Educational Leadership 616

EDEL 616
Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment for School Leaders

1. Catalog Entry

EDEL 616
Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment for School Leaders

Credit hours (3)
Prerequisite: None

Students will develop and be able to articulate understandings and application of best practices in curriculum, instruction, and assessment that best support improved student learning.  An overview of K-12 models of curriculum design, including curriculum alignment with instruction and assessment, scope and sequence, along with state curricular standards, and curriculum auditing will be foci for this course.  Additionally, this course will provide an overview of instructional models that support varied teaching and learning goals. The assessment of student learning, including student learning data analyses, will be the third area of focus for this course.

 
2. Detailed Description of Course

This course will focus mostly on instructional aspects of ELCC Standard 2.0—A building-level education leader applies knowledge that promotes the success of every student by sustaining a school culture and instructional program conducive to student learning through collaboration, trust, and a personalized learning environment with high expectations for students; creating and evaluating a comprehensive, rigorous and coherent curricular and instructional school program; developing and supervising the instructional leadership capacity of school staff; and promoting the most effective and appropriate technologies to support teaching and learning within a school environment.  This course details best practices supporting improved student achievement.  Curriculum models detail one focus for this course.  Associated with curriculum models are the concepts of curriculum scope and sequence, curriculum coherency, state curriculum standards, and curriculum audits/evaluations. An overview of instructional models provides a second focus for this course.  Families of models (Information Processing, Behavioral, Social, and Personal) are discussed with attention given for the purposes of each and examples of models within each family.  A third focus for this course involves assessment, both formative and summative, of student learning based on local and state standards with attention given to whole group and demographic-groups of students and the data analyses associated with their achievement.  Attention to the alignment of curriculum, instruction, and assessment programs is stressed.  A focus on the latest research related to best practices in curriculum development, instructional strategies, and assessment practices will keep this course ever current.


3. Detailed Description of Conduct of Course

Course readings will serve as a primary content basis for in-class discussions.  Role plays, simulations, and case studies will be used in conjunction with material related to issues involving curriculum development.  A variety of written and/or oral assignments (research reviews, reflective writings, narrative responses, journals, formal papers, book talks) will be used to help students assimilate information into a philosophy of and procedure for curriculum development.  Group and individual tasks will be used to process and reinforce information/skills and for class sharing.  Lectures by the professor will be utilized to supplement and reinforce course readings.  Videos will provide additional content for personal reflection and/or class discussion.

 

4. Goals and Objectives of the Course

The goals, objectives, and assignments in this class address standards specified in Regulations Governing the Review and Approval of Education Programs in Virginia, Administration and Supervision PreK-12 and the National Educational Leadership Preparation standards.

Students will

1. Understand and demonstrate the capacity to evaluate, develop, and implement high-quality, technology-rich curricula programs and other supports for academic and non-academic student programs.

2. Understand and demonstrate the capacity to evaluate, develop, and implement high-quality and equitable academic and non-academic instructional practices, resources, technologies, and services that support equity, digital literacy, and the school’s academic and non-academic systems.

3. Understand and demonstrate the capacity to evaluate, develop, and implement formal and informal culturally responsive and accessible assessments that support data-informed instructional improvement and student learning and well-being.

4. Understand and demonstrate the capacity to collaboratively evaluate, develop, and implement the school’s curriculum, instruction, technology, data systems, and assessment practices in a coherent, equitable, and systematic manner.

5. Demonstrate knowledge, understanding, and application of planning, assessment, and instructional leadership that builds collective professional capacity, including;

  • a. Principles of student motivation, growth, and development as a foundation for age-appropriate and grade-appropriate curriculum, instruction, and assessment;
  • b. Planning, implementation, and refinement of standards-based curriculum aligned with instruction and assessment;
  • c. Collaborative planning and implementation of a variety of assessment techniques, including examination of student work, that yield individual, class, grade level, and school level data as a foundation for identifying existing competencies and targeting areas in need of further attention;
  • d. Incorporation of differentiated and effective instruction that responds to individual learner needs including appropriate response to cultural, ethnic, and linguistic diversity.

6. Demonstrate knowledge, understanding, and application of leadership and organizations, including developing distributed leadership strategies to create personalized learning environments for diverse schools.

7. Demonstrate knowledge, understanding, and application of management and leadership skills that achieve effective and efficient organizational operations and sustain an instructional program conducive to student academic progress, including alignment of curriculum and instruction and assessment of the educational program to achieve high academic success at the school and division or district level.

 

5.    Assessment Measures

All instructors of the course will assess students using a common assessment related to NELP Standard Four.
 
Additionally, instructors may choose other measures to assess learning in the course including, but not limited to:
1) An oral and/or written assignment that has students outline the concept, “effective instructional leadership.”
2) A presentation describing a professional development activity focusing on alignment of the written, taught, and assessed curriculum.
3) Response journals to assigned readings (to aid student in processing and reflecting upon content)
4) Class participation in discussions and small group activities
5) Written responses to assigned case studies.
6) Literature/book reviews of curriculum or instructional model/strategy, or program/product assessment

 

6.    Other Course Information

None

Review and Approval

May 11, 2015

May 5, 2022