Courses
GEDA-560 Achieve Standards Excel (3)
This course will focus on setting the stage for a successful career in school/district leadership by: (a) providing a historical and contemporary context on the philosophical, ethical, social, and economic influences affecting education; (b) examining the core values and characteristics of effective leadership; (c) connecting leadership research with best practices; and (d) developing high standards and expectations; (e) a positive culture that supports success for all learners in diverse school settings; (f) issues in school and district-wide instructional improvement; (g) strategies for using categorical and local funds included in building-level and district budgets to support instructional initiatives; (h) the ongoing responsibility to use the funds designated for special needs students in accordance with the authorizing legislation (free appropriate public education in the least restrictive environment); (i) successful student engagement; (j) school and district responsibilities and obligations in regard to federal and state standards and regulations. Candidates study how mission and vision contribute to effective leadership practices that supports students’ success and continuous school improvement. Issues of instructional improvement, and successful student engagement will be examined and addressed. The course will also examine and apply various uses of technology to enhance teaching and learning and improve school operations. Professional dispositions are reviewed by each candidate to determine which ones are in need of work and a personal plan for self-improvement and continuous learning is developed and reviewed throughout the15-month program.
Typically offered:
Restrictions: Including: -Major: Bldg andDist Educ Leadership, School Leadership
FallGEDA-561 Leadership Collaboration (3)
School success is most likely to occur when there is a commitment by all stakeholders to foster a professional community of standards of excellence and the focus is on success for all students. This course will focus on the application of motivational theory in building shared commitment and ownership to achieve the school’s and district’s vision and enhance learning for all students. This course provides candidates with a theoretical understanding of educational politics, governance, financing, and regulation with internal and external constituencies. Candidates will acquire the knowledge, skills, and dispositions needed to serve as the chief executive officer of a school district and instructional leader of a school. The use of various information technologies to support collaboration will also be explored.
Typically offered:
Restrictions: Including: -Major: Bldg andDist Educ Leadership, School Leadership
FallGEDA-562 Internship I (2)
Field-based clinical internships are crucial elements of the program’s curriculum. The internships run concurrently with the courses each semester. Through the internship experiences, candidates define and analyze problems of practice, acquire the skills and knowledge needed to deal effectively with such problems, and integrate their theoretical studies with practical applications, including the use of various technologies (e.g. candidates will develop a school budget consistent with the building’s school improvement plan and monitor the fiscal oversight with the student activity funds. This internship experience is aligned with the topics covered in Module I.
Internship assignments and times are arranged by the College in collaboration with the candidate and the candidate’s home school district or a partnering district. Candidates are provided with experiences in diverse school and central office settings in at least one internship.
Graded S/U.
Typically offered:
Restrictions: Including: -Major: Bldg andDist Educ Leadership, School Leadership
FallGEDA-563 Plan School/Distrct Assess (3)
Effective school-based planning and assessment serve as the foundation in building a system of school/district improvement. This course will focus on how to maximize diversity in creating effective planning groups, successful long-range school planning, and assessment and improvement techniques that support positive school and district improvement, enhance teaching and learning for all students, and improve student and staff results. This course provides an opportunity to analyze the district requirement for the evaluation and instructional support for all students in their district including students home-schooled or in a private school setting. Candidates will develop strategies for engaging a range of community groups at the building and district levels, in planning, implementing and assessing a budget that uses federal, state, local and donated funds to enhance teaching and learning for all students. The course will also review culturally responsive practices that strive for equity in educational opportunity promoting each student’s academic success and well-being.
Typically offered:
Restrictions: Including: -Major: Bldg andDist Educ Leadership, School Leadership
SpringGEDA-564 Improving Instructn & Lrng (3)
This course will focus on how to develop and support intellectually rigorous, culturally relevant, and coherent systems of curriculum, instruction, and assessment to promote academic success and well-being of all students. Topics will include: (1) strategies for aligning curriculum, instruction and assessments with federal, state, and local learning standards; (2) collaborative strategies for developing with others the curriculum, instruction, and assessment appropriate for varied teaching and learning styles and specific student needs; (3) ensuring that students with disabilities are provided with the appropriate services in the least restrictive environment; (4) dynamics of change and school reform; and (5) using technology as a means of improving teaching, learning, and assessment for all students. The coursework or training will also include studying the warning signs within developmental and social contexts that relate to violence and other troubling behavior in children; effective classroom management techniques and other academic supports that promote problem-solving skill development within their regular curriculum.
Typically offered:
Restrictions: Including: -Major: Bldg andDist Educ Leadership, School Leadership
SpringGEDA-565 Internship II (2)
Field-based clinical internships are crucial elements of the program’s curriculum. The internships run concurrently with the courses each semester. Through the internship experiences, candidates define and analyze problems of practice, acquire the skills and knowledge needed to deal effectively with such problems, and integrate their theoretical studies with practical applications, including the use of various technologies (e.g. candidates will develop a school budget consistent with the building’s school improvement plan and monitor the fiscal oversight with the student activity funds. This internship experience is aligned with the topics covered in Module II.
Internship assignments and times are arranged by the College in collaboration with the candidate and the candidate’s home school district or a partnering district. Candidates are provided with experiences in diverse school and central office settings in at least one internship.
Graded S/U.
Typically offered:
Restrictions: Including: -Major: Bldg andDist Educ Leadership, School Leadership
SpringGEDA-566 Dev Effective Partnerships (3)
This course develops the professional capacity, cultural competence, and practice of school personnel and community members to promote the love of learning, academic success, and well-being of all students. Partnerships are at the heart of effective schools. Parents, community-based and philanthropic organizations, colleges, businesses, the media, human service providers, and others need to be actively and positively engaged as partners in the school improvement process. Many of the problems faced by schools and districts come from the lack of consensus on and understanding of the school or district’s mission, goals, and guiding principles. These problems are compounded by misunderstandings about the school or district and their function and purposes. This course is designed to provide candidates with the skills needed to improve school effectiveness through meaningful school and parent partnerships, communication through local media, and effective relationships with local service agencies, businesses, and community-based organizations. Embedded in the strategies for developing and sustaining partnerships are discussions of the responsibility for appropriate accounting for grant, school activity and fundraising funds. Candidates will consider how to use technology to develop, implement, and sustain partnerships.
Typically offered:
Restrictions: Including: -Major: Bldg andDist Educ Leadership, School Leadership
SummerGEDA-567 Effective Communication (3)
This course cultivates an inclusive, caring, and supportive entire community that promotes the academic success and well-being of all students. The focus is on effective marketing and public relation strategies, the impact of internal and external political systems, and successful steps to organizing school and district-wide data and reporting such information to various community audiences and constituency groups. Emphasis is placed on communications including media and employee relations. This course also will include demonstrations on the use of various technology software applications that can be applied in different communication venues.
Typically offered:
Restrictions: Including: -Major: Bldg andDist Educ Leadership, School Leadership
SummerGEDA-568 Internship III (2)
Field-based clinical internships are crucial elements of the program’s curriculum. The internships run concurrently with the courses each semester. Through the internship experiences, candidates define and analyze problems of practice, acquire the skills and knowledge needed to deal effectively with such problems, and integrate their theoretical studies with practical applications, including the use of various technologies (e.g. candidates will develop a school budget consistent with the building’s school improvement plan and monitor the fiscal oversight with the student activity funds. This internship experience is aligned with the topics covered in Module III.
Internship assignments and times are arranged by the College in collaboration with the candidate and the candidate’s home school district or a partnering district. Candidates are provided with experiences in diverse school and central office settings in at least one internship.
Graded S/U.
Typically offered:
Restrictions: Including: -Major: Bldg andDist Educ Leadership, School Leadership
SummerGEDA-569 Accountability,Assess&Perf (3)
Managing school operations and resources to promote each students’ academic success and well-being depends to a large extent on effective leadership. An effective leader understands the importance of identifying and selecting a quality team and delegating the appropriate level of authority, responsibility, and accountability to the various members of the team. An effective leader also knows that a systems approach that views schools as interactive instructional systems operating within external environments is required to positively affect the processes, structures, and dynamics that make up a school. Candidates will examine employee induction, professional development, and evaluation models and the use of technology to track performance and monitor accountability over time within a structure that includes mandated fiscal oversight practices and periodic auditing by an independent organization.
Typically offered:
Restrictions: Including: -Major: Bldg andDist Educ Leadership, School Leadership
FallGEDA-570 Prod&Sustain Schl Imprvmnt (3)
This course focuses on the essential skills that school leaders need in order to create a culture of continuous improvement to promote each student’s academic success and well-being. The research suggests that an effective school leader has the ability to create conditions that support an environment of recognition and appreciation. One of the most critical steps in cultivating such conditions is to embrace diversity as an asset, regularly reinforce and recognize the improvement efforts of individual staff and students and the school community, as a whole. The course will examine a variety of research studies that have been conducted: for example, reward and incentive programs and their impact on improvement, successful programs and practices for self-review and renewal of schools, including celebrating diversity. This course emphasizes building and district leaders’ fiscal oversight responsibilities; the fiscally sound practices, and ways to monitor and periodically audit school systems to sustain continuous school improvement. The use of technology to support financial management operations and resource allocation decisions is explored. The course provides opportunities to close achievement gaps as a legal and moral responsibility of leadership. This course also includes a review of the academic supports that promote problem-solving skill development for students within their regular curriculum; intervention techniques designed to address a school violence situation; and how to participate in an effective school/community referral process for students exhibiting violent behavior.
Typically offered:
Restrictions: Including: -Major: Bldg andDist Educ Leadership, School Leadership
FallGEDA-571 Internship IV (2)
Field-based clinical internships are crucial elements of the program’s curriculum. The internships run concurrently with the courses each semester. Through the internship experiences, candidates define and analyze problems of practice, acquire the skills and knowledge needed to deal effectively with such problems, and integrate their theoretical studies with practical applications, including the use of various technologies (e.g. candidates will develop a school budget consistent with the building’s school improvement plan and monitor the fiscal oversight with the student activity funds. This internship experience is aligned with the topics covered in Module IV.
Internship assignments and times are arranged by the College in collaboration with the candidate and the candidate’s home school district or a partnering district. Candidates are provided with experiences in diverse school and central office settings in at least one internship.
Graded S/U.
Typically offered:
Restrictions: Including: -Major: Bldg andDist Educ Leadership, School Leadership
Fall