Additional clarification

In order to prepare candidates to effectively lead all California public school students, key elements within the program’s curriculum include typical and atypical student adolescent growth and development and human learning theory. In addition, both the CAPE and the CPSEL standards are integrated in all of the courses: EDUC 360a, EDUC 361, EDUC 363, EDUC 364, EDUC 365, EDUC 366, EDUC 371a, EDUC 370, EDUC 374 and EDUC 428. In EDUC 360a students are introduced to CAPE objectives, including theories and concepts of leadership and their relationship to theory and practice. The course develops students understanding, skills and strategies within the context of contemporary issues, including sustainable schools, student centered vision, use of data and sound teaching and learning for all students. EDUC 361 continues to develop CAPE content standards and their implication for the development of curriculum and instruction, including use of assessments, teaching strategies and the appropriate blend of technology for teacher and students at all grade levels.

Continued development of leadership is reflected in EDUC 364 Leadership Field Lab and EDUC 366 Community Leadership. EDUC 364 centers on embedded job experience, weekly reflections and skill building, along with monthly seminars and field projects. Students develop interpersonal and leadership skills while developing and leading the organization’s vision. EDUC 366 explores community and public relations through the lens of visionary thinking and creative business strategies, looking at partnership roles among schools, businesses, and communities; leading and initiating change through strategic planning and creating strategies for positive relationships with internal and external school communities.

During field lab courses, students have daily contact and mentorship from their faculty instructors. Various project based assignments are developed and assessed collaboratively throughout the quarter.

Designing and implementing assessments as well as understanding and analyzing program evaluations and interventions to improve school culture and curriculum is covered in EDUC 371a and EDUC 365. Students develop the knowledge and skills necessary to evaluation and select appropriate interventions to build a culture of inclusion within schools and other environments. The emphasis is on effective, efficient, and socially valid models of intervention, primarily through Multi-Tiered Systems of Support. Students are given an overview of various assessment tools and strategies with a focus on data analysis and the use of evidence in decision-making. The relevance and application of principles for instructional leadership is explored, with an emphasis on the continuous school improvement framework in lieu of compliance-oriented reform. In addition, EDUC 365 provides students with an introduction to the principles of human resource development and an overview of various supervision, evaluation, and leadership tools and strategies to support the cultivation of the people who make organizations work. Students read empirical and conceptional works as well as a foundational guide for practioners to answer reflection and experiential learning to managing human resources and organizational growth. Students will be exposed to, and grapple with, legal, ethical and practical challenges in human resource management and collaboratively design plans to address such issues.

In EDUC 363 students exam issues of education, law and morality and ways in which the law, by its very nature, cannot be separated from ethics and morality. Theories of law and the relationship between law and other social and ethical values are reviewed. The ability of leaders to have a better understanding of the policies associated with governance and the ability to assist people to work through moral dilemmas associated with the law are considered. Cross-cultural communications, desegregation and discrimination, credentialing laws, assignment authorization and schools as a political system are also examined. As the system is explored, EDUC 428 is a course that considers school funding models, site planning, as well as reporting and other requirements. School business management is situated in the economics of the school enterprise, explores the role of innovation and entrepreneurship, and applies these concepts to the development of business models and plans. The course is generally concerned with: the macroeconomics of schools in society; resource allocation, funding, and reporting; the microeconomics of school planning and management; the budget process; financial statements; government funding, controls, and accounting standards; and nonprofit accounting.

While all courses prepare students for the CalAPA exam, EDUC 374 explores current issues with regards to organizational culture and change. Topics explored include how organizational culture influences such things as making staffing decisions, using data driven professional development, understanding the barriers to organizational reform, managing and changing culture, understanding governance structures for public and private schools and other organizations, and creating principles of equity, diversity, inclusivity, and accountability as well as researching future educational visions. In EDUC 370 the students develop skills in the full range of leadership and management skills for forming sustainable organizations that serve their intended communities. It focuses on effective management of technology, as well as finances, facilities and fundraising. This includes budgeting, financial reporting and meeting legal reporting requirements. The students engage in both learning from, and serving the organization and community stakeholders. This course extends and applies knowledge and skills developed in previous courses taken during the program.

Through the various courses offered throughout the four quarters of the PASC program, students sharpen their knowledge and skills as required and assessed in CalAPA Cycle 1 and Cycle 2. Leadership field lab courses provide opportunities for students to strengthen their knowledge in coaching and supporting teacher growth in CalAPA Cycle 3.

VIII. PASC Course of Study and Past Course Offerings Below is an example of course of study and course offerings, including sample course sequences. As cohorts have been added over the past three years, additional courses have run each quarter to accommodate the needs of students. A full list the quarterly course offerings for the PASC program is also found below.