EDUC 641 Supervision of Instruction

Methods, theories and research applying to supervision at all levels of education: analyses made concerning the work of curriculum directors, general supervisors, special supervisors, supervising principals, and department heads; study of supervisory methods, current plans for staff utilization and use of instructional materials; and stress on evaluation of educational programs and the effects of supervision.

For information regarding prerequisites for this course, please refer to the Academic Course Catalog.

One of the primary responsibilities of an administrator is the evaluation of instruction and the development of quality instructional personnel. This requires specific skills, dispositions, techniques, and processes, as well as a knowledge base in instructional strategies, motivational psychology, and learning styles. This course focuses on a holistic approach to collegial supervision and administrative evaluation.

Textbook readings and presentations

No details available.

Course Requirements Checklist

After reading the Course Syllabus and Candidate Expectations, the candidate will complete the related checklist found in Module/Week 1.

Supervision of Instruction Questions

The candidate will develop a set of 3–5 questions related to supervision of instruction that he or she hopes will be answered during this course. APA Style is not required. The candidate can add a desired professional development goal. (CLO: A)

Educational Supervisor Interview

The candidate will contact an education supervisor (for example, Principal, HR Director, Assistant Superintendent, etc.) who is responsible for hiring instructional personnel. The candidate must ask that person to provide at least 3–5 questions he/she always likes to use during an interview and how these questions are useful in predicting if the potential employee possesses the necessary knowledge, skills, and dispositions for effective teaching. The candidate will then write in Blackboard the questions and responses (no minimum word count required) and add (100-word minimum requirement) instructional supervisor insights personally gained from this interview experience. (CLO: A, D, E, F)

Discussion Board Forums (2)

Discussion boards are collaborative learning experiences. Therefore, the candidate is required to provide a thread in response to the provided prompt for each forum. Each thread must be at least 500 words and demonstrate course-related knowledge. In addition to the thread, the candidate is required to reply to 2 other classmates’ threads. Each reply must be at least 100 words. (CLO: A, D, I)

ELCC Action Research Case Study Benchmark

This assignment enables the candidate to role-play the task of an instructional supervisor by putting into practice the steps of action research in a field case study format. The assignment involves working with a volunteer teacher participant in a school setting. The candidate will complete the stages of this assignment in Modules/Weeks 2–7, submitting a proposal and 2 periodic updates to Blackboard and a final project document in LiveText. This assignment does not count for practicum hours in the candidate’s degree program. (CLO: A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I)

ELCC Action Research Case Study Proposal

After securing a volunteer teacher who is willing to work with the candidate on this project, the volunteer teacher is to identify a short-term initiative to develop and launch. The initiative can include improving a previously launched initiative that is in need of revision; it could be a new initiative to improve the classroom climate and thus impact student learning; or it can focus on developing the teacher’s instructional or classoroom management skills to improve teaching effectiveness and thus impact student learning.

Using the Action Research Case Study Template, the candidate will report to Blackboard the following proposal information:

1. Volunteer’s name
2. Background information
3. Rationale for the project
4. Research question
5. State learning standards: at least 1 learning standard from the candidate’s state’s curriculum standards that aligns with the proposed project. (CLO: A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I)

ELCC Action Research Case Study Updates (2)

Two periodic updates will be submitted to Blackboard, providing a brief summary of the work completed to date. The Action Research Project: Update Template will be used to report a summary of the progress made. This assignment will include the following

1. Summary of Work in Progress
2. Completed Action Steps
3. Future Action Steps
4. Issues, Concerns, or Problems (CLO: A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I)

ELCC Action Research Case Study

The candidate will complete the stages of this assignment and submit completed reports for each component in a final project document in LiveText. (CLO: A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I)

Educator Evaluation Systems Analysis

The candidate will examine information in his or her state’s department of education websites relating to policies and procedures for educator evaluation. In a written essay, the candidate will compare and contrast the teacher evaluation system with the state’s administrator evaluaton system. The URLs for each system must be included at the end of the essay. The required word count for the essay is at least 300 words. (CLO: A, D, F)

Textbook Chapters Reflections (4)

In written essay format, the candidate will summarize and provide solutions to assigned end-of-chapter reflective cases. Each essay is to have a minimum of 500 words written in current APA style. (CLO: A, B, C, D, E. G, H, I)

School Policy

The candidate will locate policies within their school policy manuals that indirectly or directly apply to instructional supervision concerns in the school system. A copy of 1 policy must be submitted to the assigned Discussion Board Forum as a foundation from which the policy analysis assignment can be completed. (CLO: A, D, E, F, I)

Policy Analysis

The candidate will review the listings of policies in the policy item Discussion Board Forum. The candidate will then select 3 policies, none of which include the policy the candidate submitted. In a written essay, the candidate must compare and contrast the 3 policies and add a concluding thought regarding the value of these policies to the foundational operation of a school. The minimum word count is: 400 words. (CLO: A, D, E, F, I)

Local K–12 Teacher Evaluation Instrument

The candidate will obtain a teacher evaluation/observation instrument form from a public or private school in his or her community. Some school districts use state mandated summative assessment forms that are very lengthy. For this assignment, the form to locate would be just what the administrator uses for a classroom observation. The candidate will submit the form to the assigned Discussion Board Forum as a foundation from which the evaluation analysis assignment can be completed. (CLO: A, D, E, F, I)

Teacher Evaluation Instrument Analysis

After reviewing the listings of teacher evaluation instruments in the discussion board, the candidate will select 3 evaluations that he or she rates as the best for administrative use in classroom observations. In a written essay, the candidate will provide rationale for the choices. Of the 3, the candidate will choose 1 and provide rationale for this choice over the other 2. Minimum word count: 500 words in current APA style. (CLO: A, D, E, F)

Video Classroom Observation

From the three YouTube teacher videos options provided, each candidate will practice performing a teacher evaluation using the winning instrument of choice from the instrument analysis assignment. The completed evaluation will be submitted to Blackboard. (CLO: A, C, D, E, F, I)

Video Classroom Observation PDP

Using information from the completed video classroom observation instrument, the candidate will develop a professional development plan for the observed video teacher. (CLO: A, D, E, F, G, H, I)

Class Summary and Reflection

This culminating written assignment concludes the course requirements. In completing this work, the candidate will summarize thoughts regarding the readings, videos, and activities during the course. Using a reflective format provided by the instructor, the candidate will complete and submit the templeted assignment to Blackboard. (CLO: A, D, I)