Graduate Catalog - Shippensburg University

Shippensburg UniversityELP520 School Finance and Student Learning (3 crs.)Developed to provide aspiring and practicing elementary and secondarybuilding administrators and supervisors with knowledge necessaryto understand and manage department and building-level financialresponsibilities by addressing resource management and fiscal issuesthat affect funding and programming at the building level. Amongtopics considered are historical perspectives on school finance, currentfinancial issues, trends, and the practical aspects of budget development.ELP521 Legal and Ethical Issues that Impact on Student Learning(3 crs.)Focuses on the legal foundations for the establishment and operationof public schools in the United States and Pennsylvania in particular.Assists students in understanding key issues that impact on studentlearning from both an historical and current perspective. Studentsshould be knowledgeable in all important aspects of school law frombasic rights of individuals to the legal requirements for designingand maintaining appropriate school environments for learning. Inaddition to a review of landmark cases and current issues, studentswill also study laws and topics specific to building level leadership inPennsylvania.ELP522 Practicum II Advanced Leadership Field Experiences at theBuilding Level (3 crs.)Designed as a capstone experience, this practicum provides candidateswith the opportunity to assess, develop, and refine knowledge,skills and dispositions acquired as a part of their programs of study.Major focus is on instructional leadership, improving student learning,evidence based decision making, and the role of the buildingleader as an agent of reform. Candidates expected to log 180 hoursof practical field experiences plus complete a major instructionalleadership project and a second action research project. Candidatewill participate in three leadership seminars which will focus on theirplatform of beliefs, professional development plans, and future Act 45requirements.ELP530 The Instructional Leader in the Middle School (3 crs.)Comprehensive study and systematic examination of educationalprograms designed to provide a transition between elementary schooland secondary education. Special emphasis on the role of the middleschool instructional leader in the following areas: (1) specific competenciesin the unique physiological, psychological, socio-logical, andemotional characteristics of pre- and early adolescent children; (2)specific competencies in the development of appropriate curriculumand instructional programs designed to meet the needs of pre- andearly adolescent children; (3) specific administrative and supervisorycompetencies in working with teachers, staff, community supportpersonnel, and parents in the operation of educational programs forpre- and early adolescent children; and (4) specific competencies inresearch relative to existing junior high school/middle school educationalprograms in Pennsylvania and the nation.ELP569 Seminar: Diversity in Education (3 crs.)Increases the awareness of administrators, educators, and relatedschool personnel to the problems, challenges, and issues faced byvarious cultural minority students as they strive to become incorporatedin their respective schools within the mainstream of Americansociety. Stresses the various strategies, methods, and techniqueseducators need to know to write and execute administrative policiesand practices and to design and implement curriculum and teachingstrategies that reflect the ethnic diversity and cultural minoritiesfound within their respective buildings and school districts. Emphasisplaced on the Black and Hispanic populations.ELP580 Statistical Methods in Education (3 crs.)Designed to enable the student to interpret the scientific literaturein education and psychology and to make the computations involvedin the use of tests and original investigations that require statisticaltechnique. Measures of central tendency, variability, and correlationsare included.ELP594 Selected Topics (1-3 crs.)ELP612 Educational Leadership, Policy and Governance (3 crs.)Examines the theories of leadership and organization and their applicationto administrative practices. Sociological, psychological, andorganizational models will be described and analyzed to gain insightinto administrative practices and processes such as decision making,group motivation, goal setting, delegating, conflict resolution,and site-based management. Extensive research of current practicesrequired. Course designed to target current issues and problematicsituations facing the central office administrator in today’s dynamicsystem of public education.ELP618 Curriculum Theory and Development (3 crs.)Designed for administrators who are/will be leaders in the curriculumarea, and viewed from the macro-curriculum perspective insteadof the micro-curriculum perspective. Philosophies of education andtheir influences on basic education are studied. Current and recenttrends in education are analyzed and compared to basic educationalphilosophies. Major thrust is management, development, and evaluationof the total curriculum. Recent research on change and effectiveschools examined and students encouraged to develop a rationale foradministrative action. Roles of supervisors, principals, and centraloffice personnel examined as they relate to curriculum management,development, and evaluation.ELP619 Leadership for Pupil Services (3 crs.)Designed for students in administrator certification programs whowant to develop skills necessary to provide leadership for pupilservices programs in school organizations. Areas of focus include:organization and development of pupil services; team approaches formeeting individual student needs in inclusive learning environments;underlying assumptions of pupil services programs; supervision andstaffing; financing; and crisis prevention and response management.Attention will be given to roles of building principals and central officestaff in pupil services programs. Community support systems willbe addressed with regard to the manner in which they provide assistanceto and interact with students, parents, and schools (e.g., juvenilejustice, public health, mental health, social services, employers).ELP620 Thesis (3 crs.)Elective course offered within the master’s program in elementary/middle or middle/secondary administration. Students enrolled inELP515 select a committee, a chair, and complete the proposal (thefirst three chapters of the thesis), including human subjects review.During ELP620, student defends the proposal begun in ELP515,gathers data, completes the writing of the thesis, and defends completedthesis. For students with an interest in research and those whoexpect to pursue a doctorate.ELP621 Practicum I Strategic Leadership in District Governance(3 crs.)Provides an initial exploration and exposure to leadership roles atthe district setting and should be taken as part of a candidate’s Tier1 cluster of courses at beginning of program of study. Candidatesexpected to log 180 hours of practical field experiences to include, butnot limited to, shadowing school leaders, observing other educators,assuming responsibility for basic leadership activities as assigned bymentor and conducting a case study on leadership concepts. Candidatewill participate in three leadership seminars which focus onleadership foundations and best practices as articulated by currentleaders in the field and a basic action research activity. Candidate willalso begin to explore the role of the superintendent as an agent ofchange and/or reform. Projects and activities from Practicum I maycarry over into Practicum II.88