Syllabus


 * University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill **
 * School of Education**
 * Educational Leadership Program**

Fall 2010 Instructor: Eric A. Houck Phone: [|(919) 249-8430] Email: eahouck@unc.edu Office: 121A Peabody, office hours by appointment Course meets: Tuesdays, 4:00 pm – 7:00 pm Room: 306 Peabody This course is designed to provide students with an understanding of leadership in schools as formal organizations. In order to provide the educational services desired by the public, school administrators must have knowledge of formal organizations and an understanding of the leadership skills necessary to achieve desired goals. This course provides a foundation for school administrators to become better leaders of educational organizations. The School of Education is committed to the preparation of candidates who can assume leadership roles in the field of education. Such preparation is accomplished through the coherent integration of the abilities and predispositions of candidates, the knowledge and abilities of faculty, and the contextual elements of academic and field settings. Candidates accept their professional responsibilities and focus their expertise and energy on supporting Birth-12 student development and learning. They must work to maintain a meaningful involvement in activities within schools and in partnership with parents and the community. The growth and development of candidates is promoted through curriculum, instruction, research, field experiences, clinical practice, assessments, evaluations, and interactions with faculty and peers. All of these elements work together to build a solid foundation for exemplary practice in education, creating educational practitioners who are prepared to better serve children, families and schools, as well as business and agencies of government within North Carolina, across the nation and throughout the world. Preparation of educational leaders for today's society is based in values of equity and excellence that assure our candidates' and their students' future success. Attending to the challenge of promoting both equity and excellence is imperative. To address only one of these goals would, on the one hand, sacrifice those put at risk by social and cultural hierarchies in society or would, on the other hand, fail to press for the highest possible levels of accomplishment. Equity and excellence must be pursued concurrently to assure that all students are well served and that all are encouraged to perform at their highest level. Within the School of Education, equity is seen as the state, quality, or ideal of social justice and fairness. It begins with the recognition that there is individual and cultural achievement among all social groups and that this achievement benefits all students and educators. Equity acknowledges that ignorance of the richness of diversity limits human potential. A perspective of equity also acknowledges the unequal treatment of those who have been historically discriminated against based on their ability, parents' income, race, gender, ethnicity, culture, neighborhood, sexuality, or home language, and supports the closure of gaps in academic achievement. Decisions grounded in equity must establish that a wide range of learners have access to high quality education in order to release the excellence of culture and character which can be utilized by all citizens of a democratic society. Within the School of Education, excellence is seen as striving for optimal development, high levels of achievement and performance for all and in all that is done. In preparatory programs across grade levels, curriculum and instruction furthers excellence when it moves a learner as effectively as possible toward expertise as a thinker, problem solver and creator of knowledge. Excellence entails a commitment to fully developing candidates, not only academically but also in moral and political senses. The preparation of exemplary practitioners in education to meet the challenges of equity and excellence is best accomplished through preparation for a democratic society. Democracy around the globe is an ideal, one with the potential to meet the needs, recognize the interests and establish the rights of all citizens. Education is a necessary foundation for this ideal, and both must be subscribed to and participated in by all.
 * Course syllabus **
 * EDUC 834.001 & .957 **
 * Organizational Behavior and Theory in Education**
 * Course Description **
 * School of Education Conceptual Framework**
 * //Preparing Leaders in Education…//**
 * //…for Equity and Excellence…//**
 * //…in a Democratic Society.//**

The School of Education is committed to diverse, equitable, democratic learning communities. As a result, candidates are expected to acquire and apply the knowledge, skills and dispositions that prepare them to support the development and education of all students. The School of Education uses the following unit principles, applicable at all program levels, to identify the knowledge and skills that are central to preparation of candidates. It is the School of Education’s goal that candidates will become leaders supporting and promoting the development, teaching and learning of all students in multiple contexts. 1. Candidates possess the necessary content knowledge to support and enhance student development and learning. 2. Candidates possess the necessary professional knowledge to support and enhance student development and learning, including meeting student needs across physical, social, psychological, and intellectual contexts. Candidates incorporate a variety of strategies, such as technology, to enhance student learning. 3. Candidates possess the necessary knowledge and skills to conduct and interpret appropriate assessments. 4. Candidates view and conduct themselves as professionals, providing leadership in their chosen field, including effective communication and collaboration with students and stakeholders. Certain dispositions are essential to prepare leaders who support equity and excellence in education within a democratic society. Dispositions are beliefs that foster commitments, leading to actions within educational environments with students, colleagues, families, and communities. Candidates strengthen these dispositions as they think deeply, reflect critically and act responsibly in their professional practice. These dispositions are interconnected with knowledge and skills; specific dispositions connect to and exemplify unit principles, facilitating their enactment in particular programs. 1. Candidates will exhibit behavior that demonstrates a belief that all individuals can develop, learn, and make positive contributions to society. 2. Candidates will exhibit behavior that demonstrates a belief that continuous inquiry and reflection can improve professional practice. This course is linked to the UNC-Chapel Hill’s School of Education’s Conceptual Framework Principle 4 and Disposition 2. These in turn are connected to the mission of the educational leadership program at UNC-Chapel Hill of leadership for equity, social justice, and academic excellence. Understanding organizational theory and behavior is a major task of educational leadership and is a process through which educational policies are forged and subsequently how schools are organized and administered to provide education to students. Thus, local, state, and national public school district educational policies, decision-making and behaviors are understood and implemented. This course is designed to provide an overview of organizational theories and behavior with public school systems and to develop specific competencies for students in this area. Students will demonstrate knowledge of: 1. Historical trends regarding theories of organizational development and behavior; 2. Critical perspectives on the above theories; 3. The policies, politics and organizational culture associated with public education; 4. Current trends in educational research and reform; and, 5. The applicability of various organizational theories to the world of public education and public education reform. ** EDUC 834 and Professional (ELCC/ISLLC) Standards ** This course will address the following standards: ** Standards to be assessed ** ELCC/ISLLC Standard 2,3,4,6 will be assessed in the paper assignments submitted throughout the semester. ** Academic Integrity ** From the UNC Code of Student Conduct: “The act of submitting work for evaluation or to meet a requirement is regarded as assurance that the work is the result of the student’s own thought and study, produced without assistance, and stated in the student’s own words, except as quotation marks, references, or footnotes acknowledge the use of other sources. Submissions of works used previously must be first approved by the instructor.” If you have a special need or a handicapping condition (e.g., vision, hearing, etc.) or require other special consideration for learning in this class, please notify the instructor at the beginning of the course via email or in-person. In many cases, the University has resources that can be made available to assist you. ** Grading ** Grades will follow the definitions set forth by the Graduate School: ** Texts ** Four texts are required for this course. They are available at the campus bookstore and from reputable booksellers. They are: 1) Bolman and Deal, //Reframing Organizations: Artistry, Choice and Leadership// (4th). ISBN: 0787987999 2) Meyer and Rowan, //The New Institutionalism in Education.// ISBN: 0791469050 3) Shafritz and Ott, //Classics of Organization Theory// (7th). ISBN: 0495569410  4) Owens and Valesky, //Organizational Behavior in Education: Leadership and School Reform// (10th). ISBN: 0137017464
 * School of Education Conceptual Framework Principles**
 * School of Education Conceptual Framework Dispositions **
 * EDUC 834 and the School of Education’s Conceptual Framework **
 * Course Objectives **
 * ELCC, ISLLC 2004 2: Candidates 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.
 * ELCC, ISLLC 2004 3: Candidates 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.
 * ELCC, ISLLC 2004 4: Candidates are educational leaders who have the knowledge and ability to promote the success of all students by collaborating with families and other community members, responding to diverse community interests and needs, and mobilizing community resources.
 * ELCC, ISLLC 2004 5: Candidates are educational leaders who have the knowledge and ability to promote the success of all students by acting with integrity, fairness, and in an ethical manner.
 * ELCC, ISLLC 2004 6: Candidates are educational leaders who have the knowledge and ability to promote the success of all students by understanding, responding to, and influencing the larger political, social, economic, legal, and cultural context.
 * Special Accommodations **
 * An “H” represents genuinely superior performance beyond what normally would be expected from most graduate students;
 * A “P” represents the quality of work normally expected of graduate students at the University;
 * An “L” represents an assessment that the quality of the work examined is below expectations but passing; and,
 * An “F” represents an assessment of doubt that the student can improve the quality of work to the point of successful completion of the degree program.

Additionally, students may be required to obtain and distribute articles of professional interest.

Even though this is a course regarding organizational theory, participants are expected to write and speak with appropriate precision. If one cannot write about, or explain orally, an idea clearly, then, quite probably, the idea is not clear either for oneself or one’s listeners or readers. Words are a principal medium of communication. Please select them with conscious intent and, in the world of analysis and research, with logical precision. Emotions such as inspiration, humor, and passion may well have uses in other spheres (e.g., war, politics, or romance). They are less appropriate in the world of academic inquiry and analysis. Hence, select language for your writing and speaking that communicates clearly and appeals to the intellect. In the realm of research and policy analysis resist impulses, common to us all, to persuade an audience through means other than logic.
 * Written and Oral Expression **

I am confident regarding my knowledge of the subject matter. I am less confident regarding my ability to convey it effectively. Consequently, I welcome suggestions for rendering the course more effective. As such, this syllabus should itself be regarded as a draft. Assuredly, matters will emerge in assigned readings, discussions, and assignments that will reveal inaccuracies, misinterpretations, and omissions. Your comments and suggestions regarding the course benefit both yourselves and future students. ** Reading Schedule ** S&O Intro; M&R 1 or 2 or 3; O&V 1 or 2 or 3 ||  || S&O Weber, Gulick || Introductory reflection due || S&O Follett, Taylor ||  || S&O Simon, Selznick ||  || O&V 5,11 || Control paper due || S&O March, French & Raven, || Commitment paper due || S&O Pfeffer, Acker ||  || S&O Schein || Power paper due || S&O Louis ||  || S&O Cox ||  || B&D = Bolman and Deal M&R=Meyer and Rowan S&O=Shafritz and Ott O&V=Owens and Valesky
 * Disclosure **
 * **// Date //** ||  **// Themes //**  ||  **// Readings //**  ||  **// Due //**  ||
 * August 23 ||  Course introduction   ||   ||   ||
 * August 30 ||^  || B&D 1-2;
 * September 6 ||  Theme of Control   || B&D 3-4;
 * September 13 ||^  || B&D 5;
 * September 20 ||^  || O&V 4;
 * September 27 ||  Theme of Commitment   || B&D 6-8;
 * October 4 ||^  || S&O Barnard, Maslow, Janis ||   ||
 * October 11 ||  Theme of Power   || B&D 9-11;
 * October 18 ||^  || O&V 10;
 * October 25 ||  Theme of Legitimacy   || B&D12-14;
 * November 1 ||^  || M&R 10;
 * November 8 ||^  || M&R 4;
 * November 15 ||  Theme of Change   || B&D 15-20 || Legitimacy paper due ||
 * November 29 ||^  || M&R 5 ||   ||
 * December 6 ||^  || O&V 7, 12 ||   ||
 * December 8 ||  ||   || Grades due ||


 * Assignments: **

Students will be assessed on their preparation for and contribution to class discussions and on the preparation of five short, analytical essays examining the organizational dynamics of schools. Four of the five essays will address one of the topical themes of the semester: control, commitment, power, and legitimacy, A fifth essay will provide an introduction to the student’s organizational dispositions. Due dates for the five essays are noted in the reading schedule above.

Essays are expected to be 5-7 pages synthesizing and analyzing course readings. Although the analysis is expected to be theoretical, it should draw upon the student’s experiences as a professional. The first class session will include presentation and discussion ofa rubric outlining expectations for these papers.