To the students in Dubai:  Welcome to EDAD 525!  Perhaps this is your first course on the way to becoming certified as a principal.  There are many possibilities for content in a course like this.  For example, we could focus on philosophical issues, educational theory, decision making, communication, conflict management, school improvement, organizational culture, and on and on.  The list is endless.  But, this is an introductory course, so we will focus on six  things (below) that, I believe, will help you most in your first administrative job.  It will also serve as an introduction to some of the other courses you will take in your program.  

 I want this to be a very practical course. I hope that the skills you learn can be put to use immediately, whether in the classroom as a teacher, as a teacher-leader (e.g. department chair) or as an administrator.

• We will take a good look at organizational development in schools.  This includes decision making, organizing and running meetings, and communications.  At the end of the course you should be able to avoid many of the common pitfalls in this area, such as not delegating when appropriate, ignoring difficult people, and holding dull meetings where people leaving feeling that they have wasted their time.
• Because curriculum is at the heart of any school, and principals should be the curriculum leaders, we will focus on the management of curriculum.  Although this is not a course about curriculum, I want you to become an effective curriculum leader.
• We will look at the practical side of Professional Development in international schools.  How is it best implemented?
• A critical part of being a successful principal is being knowledgeable about scheduling options at the ES, MS, and HS.  (For example, should ES teachers have a daily common planning time?  What's the difference between a 4x4 block schedule and an A/B block schedule in MS and HS?  Options for scheduling specialist teachers such as music, library, and computers.
• We will look at how overseas schools are managed.  Who owns them?   What organizations (e.g., NESA, AAIE, etc.) are available?
• We will ask you to assess your own strengths and weaknesses as a leader in the schools so that work on those areas needing attention. 

EDAD 525:   Introduction to Educational Administration

Course syllabus download

Some of the materials for the Admin course

Please read the first six items before the first day of class.  You may print them if you wish.   I will not provide paper copies.

• The Change Leader  (article by Michael Fullan)

• Leadership and Management

• A look at the future (takes 4 minutes to view the slide show)

• Saber-Tooth Curriculum

• Practices of Effective International School Principals: The Written Curriculum  (article by Betts)

• ISLLC Standards  (this will be a key document for the course)

You are welcome to look at these before the course begins, but it's not necessary.  We will assign these as we go along.

• Tech plan sample  for your consideration.  How would you update these three documents for your school?

• Connecticut Leadership Inventory  

• Five Conflict Management Styles  

• Assertions about change  

• Characteristics of good feedback  

• Change Process

• International School Boards:  a workshop outline  

• Characteristics of Successful Staff Development & Systemic Change

• Technology Self Assessment for Administrators

• Making Meetings Matter  (my web site on decision making, meetings, school climate, etc. No need to print any of this.  I will have a paper handout to give you.)

• Making Meetings Matter Power Point

• Guidelines for facilitation of discussion  

These concern Managing Curriculum

• McRel Standards (take a look at the standards in your subject area)

• AERO Standards (developed for international schools)

• The ISS Directory of International Schools with links to their web sites, in case you haven't seen this list.

• Directory of State Standards  

• Hot Topics in Intl. School Curriculum

• The Myth of Curriculum Ownership (article by Betts)

• Choosing Content Worth Knowing (article by Nelson)

• Declarative and Procedural Knowledge (Power Point)

• Essential  Questions (Power Point)

• Performance Assessment and Rubrics 
• Depth vs. Depth   
• From Trivial Pursuit to Essential Questions  (a short article by Jamie McKenzie)

Interesting examples of curriculum on line, mostly from international schools

• Rubicon Atlas Example #1:  Colegio Internacional Puerto La Cruz Curriculum

• Rubicon Atlas Example #2:  Cincinnati Country Day School

• Curriculum on the Web Example 3:  Milan (surf to the Middle School, then "Curriculum", then "Middle School Curriculum  Overview and Standards"

• Curriculum on the Web Example 4: AIS Vienna

• Curriculum on the Web Example 5:  Singapore Am. School (surf to "Curriculum" then "Curriculum On Line" then "View Curriculum"  (Note:  pop-ups must be unblocked on your computer in order to see the actual documents)

• Curriculum on the Web Example 6  Dakar, Senegal

To contact me:  ellis@melton.com

For my brief bio:  http://ellis.melton.com/Ellis.htm