Educational Administration (EdAdm)

Fenwick English, Program Coordinator

The educational administration program places dual emphasis on preparation of professional educational administrators and on the academic/scholarly aspects of educational leadership and management. Courses taken do not apply toward a degree without official admission to the educational administration program.

Graduates of Master's degree programs in educational administration are prepared for leadership roles in K-12 school districts and education agencies, typically as building-level principals and assistant principals.

Specifically, graduates are knowledgeable about promoting the success of all students by a stewardship of a vision of learning; nurturing and sustaining a positive school culture; ensuring effective management of the organization, operations and resources for a safe, efficient and effective learning environment; collaborating with families and community members, responding to diverse community interests and needs, and mobilizing community resources; understand acting with integrity, fairness and in an ethical manner; influence the larger political, social, economic, legal and cultural context.

Graduates of the Certificate of Advanced Studies program possess administrative and leadership skills necessary for the superintendency. These include knowledge of child and adolescent development, the educational environment, curriculum and instructional practice, law and ethics; management of systems, personnel, and finances; interpersonal communication and community relationships.

Several programs are offered: (1) the Master of Science degree, both thesis and nonthesis, in elementary or secondary school administration; (2) Master of Education practitioner, (3) advanced study leading to principal's license; (4) Certificate of Advanced Studies providing post master's training for superintendency licensure. Courses are scheduled with consideration for cohort-collegial teams or groups.

Courses Primarily for Graduate Students, Open to Qualified Undergraduate Students

EdAdm 541. Principles of Educational Administration
(3-0) Cr. 3. F.SS. Prereq: Teacher licensure and permission of instructor. Purposes of education in a democratic society. Basic principles of school administration and educational organization planning. Analysis of the nature and function of units of education at local, intermediate, and state levels; exploration of substantive elements such as leadership, change process, strategic and operational planning, and current issues in education.

EdAdm 551. Supervision of Instruction
(3-0) Cr. 3. F.SS. Prereq: 541. Evaluating and improving the performance of teachers and administrators of K-12 public and independent schools, intermediate educational units, and community colleges. This offering meets the requirement for initial evaluator training necessary for licensure in Iowa.

EdAdm 552. The Principalship
(3-0) Cr. 3. S.SS. Prereq: 541. Essential tasks of building level leadership in contemporary school setting are explored including strategic goal setting, mission and vision development, curriculum and organizational structure, theory and practice of scheduling, effective staff development programs, school climate and culture, effective student support programs such as counseling, attendance and discipline, and home/parental involvement and relationships

EdAdm 553. Administrative Theory in Education
(3-0) Cr. 3. S.SS. Prereq: 541. Current thinking in administration and organization, theoretical approaches to administration; analysis of functions and processes of administration as they apply to education.

EdAdm 554. Community and Interagency Partnerships
(3-0) Cr. 3. F.SS. Prereq: 541. Concept and development of community/school partnerships with family and juvenile service agencies to enhance pupil learning and resiliency via increasing family stability and mental physical health. Practices which promote interagency collaboration with the school, legal and administrative issues, will be explored.

EdAdm 556. Cultural Analysis of Administrative Problems
(3-0) Cr. 3. F.SS. Prereq: 541. Practical and theoretical perspectives on school administrative problems from critical pedagogical studies and research. Deals with school related issues such as cultural literacy, forms of authority and control, and other historical problems of schools in dealing with minorities and culturally different groups and persons.

EdAdm 558. Developmental Needs of Diverse Learners
(3-0) Cr. 3. F.SS. Prereq: 541. Learner needs are examined from dominant psycho/social perspectives with stress upon developmental phases of normal growth along with common problems encountered in schools. Other issues examined are racism, gender bias, and socio-economic problems which impact learner responsiveness to school curricula, routines, regulations and legal requirements.

EdAdm 559. Design and Delivery of School Curricula
(3-0) Cr. 3. F.SS. Prereq: 541. Generic administrative approaches to the design and delivery of school curricula, elementary and secondary, including quality control, validation, concepts of balance, planning, and alignment, development of curriculum guides, mapping and student assessment strategies, employing national standards and benchmarks.

EdAdm 563. Leadership for Staff Development
(3-0) Cr. 3. S.SS. Prereq: 541. For educators who will serve as consultants and directors of staff development programs. Course content will include needs assessment, delivery of staff development programs and evaluation. Adult learning theory will be the focus of facilitation skills, problem solving skills, and conflict resolutions strategies. The relationship between supervision and staff development will also be explored.

EdAdm 575. Fundamentals of School Law
(3-0) Cr. 3. S.SS. Prereq: 541. Constitutional, statutory, and judicial provisions as a basis for the legal operation of public schools. The law is examined as it affects the local school district, boards of education, administrators, teachers, and students at the elementary and secondary school levels.

EdAdm 590. Special Topics
Cr. 1 to 4. Prereq: 9 credits in education.

EdAdm 591. Supervised Field Experience
Cr. R or Cr. 1 to 8. Prereq: 541 and admission to program and instructor's approval. Supervised on-the-job field experience in special areas.

                A. Elementary Principal. (Cr. 1-8)

                B. Secondary Principal. (Cr. 1-8)

                C. Superintendency/Central Office (Cr. 1-8)

                D. Elementary Principal (Cr. R. Des Moines Initiative Program only.)

                E. Secondary Principal (Cr. R. Des Moines Initiative Program only.)

EdAdm 593. Workshops
Cr. 1 to 4. Prereq: 9 credits in education.

EdAdm 599. Thesis Research or Creative Component Development
Cr. 1 to 3. Prereq: 9 credits in educational administration.

Courses for Graduate Students

EdAdm 601. Planning Systems, Operations and School Environments
(3-0) Cr. 3. F.SS. Prereq: 541. Planning and management theories, assumptions, strategies and tactics within belief systems; development of vision and mission positions; strategic goals; objectives, and operational tactics to attain them with emphasis on facility renovation and school construction projects.

EdAdm 602. Human Resource Development and Negotiations
(3-0) Cr. 3. S.SS. Prereq: 541. Development and practice of collective negotiations within human resource development concepts and strategies with emphasis on creating and implementing "win-win" approaches that enhance system productivity and performance. Specific contract language and concepts which enhance system effectiveness will be highlighted.

EdAdm 603. Personnel Evaluation and System Assessment Practices
(3-0) Cr. 3. Prereq: 541. Theory, strategies, and systems for supervising programs and personnel in school districts and independent schools. Focuses on the principal, cabinet level administrator, e.g., director, headmaster, or assistant superintendent for instruction. This course meets the requirement for advanced evaluator training for licensure in Iowa.

EdAdm 604. Theories of Leadership
(3-0) Cr. 3. F.SS. Prereq: 541. Specific leadership theories and models will be studied with an emphasis on organization building, constructivist strategies for teachers; developing and assessing and developing internal and external support groups for schools; and organizational capacity building.

EdAdm 605. Current Practices of the Superintendency
(3-0) Cr. 3. S.SS. Prereq: 541. Reviews the historical development of the American superintendency in public education, problems and pitfalls, politics and tensions separating executive actions from board policy formulation; executive challenges among contemporary educational problems of resource acquisition and allocation; collaborative relationships; union/system issues; system changes and capacity building models.

EdAdm 606. The Administration of Technology Systems
(3-0) Cr. 3. F.SS. Prereq: 541. The design, acquisition and operations of technology in educational administration; accounting; personnel record keeping and health system interfaces; compensation practices, staff development, and instruction record keeping, maintenance and groups.

EdAdm 607. Advanced School Law
(3-0) Cr. 3. S.SS. Prereq: 541. Emerging issues of school case law and litigation as it pertains to school/student safety; student/teacher relationships; administrative authority/oversight; taxation and abatement; home schooling issues; censorship of books and curricula; student clubs and religious practices.

EdAdm 608. Administrative Problems
(3-0) Cr. 3. F.SS. Prereq: 541. A case study approach to the resolution of problems in educational administration. Emphasis on decision-making, conflict resolution, and communication using actual situations.

EdAdm 609. Instructional Management
(3-0) Cr. 3. F.SS. Prereq: 541. Theories and practices of instructional management including curriculum audits, classroom observations and analytical models assessing teacher interactions with students. Strategies of improving assessing teacher interactions with students. Strategies of improving pupil resiliency and achievement will be highlighted. Mapping of curriculum configurations in classrooms will be applied to the use of national/international standards.

EdAdm 611. Superintendent/Board Relations
(3-0) Cr. 3. F.SS. Prereq: 541. An historical analysis of the development of governance systems in American public education, and contemporary issues and problems confronting effective school district governance.

EdAdm 612. School Finance and Business Management
(3-0) Cr. 3. S.SS. Prereq: 541. Contemporary business and risk management practices including financial management and banking; investment of funds; cash flow projections; accounting practices and school budget development concepts and usage. The functions and duties of school business personnel will be related to specific business and fiduciary tasks.

EdAdm 615. Seminar
Cr. 1 to 3. In-depth study of administrative topics of contemporary interest and importance.

                A. Client Focus

                B. Research

                C. Quality Improvement

                D. Special Services

                E. Assessment

                F. Leadership

EdAdm 690. Advanced Special Topics
Cr. 1 to 3. Prereq: 9 credits in educational administration.

EdAdm 691. Internship
(3-0) Cr. 3. Prereq: 541 and admission to program and instructor's approval. Supervised on-the-job field experience in special areas.