Main Content
Syllabus
EDLDR 802—How Schools Work: Creating Learning Organizations
(3 credits) Course focuses on understanding schools as learning organizations and how teacher leadership works in such organizations.
Overview
School systems are complex, multifaceted organizations. Although they are highly regulated public institutions, they are also one of the prime examples of locally governed democratic processes at work daily in a community. As a result, school districts are expected to reflect the shared values and cultural traditions of a community, while effectively preparing all its children and youth for a productive, personally satisfying, and responsible future as part of a family, work group, community, nation, and an increasingly “global village.” In addition, school districts must adapt to changing economic, demographic, technological, political, and social circumstances; furthermore, they are expected to meet these challenges with foresight, wisdom, creativity, and innovation.
At the epicenter is the foundational belief in the critical importance of educating every child to develop the habits, skills, and commitment to lifelong learning and the knowledge and skills to be successful in the emerging global realm of the 21st century. Measures of accountability are being aggressively sought to verify that student learning, effective instruction, and systemic performance are happening in every school district.
The continuing development of the capacities of schools to become learning organizations is a key aspect of creating capable, competent student learners and effective teachers. A learning organization challenges assumptions, develops and reflects upon essential questions, explores innovative approaches, and through collaborative leadership structures applies these learnings to improve instructional and environmental practices for students and teachers.
This course introduces teacher leadership candidates to the systemic components of today’s schools within the framework of a learning organization (i.e., an organization focused on student achievement; faculty, staff, administrative and board professional development; and parent involvement and community engagement as part of continuous improvement).
Objectives
Upon successful completion of this course, you will be able to do the following:
- Differentiate outcomes and types of research commonly used at different levels in the school system.
- Demonstrate understanding of the complexities of schools as organizations from national, state, and local perspectives, including structures, policies, and practices.
- Articulate the key factors characterizing schools that function as learning organizations, including linkages beyond the school and diversity in the school and broader community.
- Demonstrate understanding of economic, social, demographic, and educational globalization and its implications for student mastery of 21st-century knowledge and skills in today’s schools.
- Articulate the critical context within which systemic change may be accomplished and supported, as well as the common constraints that interfere with change initiatives within a learning organization.
- Assess the needs and collective capacity building within the schools that support ongoing development of teacher leadership and important change efforts.
- Explore, synthesize, and apply the concept of teacher leadership as the exercise of responsible influence, both distributed and relational, as it contributes to the development of schools and school districts that are learning organizations.
Required Course Materials
Most World Campus courses require that students purchase materials (e.g., textbooks, specific software, etc.). To learn about how to order materials, please see the Course Materials page. You should check LionPATH approximately 3–4 weeks before the course begins for a list of required materials.
Library Reserves (Course Reserves)
This course requires that you access Penn State library materials specifically reserved for this course. You can access these materials by selecting Library Resources in your course navigation, or by accessing the Library E-Reserves Search and search for your instructor's last name.
Library Resources
Many of the University Libraries resources can be utilized from a distance. Through the Libraries website, you can
- access magazine, journal, and newspaper articles online using library databases;
- borrow materials and have them delivered to your doorstep—or even your desktop;
- get research help via email, chat, or phone using the Ask a Librarian service; and
- much more.
You must have an active Penn State Access Account to take full advantage of the Libraries' resources and service. The Off-Campus Users page has additional information about these free services.
Technical Specifications
| Operating System | Canvas, Penn State's Learning Management System (LMS), supports most recent versions of Microsoft Windows and Apple Mac operating systems. To determine if your operating system is supported, please review Canvas' computer specifications. |
|---|---|
| Browser | Canvas supports the last two versions of every major browser release. It is highly recommended that you update to the newest version of whatever browser you are using. Note: Cookies must be enabled, and pop-up blockers should be configured to permit new windows from Penn State websites. |
| Additional Canvas Requirements | For a list of software, hardware, and computer settings specifically required by the Canvas LMS, please review Canvas' computer specifications. |
| Additional Software | All Penn State students have access to Microsoft Office 365, including Microsoft Office applications such as Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. |
| Hardware | Monitor: Monitor capable of at least 1024 x 768 resolution |
| Mobile Device (optional) | The Canvas mobile app is available for versions of iOS and Android. To determine if your device is capable of using the Canvas Mobile App, please review the Canvas Mobile App Requirements. |
Student Education Experience Questionnaire (SEEQ)
During the semester you will receive information for completing the Student Education Experience Questionnaire (SEEQ). Your participation is an opportunity to provide anonymous feedback on your learning experience. Your feedback is important because it allows us to understand your experience in this course and make changes to improve the learning experiences of future students. Please monitor email and course communications for links and availability dates.
If you need technical assistance at any point during the course, please contact the Service Desk.
For registration, advising, disability services, help with materials, exams, general problem solving, visit World Campus Student Services!
Course Requirements
Logging On
You will be expected to log on to our course home page to engage in discussions and activities on a regular basis. Interaction with each other is an important part of this course. It is recommended that you log on to the course website at least five times a week to work through course materials and to participate in course discussions. You should plan on spending the same amount of time on this course as you would if you were taking it in residence—about 12–15 hours per week.
Posting Responses
You will be placed into a focus group of four or five and will be asked to respond to two postings within your focus group. If two posts have been made to one member, choose another member’s response for your posting. During each module you must respond at least once to all other members of your work group. Responses and postings constitute class participation and are an important part of the learning community. You will receive periodic feedback on your participation throughout the course, as well as participation grades for both frequency and quality. A quality rubric will be used for evaluation and provided to you.
Grading
The outcomes will be assessed by a combination of measures, including understanding of the content, active participation via blogs and discussion forums, synthesis activities, and a practice-based inquiry project. A description of each assignment category, corresponding rubric, and the weighted percentage for each assignment category is provided below.
Class Participation: 30%
Focus Group Discussions
Full participation of its members is an essential element of a learning community. Thoughtful completion of individual discussion forums and responses to colleagues' comments constitute expected participation. Course members will be clustered in focus groups of 4–5. Each group will share its weekly discussion forum comments with group members, and each member is responsible for responding to a minimum of two other members of the group.
Blog Reflections
Reflection is an opportunity to synthesize, question, and apply concepts from the readings/viewings of each lesson. These assignments will be completed via weekly blogs. Reflections will be based on selected prompts/essential questions focusing on what the student has learned from the lesson content and what questions they are generating about the topics.
Signature Assessment: 30%
Inquiry is a process of questioning, discovery through practice, and application to practice, resulting in the generation of new questions. For this course, your inquiry will be focused on completing a needs assessment specific to the “wondering topic” you selected in EDLDR 801. A needs assessment is an intentional investigation of things as they are and things as they should be in order to address an identified gap. In general terms, the purpose of a needs assessment is to identify any existing areas of need, or gaps, in an existing plan or process which, when addressed, can result in guidance for improved direction/actions for all stakeholders in an organization (such as a school). Closing identified gaps is the goal of any subsequent plan that evolves from the needs assessment.
This project has six interrelated activities:
- Needs Assessment: Project Statement—Start/submit in Lesson 02.
- Needs Assessment: Pre-Assessment—Start in Lesson 03; submit in Lesson 04.
- Needs Assessment: Data Collection—Start in Lesson 05; submit in Lesson 10.
- Needs Assessment: Analysis—Submit in Lesson 12.
- Needs Assessment: Final Report—Submit in Lesson 14.
- Needs Assessment: Peer Review—Lesson 15.
Only the Analysis, Final Report, and Peer Review will receive a numeric grade; however, you will receive feedback throughout. Grades will be based on this rubric.
Synthesis Assignments (total of two): 20%
These assignments will be written reflections and will be completed at during Lessons 08 and 11. The focus will be on summarizing understanding of each of the lessons and applying that understanding to how schools work. Each will represent 10% of the total.
Final Synthesis: 20%
This culminating document will include the student’s individual understanding of teacher leadership within the context of a learning organization, personal philosophy of education, self-assessment of skills and knowledge in pursuing/assuming a leadership role, and action plan for personal/professional leadership development. This will be submitted at the conclusion of the course.
The World Campus follows the same grading system as the Penn State resident program. The grades of A, B, C, D, and F indicate the following qualities of academic performance:
A = (Excellent) Indicates exceptional achievement
B = (Good) Indicates extensive achievement
C = (Satisfactory) Indicates acceptable achievement
D = (Poor) Indicates only minimal achievement
F = (Failure) Indicates inadequate achievement necessitating a repetition of the course in order to secure credit
| Letter Grade | Points/Percentage |
|---|---|
| A | 94–100 |
| A- | 90–93.9 |
| B+ | 87–89.9 |
| B | 84–86.9 |
| B- | 80–83.9 |
| C+ | 77–79.9 |
| C | 70–76.9 |
| D | 60–69.9 |
| F | <60 |
Please refer to the University Grading Policy for Graduate Courses for additional information about University grading policies.
Course Schedule
Note: All due dates reflect North American eastern time (ET).
The schedule below outlines the topics we will be covering in this course, along with the associated time frames and assignments.
Unless otherwise specified, assignments are due by 11:59 p.m. (ET), Sunday night of the week.
Identifies readings that are available on Course Reserves through the Libraries.
| Readings |
|
|---|---|
| Activities |
|
| Readings |
|
|---|---|
| Activities |
|
| Readings |
Read
Review
|
|---|---|
| Activities |
|
| Readings |
|
|---|---|
| Activities |
|
| Readings |
|
|---|---|
| Viewing |
|
| Activities |
|
| Readings |
|
|---|---|
| Activities |
|
| Readings |
|
|---|---|
| Activities |
|
| Readings |
|
|---|---|
| Activities |
|
Note: If you are planning to graduate this semester, please communicate your intent to graduate to your instructor. This will alert your instructor to the need to submit your final grade in time to meet the published graduation deadlines. For more information about graduation policies and deadlines, please go to the Graduation Information on the My Penn State Online Student Portal.
Formal instruction will end on the last day of class. Provided that you have an active Penn State Access Account user ID and password, you will continue to be able to access the course materials for one year, starting from the end date of the academic semester in which the course was offered (with the exception of library reserves and other external resources that may have a shorter archival period). After one year, you might be able to access the course based on the policies of the program or department offering the course material, up to a maximum of three years from the end date of the academic semester in which the course was offered. For more information, please review the University Course Archival Policy.
Academic Integrity
According to Penn State policy G-9: Academic Integrity , an academic integrity violation is “an intentional, unintentional, or attempted violation of course or assessment policies to gain an academic advantage or to advantage or disadvantage another student academically.” Unless your instructor tells you otherwise, you must complete all course work entirely on your own, using only sources that have been permitted by your instructor, and you may not assist other students with papers, quizzes, exams, or other assessments. If your instructor allows you to use ideas, images, or word phrases created by another person (e.g., from Course Hero or Chegg) or by generative technology, such as ChatGPT, you must identify their source. You may not submit false or fabricated information, use the same academic work for credit in multiple courses, or share instructional content. Students with questions about academic integrity should ask their instructor before submitting work.
Students facing allegations of academic misconduct may not drop/withdraw from the affected course unless they are cleared of wrongdoing (see G-9: Academic Integrity ). Attempted drops will be prevented or reversed, and students will be expected to complete course work and meet course deadlines. Students who are found responsible for academic integrity violations face academic outcomes, which can be severe, and put themselves at jeopardy for other outcomes which may include ineligibility for Dean’s List, pass/fail elections, and grade forgiveness. Students may also face consequences from their home/major program and/or The Schreyer Honors College.
How Academic Integrity Violations Are Handled
World Campus students are expected to act with civility and
personal integrity; respect other students' dignity, rights, and
property; and help create and maintain an environment in which all
can succeed through the fruits of their own efforts. An environment
of academic integrity is requisite to respect for oneself and
others, as well as a civil community.
In cases where academic integrity is questioned, the Policy on Academic Integrity indicates that procedure requires an instructor to inform the student of the allegation. Procedures allow a student to accept or contest a charge. If a student chooses to contest a charge, the case will then be managed by the respective college or campus Academic Integrity Committee. If that committee recommends an administrative sanction (Formal Warning, Conduct Probation, Suspension, Expulsion), the claim will be referred to the Office of Student Accountability and Conflict Response.
All Penn State colleges abide by this Penn State policy, but review procedures may vary by college when academic dishonesty is suspected. Information about Penn State's academic integrity policy and college review procedures is included in the information that students receive upon enrolling in a course. To obtain that information in advance of enrolling in a course, please contact us by going to the Contacts & Help page .
University Policies
- Privacy Notice:Please note that course access is limited to those individuals who have direct responsibility for the quality of your educational experience. The course instructor and any teaching assistant(s), of course, have access to the course throughout the semester. Each course offered via the World Campus has several instructional design staff members assigned to assist in managing course content and delivery. These instructional design staff members have access to the course throughout the semester for this purpose. Also, World Campus technical staff may be given access in order to resolve technical support issues. In addition, mentor, department head, or program chair may be provided with course access in order to ensure optimal faculty availability and access. Each of these individuals will keep confidential all student course and academic information.
- Accommodating Disabilities:
Penn State welcomes students with disabilities into the University's educational programs. Every Penn State campus has resources for students with disabilities. The Student Disability Resources (SDR) website provides contacts for disability services at every Penn State campus. For further information, please visit the SDR website.
In order to apply for reasonable accommodations, you must contact the appropriate disability resources office at the campus where you are officially enrolled, participate in an intake interview, and provide documentation based on the documentation guidelines. If the documentation supports your request for reasonable accommodations, your campus's disability resources office will provide you with an accommodation letter. Please share this letter with your instructors and discuss the accommodations with them as early in your courses as possible. You must follow this process for every semester that you request accommodations.
- Counseling and Psychological Services:
If you have a crisis or safety concern, mental health services are available to you as a Penn State student. Crisis and emergency contacts are available, no matter where you are located:
- Anywhere in the United States: Call the Penn State Crisis Line at 1-877-229-6400 or text LIONS to 741741. You can also contact your local crisis services or hospital for emergencies.
- Outside the United States: Please contact emergency services in your current location. You can also use the International Crisis and Emergency Services listings.
- At University Park: Assistance is available at Counseling & Psychological Services (CAPS) locations on campus.
- At a Penn State branch campus: You can search for counseling information at your campus.
- Additional Policies:
For information about additional policies regarding Penn State Access Accounts; credit by examination; course tuition, fees, and refund schedules; and drops and withdrawals, please see the World Campus Student Center website.
- Deferred Grades:If, for reasons beyond the student's control, a student is prevented from completing a course within the prescribed time, the grade in that course may be deferred with the concurrence of the instructor. The symbol DF appears on the student's transcript until the course has been completed. Non-emergency permission for filing a deferred grade must be requested by the student before the beginning of the final examination period. In an emergency situation, an instructor can approve a deferred grade after the final exam period has started. Under emergency conditions during which the instructor is unavailable, authorization is required from one of the following: the dean of the college in which the candidate is enrolled; the executive director of the Division of Undergraduate Studies if the student is enrolled in that division or is a provisional student; or the campus chancellor of the student's associated Penn State campus.
For additional information please refer to the Deferring a Grade page. - Military Students:
Veterans and currently serving military personnel and/or dependents with unique circumstances (e.g., upcoming deployments, drill/duty requirements, VA appointments, etc.) are welcome and encouraged to communicate these, in advance if possible, to the instructor in the case that special arrangements need to be made.
- Report Bias:
Penn State takes great pride to foster a diverse and inclusive environment for students, faculty, and staff. Acts of intolerance, discrimination, or harassment due to age, ancestry, color, disability, gender, gender identity, national origin, race, religious belief, sexual orientation, or veteran status are not tolerated and can be reported through Educational Equity via the Report Bias webpage.
Disclaimer
Please note that the specifics of this Course Syllabus are subject to change, and you will be responsible for abiding by any such changes. Your instructor will notify you of any changes.