department of educational leadership western … edl 545 syllabus fall 17.pdfdepartment of...

EDL 545, FALL 2017, Wolff,

School, Parent & Community Relations EDL 545

Department of Educational Leadership Western Illinois University

FALL 2017 MACOMB CAMPUS

Lora L. Wolff, Ph.D. Assistant Professor Department of Educational Studies Room 115 Moline Campus

Work: (309) 298-1776 (least effective method) Home: (319) 524-8184 (before 9 p.m.) Cell: (319) 670-8717 E-mail: [email protected] Office Hours: Wednesday--2:00-4:00 p.m. Thursday--1:00-3:00 pm The weekends that I teach classes my office hours will include one hour before each Saturday and Sunday class session and one hour after each Saturday and Sunday session (substituted for Wednesday office hours).

Course Dates Saturday, October 28: 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. (30-minute lunch) & Meeting Sunday, October 29: 8 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. Times: Saturday, November 11: 8 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. (30-minute lunch) Sunday, November 12: 8 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. Saturday, December 9: 8 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. (30–minute lunch) Sunday, December 10: 8 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.

Location: Western Illinois University—MOLINE CAMPUS (Tentative Room: 2118)

Course Description

Central to the course are a variety of broad topics demonstrating the positive contribution that a good school-community relations plan has upon student achievement. Emphasis is placed on the essential elements necessary to enable regular, purposeful and effective communication with diverse community publics. The positive impact on student achievement that results from the development of a common school-community culture is stressed. (See the course description in the graduate catalog at http://www.wiu.edu/graduate_studies/catalog/edleadership.php>)

Prerequisites Admitted to Educational Leadership Principal Preparation Program; EDL 500, EDL 504, EDL 508, and EDL 510; or Permission of Instructor http://www.wiu.edu/graduate_studies/catalog/edleadership.php>

http://www.wiu.edu/graduate_studies/catalog/edleadership.php


Purpose The changing role of the effective school leader requires an understanding of school-community relations. The most successful principals are skilled at developing and implementing a strong school-community relations plan. As school leaders, principals must possess the knowledge, skills and dispositions necessary to effectively engage and collaborate with diverse publics within the community. The course highlights the crucial elements integral to the development of a well thought out school-community relations plan that fosters an awareness of public opinion and determines the needs of students and families. Topics include: trends in public opinion; internal and external communication; collaboration; social networking/online technologies impacting communication methods; the impact of out-of-school factors on achievement; and the role of staff members in representing the school to the community.

Objectives The student will:

1. Develop a process to assess student, parent, and community needs in order to improve student achievement. (Assignment 1)

2. Review, list, and evaluate methods that lead to the development of Full-Service Community Schools. (Assignment 3)

3. Critique Out-of-School Factors (OSFs) and poverty indicators that adversely affect achievement. (Assignment 13)

4. Conduct research on the most effective strategies for engaging parents and other community members in children's education. (Assignment 1)

5. Demonstrate proficiency in communicating through the media. (Assignment 4) 6. Research a controversial community relations topic, select a stance, and defend the stance.

(Assignment 10) 7. Analyze online electronic community relations endeavors. (Assignment 10) 8. Complete components of a crisis management plan as a part of staff development and

community involvement. (Assignment 11) 9. Identify community relation processes, concepts, or ideas to use as a new principal.

(Assignments 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 11, 12, 13) 10. Review, critique, and respond to current trends about public opinion and public schools and

the effect of public opinion on student achievement and community support. (Assignment 12)

11. Critique and respond to simulations as to positive or negative connotations for community relations. (Assignment 2)

Required Texts Fiore, D. (2010). School community relations. (3rd ed.). New York, NY: Eye on Education. ISBN: 9781596671614

Recommended Texts Marzano, R. (2003). What works in schools: Translating research into action. Alexandria, VA: ASCD. ISBN:

978-0-87120-717-3. This book is also used in EDL 540: School Improvement when I teach the course. For EDL 545, we’ll be using Chapter 5: Parent and Community Involvement. I will make this chapter available in WesternOnline. However, if you haven’t taken EDL 540, you might consider going ahead securing a copy of the book now. I’d suggest used on the Internet. This is a very important book to your future as a school leader.


Internet Resources: (Required)

Poverty and Potential: Out-of-School Factors and School Success, http://epicpolicy.org/publication/poverty-and-potential Add It Up: Using Research to Improve Education for Low-Income and Minority Students, www.prrac.org National Council for Parent Involvement in Education, www.ncpie.org/developing partnerships Policy Study Associates, www.ed.gov/pubs/FamInvolve/index.html Turnaround Schools (link to video debate), www.publicimpact.com/hsat

Additional Text Resources Bagin, D., Gallagher, D. R., & Moore, E. H. (2008). The school and community relations. (9th ed.). Boston,

MA: Allyn & Bacon. Bryk, A. S., Sebring, P. B., Allensworth, E., Luppescu, S., & Easton, J. Q. (2010). Organizing schools for

improvement: Lessons from Chicago. Chicago, IL: The University of Chicago Press. Epstein, J. L. (2001). School, family, and community partnerships: Preparing educators and improving schools.

Boulder, CO: Westview Press.

Additional Internet Resources National School Public Relations, www.nspra.org McRel Organization, www.mcrel.org McRel, http://www.mcrel.org:80/topics/products/221/ American Association for Curriculum Development, www.ascd.org School Based Reform, http://www.ed.gov/pubs/Reform/index.html National Association for Elementary Principals, www.naep.org Education Northwest, http://educationnorthwest.org/ Center on School, Family and Community Partnerships, http://www.csos.jhu.edu/p2000/center.htm National Association Secondary School Principals, www.nassp.org National Association of School Administrators, www.aasa.org

http://epicpolicy.org/publication/poverty-and-potential

http://www.nspra.org/

http://www.mcrel.org/

http://,,www.mcrel.org/topics/products/221/

http://www.ascd.org/

http://www.ed.gov/pubs/Reform/index.html

http://www.naep.org/

http://educationnorthwest.org/

http://www.csos.jhu.edu/p2000/center.htm

http://www.nassp.org/

http://www.aasa.org/


National Staff Development Council, www.nsdc.org

General Course Outline (Tentative)

See “Assessment/Assignment” section for assignment due dates.

Date Topics Readings Due

Weekend #1

Introductions

Syllabus Review

Assignments and Assessments

Activities

Groups Activities

Topics

Paying Attention to Public Opinion

Reading the Pulse of the Community

Establishing Everybody’s Role

Internal Publics

External Publics

Text Chapter 1: Paying Attention to Public Opinion

Text Chapter 2: Reading the Pulse of the Community

Text Chapter 3: Establishing Everybody’s Role

Text Chapter 4: Communicating Effectively: Everybody’s Job

Text Chapter 5: Opening Up to Your Internal Publics

Text Chapter 6: Embracing Your External Publics

What Works in Schools, Chapter 5

Other readings as assigned

Community Relations Materials

Read Chapters

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

Case Studies-

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

Weekend #2 Topics

Media Relations

Putting it All on Paper

Electronic Communication

Saying What You Mean

Crisis Management

Text Chapter 7: Improving Media Relations

Text Chapter 8: Putting It All on Paper

Text Chapter 9: Communication in an Electronic Era

Text Chapter 10: Following and Being Followed

Text Chapter 11: Saying What You Mean

Text Chapter 12: In Crisis Situations You Must Have a Plan

Other readings as assigned

Read Chapters

7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12

Case Studies

7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12

http://www.nsdc.org/


Date Topics Readings Due

Weekend #3 Topics

Opportunities to Shine

Evaluating Effectiveness

Debates

Controversial School Community Relations Topics

Discussion

Approaches to full service schools, agency partnering, and addressing out of school factors

Marketing Plan Discussion

Discussions

Our Money, Our Schools: Top 10 Findings of our Research Team Where We Are Now: 12 Things You Need to Know about Public Opinion and Public Schools

Text Chapter 13: Three Opportunities to Shine

Text Chapter 14: Evaluating Effectiveness and Building Confidence

Debates will be approximately 45 minutes

Read Chapters

13, 14

Case Studies

13, 14


Assessment/Assignments

Scores on the assignments/activities listed in the table below determine grades for this course. There are 300 points in the course. Assignments may be added or assignments may be excluded if deemed appropriate by the professor.

Assignment/Activity Points Notes Description

Assignment #1: Marketing Plan (Community Perception)

Individual Assignment

60 For this assignments students will:

a. Administer the “School Culture Survey” by National Staff Development Council or a school community survey of the students’ choosing to two groups of stakeholders (teachers, support staff, parents, or students). Students may use an existing survey if it relates to school culture and there are at least two groups surveyed.

b. Interview two groups of people (teachers, support staff, parents, or students)

c. Create a marketing plan (2-3 pages) d. Be prepared to discuss your plan in class

focusing on:

1. Promoting the School/Positives

2. Survey and Interview Results of 2 groups

3. Next steps/future plans--Tell what you will do as the new principal

Note: Detailed directions and expectations are provided on WesternOnline (Marketing Plan Folder).

See Marketing Plan in WesternOnline.

Students will create a marketing plan document (two-three pages maximum) suitable to give to building staff, the district administrative team, a Parent Advisory Group, or the Board of Education (be sure to determine your audience). We will discuss the marketing plans you develop in class.

Due: Weekend #3

Submit to the assignment dropbox



Assignment #2:

Lead discussion on a chapter of Fiore textbook

Individual or Pair As Assigned

50 Students will facilitate the class discussion on an assigned chapter of the textbook.

See “Presentation Rubric”

Students will read the assigned chapter, review the corresponding study guide (using it as the core for the class discussion), and facilitate the class’s discussion of the chapter. You may want to include some type of activity as appropriate. One-two students will be assigned to each chapter. See “Fiore Chapter Assignments” for chapter assignments. If you are not assigned a chapter, email me ([email protected]). You do NOT need to prepare a PP for this assignment. Due: Weekend #1, #2, or #3 as assigned

Assignment #3:

Analysis of Community Resources, Poverty and Achievement / Full Service Schools

Individual Assignment Submission—In-class; Students may work in groups in initial development, but the submission should be individualized to his/her school.

10 As the new principal at your current school:

Section 1: List the services that would be offered in a “full service” school.

Section 2: Create a list of agencies and organizations in your community/town/area that could partner with your school. Indicate if any of these could potentially be part of a “full service” school.

Section 3: Discuss how you as principal and your school could partner with the above listed agencies and organizations.

Section 4: Discuss how you as principal of your school would approach partnering with community agencies and organizations to combat poverty and enhance student achievement.

(Numerous articles are available online to formulate the disposition as a new principal)

This assignment should be one-page single-spaced (if you need to go over one page, that would be fine). Sections 1 & 2 could just be bulleted lists. Sections 3 & 4 could be a paragraph or two. Time will be provided in-class to work on this assignment (however, it may take some fine-tuning outside of class). Students may work in groups (2-4 students). However, each student will want to personalize the document for his/her particular school and community. Due: Weekend 3 (or no later than December 11) Submit to the assignment dropbox



Assignment #4:

Press Release


10 Press Release

(Audience: Parents)

Write a “press release” for one of the following school events: Welcome Back to School Night, Fall Open House, Principal’s Parent Advisory Group, or Parent/Teacher Conferences. A press release template is provided in the course content. The press release should be no more than 250 words. Thought should be given to the “letterhead” for the press release. The “letterhead” should match the “letter to parents” assignment letterhead. Work on developing the “brand” for your school.

Due: Weekend #2 or Weekend #3


Assignment #5:

Letter to Parents


10 New Principal “Welcome/Welcome Back” Letter

(Audience: Parents)

Write a letter to parents and guardians. The letter should be designed to introduce you as the new principal of the school and to serve to welcome them to a new school year. The letter must be no more than one page single-spaced, 12-point font, 1” margins.

Thought should be given to the “letterhead” for the letter. The “letterhead” should match the “press release” letterhead and the “letter to staff” letterhead. Again, you are developing a brand.

Due: Weekend #2 or Weekend #3 Submit to the assignment dropbox

Assignment #6:

Letter to Staff


10 New Principal “Welcome/Welcome Back” Letter

(Audience: Building staff members)

Write a letter to the school staff. The letter would be designed to introduce you as the new principal of the school and to serve to welcome them to a new school year. The letter must be no more than one page single-spaced, 12-point font, 1” margins.

Thought should be given to the “letterhead” for the letter. The “letterhead” should match the “press release” letterhead and the “letter to parents” letterhead. Again, you are developing a brand.

Due: Weekend #2 or Weekend #3 Submit to the assignment dropbox



Assignment #7:

Staff Newsletter


20 Create a staff newsletter (a document that would be distributed weekly to staff members; Monday Mailer, Friday Focus)

(Audience: Staff members)

Students will create a format for their weekly update/newsletter to staff. It should be one-page maximum. Topics to consider for inclusion: upcoming events for the week (logistics), a staff development component, positives of the week (e.g. High Fives, Whale Dones), important info.

Again, you are developing a brand.

Due: Weekend #2 or Weekend #3 Submit to the assignment dropbox.

Assignment #8:

School Newsletter


20 Create a newsletter for parents (possibly for community members). The document would be distributed monthly.

(Audience: Parents)

Students will create a format for their weekly update/newsletter to parents and possibly community members. It should be one-two pages maximum. Topics to consider for inclusion: upcoming events for the month (logistics), information about special activities (e.g. fieldtrips, programs, semester tests), and other information that parents might find important. Again, you are developing a brand.

Due: Weekend #2 or Weekend #3


Assignment #9: Develop a Rationale Pro / Con on a Controversial Community Relations Topic

Group

Assignment

25 Topics:

1. Should standards-based report cards be used? (6 students)

2. Should school employees be allowed to carry guns in schools? (6 students)

3. Should homework/practice be part of students’ grades? (6 students)

Students will choose one of the topics. The pros and cons should be presented by the appropriate side.

Part 1: Preparation—After being assigned a topic and a “side” (pro/con – 3 persons to a side), research the topic including both “sides” of the topic. As a pro or con team, prepare for the debate.

Part 2: Debate--The students will debate the topic. A format for the debate will be available on WesternOnline.

Due: Debates will occur Weekend #3;

No WesternOnline submission is needed.



Assignment # 10: Website Evaluation

Individual or Group Assignment

30 Evaluate a district website (you MAY do your own district) using the provided rubric emphasizing the community relations impact

Students should use the “Building Blocks to Electronic Communication” rubric to evaluate a district website in several areas. Students should include: 1)a brief (no more than one page) review of the website, 2)a copy of the “home page” for the website, and 3)the completed rubric.

Due: Weekend #2 or no later than Dec. 9 (Note: Students need to be prepared to discuss in class on Weekend #2)


Assignment #11: Crisis Management


30 Review your district crisis management plan and determine strengths and weaknesses. Use “2012 Iowa School Self-Assessment” tool for this assignment.

Review your district's Crisis Management Plan to determine strengths and weaknesses. After reviewing the plan, write an analysis of the plan that addresses strengths and weaknesses.

Using the “2012…Self-Assessment” tool, students should put an “X” in the appropriate column (“Yes,” “No,” or “N/A”) for each item. Additionally, students should put a comment for any item that is marked “No.” An overall analysis of the plan should be included at the end of the document in the “Comments” section.

Due: Weekend #3 or no later than December 11


Assignment #12: Public Schools & Public Opinion

Group Assignment

10 You will read an assigned article on the public schools and public opinion. Students will work on this assignment in-class and in a small group.

These articles will be provided for students (WesternOnline). After reading the articles, students are to analyze, reflect and respond. Do you agree or disagree with the concepts presented? Explain your thinking and rationale. The response should be one-page single-spaced (1” margins, 10-12 point font, single-spaced) total. Due: Prior to Weekend #2 or no later than December 11




Assignment #13:

Out-of-School Factors

Group Assignment

In-class

15 Read “Poverty and Potential: Out of School Factors and School Success” (available on WesternOnline).

In-class Activity/Assignment: In a small group, students will read the Berliner article (the article will be “chunked”). After reading the article, each group will choose four of the eleven out-of-school factors and brainstorm how schools would work to address the out-of-school factors. A template for this assignment will be available for students or students may use a format of their choosing. All group members’ names should be on the assignment. Students will present their four out-of-school factors to the class.

Due: Prior to Weekend #2

Students need to upload this assignment to WO in the dropbox.

Total Points

300 Points deducted at the discretion of instructor for excessive or inappropriate participation or lack thereof.

Grammar, spelling, and presentation will be evaluated for all written all assignments.

Other Information

1. All assignments must be submitted by November 1st

. 2. Assignments that are not able to be submitted electronically and

not submitted in class, need to be sent to me at the Macomb campus, Horrabin Hall 115.

Feedback on assignments will be given via WesternOnline.

Additional course topics, exercises, requirements, activities, or assignments may be added to or dropped from the above by the instructor.

Grading Points Grade Points Grade Points Grade Points Grade Grade Points UPDATED

4/24/2017 279-300 A 255-278 B 210-254 C 180-209 D 0-179 F


GRADING PHILOSOPHY Grading: No Zeros Policy

Please note that I subscribe to the “no zeros” grading philosophy advocated by Guskey, O’Connor, Reeves, and Wormeli. You will

get no less than 50% of the points possible for any assignment even if you do not do the assignment. If you have questions, I’d love to

chat about this topic. Additionally, there is no “extra credit” to pad your grade.

Assignment Resubmission

Assignments may be resubmitted if: 1) The initial grade is less than an “B,” 2) The student and I discuss the original submission and how the student plans to revise, and 3) The revision is submitted by December 11th.


WESTERN ONLINE Be sure you access the class via Western Online. The website is—http://westernonline.wiu.edu/ Class materials are posted there and feedback is given on assignments through WesternOnline. Typically, I will print your assignment from WesternOnline, make comments on the assignment, scan, and upload to the Dropbox. You will need to have your WIU ECOM user name and password. If you have trouble, contact the help desk (309-298-2704). Western Online will be open on June 1st. The site will be an evolving course repository.

SYLLABUS CHANGES Note: The syllabus is subject to change at the discretion of the instructor. Should the syllabus change, a revised syllabus will be distributed to students via WIU email and posted to Western Online.

REQUIRED TECHNOLOGY

A personal laptop with wireless internet for in-class activities

Access to the Internet


Policies and Expectations

Attendance A 500-level student who is absent for more than 50% of a scheduled day of a Weekend Academy class will be assigned a grade of incomplete (I) by the instructor and must make up the appropriate day in its entirety the next time the course is offered in order to change the “Incomplete” to a letter grade. If a student is absent for more than 50% of the first day of a weekend academy class, the instructor may, at his or her discretion, either exclude the student from attending the class or award an incomplete under this attendance policy. Under rare circumstances, the instructor may elect to assign the student additional activities to demonstrate that the student has accomplished the course outcomes missed in class. Incomplete Grade for Missing Course Requirements An incomplete grade may be given only when a student, due to circumstances beyond his or her control, is unable to complete course requirements within the official limits of the term. The instructor may allow additional time for completion of the requirements after consideration of a written petition from the student to the instructor. The petition must include what the student will do to complete the requirement and the expected date of completion of the incomplete requirements. Academic Accommodations In accordance with University policy and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), academic accommodations may be made for any student who notifies the instructor of the need for an accommodation. For the instructor to provide the proper accommodation(s) the student must obtain documentation of the need for an accommodation through Disability Support Services and provide it to the instructor. It is imperative that the student takes the initiative to bring such needs to the instructor's attention, as the instructor is not legally permitted to inquire about such particular needs of students. Students who may require special assistance in emergency evacuations (i.e. fire, tornado, etc.) should contact the instructor as to the most appropriate procedures to follow in such an emergency. Contact Disability Support Services at 298-2512 for additional services. WIU Academic Dishonesty Policy The University can best function and accomplish its objectives in an atmosphere where high ethical standards prevail. For this reason, and to insure that the academic work of all students will be fairly evaluated, the University strongly condemns academic dishonesty. The most prevalent forms of academic dishonesty are cheating and plagiarism. Dishonesty of any kind with respect to examinations, course assignments, alteration of records, or illegal possession of examinations shall be considered cheating. It is the responsibility of the student to not only abstain from cheating, but also to avoid making it possible for others to cheat. Any student who knowingly helps another student cheat is as guilty of cheating as the student he or she assists. The submission of the work of someone else as one's own constitutes plagiarism. Academic honesty requires that ideas or materials taken from another course for use as a course paper or project be fully acknowledged. Plagiarism is a very serious offense in whatever form it may


appear, be it submission of an entire article falsely represented as the student's own, the inclusion within a piece of the student's writing of an idea for which the student does not provide sufficient documentation, or the inclusion of a documented idea not sufficiently assimilated into the student's language and style. Academic Integrity The link to the WIU Student Academic Integrity policy is: http://www.wiu.edu/policies/acintegrity.php.

http://www.wiu.edu/policies/acintegrity.php


Appendix A

ISLLC Standards Addressed in EDL 545 Standard 1: An education leader promotes the success of every student by facilitating the development, articulation, implementation, and stewardship of a vision of learning that is shared and supported by all stakeholders. A. Collaboratively develop and implement a shared vision and mission B. Collect and use data to identify goals, assess organizational effectiveness, and promote organizational learning Standard 3: An education leader promotes the success of every student by ensuring management of the organization, operation, and resources for a safe, efficient, and effective learning environment. C. Promote and protect the welfare and safety of students and staff D. Develop the capacity for distributed leadership Standard 4: An education leader promotes the success of every student by collaborating with faculty and community members, responding to diverse community interests and needs, and mobilizing community resources. A. Collect and analyze data and information pertinent to the educational environment B. Promote understanding, appreciation, and use of the community's diverse cultural, social, and intellectual resources C. Build and sustain positive relationships with families and caregivers D. Build and sustain productive relationships with community partners Standard 6: An education leader promotes the success of every student by understanding, responding to, and influencing the political, economic, legal, and cultural context. A. Advocates for children, families, and caregivers


Appendix B

ELCC Standards Addressed in EDL 545

1.4 Steward a Vision a. Candidates demonstrate an understanding of the role effective communication skills play in

building a shared commitment to the vision. b. Candidates design or adopt a system for using data-based research strategies to

regularly monitor, evaluate, and revise the vision. c. Candidates assume stewardship of the vision through various methods.

1.5 Promote Community Involvement in the Vision

a. Candidates demonstrate the ability to involve community members in the realization of the vision and in related school improvement efforts.

b. Candidates acquire and demonstrate the skill needed to communicate effectively with all stakeholders about implementation of the vision.

4.1 Collaborate with Families and Other Community Members

a. Candidates demonstrate an ability to bring together the resources of family members and the community to positively affect student learning.

a. Candidates demonstrate the ability to use public information and research-based knowledge of issues and trends to collaborate with families and community members.

b. Candidates apply an understanding of community relations models, marketing strategies and processes, data-based decision making, and communications theory to create frameworks for school, family, business, community, government, and higher education partnerships.

c. Candidates develop various methods of outreach aimed at business, religious, political, and service organizations.

d. Candidates demonstrate the ability to involve families and other stakeholders in school decision-making processes, reflecting an understanding that schools are an integral part of the larger community.

e. Candidates demonstrate the ability to collaborate with community agencies to integrate health, social, and other services.

f. Candidates develop a comprehensive program of community relations and demonstrate the ability to work with the media.

6.2 Respond to the Larger Context

a. Candidates demonstrate the ability to communicate with members of a school community concerning trends, issues, and potential changes in the environment in which the school operates, including maintenance of an ongoing dialogue with representatives of diverse community groups.

6.3 Influence the Larger Context

a. Candidates demonstrate the ability to engage students, parents, and other members of the community in advocating for adoption of improved policies and laws.


Appendix C

Illinois Social Emotional Learning Goals Addressed in EDL 545

Goal 1: Develop self-awareness and self-management skills to achieve school and life success. B. Recognize personal qualities and external supports. Goal 2: Use social-awareness and interpersonal skills to establish and maintain positive relationships. C. Use communication and social skills to interact effectively with others. Goal 3: Demonstrate decision-making skills and responsible behaviors in personal, school, and community contexts. C. Contribute to the well-being of one’s school and community.

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