EDLD 5333 Leadership for Accountability
Syllabus
Preparing Educators for a Changing World
The CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK of the Lamar University Educator Preparation
Program illuminates the vision of the faculty as they are engaged in teaching, research
and service. The undergraduate and graduate programs utilize a variety of delivery
systems to prepare educators and leaders for a changing world by requiring them to
demonstrate core knowledge, content proficiency, pedagogical techniques and
strategies, communication and leadership skills, technological and analytical abilities,
and professional dispositions. Lamar University educator preparation candidates
develop habits of mind needed for “lifelong learning” and respond to the ever changing
diverse needs of EC-12 students and the schools that serve them.
Department:
Educational Leadership
Course Number:
EDLD 5333
Course Title:
Leadership for Accountability
Faculty:
Dr. Johnny O’Connor
joconnorjr@lamar.edu
Dr. Nancy Adams
nancy.adams@lamar.edu
Department Address:
Department of Educational Leadership
Lamar University
Dr. Cynthia Cummings, Director
P O Box 10034
Beaumont, TX 77710
Website:
Phone: (409) 880-8689
FAX: (409) 880-8685
cdcummings@lamar.edu
See the Ed Leadership Department Web Site for latest
certification and internship
informationhttp://sites.google.com/site/luedlead/
Read weekly overviews &check your Lamar e-mail account regularly.
Virtual Office Hours and Web Conference dates/times:To be announced in Weekly
Overviews in the Announcements section of Blackboard. ** It is the responsibility of the
student to read the announcements and weekly overviews for information and updates
to the course and/or syllabus.
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Most answers to your questions about the Lamar Educational Leadership program, including
internship forms and the intern handbook, can be found at this
website:http://sites.google.com/site/luedlead/
Scholarly Writing : Assignment submissions should adhere to standards of scholarly
writing and academic honesty. Cite references using APA formatting guidelines. For
more information please visit:http://thewritesource.com/apa/apa.htm.
TK20 contact information: TK20@lamar.edu Help desk: (409) 880-2126 or (409) 880-2124
To access the TK20 Login page, type :lamar.tk20.com into your web browser.
MyLamar Account Support: For questions regarding your myLamar account (setting up your
account or email, username, and password issues), email us at myLamar@lamar.edu or call us
at 409-880-2222, 8:00am to 5:00pm, Monday through Friday.
Blackboard Technical Support Contact Information and Hours: Blackboard
Support
7:30 a.m. - 7:30 p.m. : (409) 880 - 2222 | Support 7:30 p.m. - 7:30 a.m.: 1 (866) 321 7170 | blackboard@lamar.eduIt often helps to include your section information.
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attachment, copy and paste into a word document and print it.
University Technical Support – Help with your university email account, username, and
password: Contact information is available athttps://helpdesk.lamar.edu
LCE and Internship questions to academic.testing@lamar.edu
TExES, Registration/Enrollment, Appeals for Admission and Degree Plan questions to Student
Services: luacademic@lamar.edu
Graduation Applications and Academic Probation/Suspension questions to Graduate College:
lugradstudies@lamar.edu
Course Description
Leadership for Accountability
This course is a study of both short and long-range planning and problem solving
techniques of effective school leaders. Special emphasis will be given to an individual
campus and its relationship to district planning process. This course is required for the
master’s of school administration and principal certification.
Instructional Associates
This information will be provided through an e-mail.Course activities, assignments,
questions, and correspondence are to be e-mailed to the Instructional Associate.
Prerequisites
Admission to the Lamar Academic Partnership Program.Remember, if you have been
provisionally admitted, you must submit transcripts and GRE scores before the end of
your second course (within the first 6 hours of coursework) to move from provisional
admission to full admission. Provisionally admitted students may take only 6 hours (two
courses).
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Course Texts
The required readings for this course are provided in the Course Content Outline section
of the Syllabus. Actual readings can be found in the Resources section of the on-line
course.
Course Outcomes
Learning Outcomes
Trace the evolutionary milestones of the accountability standards movement from the
Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) through passage of NCLB to the
present.

Identify the responsibilities of states with regard to standards and assessment
systems.

Describe the significance of a shared vision and healthy school culture to the
campus improvement process.

Describe the uses of the Public Education Information Management System
(PEIMS) snapshot data in the Texas Academic Performance (TAPR) process.

Identify the scope of information and performance indicators addressed on Texas
Accountability reports.

Identify the basic steps in the data-driven comprehensive needs assessment
process.

Describe how to apply four types of data in the comprehensive needs
assessment process.

Articulate the importance of measurable goals and objectives to the
comprehensive needs assessment process.

Define the principal’s role in campus planning and problem solving as a part of
the continuous improvement process.

Describe the steps in developing a campus-wide improvement plan and the
critical components of a campus plan.

Explain the importance of communication and formative assessment in
continuous school improvement and campus planning.

Identify the 10 components of school-wide planning as defined by Title I
guidelines.

Cite strategies to ensure that a Campus Improvement Plan is inclusive and
addresses the needs of all learners.

Describe the purpose and functions of the site-based decision-making (SBDM)
team with regard to the change process and campus planning.

Articulate the characteristics of schools that are successful in sustaining
continuous improvement.
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
Define the roles of the campus principal, staff members, parents, community
members, and business representatives with regard to the SBDM team.

Identify techniques for planning and facilitating productive SBDM meetings and
for use in problem solving and decision making.
Performance Outcomes

Create a statement of a personal vision of leadership after exploring assigned
Web sites and readings on the topic of school visioning.

Navigate the Texas Education Agency (TEA) Web site to access, analyze, and
summarizecampus data from the most recent 2013 Accountability Summary.

Analyze accountability data reports disaggregated by ethnicity, special education,
low-income status, limited English proficient status, and a school district’s staged
status as one tool in the needs assessment process to determine areas of
strength and need and patterns and trends.

Use assessment data as one tool in the needs assessment process.

Narrow the focus of the needs assessment to one target area of weakness, and
write a S.M.A.R.T. goal and one measurable objective for the target area.

Research appropriate strategies/activities, including specific professional
development, to address the target area, and list the strategies and rationale for
using each strategy.

Create a campus action plan to address the areas of need based on data from
the needs assessment, including professional development plans and resources
and tools for school improvement efforts.

Complete an agenda for one professional development day, match training to
teacher and student learning needs, and develop a timeline for follow-up
professional development activities to address the targeted need area.

Outline the next action planning steps to ensure continuing growth in student
performance toward campus goals.

Conduct interviews with a principal and an SBDM team member to obtain
information regarding campus planning and SBDM dynamics.

Complete a three-year comparison of Texas STaR Chart data of a selected
campus to state-wide data. Determine strengths and weaknesses for the
purpose of professional development.
Course Standards
Great care has been taken to include the content required by the Texas State Board of
Educator Certification (SBEC), recommended by national specialty organizations (e.g.
NCATE, CEC), and supplemented by Lamar University faculty members. The TExES
examinations, where required for certification, reflect standards of this course.
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Texas State Board of Educator Certification (SBEC) Principal Standards:
(c) Learner-Centered Leadership and Campus Culture: A principal is an educational
leader who promotes the success of all students and shapes campus culture by
facilitating the development, articulation, implementation, and stewardship of a vision of
learning that is shared and supported by the school community. At the campus level, a
principal understands, values, and is able to:
5) utilize emerging issues, trends, demographic data, knowledge of systems,
campus climate inventories, student learning data, and other information to
develop a campus vision and plan to implement the vision.
7) facilitate the collaborative development of a plan in which objectives and
strategies to implement the campus vision are clearly articulated.
9) establish processes to assess and modify the plan of implementation to
ensure achievement of the campus vision.
(f) Learner-centered Organizational Leadership and Management: A principal is an
educational leader who promotes the success of all students through leadership and
management of the organization, operations, and resources for a safe, efficient, and
effective learning environment. At the campus level, a principal understands, values, and
is able to:
3) frame, analyze, and creatively resolve campus problems using effective
problem solving techniques to make timely, high quality decision.
8) collaboratively plan and effectively manage the campus budget.
(h) Learner Instructional Leadership and Management: A principal is an educational
leader who promotes the success of all students by advocating, nurturing, and
sustaining a campus culture and instructional program conducive to student learning and
staff professional growth. At the campus level, a principal understands, values, and is
able to:
8) acquire and allocate sufficient instructional resources on the campus in the
most equitable manner to support and enhance student learning.
Educational Leadership Constituent Council (ELCC) Standards:
Standard 1.0: Candidates who complete the program are educational leaders who have
the knowledge and ability to promote the success of all students by facilitating the
development, articulation, implementation, and stewardship of a district vision of learning
supported by the school community.
Standard 2.0: Candidates who complete the program are educational leaders who have
the knowledge and ability to promote the success of all students by promoting a positive
school culture, providing an effective instructional program, applying best practice to
student learning, and designing comprehensive professional growth plans for staff.
Standard 3.0: Candidates who complete the program are educational leaders who have
the knowledge and ability to promote the success of all students by managing the
organization, operations, and resources in a way that promotes a safe, efficient, and
effective learning environment.
State Certification Examination:
The Texas Examinations of Educator Standards (TexES). Certification examinations are
based on competencies within the test framework. The framework is located in the Test
Preparation Manual of the SBEC Principal Study Guide and may be found on the SBEC
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Web site: http://www.sbec.state.tx.us/. The following TExES Competencies are
addressed: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8.
Classroom Management Policies
Academic Honesty
Based upon the West Point Honor Code, Lamar University students will not cheat, lie,
plagiarize, or tolerate those who do. Academic dishonesty will not be tolerated on tests
or any class assignments. Should you be found responsible for a dishonest incident, the
course instructor will assign a reasonable penalty. If you do not consent to the findings
and/or penalty, you must file an appeal with the department chairperson within five days
as specified in the student handbook.
Sexual Harassment
Lamar University provides reasonable accommodations for all qualified individuals with
disabilities in accordance with federal, state, and local guidelines affording equal
educational opportunity. Remember this is a distance learning class, and the format is
different from traditional face-to-face instruction. It is the student’s responsibility to
register with Lamar’s Disability Support Services if needed, so contact your academic
advisor about this.
Class Participation
Participation in the discussion forum is expected as a required weekly assignment.
Students are expected to keep current with the course schedule, all assignment due
dates, and assigned reading. All work submitted must be your own work. When referring
to someone else’s work, clearly cite references using the American Psychological
Association (APA) Publication Manual. Students are expected to spend a minimum of
eight (8) hours per week on preparation for this course.
Note: It is important to cover the reading assignments and be prepared for participation
in the online discussion each week. It is also important to read and follow the directions
for completion of your assignments each week.
Special Accommodations:
Any student who feels s/he may need an accommodation based on the impact of a
disability should contact me privately to discuss your specific needs. Please contact the
office of Services for Students with Disabilities at 409-880-8347 or in person in 101A
Wimberley Building to coordinate reasonable accommodations for students with
documented disabilities.
Students requiring communication access for audio components of this course
must contact the Communication Access Coordinator in order to schedule captioning or
sign language interpreters. Students are solely responsible for submitting
communication access service requests by e-mailing cadh@lamar.edu or calling 409880-8905 V, 409-299-5886 VP.
Drop
Drops after the course begins may carry financial penalty in that reimbursement may not
be possible. See posted drop dates.
Graduate Admissions Contact Information:
For answers to general questions regarding your program, contact Graduate Admissions
at (409) 880-8888, or e-mail gradmissions@lamar.edu.
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Grading and Evaluation
Weights for Assignments
15 %Week 1 Analyzing Campus Needand Personal Vision
15 % Week 2 Mining for Data
15 % Week 3 Targeting and Addressing a Need
20% Week 4 Action Planning and Professional Growth
10 % Week 5 Reflections
10% Week 5 STaR Chart technology activity
15 %Weekly Discussion Boards: 3 % weekly
All weekly discussion board responses should be complete and elaborated to receive full
credit. Initial response to prompts due by 4th class day (Thursday) @11:59 p.m. and
respond to two (2) colleagues in the discussion group by 7th day (Sunday) @ 11:59 p.m.
to receive full credit.Cite references using APA formatting guidelines. It is the
responsibility of the student to check Announcements for any changes to due dates that
may be required.
For more information on APA, please visit: http://thewritesource.com/apa/apa.htm
Grading Scale
90 – 100 % = A
70 – 79% = C
80 – 89% = B 60 – 69% = D
0 – 59% = F
Extensions:Extensions (48 hours) may be granted with no penalty only for
emergencies and extenuating circumstances by contacting the assigned
Instructional Associate via e-mail or phone “prior” to the due date with the
request if at all possible.
Late assignments: Assignments received after the due date, but prior to
the next week’s due date will be assessed one letter grade. Assignments
received beyond the next week’s due date will be assessed a ‘zero’.
The week 4 assignment MUST be submitted to TK20 and Blackboard. It will
be graded in TK20 only. The grade will be reported in Blackboard. Week 4
assignments not submitted to TK20 will receive a ‘zero’.
IMPORTANT: In this course there is a key assessment that is required to be submitted through
Tk20. The week 4 assignment will be graded in Tk20. If you fail to submit this assignment
through Tk20, you will receive a zero (0) on your assignment. If you need assistance with Tk20,
please contact the Lamar Tk20 helpdesk at tk20@lamar.edu or call 409-880-2126.
Your Tk20 week 4 assignment for this course must be submitted to TK20 by the end of
Week 4.
Steps to uploading your Week 4 assignment in Tk20:
1. Login to Tk20
2. Look under Pending Tasks on the Home tab.
3. Select the link that says “Please send the course binder for (EDLD 5333)”.
4. Once you have opened your Course Binder, go to the Assignments tab and follow the
instructions for creating your Tk20 artifacts.
5. Next go to the Artifacts tab and use the Artifact Wizard to create your artifact.
Note: Be sure to select the correct Artifact type (form) from the drop down list.
6. Once your artifact is created, it is stored in the Artifacts tab. Your instructor still cannot
view it.
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7. Next you will go open your Course Binder again, go to the Assignments tab, and select
the words “Click here to attach”. Tk20 will look in your stored Artifacts for the same
type of artifact form that you were asked to create. Select your artifact, click “continue”
and “Ok”.
8. Once you have attached all the required artifacts, you will “Submit” your course binder
for review. After you submit your binder, it will be locked for editing.
Remember, these simple steps …
A. Artifacts are created in Tk20 using the Artifact Wizard and stored in the Artifacts tab.
B. Artifacts must then be attached to a Course binder before your instructor can view
them.
C. Courses binders must be submitted for review to be graded by your instructor.
If you need to have your Tk20 password reset, please email the Lamar Tk20 helpdesk at
tk20@lamar.edu or call 409-880-2126. If you need to make changes or revisions to your
submitted course binder, please contact your Instructional Associate or course instructor.
Course Content Outline
All assignments are due on the weeks listed in the Course Content Outline table below.
Schedule
Week 1
Course Readings, Assignments, and Discussions
Topic: Standards and Accountability
Self-Evaluation- Complete the Pre-Course Self-Evaluation
Mostassigned readingsare in theresource sectionof the course.
1. Rooney, J. (2008). What do we believe? Education Leadership,
65(5), 88.
2. Reeves, D. (2007). How do you change school culture? Educational
Leadership, 64(4), 92-94.
3. Fridell, M. (2006). The new principal’s role in establishing a
collaborative, progressive vision. Connexions. Retrieved on June 19,
2009, from http://cnx.org/content/m14078/latest/
4. TEA (2014). Overview of Performance Index Framework (pdf)
5. TEA (2014). FAQ’s 2014 Texas Accountability Intervention System
(pdf)
6. Parks, A. (2012). Understanding the central themes of the common
core standards and the need to develop digital literacy and 21st
century skills in today’s classrooms. The Learning Project.
Assignments: Submit by11:59 p.m. of the 7thday (Sunday) of week 1.
7. “Analyzing Campus Need and Developing a Personal Vision of
Leadership.”
8. Complete the Course Embedded reflectionfor EDLD 5333 “I-001
Vision and Campus Culture” on the Course-Embedded Summary
Report, a single template used to record “all” course-embedded
reflections for the entire program which you will uploadas an
assignment in your final course.(If you haven’t done so already, visit
the intern handbook http://sites.google.com/site/luedlead/. See the section
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titled internship forms. To view the entire form you must “download” it first,
save it to your computer, and post all course-embedded reflections on it.).
Discussion board-Initial response due by 11:59 of the 4th day
(Thursday) of Week 1. Cite sources using APA format. Respond to 2
colleagues by 11:59 of 7th day (Sunday).
 What is the purpose of accountability systems?
Week 2
Topic: Texas Accountability System
Assigned Readings
1. TEA (2014). Data Analysis Guidance for the Texas Accountability
Intervention System.
2. TEA (2014). Needs Assessment Guidance for the Texas
Accountability Intervention System.
3. Ronka, D.,Lachat, M.A., Slaughter, R., Meltzer, J. (2008). Answering
the Questions That Count. Educational Leadership, 66(4), 18-24.
Assignments: Due on the 7th day (Sunday) of week 2 by 11:59 p.m.

Complete the “Mining for Data” assignment, then complete the
Course-Embedded reflection forEDLD 5333- “Curriculum,
Measurement, and Alignment of Resources“ in your CourseEmbedded Summary Report template.
Discussion board 1 -Initial response due by 11:59 of the 4thday
(Thursday) of Week 2. Respond to 2 colleagues by 11:59 p.m. of the
7th day (Sunday). Cite sources using APA format.
a. Share the approach your campus has taken to train the
staff in effective data use, or explainhow you would
manage this challengeif you were the principal/instructional
leader.
Discussion Board 2
You have created your Action Research Design Plan in EDLD 5301. This
Discussion Board prompt provides you an opportunity to share your
progress in your action research study and the development of your action
research report. Throughout this process, you should use the Action
Research Report Template provided in the Resources section of the
LibGuide. Remember you can continue to use all of the resources found in
the EDLD 5301 LibGuide.Copy and paste the URL to Google Chrome or
Firefox to access the LibGuide:
http://libguides.lamar.edu/content.php?pid=611718&sid=5054608
In this Discussion Board assignment, please attach the most recent draft of
your Action Research Report. Additionally, submit a type written paragraph
in response to the questions below:
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1)
How many additional articles have you added to your review
of the literature? How many of these articles are peer
reviewed? What themes or subtopics have emerged in the
literature about your research topic? What successes and
challenges have you experienced with your Review of
Literature?
2) Discuss the successes you have had implementing your
research design and any concerns or gaps you have
regarding implementing your action research study.
Submissions should be presented according to the following timelines.
Attach the most recent draft of your Action Research Report and submit
answer the answers to the above questions by Thursday at 11:59 pm.
Provide feedback to a minimum of 3 of your colleagues’ Action Research
Reports and post by Sunday at 11:59 pm.
Week 3
Topic: Data-Based Decision Making
Assigned Readings
1. TEA (2014). Guidance for the Texas Accountability Intervention
System (TAIS): Improvement Planning Guidance.
2. TEA (2014). Campus Leadership Team Job Description.
3. Fullan, M. (2002). The change leader. Educational Leadership,
59(8), 16-20.
4. U.S. Dept. of Education. (2007). Understanding the NCLB Act:
Scientifically Based Research. Learning Point Associates.
Assignments: Due11:59 p.m. of the 7th day (Sunday).
5. Complete and submit the assignment, “Targeting and Addressing a
Need.”
Discussion board-Initial response due by 11:59 of the 4th day (Thursday)
of Week 3. Respond to 2 colleagues by 11:59 of the 7th day (Sunday).Use
APA format.
6. You have read and reviewed the Texas Accountability Intervention
Guidance documents on Data Analysis and Needs Assessment in
week 2, and the Improvement Planning document in week 3. Which
components did you find most valuable, and how would you use the
information with your faculty?Cite using APA, as appropriate.
Week 4
Topic: Continuous Improvement
Assigned Readings
1. Joyce, B., & Showers, B. (2003). Student achievement through staff
development. National College for School Leadership, 1-5. Retrieved
on June 19, 2009, from
http://forms.ncsl.org.uk/mediastore/image2/randd-engaged-joyce.pdf
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2. William, D. (2007-2008). Changing classroom practice. Educational
Leadership, 65(4), 36-41.
3. Heritage, M. (2007). Formative assessment: What do teachers need
to know and do? Phi Delta Kappan, 89, 140-145.
4. Marino, J. (2007). A new paradigm for organizational change:
Involving customers and stakeholders in the improvement process.
The Journal for Quality and Participation, 30(1), 10-12.
5. McTighe, J. (2008). Making the most of professional learning
communities. The Learning Principal, 3(8), 1, 4-8.
Assignment: Due11:59 p.m. of the 7th day (Sunday) of week 4.
6.
“Action Planning and Professional Growth.”
7. The week 4 assignment MUST be submitted to TK20 and
Blackboard. It will be graded in TK20 only. A zero will be
assessed if not submitted to TK20. It will be graded in TK20
and reported in the Blackboard grade book. If assistance is
needed, contact TK20: TK20@lamar.edu or (409) 880-2126. Due
to TK20 by end of week 4.
8. Complete Course-Embedded reflections for EDLD 5333 “II-007
Decision Making and Problem Solving “ and“III-008 Budgeting,
Resources Allocation, and Financial Management”
9. Continue to complete Campus-Supervised activities from your intern
plan into the Campus-Supervised Summary and Validation Report
as you work through the Ed. Leadership program.
Discussion board-Initial response due by 11:59 of the 4th day (Thursday)
of Week 4. Respond to 2 colleagues by 11:59 of the 7th day (Sunday).Cite
using APA format.
Review the following three articles from this week’s readings to complete
the discussion board assignment:
10. “Changing Classroom Practice” by Dylan Wiliam
11. “Formative Assessment: What Do Teachers Need to Know and Do?”
by Margaret Heritage
12. Student achievement through staff Development by Joyce, B., &
Showers, B.
Discuss the role of learning communities as a professional development
tool to move teachers from knowledge to action in using formative
assessments to improve student performance. What implications might this
information have for the professional development portion of the campus
action plan that you develop in the Week 4 Application assignment?Cite
sources using APA.
Week 5
Topic: Site-Based Decision Making
Assigned Readings
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1. Texas Education Code. Considerations for local implementation (of
the site based decision making process). TEA.(This document is in
Resources Section of Blackboard)
2. Richardson, M. (2005). Consensus leadership, Principal Leadership,
6(4), 32-35.
3. Elmore, R. F., & City, E. A. (2007). The road to school improvement.
Harvard Education Letter, 23(3), 1-3.
4. Nye, K., &Capelluti, J. (2003). The ABCs of decision making.
Principal Leadership, 3(9), 8-10.
5. Reeves, D. B. (2007). How do you sustain excellence? Educational
Leadership, 65(3), 86-87.
6. Texas Education Agency. (2010). 2010 Progress Report on the
Long Range Plan for Technology, 2006-2020
Assignments: Submit assignments by 11:59 of the 7th day/week 5.
1. Parts 1 & 2-Reflections
2. Part 3-STaR technology Chart activity
Complete the Course Embedded reflection for EDLD 5333 “I-003
Integrity and Ethics“.
Continue to complete Campus-Supervised activities from your intern
plan as you work through the Ed. Leadership program.
REMINDER: All course-embedded and campus-supervised reflections must
be completed prior to enrolling in your final course.
Discussion boardInitial response due by 11:59 of the 4th day of Week 5. Respond to 2
colleagues by 11:59 on Sunday (7th day).Cite sources using APA format.
What is the value of consensus building in the school improvement process,
and how does your school go about the process of consensus building?
Share strategies that have been successful at your school or another
organization.
Self-Evaluation- Complete the Post Course Self-Evaluation
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