1.) Theory Learning Goals:
a.) Understanding theoretical perspectives in academic administration, finance and management including the Microtechnique constructions TORI and noesis as well as some organizational principles from General System Theory Squared, GST2, (GST2 by Lindblom). The course is in exploration of complex systems thinking (Microtechnique) (in The Psychology of Administration and Management and includes elements from The Psychology of Consciousness for the purposes of hypothesis foundation and elements from General System Theory Squared (GST2) for method.
b.) Assessment and appraisal of Microtechnique scholarly research and writing in areas of psychology.

2.) Learning Goals:
a.) General application of psychological theory in Microtechnique management.
b.) Reflection on application of Microtechnique theory and design methodology in theoretical research and action research including practical investigation of ideas, norms, and change strategies in Management.

This course covers techniques for and critical thinking about the evaluation of changes in educational practices and policies in schools, organizations, and informal contexts. Topics include quantitative and qualitative methods for design and analysis, participatory design of practices and policies, institutional learning, the wider reception or discounting of evaluations, and selected case studies, including those arising from semester-long student projects.

Think you know what is going on in schools across the country? NCES conducts surveys with schools, organizations and individuals all over the United States. After collecting the information we publish the results. Data collections are done by mail, phone, and via the Web. The questions below come from many NCES surveys. Read the questions, select your answer, and click on the "Evaluate Answers" button at the end to see your score! To start over, select the "Choose Again" button (at the end). The answers might surprise you

Target setting for pupil attainment is seen as being a means of raising standards in schools through placing pupil achievement at the core of school planning. This unit will help governors of primary schools ensure that appropriate targets are set and provide guidance on assessing the data that needs to be evaluated to come to such decisions.

Developing a vision is a critical component of school improvement and school leadership; in addition, the development of a vision is an evolutionary process. It is debated whether the initial step in the development of a vision is a written statement, but it is essential that the principal create an environment of change. A guiding "frame-work" of action is essential with ongoing communication, assessment, and re-evaluation that are driven by the chief investigator. The link is then made to the classroom and curriculum by the principal.
Collaboration is critical among the principal and all "stakeholders" - teachers, paraprofessionals, etc. The vision may originate within teachers or any staff members, but the principal has the responsibility in the development, communicating, and providing the opportunity for growth. The principal must also be an instructional leader and a curricular leader.

School administrators are often under pressure to improve test scores and school accountability ratings. The school leaders are in need of data to assist them with decision-making. The purpose of this study was to discover whether students who are taught the same content using diverse methods have similar outcomes in learning, test scores, and attitudes. Two fourth grade classrooms were chosen to participate based on the methods the teachers used throughout the school year. This study was designed to determine whether using the inquiry approach, an approach most commonly found in use with young children, would be as effective as the deductive method with intermediate level students. Results indicate that the teachers’ chosen methods did not result in significantly different student state-mandated assessment scores.

Special program and other school administrators regularly confront the issue of whether students under their charge are entitled to receive homebound instruction and if so, what procedures and criteria they should apply in coming to a proper decision. Where a student is entitled to such services the administrator must decide what subjects must be taught as well as their duration, intensity and frequency. Although virtually all state legislatures have addressed a student’s right to receive homebound instruction the right to such benefits may intersect with those arising under federal laws such as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act {IDEA/2004), the Rehabilitation Act (§ 504) and the Americans with Disabilities Act, thereby creating confusion for many administrators. In June, 2007 the Virginia Department of Education (“VDE”) promulgated Instructional Services guidelines implementing the state’s statutory requirements. Since the problems of homebound instruction school administrators face are substantially similar across jurisdictions the 2007 VDE guidelines provide an outstanding pedagogical vehicle for educational leadership and policy students in Virginia to practice making decisions about educational entitlements in a safe way. Moreover, it affords them an opportunity to develop analytical and interpretive skills which are transferable to other contexts. It also affords the students an opportunity to consider how local policies are developed and the importance of including the right stakeholders in that process. The author has designed a series of fact patterns where students are asked to apply the VDE guidelines to those patterns. The patterns and their questions can easily be adapted to fit the requirements of other state jurisdictions.

The National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), also known as "the Nation's Report Card," is the only nationally representative and continuing assessment of what America's students know and can do in various subject areas. Since 1969, assessments have been conducted periodically in reading, mathematics, science, writing, U.S. history, civics, geography, and the arts. The site's resources include access to data, state profiles, special studies, and publications.

The study of public policy offers every citizen an understanding of the various roles played by the different branches of the U.S. federal government as well as by state, county, and local governments in various areas of contemporary American life. It focuses on the priorities of American society as portrayed in the public policy choices that representatives make and the size of different interest groups that advocate on behalf of particular policy goals. This course will introduce this various actors involved in the making of American public policy, explore public policy formulation by examining a variety of case studies, and examine the implementation of public policies, the allocation of funding to pay for these projects, and the evaluation of these projects to determine their effectiveness. The rest of the course will examine specific case studies and areas of public policy. Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to: demonstrate a working knowledge of various key concepts in the process of American public policymaking and the major steps from start to finish in the public policy process; identify vital issues and specific areas of concern for contemporary American policymakers within the broad fields of economic, national security, public health, environmental, education, rural, and social policy; identify key actors and agencies involved in the making of public policy within the United States and their respective roles in the formulation, implementation, and evaluation of policy; demonstrate skills in the analysis of the various political, social, economic, military, legal, and ethical goals and cultural values that form the basis of policymaking decisions; identify key debates in contemporary American public policy as well as the issues at stake and the arguments advanced by each side of the debate; demonstrate an understanding of various decision frameworks used by policymakers in creating, developing, and executing various public policies; demonstrate an understanding of the context, evolution, and linkages of specific policies and between certain polices within the broader context of American political history. (Political Science 431)

Using data from the Take20 Alabama Teaching and Learning Conditions Survey, this study compared the organizational climate of two populations of Alabama elementary, middle, and junior high schools serving low-income students. One population contained those schools with excellent standardized test scores; the other contained the schools which had failed to meet their annual yearly progress goals. The results strongly supported the fact that the more successful schools had significantly more positive school climates.

Why are schools in the UK run by school governors? This unit will examine how the role has developed and the main tasks and responsibilities that exist today. We will also look at the need for self-evaluation and how the setting of a clear strategic direction can help governors achieve the required targets.

How does the board of governors of a school work? This unit looks at the roles of Chair of Governors, Vice-chair and Clerk to the board and examines how the workload can be shared between the members. The governing body should focus on the quality and delivery of education provided by the school, not on daily management.