and research. If you are working as a group member, each member needs to focus on a subgroup, preferably one with which you would like to increase your background knowledge. Example: As an ELL teacher, I might want to focus on special education, but I would share my expertise on 2 nd language acquisition with the group.
E.
Goals: Written as SMART goals (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic/Relevant,
Time-bound/Timely). You may (should) have an overall goal for 3 years, but what would you want to attain in this school year? What are the goals based on… district goals, AYP targets, etc.
F.
Action Plan: Create a plan to address the area of concern and meet the goals. There may be components that need specifics based on a subgroup. You will need to include:
 Instruction (changes in materials, instructional strategies, time, etc.) Targeted groups, attention to supporting needs of all learners involved.
 Assessment (formative to monitor student progress & method to ascertain goal attainment)
 Staff Development: Specific ways to provide information, training for implementation, guided practice, on-going support.
 Rationale for plan, including research base
 Cost estimates in both time and money. Potential sources for both professional development time & funds.
 In a real school situation, who would be involved in the creation of this plan, who would be involved in carrying out/monitoring the implementation of each portion of this plan? Any potential problems with your CBA? How will they be addressed?
G.
Leadership Role: How will you support the implementation of the action plan? Be specific and provide evidence and citations from reading.
H.
Summary: Bring all the information together in a report to the Board of Education. Plan a 10 –15 minute presentation that will allow for interaction, questions & answers. An executive summary (1 to 2 pages) and PowerPoint.
I.
Final Project: Putting all these pieces together and submitting it as a DRF. We will discuss the format options, the DRF rubric and the “grading” rubric in class. This will be submitted electronically through Google Docs.
Expectations for all written work:
1.
Writing is clear and concise.
2.
Writing is free from grammatical and spelling errors.
3.
Writing is analytical and is well structured.

4.
Writing clearly draws from and refers to the reading assignments and delineated by appropriate citations. Use the 5 th
Edition of the APA Manual as a guideline.
5.
Use of bias-free writing.
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4. Technology: Digital Portfolio
An additional requirement concerns the administrative digital portfolio on Taskstream.
There are 2 requirements for the portfolio:
1. Upload one or more assignment(s) of your choice from this course into Standard 2 of the digital portfolio. Besides uploading an assignment into the “artifacts” section, statements describing both the objective and activity that relate to the assignment will also be recorded under the Standard. There will be opportunities in class during the semester to work on the digital portfolio.
2. Upload the Instructional Leadership Assignment into a DRF in Taskstream for evaluation.
Total = 10 points
COURSE REQUIREMENTS AND EVALUATION:
Project
Class Participation (in class and online)
Summaries of Self Selected Reading
Instructional Leadership Assignment
Digital portfolio
Total:
Points
20
20
50
10
100 points points
points
points
points
Course grades are based on the following points:
94-100 A
90-93 A-
87-89 B+
83-86 B
80-82 B-
77-79 C+
73-76 C
( Note: Course requirements not turned in on time will result in a reduction in point total.
)
S
CHEDULE AND
C
ALENDAR
Plan may be modified as needed.
Class session Theme
Session 1:
Sept. 1
Session 2:
Sept. 15
Session 3:
Sept. 29
Session 4:
Oct. 13
Welcome; Review Syllabus
What IS Instructional Leadership?
Leadership and Learning
Student Achievement & School Factors
Data Analysis
Teaching & Learning
Classroom Management
Student Factors
Reading Schedule and
Assignment(s) due
Using Google Docs
Reeves Chapters 1 – 4
Identify a) what school/district you will work and b) if you are working independently or with a group
Marzano Section I
Reeves Chapter 5 & 6
Components A & B
Marzano Section II & III
Component C, D & E
Posted anything on our reference list yet?

Session 5:
Oct. 27
Session 6:
Nov. 10
Session 7:
December 1
Planning Models:
Assessing Student Learning
Putting it all Together: Presentations,
Course evaluations and celebration!
Marzano Section IV
Component F & G
Reeves Chapter 7
Summaries Due
Components H& 1
Board Presentations
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