Course Description
This course is designed to acquaint students with the effects of Federal and Texas law on processes of public school education and its relationship to school administrators.
Course Credits: 3
Prerequisites: No course prerequisites exist; however, admission to Graduate Studies or having been granted an exception by the Office of Graduate Studies is required.
Student Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of the course, the student will be able to:
1. Demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and dispositions necessary and sufficient for promoting the success of all students by acting with integrity, fairness, and appropriate professional ethics,
a. demonstrating a respect for the rights of others with regard to confidentiality and dignity and engage in honest interactions,
b. demonstrating the ability to combine impartiality, sensitivity to
student diversity, and ethical considerations in their interactions with others, and
d. demonstrating the ability to make and explain decisions based upon ethical and legal principles.
2. Demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and dispositions necessary and sufficient for promoting the success of all students by understanding, responding to, and influencing the larger political, social, economic, legal, and cultural contexts,
a. acting as informed consumers of educational theory and concepts appropriate to school context demonstrating the ability to apply appropriate research methods to a school context,
b. demonstrating the ability to explain how the legal and political systems and institutional framework of schools have shaped a school and community, as well as the opportunities available to children and families in a particular school,
c. demonstrating the ability to analyze the complex causes of poverty and other disadvantages and their effects on families, communities, children, and learning,
d. demonstrating an understanding of the policies, laws, and regulations enacted by local, state, and federal authorities that affect schools, especially those that might improve educational and social opportunities,
e. demonstrating the ability to describe the economic factors shaping a local community and the effects economic factors have on local schools,
f. demonstrating the ability to analyze and describe the cultural diversity in a school community,
g. demonstrating the ability to describe community norms and values and how they relate to the role of the school in promoting social justice,
h. demonstrating the ability to explain various theories of change and conflict resolution and the appropriate application of those models to specific communities,
i. demonstrating the ability to communicate with members of a school community concerning trends, issues, and potential changes in the environment in which the school operates, including maintenance of an ongoing dialogue with representatives of diverse community groups,
k. demonstrating the ability to engage students, parents, and other members of the community in advocating for adoption of improved policies and laws,
l. applying their understanding of the larger political, social, economic, legal, and cultural context to develop activities and policies that benefit students and their families, and
m. advocating for policies and programs that promote equitable learning opportunities and success for all students, regardless of socioeconomic background, ethnicity, gender, disability, or other individual characteristics.