EDU 545: Successful Leadership in K-12 Organizations

Overview

The purpose of this course is to introduce the K-12 school administrator to the principles and practices of leadership that will be employed in managing a school enterprise. The course will examine those traits and skills of an educational leader that can be employed to maintain the ongoing operation of a school and to promote and effect necessary changes in the organization.

In the course of study, the student of leadership will investigate the principles and practices involved in academic leadership. Then, the student will apply these principles and practices to the development of a plan to address an issue at a real school. This plan will propose a series of actions to change a practice at a school through using good leadership techniques. Also, the student will be challenged throughout the course to employ good leadership strategies to address challenging hypothetical school issues and problems.

Learning Outcomes

Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

• Identify various characteristics and leadership skills that make up the culture, climate and governance of an academic institution including advocating for the fundamental rights of students.
• Identify the leadership characteristics of a K-12 administrator necessary to maintain a stable school environment and to promote and effect change, including ensuring that professional expertise is maintained and there is continuing awareness of the latest information about child development, learning research, and applicable models of instruction.
• Identify factors that contribute to maintaining a stable school environment and how to detect signs of deterioration in those factors.
• Relate why visioning is the critical first leadership step in reformation, define the four steps of visioning, how to “sell” a vision, and how to create an environment that encourages this vision.
• Describe elements of the school culture and how they affect school operations, and the role of the school in the community.
• Describe basic human needs and individual requirements as they relate to individual involvement in an organization.
• Describe the motivations of groups in an organization and how a group forms a “community of practice.”
• Consistently identify student achievement as the primary objective of the school, and recognize that state standards represent the level of achievement expected.
• Describe how the governance structures normally found in a school organization may have to be altered in a change initiative.
• Describe the process of supporting the role of the school within the community and in upholding the fundamental principles and perpetuation of the democratic republic.
• Define the direction for a school community committed to and focused on learning.
• Develop a change initiative action plan for a school.
• Describe the leadership skills required to be an effective school administrator and relate those skills to their own competencies.

Required Texts
EDU 545 texts are available from the JIU/MBS bookstore