By the end of the course, Leadership Candidates will be able to:

•       Differentiate between traditional and dynamic schools.

•       Evaluate and articulate supervisory beliefs and personal supervisory styles.

•       Define and apply developmental and clinical supervision knowledge and skills to improve instruction.

•       Develop and plan effective professional development based upon the instructional needs of teachers.

The Master of Education degree with a major in Educational Leadership prepares students for school leadership roles. The program provides opportunities for students to learn and apply knowledge, skills, and dispositions set forth in the National Educational Leadership Preparation (NELP) standards.

Texas Principal Standards

§241.55. Standards Required for the Principal Certificate.

(a)   Principal Certificate Standards. The knowledge and skills identified in this section must be used by an educator preparation program in the development of curricula and coursework and by the State Board for Educator Certification as the basis for developing the examinations required to obtain the standard Principal Certificate. The standards also serve as the foundation for the individual assessment, professional growth plan, and continuing professional education activities required by §241.70 of this title (relating to Requirements to Renew the Standard Principal Certificate).

(b) School Culture. The principal:

(1) ensures that a positive, collaborative, and collegial school culture facilitates and enhances the implementation of campus initiatives and the achievement of campus goals;

(2) uses emerging issues, recent research, demographic data, knowledge of systems, campus climate inventories, student learning data, and other information to collaboratively develop a shared campus vision;

(3) facilitates the collaborative development of a plan in which objectives and strategies to implement the campus vision are clearly articulated;

(4) supports the implementation of the campus vision by aligning financial, human, and material resources;

(5) establishes processes to assess and modify the plan of implementation to ensure achievement of the campus vision;

(6) acknowledges, recognizes, and celebrates the contributions of students, staff, parents, and community members toward the realization of the campus vision;

(7) models and promotes the continuous and appropriate development of all learners, including faculty and staff, in the campus community;

(8) uses strategies to ensure the development of collegial relationships and effective collaboration of campus staff;

(9) develops and uses effective conflict-management and consensus-building skills;

(10) establishes and communicates consistent expectations for staff and students, providing supportive feedback to ensure a positive campus environment;

(11) implements effective strategies to systematically gather input from all campus stakeholders, supporting innovative thinking and an inclusive culture;

(12) creates an atmosphere of safety that encourages the social, emotional, and physical well-being of staff and students; and

(13) ensures that parents and other members of the community are an integral part of the campus culture.

(c) Leading Learning. The principal:

(1) creates a campus culture that sets high expectations, promotes learning, and provides intellectual stimulation for self, students, and staff;

(2) prioritizes instruction and student achievement by understanding, sharing, and promoting a clear definition of high-quality instruction based on best practices from recent research;

(3) routinely monitors and improves instruction by visiting classrooms, engaging in formative, evidence-based appraisal processes and conferences with teachers, and attending grade or team meetings;

(4) facilitates the use of sound research-based practice in the development and implementation of campus curricular, co-curricular, and extracurricular programs to fulfill academic, developmental, social, and cultural needs;

(5) facilitates campus participation in collaborative school district planning, implementation, monitoring, and curriculum revision to ensure appropriate scope, sequence, content, and alignment;

(6) implements a rigorous curriculum aligned with state standards, including college and career readiness standards;

(7) analyzes the curriculum to ensure that teachers align content across grades and that curricular scopes and sequences meet the particular needs of their diverse student populations;

(8) monitors and ensures staff uses multiple forms of student data to inform instruction and intervention decisions to maximize instructional effectiveness and student achievement;

(9) ensures that effective instruction maximizes growth of individual students and student groups, supports equity, and eliminates the achievement gap;

(10) ensures staff have the capacity and time to collaboratively and individually use classroom formative and summative assessment data to inform effective instructional practices and interventions; and

(11) facilitates the use and integration of technology, telecommunications, and information systems that enhance learning.

(d) Human Capital. The principal:

(1) invests and manages time to prioritize the development, support, and supervision of the staff to enhance student outcomes;

(2) ensures all staff have clear expectations that guide them and by which they are assessed, including the use of and familiarity with evidence-based appraisal rubrics, where applicable;

(3) uses data from multiple points of the year to complete accurate appraisals of all staff, using evidence from regular observations, student data, and other sources to evaluate the effectiveness of teachers and staff;

(4) coaches and develops educators by conducting conferences, giving individualized feedback, and supporting individualized professional growth opportunities;

(5) facilitates the campus's professional learning community to review data, processes, and policies in order to improve teaching and learning in the school;

(6) creates opportunities for effective staff to take on a variety of leadership roles and appropriately delegates responsibilities to staff and administrators on the leadership team;

(7) collaboratively develops, implements, and revises a comprehensive and on-going plan for professional development of campus staff that addresses staff needs based on staff appraisal trends, goals, and student information;

(8) ensures the effective implementation of a continuum of professional development by the appropriate allocation of time, funding, and other needed resources;

(9) implements effective, legal, and appropriate strategies for the recruitment, selection, assignment, and induction of campus staff; and

(10) plans for and adopts early hiring practices.

(e) Executive Leadership. The principal:

(1) reflects on his or her practice, seeks and acts on feedback, and strives to continually improve, learn, and grow;

(2) engages in ongoing and meaningful professional growth activities to further develop knowledge and skills and to model lifelong learning;

(3) uses strong communication skills, understands how to communicate a message in different ways to meet the needs of various audiences, and develops and implements strategies for effective internal and external communications;

(4) develops and implements a comprehensive program of community relations, which uses strategies that will effectively involve and inform multiple constituencies;

(5) establishes partnerships with parents, businesses, and other groups in the community to strengthen programs and support campus goals;

(6) demonstrates awareness of social and economic issues that exist within the school and community that could impact campus operations and student learning;

(7) gathers and organizes information from a variety of sources for use in creative and effective campus decision making;

(8) frames, analyzes, and creatively resolves campus problems using effective problem-solving techniques to make timely, high-quality decisions;

(9) develops, implements, and evaluates change processes for organizational effectiveness;

(10) uses effective planning, time management, and organization of work to maximize attainment of school district and campus goals; and

(11) keeps staff inspired and focused on the campus vision while supporting effective change management.

(f) Strategic Operations. The principal:

(1) assesses current campus needs, reviewing a wide set of evidence to determine the campus's priorities, and sets ambitious and measurable school goals, targets, and strategies that form the campus's strategic plan;

(2) outlines and tracks meaningful goals, targets, and strategies aligned to a school vision that continuously improves teacher effectiveness and student outcomes;

(3) allocates resources effectively (e.g., staff time, dollars, and tools), aligning them to the school priorities and goals, and works to access additional resources as needed to support learning;

(4) establishes structures to regularly monitor multiple data points with leadership teams to evaluate progress toward goals, adjusting strategies to improve effectiveness;

(5) implements appropriate management techniques and group processes to define roles, assign functions, delegate authority, and determine accountability for campus goal attainment;

(6) implements strategies that enable the physical plant, equipment, and support systems to operate safely, efficiently, and effectively to maintain a conducive learning environment;

(7) applies local, state, and federal laws and policies to support sound decisions while considering implications related to all school operations and programs;

(8) collaboratively plans and effectively manages the campus budget;

(9) uses technology to enhance school management;

(10) facilitates the effective coordination of campus curricular, co-curricular, and extracurricular programs in relation to each other and other school district programs; and

(11) collaborates with district staff to implement district policies and advocates for the needs of district students and staff.

(g) Ethics, Equity, and Diversity. The principal:

(1) implements policies and procedures that encourage all campus personnel to comply with Chapter 247 of this title (relating to Educators' Code of Ethics);

(2) models and promotes the highest standard of conduct, ethical principles, and integrity in decision making, actions, and behaviors;

(3) ensures that reports of educator misconduct, including inappropriate relationships between educators and students, are properly reported so appropriate investigations can be conducted;

(4) models and promotes the continuous and appropriate development of all learners in the campus community;

(5) ensures all students have access to effective educators and continuous learning opportunities;

(6) promotes awareness and appreciation of diversity throughout the campus community;

(7) implements special campus programs to ensure that all students are provided quality, flexible instructional programs and services to meet individual student needs;

(8) articulates the importance of education in creating engaged citizens in a free democratic society;

(9) communicates productively with all audiences through strong communication skills and understands how to communicate a message in different ways to meet the needs of various audiences; and

(10) treats all members of the community with respect and develops strong, positive relationships with them.

Attendance/Participation

Students are required to complete assignments within the timeframes established for each assignment. Attendance for this online course is determined by logins to D2L and timely completion of assignments.

Regular online participation is required. Please attend to discussions in a timely manner. Professional dialogue opportunities are part of this class; timely participation will be considered part of the grade.

Late Work

Work must be turned in when it is due for full credit. Late work will only be accepted in emergency situations that have been cleared with Dr. Robles. This means only illness or family emergency.

Note: You may not submit a paper for a grade in this class that already has been (or will be) submitted for a grade in another course, unless you obtain the explicit written permission of me and the other instructor involved in advance.

Plagiarism is the use of someone else's thoughts, words, ideas, or lines of argument in your own work without appropriate documentation (a parenthetical citation at the end and a listing in "Works Cited")-whether you use that material in a quote, paraphrase, or summary. It is a theft of intellectual property and will not be tolerated, whether intentional or not.

Student Honor Creed

As an MSU Student, I pledge not to lie, cheat, steal, or help anyone else do so."

As students at MSU, we recognize that any great society must be composed of empowered, responsible citizens. We also recognize universities play an important role in helping mold these responsible citizens. We believe students themselves play an important part in developing responsible citizenship by maintaining a community where integrity and honorable character are the norm, not the exception.

Thus, We, the Students of Midwestern State University, resolve to uphold the honor of the University by affirming our commitment to complete academic honesty. We resolve not only to be honest but also to hold our peers accountable for complete honesty in all university matters.

We consider it dishonest to ask for, give, or receive help in examinations or quizzes, to use any unauthorized material in examinations, or to present, as one's own, work or ideas which are not entirely one's own. We recognize that any instructor has the right to expect that all student work is honest, original work. We accept and acknowledge that responsibility for lying, cheating, stealing, plagiarism, and other forms of academic dishonesty fundamentally rests within each individual student.

We expect of ourselves academic integrity, personal professionalism, and ethical character. We appreciate steps taken by University officials to protect the honor of the University against any who would disgrace the MSU student body by violating the spirit of this creed.

Written and adopted by the 2002-2003 MSU Student Senate.

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is a federal anti-discrimination statute that provides comprehensive civil rights protection for persons with disabilities. Among other things, this legislation requires that all students with disabilities be guaranteed a learning environment that provides for reasonable accommodation of their disabilities. If you believe you have a disability requiring an accommodation, please contact the Disability Support Services in Room 168 of the Clark Student Center, (940) 397-4140.

The professor considers this classroom to be a place where you will be treated with respect as a human being - regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, national origin, religious affiliation, sexual orientation, political beliefs, age, or ability. Additionally, diversity of thought is appreciated and encouraged, provided you can agree to disagree. It is the professor's expectation that ALL students consider the classroom a safe environment.

All instructors in the Department have voicemail in their offices and MSUTexas e-mail addresses. Make sure you add your instructor's phone number and e-mail address to both email and cell phone lists of contacts.

All students seeking a Bachelor's degree from Midwestern State University must satisfy a writing proficiency requirement once they've 1) passed the 6 hours of Communication Core and 2) earned 60 hours. Students may meet this requirement in one of three ways: by passing the Writing Proficiency Exam, passing two Writing Intensive Courses (only one can be in the core), or passing English 2113. If you have any questions about the exam, visit the Writing Proficiency Office website at https://msutexas.edu/academics/wpr, or call 397-4131.

Senate Bill 11 passed by the 84th Texas Legislature allows licensed handgun holders to carry concealed handguns on campus, effective August 1, 2016. Areas excluded from concealed carry are appropriately marked, in accordance with state law. For more information regarding campus carry, please refer to the University’s webpage at https://msutexas.edu/campus-carry/rules-policies.

If you have questions or concerns, please contact MSU Chief of Police at police@msutexas.edu.