Staff Development and Supervision

EDL 655

Syllabus

Course Description

This course is designed to provide the educational leadership student with the knowledge and skill to observe, analyze, and evaluate instruction in order to improve teacher effectiveness, student learning, and staff development. Best practices in educational instruction and teacher effectiveness are discussed as a base for observation. Providing concrete frameworks for teachers to optimize learning is a key ingredient to observation.

Infusing staff development programs that address the needs of the teaching community is also part of this course. Identification of needs, practices, teacher effectiveness, and student outcomes are part of the staff development component.

The major emphasis in supervision should be on professional growth and development; thus its link to staff development is inseparable. Supervision is a form of staff development and staff development programs are often extensions of supervision. Both should be planned and provided as interdependent arts of a schools overall commitment to striving for quality. -Thomas J: Sergiovanni, The Principalship

Course Objectives:

By the end of the course students will:

Increase their knowledge of best practices in instructional domains.
Develop definitions of supervision.
Work with dimensions of supervision.
Apply principles of supervision to their instructional setting.
Discuss parameters of evaluation.
Work with formal and informal classroom measures.
Review teacher evaluation instruments.
Understand the role that inter-rater reliability plays in observation instruments.
Uncover beliefs and myths about staff development.
Target effective models of staff development.
Develop a plan to evaluate staff development.
Apply the use of technology in staff development.
Master skills of effective supervision.
Implement long and short-term procedures necessary for -meeting staff needs.
Understand the inevitability of conflict at the school-site and district levels and develop strategies for early identification as well as conflict resolution, to effectively and fairly conduct personnel grievance hearings.

Curriculum Design

Staff Development and Supervision is a forty-five hour graduate level course. Successful completion of all course and student requirements will earn the student three (3) graduate credits. Students will be involved in a variety of tasks for completion of course requirements. These tasks include: readings, reports and reflections on readings, analysis of concepts, development of plans as related to best practices, and forum postings and interactions with course professor and other students. The work for this course is expected to the original work of the student except where properly documented. This course also requires a proctored exams. The specifics of what the proctored exam requires is included in this syllabus.

Time Requirements

This course is offered over a period of 15 weeks. Modules are completed over the 15-week period pending length of assignments per week.

Skill and Hardware Requirements

Students may use either a Macintosh computer or a PC with Windows 2000 or higher. Students should possess basic word processing skills and have Internet access as well as an active email account. Students also are expected to have a basic knowledge of how to use a Web browser, such as Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, Safari, etc.

Course Materials

The textbook for this course is Supervision: A Guide to Practice by Wiles and Bondi (Sixth Edition, 2003) ISBN 0130462675.

Course Outline

Module One: Defining Educational Supervision

The student will formulate a definition of supervision.
The student will illustrate the dimensions of supervision

Module Two: Foundations of Supervisory Leadership

The student will analyze the origins of Leadership Theory.
The student will compare and contst organizational structures.
The student will appraise the roles and tasks of leadership.
The student will analyzing variables in the school climate.

Module Three: Profession Knowledge About Teaching and Learning

The student will correlate instructional domains and best practices.
The student will integrate a frequency chart for best practices into teaching.

Module Four: Organizing for Evaluation

The student will appraise the parameters of evaluation
The student will describe the role of research in evaluation
The student will analyze testing and related concerns.

Module Five: Improving Classroom Teaching

The student will communicate variables of classroom teaching.
The student will apprase characteristics of effective schools.
The student will outline approaches to working with teachers.
The student will critique methods for teacher development and evaluation.

Module Six: Providing Effective Staff Development

The student will analyze the history of staff development.
The student will analyze beliefs and myths about staff development.
The student will compare and contrast models of effective staff development.

Module Seven: Evaluating Staff Development

The student will assess leadership roles in staff development.
The student will assess staff development needs.
The student will prepare a staff development plan.

Module Eight: The Effective Use of Technology

The student will survey current technology applications in schools.
The student will examine how practicing supervisors integrate technology.
The student will evaluate methods for technology integration in the curriculum.
The student will devise a program to help teachers adjust to technology.

Module Nine: Administrative Functions

The student will recognize systems of leadership that will increase/improve student achievement and improve instruction.
The student will develop a decision-making database.
The student will recognize the importance of arriving at decision-making procedures.
The student will develop a format for planning.
The student will develop an action plan format.
The student will distinguish strategies for promoting change in educational systems.
The student will assess methods for overcoming common obstacles in school change.
The student will characterize administrative functions as they pertain to managing a school.

Module Ten: New Directions for Supervision

The student will explain factors changing American education.
The student will evaluate changes in school organizations.
The student will appraise the relationship between business and schools in the Twenty-First Century .
The student will appraise how vouchers, Internet access, NCLB , and other current issues impact supervision.

Course Requirements:

Students will complete all ten (10) modules Forum Posting assignments and responses/reactions to other students' postings. 100 points.
Students will complete all Application to Practice assignments. 100 points
Specific assignments to be completed within the Application to Practice include the following:

Students will develop an instructional domain to use during a teacher evaluation. 10 points.
Students will post a plan for developing an inter-rater reliability instrument. 15 points.
Students will target key points to include in a staff development plan. Students are to present this information to professor in professor selected module. 21 points.
Students will conduct a needs analysis in their educational setting to target staff development concerns. 20 points.

Students will complete a proctored exam. 100 points

Students are expected to complete all assignments including the proctored exam, forum postings and responses and completion of Course Review. This course requires rigor and concentration on the part of the student to complete the tasks at hand.

Grades
100-93 - A
  92-85 - B
  84-77 - C
  76-69 - D
  68- 0 - F

Proctored Exams:

General Information

Specific courses in each program require the completion of an online proctored exam using a Teacher Education University proctor via the ProctorU ^TM service. This serivce gives students the ability to take the proctored exam at a convenient time and location with the proctor viewing the student via Web cam.

Some Facts About the Exam

Questions will reflect course content for modules 1-8.
The content of the questions will reflect the type of assignments you completed in Modules 1-8, so it would be to your advantage to review your assignments prior to the proctored exam.
This exam is designed to take approximately 2 hours to complete.
Question types will include multiple choice, short answer, and essay.
You will be able to log in to the exam the day after Module 8 assignments are due to your professor.
Once you log in, the exam will only be available for 2 hours
During the exam, you may use the course Web site for assistance, as well as other research sites such as Questia that may assist you in successfully completing the exam.

ProctorU^TM Technical Specifications and Instructions

The ProctorU^TM service requires equipment with the following specifications:

A high speed internet connection
A computer running Windows XP or later versions
A webcam with 640 x 480 pixel video resolution (provided by Teacher Education University upon student request)
Audio capabilities, either through the webcam or through a standalone microphone (most cams come with a built in mic)
Speakers must be connected to the computer and working
The ProctorU^TM program must be downloaded onto the computer (no installation necessary)

Each student will need to register for a free account with pupilcity at http://teu.pupilcity.com.

Once an account is created, students should return to http://teu.pupilcity.com to schedule all exams at least seven full days before the desired exam time. Students can change reservations until 24 hours before the exam, at which time they will need to contact pupilcity’s exam line at 205-870-8122.

At the scheduled exam time, students should return to http://teu.pupilcity.com and follow the posted instructions to log into the assigned exam room.

Students should make sure their webcam and speakers are plugged in and turned on. STUDENTS CANNOT TURN ON THE WEBCAM SOFTWARE BEFORE LOGGING INTO ProctorU^TM (this will create issues with the video feed). Once in the room, students should follow the instructions to connect to the proctor and follow the verbal instructions to begin their exam.

Taking the Exam

The day after the Module 8 due date, course instructors will send students with the link to the exam. Students will only be able to access the exam once. They should not click on the link or attempt to open the Web page until they are ready to begin the exam.

Exam Rules

The exam is designed to take approximately two hours to complete.
Exams submitted more than two hours after they are initially accessed will not be accepted (proctors should carefully keep track of time spent on the exam).
Students who do not propose a suitable exam site and possible proctor will not be allowed to take the exam.
Students must not communicate with anyone regarding the exam, other than the proctor (or instructor or other designate), either verbally, electronically or otherwise, during the exam.
The exam must be completed independently.
Students must not discuss the curricular content of the exam with colleagues from class, either verbally, electronically, or otherwise, until after the final deadline for completion of the exam.
If technical problems arise such that the student is unable to access the on-line exam, the proctor will notify the Teacher Education University staff, in order for the student to have an extended time period to complete the exam, if necessary.
The proctored exam covers Modules 1-8. It is not a closed book exam, students are free to use the textbook, browse the Internet, and the course Web site. Because students will be tested on concepts, browsing absolutely does not help those who have not studied, but may be an aid to those who wish to occasionally clarify their thinking.
Students and proctors may not remove a printed copy of the final exam from the exam site.
If the exam is printed during the examination period, the copy must be destroyed by the student in site of the proctor before the student leaves the site of the final exam.
It is recommended that students who may wish to browse during the exam open two copies of the browser during the exam (using one for browsing if necessary, and the other for the exam).
It is recommended that students "save" frequently during the exam, or write down a few words to help remember which answer they have chosen for each question in the event that there is a power failure, or they accidentally close the browser window in which they are completing the final exam.

After The Exam

Upon completion of the exam, the student will log off from ProctorU^TM. The instructor is notified that the exam is ready for grading. Once the exam is graded, the grade will be posted in Maestro.

Student Academic Integrity

Participants guarantee that all academic class work is original. Any academic dishonesty or plagiarism (to take ideas, writings, etc. from another and offer them as one's own), is a violation of student academic behavior standards as outlined by the Teacher Education University catalog and is subject to academic disciplinary action.

Bibliography

Bailey, Becky. ( 2001). Conscious discipline. Oviedo, FL : Loving Guidance.

Blandford, S. (2000). Managing professional development in schools. London: Routledge.

Chipman, M., Irom, P., & Wandersman, A., (2004). Getting to outcomes, 2004: Promoting accountability through methods and tools for planning, implementation and evaluation. Santa Monica, CA: Rand.

Clark, M. A., & Horton-Parker, R. (2002). Professional development schools: New opportunities for training school counselors. Counselor Education and Supervision, 42(1), 58+.

Cooley, V. E. (2001). Implementing technology using the teachers as trainers staff development model. Journal of Technology and Teacher Education, 9(2), 269.

Diaz-Maggioli, Gabriel. (2004). Teacher-centered professional Development. Alexandria, VA : Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Dufour, R. P. (1998, February). Why look elsewhere?: Improving schools from within. School Administrator, 55, 24.

Dunn, K. & Dunn, R. (Eds.). (1998). Practical approaches to individualizing staff development for adults. Westport, CT: Praeger Publishers.

Ediger, M. (1995). Selected major goals for staff development in schools. Education, 116(2), 192+.

Garobo, R. C., & Rothstein, S. W. (1998). Supportive supervision in schools. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press.

Glickman, Carl D. (2002). Leadership for learning: How to help teachers succeed. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Guskey, T.A. (2000). Evaluating professional development. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press.

Idol, L. (1998). Collaboration in the schools: A master plan for staff development. Journal of Educational and Psychological Consultation, 9(2), 155-162.

Jensen, Eric. (2006). Enriching the brain: How to maximize every learner’s potential. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Killion, Joellen & Harrison, Cindy (1997). The multiple roles of staff developers. Journal of Staff Developmemt. 18, No. 3.

King-Sears, M. E. (2001). Institutionalizing peer-mediated instruction and interventions in schools. Remedial and Special Education, 22(2), 89.

Kussmaul, Donald L. (2004). Finances, finances, finances, School Administrator, 61, 44+.

Lambert, N. M., Hylander, I., & Sandoval, J. H. (Eds.). (2003). Consultee-centered consultation: Improving the quality of professional services in schools and community organizations. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbawn Associates.

Lankshear, C., Snyder, I., & Green, B. (2000). Teachers and technoliteracy .. Managing literacy, technology, and learning in schools. St. Leonards, N.S. W.: Allen & Unwin.

Limber, S. P., & Small, M. A. (2003). State laws and policies to address bullying in schools. School Psychology Review. 32(3), 445+ .

Marzano, R.J., Pickering, D.J. &Pollock, J. E. (2001). Classroom instruction the works: Research-based strategies for increasing student achievement. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Mcauliffe, G. (Ed.). (2002). Working with troubled youth in schools: A guide for all school staff. Westport, CT: Bergin and Garvey.

Pollock, Jane E. (2007). Improving student learning one teacher at a time. Alexandria VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Pohan, Cathy A. (2003). Creating caring and democratic communities in our classrooms and schools. Childhood Education ,. 369+.

Tromp, K. S. (2001, November). The latest school of thought: Find out how schools are applying security concepts to improve staff and student protection-And where progress remains to be made. Security Management, 45, 60+.

Wizer, D. R., & Mcpherson, S. J. (2005, February). The administrator's role: Strategies for fostering staff development. Learning & Leading with Technology, 32, 14+.

Teacher Education University reserves the right to adjust and adapt this syllabus as necessary.