Course Description

Examination of the direction and issues of a school district and the impact of various levels of district leadership.

Course Objectives/Learning Outcomes/Course Competencies

Coursework for 6003 District Level Leadership will prepare students to apply general leadership skills to public school administration within established research frameworks in the social media age.

Domain I—Leadership of the Educational Community

Competency 001—The superintendent knows how to act with integrity, fairness and in an ethical manner in order to promote the success of all students.

Competency 002—The superintendent knows how to shape district culture by facilitating the development, articulation, implementation and stewardship of a vision of learning that is shared and supported by the educational community.

Competency 003—The superintendent knows how to communicate and collaborate with families and community members, respond to diverse community interests and needs and mobilize community resources to ensure educational success for all students.

Projects Required

All class participation, presentations, and written assignments will sequentially prepare students for the two key NELP assessments:

Assessment #1 Understanding Intentional Leadership Assessment

This assessment will be completed mid-course.

Assessment #6 Superintendent Interview

This assessment will begin with November 18 class presentations and will be fully completed as part of your final.

Both assessments will be based on the NELP framework (see course attachments) that include students’ written and oral presentations. Final artifacts will synthesize leadership principles with best practices in district level leadership within the NELP assessment standards.

Quality Requirements

"Turning in" all assignments is not enough to ensure an "A" in the course. Quality of work turned in on time is the most important criterion for receiving an "A." 

Expectations for Written Work

• Correct grammar, punctuation, and spelling are expected on all written assignments (although web discussions are not held to the high standard of a research project or other written assignment).  
• Written assignments should be done in Microsoft Word and turned in as an attachment in dropbox on D2L.  
• Discussions should be completed within the D2L discussion space and NOT uploaded as an attachment.
• Due dates should be honored in order to receive the highest grade. 
• When referring to the ideas of others, works should be cited using the APA format.

Big Questions for Social Justice – MSU Texas EdD Courses

EDLE 6003 District Level Leadership 

• How do diversity issues impact district leadership decisions?
• How can we guide our district leaders to maintain equity issues as a top of mind consideration?

Desire-to-Learn (D2L)

Extensive use of the MSU D2L program is a part of this course. Each student is expected to be familiar with this program as it provides a primary source of communication regarding assignments, examination materials, and general course information. You can log into D2L through the MSU Homepage. If you experience difficulties, please contact the technicians listed for the program or contact your instructor.

Texas Examinations of Educator Standards (TExES)

Domain I—Leadership of the Educational Community

Competency 001—The superintendent knows how to act with integrity, fairness and in an ethical manner in order to promote the success of all students.

Competency 002—The superintendent knows how to shape district culture by facilitating the development, articulation, implementation and stewardship of a vision of learning that is shared and supported by the educational community.

Competency 003—The superintendent knows how to communicate and collaborate with families and community members, respond to diverse community interests and needs and mobilize community resources to ensure educational success for all students.

Competency 004—The superintendent knows how to respond to and influence the larger political, social, economic, legal and cultural context, including working with the board of trustees, to achieve the district’s educational vision.

Domain II—Instructional Leadership

Competency 005—The superintendent knows how to facilitate the planning and implementation of strategic plans that enhance teaching and learning; ensure alignment among curriculum, curriculum resources and assessment; use the current accountability system; and promote the use of varied assessments to measure student performance.

Competency 006—The superintendent knows how to advocate, promote and sustain an instructional program and a district culture that are conducive to student learning and staff professional growth.

Competency 007—The superintendent knows how to implement a staff evaluation and development system and select appropriate models for supervision and staff development to improve the performance of all staff members.

Domain III—Administrative Leadership

Competency 008—The superintendent knows how to apply principles of effective leadership and management in relation to district budgeting, personnel, resource utilization, financial management and technology applications.

Competency 009—The superintendent knows how to apply principles of leadership and management to the district’s physical plant and support systems to ensure a safe and effective learning environment.

Competency 010—The superintendent knows how to apply organizational, decision-making and problem-solving skills to comply with federal and state requirements and facilitate positive change in varied contexts.

National Education Leadership Preparation (NELP) Standards

Component 1.1 Program completers understand and demonstrate the capacity to collaboratively design, communicate, and evaluate a district mission and vision that reflects a core set of values and priorities that include data use, technology, values, equity, diversity, digital citizenship, and community.

Component 1.2 Program completers understand and demonstrate the capacity to lead district strategic planning and continuous improvement processes that engage diverse stakeholders in data collection, diagnosis, design, implementation, and evaluation.

Component 2.1 Program completers understand and demonstrate the capacity to reflect on, communicate about, and cultivate professional dispositions and norms (i.e., equity, fairness, integrity, transparency, trust, collaboration, perseverance, reflection, lifelong learning, digital citizenship) and professional district and school cultures.

Component 2.2 Program completers understand and demonstrate the capacity to evaluate and advocate for ethical and legal decisions.

Component 2.3 Program completers understand and demonstrate the capacity to model ethical behavior in their personal conduct and relationships and to cultivate ethical behavior in others.

Component 3.1 Program completers understand and demonstrate the capacity to evaluate, cultivate, and advocate for a supportive and inclusive district culture.

Component 3.2 Program completers understand and demonstrate the capacity to evaluate, cultivate, and advocate for equitable access to safe and nurturing schools and the opportunities and resources, including instructional materials, technologies, classrooms, teachers, interventions, and adult relationships, necessary to support the success and well-being of each student.

Component 3.3 Program completers understand and demonstrate the capacity to evaluate, advocate, and cultivate equitable, inclusive, and culturally responsive instructional and behavior support practices among teachers and staff.

Component 4.1 Program completers understand and can demonstrate the capacity to evaluate, design, and implement high-quality curricula, the use of technology, and other services and supports for academic and non-academic student programs.

Component 4.2 Program completers understand and can demonstrate the capacity to collaboratively evaluate, design, and cultivate coherent systems of support, coaching, and professional development for educators, educational professionals, and school and district leaders, including themselves, that promote reflection, digital literacy, distributed leadership, data literacy, equity, improvement, and student success.

Component 4.3 Program completers understand and can demonstrate the capacity to design, implement, and evaluate a developmentally appropriate, accessible, and culturally responsive system of assessments and data collection, management, and analysis that support instructional improvement, equity, student learning and well-being, and instructional leadership.

Component 4.4 Program completers understand and demonstrate the capacity to design, implement, and evaluate district-wide use of coherent systems of curriculum, instruction, assessment, student services, technology, and instructional resources that support the needs of each student in the district.

Component 5.1 Program completers understand and demonstrate the capacity to represent and support district schools in engaging diverse families in strengthening student learning in and out of school.

Component 5.2 Program completers understand and demonstrate the capacity to understand, engage, and effectively collaborate and communicate with, through oral, written, and digital means, diverse families, community members, partners, and other constituencies to benefit learners, schools, and the district as a whole.

Component 5.3 Program completers understand and demonstrate the capacity to communicate through oral, written, and digital means within the larger organizational, community, and political contexts and cultivate relationships with members of the business, civic, and policy community in support of their advocacy for district, school, student, and community needs.

Component 6.1 Program completers understand and demonstrate the capacity to develop, communicate, implement, and evaluate data-informed and equitable management, communication, technology, governance, and operation systems at the district level to support schools in realizing the district’s mission and vision.

Component 6.2 Program completers understand and demonstrate the capacity to develop, communicate, implement, and evaluate a data-based district resourcing plan and support schools in developing their school-level resourcing plans.

Component 6.3 Program completers understand and demonstrate the capacity to develop, implement, and evaluate coordinated, data-informed systems for hiring, retaining, supervising, and developing school and district staff in order to support the district’s collective instructional and leadership capacity.

Component 7.1 Program completers understand and demonstrate the capacity to represent the district, advocate for district needs, and cultivate a respectful and responsive relationship with the district’s board of education focused on achieving the district’s shared mission and vision.

Component 7.2 Program completers understand and demonstrate the capacity to design, implement, cultivate, and evaluate effective and collaborative systems for district governance that engage multiple and diverse stakeholder groups, including school and district personnel, families, community stakeholders, and board members.

Component 7.3 Program completers understand and demonstrate the capacity to evaluate, engage in decision making around, implement, and appropriately communicate about district, state, and national policy, laws, rules, and regulations.

Component 7.4 Program completers understand the implications of larger cultural, social, economic, legal, and political interests, changes, and expectations and demonstrate the capacity to evaluate and represent district needs and priorities within larger policy conversations and advocate for district needs and priorities at the local, state, and national level.

Attendance Policy

Our projected dates for the Saturday courses in the spring are:

Saturday, September 9, 2023: 1:00-4:00 P.M.

Saturday, October 14, 2023: 1:00-4:00 P.M.

Saturday,November 18, 2023: 1:00-4:00 P.M.

Locations of the Saturday sessions are yet to be determined.

Regular attendance is expected. If a class must be missed, please discuss it with the professor beforehand. If an emergency arises, please either telephone or email the professor, if possible.

One of the cornerstones to the WCOE Ed.D experience is the opportunity to interact with colleagues from across other campuses, districts, and professions. To this end, we hold Saturday classes three times per long semester. Students are expected to maintain a physical and professional engagement in these experiences. However, we do understand some circumstances cannot be avoided. Therefore, we have established the following policy:

1 absence = make up required experiences/coursework with colleagues

2 absences = final grade will be lowered by one letter and make up required experiences/coursework with colleagues

3 absences = Failing

COVID policy – if a student is quarantined due to COVID, that student may Zoom a Saturday class. Under these circumstances a student will be required to provide documentation of quarantine requirements from his/her public health district or health care provider.

Attendance/Participation

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

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.