EDEA 255 Field Experience Seminar

Course Syllabus

California State University, Sacramento
Educational Administration and Policy Studies Dept.
College of Education

Spring, 2002

Instructor

Overview

Resources

Syllabus

WebCT

Objectives

Assignments

Grades

Technology

Materials

Course Description:  Experience and practice in observation and analysis of school environments.  This course will explore the many special challenges and salient issues confronting educators in leadership positions at the building, district, and central office levels.  Students will research and examine real and perceived challenges facing today’s educational leaders.  This class is a prerequisite to EDEA 495, “Field Study in Educational Administration” and may not be taken concurrently.  

Prerequisites:  Admission to the Educational Administration Program; completion of 12 units of coursework including EDEA 201, 205, or 206, and approval of faculty advisor.  3 units.  Grading:  Credit/No Credit. 

The nature of a seminar calls for the active participation of each class member in the primary research, presentation, and discussion of key topics relevant to the analysis of school environments.  Small group assignments to increase each student’s capacity to effect school improvement will be determined during class meetings.

Course Goals and Objectives

Course Goals:  Students will demonstrate an understanding of the change process as it occurs in educational settings.  Students will focus on school improvement and skills in observation, analysis, and feedback.  Students will acquire the knowledge, skills, and abilities to prepare and implement a field study plan that seeks to resolve a key issue or problem in a school setting.  The field study is normally implemented during in EDEA 495, though students have the option of initiating the plan prior to the formal start of the next semester.

Course Objectives:

1.      Students will demonstrate an understanding of key approaches to the management of change in educational settings.

2.      Students will become familiar with the dynamics of leadership through the examination of models of effective leadership.

3.      Students will categorize and analyze data in terms of effective practices in areas including, but not limited to, educational leadership, programs, educational governance and politics, and school community relations.

4.      Students will objectively observe and report school conditions, examine underlying assumptions and orientations of those working in schools, and analyze school outcome data.

5.      Students will develop a comprehensive plan to study a school and lead the school in improving some aspect of the school or agency/district need.

6.      Students will actively participate in class.

Assignments

 The following assignments are due on the dates indicated.

 

Assignment	Points	Due Date
Component 1:  Description of setting	10	2/4/2002
Component 2:  Student achievement analysis	10	2/25/2002
Component 3:  Needs assessment	10	3/11/2002
Component 4:  Fieldwork plan	30	4/22/2002
Plan presentation	15	5/6/2002
Class participation	15
Class attendance	10
Total Possible Points	100

Grades and Grading Policy

Technology Requirements

Students will need an electronic mail account and computer access to the Web. All CSUS students enrolled in one or more units can create a SacLink account for electronic mail and Internet services. Although a home computer with a high speed modem running Netscape or Internet Explorer would be beneficial, students can use the Web from one of the campus student labs.

Computing Recommendations

You should be comfortable using a computer and willing to browse the Web. This class requires online class participation on the Web assignments and electronic discussions.

You need:

• Macintosh compatible with System 8 or higher or Windows compatible Pentium running Windows 95/98 or Windows NT.
• 32MB of RAM, preferably 64MB
• 28.8K or faster modem - preferably 56K
• Microsoft Internet Explorer or Netscape 4.0 (or higher)
• SacLink or other Internet Account
• Word processing skills

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  Students need an electronic mail account and computer access to the Web. All CSUS students enrolled in one or more units can create a SacLink account for electronic mail and Internet services. Although a home computer with a high speed modem running Netscape or Internet Explorer would be beneficial, students can use the Web from one of the campus student labs.

Materials

Required Textbooks:

·        Darling-Hammond, Linda.  (1997) The Right to Learn:  A Blueprint for Creating Schools that Work.  San Francisco:  Jossey-Bass Publishers.

·        Senge, Peter and Nelda Cambron-McCabe, Timothy Lucas, Bryan Smith, Janis Dutton, and Art Kleiner.  (2000) Schools That Learn:  A Fifth Discipline Fieldbook for Educators, Parents, and Everyone Who Cares About Education.  New York:  Doubleday Publishing.

Class Handouts: 

·        Special Handout Materials and readings on the Internet

You can purchase books through the Hornet Bookstore. Check their Distance and Distributed Learning page at http://www.bookstore.csus.edu/bookstore/distance/ for ordering information.