College of Education - Northern Arizona University

College of Education
Vision Statement
We develop educational leaders who create tomorrow's opportunities.
Mission Statement
Our mission is to prepare professionals to serve and lead education
and human services organizations.
EDL 623: PUBLICITY AND POLITICS
GENERAL INFORMATION:
Sequence #
Date: BBLEARN
Location:
Room #
Time:
Start Date:
End Date:
Dates of Class:
Instructor:
Phone
Office Hours:
E-Mail:
STANDARD PIG SYLLABUS
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
This course will provide the student with the basic concepts of the
dynamics of National and State Educational Politics including special interest pressure groups. This
course will provide the political and policy context of public schools, with emphasis on local, state
and federal involvement in policy development. In addition, the course is designed to provide
graduate students in educational leadership with basic concepts of pressure groups on educational
systems and to practice effective strategies when interacting with such groups.
COURSE STRUCTURE:
The course will consist of discussions of topics of interest to politics, pressure groups and public
relations aspects of education. It will also include lectures on various topics of interest; discussions
on current problems in politics and public education , & individual and group projects on issues and
other topics of interest to public education.
COURSE OBJECTIVES:
1. To understand the political activity involved in the development of Ed. Policy at different levels:
Local, Tribal, State, and Federal level: ELCC standard 6.2
2. To study values, policies, and policymakers at the local, state, tribal, and federal level., ELCC 6.2.
3. To develop an appreciation for the role of politics and pressure groups: ELCC Standard 6.2
4. To analyze and determine beliefs concerning current issues about private, parochial, charter,
public, tribal, K-12 and Higher Education schools in America : ELCC Standard 5.3
COURSE REQUIREMENTS: EDL 623:
16 pts. Individual Assignment #1:
60 pts. Individual Assignment #2
24 pts. Individual Assignment #2:
50 pts: Individual Assignment #4
90 pts. Individual Assignment #5:
25 pts. Group assignment #1
25 pts. Group Assignment #2
Group contract (each grade is individual)
Mod: 2-7 Discussion papers (6 @10 each)
Discussion of Themes/ signature assignment (6 @4 each)
SIGNATURE ASSIGNMENT: Analysis of Bill: ELCC 6.2
Final Exam: See Calendar for due date
Interview with a Policy Maker:
Attendance at a policy making body & paper
1
10 pts Group Assignment #3
Review of other groups Visitations and Interviews:
0 pts Group Assignment #4
Answer Questions from Readings (required for Final)
Total 300 pts. GRADE SCALE: based on 30 points
A=270-300 Points (90%)
B=240-269 Points (80%)
C=210-239 Points (70%)
REQUIRED TEXT:(to order call NAU Bookstore):
1.Joel Spring: Political Agendas for Education: 4th Edition, 2010: Routledge, New York,
ISBN 9780415806435
2. Other Readings within BBLearn
3 Wright, Martin, Danzig: Internship Manual
RECOMMENDED READING:(not required for course but good for background)
Terrel Bell: “The 13th Man”
Berliner and Biddle: “The Manufactured Crisis: Myth, Fraud and the attack on
America’s Public Schools”
Chubb and Moe: “Politics, Markets, and American Public Schools”
Joe Conason: “Big Lies”
Gaebler and Osborne: “Reinventing Government:”
Newt Gingrich: “Lessons learned the hard way”
Rod Page: “Letter on Constitutionally Protected Prayer in Public Education”
www.ed.gov/print/policy/gen/guild/religionandschools/prayer_guidance.html
Wirt and Kirst: “The Political Dynamics of American Education”
Bob Woodward: “Plan of Attack”
GENERAL COURSE GUIDELINES:
Graduate level courses place considerable demands on students in terms of reading
assignments, group participation, class participation and written assignments. This
class is certainly in that status. Each day of class you will have reading
requirements, individual assignments and group projects going on. Keeping up
with the reading and the written work will allow you greater opportunity to
participate in class discussion.
All papers will be graded according to the grading rubrics submitted in the text of
the syllabus. Any paper containing more than 4 errors will be returned to you for
further proof reading. The paper will then be evaluated upon its re-submission.
Papers have listed due dates on the calendar. Individual projects have deadlines
that will be listed in the calendar. .
Individual Assignments for EDF 623
#1 Preparation and maintenance of a group contract
#2 Reflective Themes for Modules 2-7
#3 Discussion of Reflective themes 2-7 and Signature assignment
#4 Signature Assignment
#5 Final Exam
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EXPLANATION OF COURSE REQUIREMENTS:
INDIVIDUAL ASSIGNMENTS: Individuals must complete basic assignments:
INDIVIDUAL ASSIGNMENT #1: GROUP CONTRACT: 12 points. Each group
must develop and maintain a contract for the course. The group contract should
list:
*all group members and their expectations for assignments,
*the roles within the group including naming a group leader
*expectations for checking into the group discussion page/class
(see the model group contract) Grades for this portion may vary depending on
amount of effort assigned in the group evaluation form.
INDIVIDUAL ASSIGNMENT #2: REFLECTIVE THEMES: Guidelines: 10 pts.
X6=60 pts, The reflective theme is due for module 2-7 at the times listed in the calendar
function. To post your discussions go to the upper left column click Discussion Board
and paste your discussion in it. . As practice for this experience, please Introduce
yourself in the Let's Break the Ice Discussion/List your Expectations for this course
(mine are found in the syllabus).
Reflective theme responses (150-250 words) are due as listed in the calendar(11:59pm).
Reflective themes should address the guiding question, should include your own viewpoints on the issue and should offer insight into the theme itself.
INDIVIDUAL ASSIGNMENT #3: DISCUSSION OF REFLECTIVE THEME FOR
DAY FOR MODULE 2-7 : 6 @ 4 pts. Each=24 pts.
Each module of class will have a theme or discussion issue. Many times classrooms
inhibit discussion of political topics. Others may have passion or points that inhibit you.
Your task is to augment the class discussion of the themes with individual discussion on
the web. Comments to others postings (minimum 2) are required. These comments
should be substantively focused on content (not just “great job” or “I agree”). Rubric:
Postings are worth 0-4 points. Only 1-2 points are possible without noticing pages noted
or without responding to specific points. To earn 3 points one must refer to page numbers
being reacted to in the readings and to specific points. To earn 4 points are reserved for
exceptional, documented insights.
Individual Assignment #4: Bill Analysis, Amendment and Advocacy (Signature
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Assignment) Paper is worth 50 points:
Bill Analysis, Bill Amendment/Legislative Proposal, and Advocacy Plan
Arizona Legislature, Federal Legislation or Tribal Bill (2011 Professional Leadership
Skills ELCC 6.2 )
A. BILL ANALYSIS: Each person will adopt an education related bills from the current
or past legislative session of the Arizona legislature, federal legislature or tribal
legislature. (A current list of ARIZONA bills will be provided, Candidates must search
out National and tribal bills of interest and get them approved by instructor) Each person
will provide a written document that analyzes the bill that they selected, following the 3
broad categories (A-C) and the 8 elements. Bill Analysis (note the number of elements 18) will include:
1. A concise recap of the key elements of the bills contents,
2. Any amendments or changes made to the bill during its progress through the system,
3. Vote totals of each committee including assigned committees, Committee of the whole
(COW) and final vote,
4. Supporters or detractors of the bill including written and oral testimony in the
committee hearings.
5. The final bills impact on education including fiscal impact, curriculum impact and
negative or positive effects.
B. BILL AMENDMENT: Each person will develop a proposed bill amendment to the
bill studied that would address the negative impact of the bill analysis.
6. Proposed amendment or bill must include proposed language for a bill included in
current statutes with new language in capital letters, existing language in regular type and
deleted items marked by a line through them. .
7. Proposed amendment or bill must also include analysis of fiscal impact of bill and
educational impact of bill.
C. ADVOCACY PLAN: Each person will develop an advocacy plan for the proposed
bill amendment.
8. An advocacy plan must include involving the entire school and community as well as
involving special interest groups that might be interested.
This paper should be single spaced, 5-9 pages, (Not counting the title page) and use APA.
See rubric for grading. State Legislative hearings and debate are now live on internet.
Meetings can be viewed at www.azhousetv.org while Senate coverage can be found at
www.arizonasenate.org . A good site to view State bills, committee reports, fact sheets, and
vote totals is www.azleg.state.az.us/legtext/bill.htm . Federal Legislation can be followed
on__________. Tribal bills will have to be followed in person. A lecture on Signature
assignment is also included to assist in understanding this assignment. A rubric for
grading the Signature assignment is listed below. All students must submit the signature
assignment to the instructor in the grade center and then when approved, list it on the
discussion board for others to respond to.
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EDL 623
Rubric for the
Signature
Assignment—
Bill Analysis
Unacceptable
value: 1
Proficient
value: 2
Exemplary
value: 3
Writing at
Graduate Level
Does not exhibit
graduate level
writing/organization
(pseudo-APA format, no
more than 2-5 spelling
or grammatical errors,
citation of most
resources).
Exhibits near graduate
level writing and
organization (pseudo-APA
format, no more than one
spelling or grammatical
errors, citation of
resources).
Exhibits graduate level writing and
organization (APA format, no
spelling or grammatical errors,
citation of resources).
Influence the
Larger Context
(6.2) Analysis of
the Bill
Candidate failed to
address 2 portions of the
analysis or had errors of
fact in two portions of
the analysis or any
combination of 2 (error
and omission)
Candidate adequately
addressed all but one part
of the analysis or had
errors of fact in any one
part of the analysis
Candidate developed a good
analysis. A good analysis will
include a concise recap of the key
elements of the bill, any
amendments that were placed on
the bill, vote totals of each
committee and the final votes in the
Cow and Third Readings, A listing
of the supporters or detractors of
the bill, and a final statement of the
positive and negative impact of the
bill on public education.
Influence the
Larger Context
(6.2) Proposal
of amendment
to the bill
Candidate failed to
address 2 portions of the
amendment or
legislative proposal or
had errors of fact in two
portions of the
amendment or proposal
or any combination of 2
(error and omission.)
Candidate adequately
addressed all but one part
of the amendment or
legislative proposal or had
errors of fact in one part of
the amendment or
proposal
Candidate developed a good
amendment or legislative proposal
that will change some portion of the
bill under consideration. A good
amendment will propose future
changes to the educational issue
addressed by the bill analysis that
will positively influence public
education in the future, will be
written in correct format and will
show insight into the educational
issue
Influence the
Larger Context
(6.2) Advocacy
Plan
Candidate failed to
address 2 portions of the
advocacy plan or had
errors of fact in two
portions of the advocacy
plan or any combination
of 2 (error or omissions.)
Candidate adequately
addressed all but one part
of the advocacy plan or had
errors of fact in one part of
the advocacy plan.
Candidate developed a good
advocacy plan. An advocacy plan
will include students, parents and
other members of the school
community that should be involved
in testifying in support of a
proposed amendment to the bill. A
good advocacy plan will address the
targets of its advocacy. In addition,
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a good advocacy plan will address
special interest groups that might
become involved.
Individual Assignment #5: Final Exam 90 points
The Final exam will be selected from questions from the chapters and questions
from the lectures. The exam will be selected from modules 2-8 using both lecture
and chapter questions. Final Exam will be a take-home exam with a 1 week time
frame.. Questions from the chapters and questions from the lectures will constitute
the “pool” of final exam questions. Preparation for the chapter reading questions
should be done with the group, however, each individual should prepared their own
final exam as an individual project.
GROUP ASSIGNMENTS for EDL 623
Group assignment #1: Interview with a policy maker
Group Assignment #2: Visit to a policy making body
Group Assignment #3: Review of other groups interviews and visitations
Group Assignment #4: Preparation for final exam
Group Assignment #1: Interview a Policy Maker (2011 Content
Knowledge ELCC 6.2) 25 points Each student as a member of a “themed”
group will conduct an interview with an educational policy maker (e.g., school board
member, school superintendent, state department of education official, Tribal education
leader, County School Superintendent, legislator, Local City Council member, legislative
analyst or other policy maker.
1. Develop a theme for the interviews with your group (i.e., finance, teacher evaluation,
special education, etc.).
2. A standard set of questions will be used for the interview (4-6). Other questions can be
added to the interview. PLEASE have these questions approved by the instructor before
conducting the interview. Permission to proceed with the questions will be a part of the
grade
3. No policy maker may be interviewed by more than one student.
4. Submit in writing at the time you submit the questions, your expectations for the
interviews, the interview questions, the time-frame and activities necessary to carry
out the interviews, prior to the interviews for my review and approval. .
5. Following the interview, a one to two page analysis of the interview is due from each
member: describe what you heard; how you perceived the policy decision-maker; and,
what surprised you. In addition, Each group will include a 1-2 page analysis that
compares the expectations to the reality and lists any surprises for the group as a whole.
Download Assignment click the header BOLD Title above & download assignment in
submission box #2
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The groups will post the one group paper that contains all of the
interviews/summary/analysis and the overall group analysis to the assignment drop
box and to the discussion board. Groups will then be able to see and discuss other
group’s interviews.
Rubric:
Description = 5 points
Perceptions = 5 points
Analysis/Surprises= 10 points
APA/Writing =
5 points
Total points = 25 points possible
GROUP ASSIGNMENT #2 Attendance at a policy making body
Visit to a Policy Making Body ELCC 6.2 25 points
Visit to a policy making body summary due. Remember this class is "Publicity and
Politics." Too much of what we learn and know goes by unnoticed. This is your
opportunity to make a difference by attending a local district board meeting, state
legislative meeting, visiting a policy making body or other such visit. A general guideline
for this activity is that it should take at least 2 hours, should witness the formation of
policy at some level and may involve your activity at that level. Describe the setting and
your reaction to what policy development you witnessed. Before attending the meeting,
you should list your expectations for the meeting. What do you expect to see, how
formal do you expect the meeting to be, will their be considerable attendance, a lot
of discussion, agreement or arguments ALL GROUP MEMBERS ARE NOT
EXPECTED TO ATTEND THE SAME MEETING.
Each group must submit as a part of the group contract their activity, the time
involved, expectations from the group for the visit (at least 1 page listing what you
expect to see) and, after the visit, an evaluation paper. (one page from each member
listing individual reactions to the event and a group synopsis of the event.) Group
members, however, must determine the type of meetings that will be visited, their
expectations of the meetings and then compare and contrast the various meetings.
The written document for this exercise will include the contract, expectations for
the visit, individual reports from the meetings and what you actually found and an
overall analysis document that compares and contrasts what you expected from
what you found. Groups will post the 1 group paper to the assignment drop box
and to the discussion board. Other groups will then be able to see and discuss your
group’s visitation.
Each person has a 1 page summary (APA) and each group has a 1
7
page analysis of expectations vs reality of meeting.
Click on the Assignment header BOLD Title above and download assignment in
submission box #2.
Rubric:
Description = 10 points
Analysis (expectations vs. Reality) = 10 points
APA/Writing =
5 points
Total =
25 points possible
Group Assignment #3: Review of other groups visitations and
Interviews 10 pts (5 pts each review)
Each group must review all other groups visitations and interviews. Comments are
expected. Any system of review may be used, but all group members should take
part and there should be a review of each group’s visit or interview. Only 1 paper
with all group members reviews should be submitted to both the grade center and to
the discussion board. ( so other groups may read your comments)
Group Assignment #4: Preparation for Final Exam. 0 points
The final exam is your culmination project for the class. To prepare for the
final exam each group should divide up the readings for the class and the 7
modules. There are questions that address the readings from each
module. Each group member assigned to a reading should prepare a
quality answer to the question, including the page numbers where the
answer was found. These answers should be shared with the group. GO
to “group work” on the left side of the screen, click on your group number,
a number of options should pop up. Click on the “Group discussion
Board” and prepare a thread that lists the questions and answers for each
module. These questions form the pool of questions that will be asked for
the final exam. If you have done an adequate job of preparation in your
group, then answering the questions from the final exam should be a
simple matter of finding the exact question and preparing your own final
exam. The final exam is an individual task, preparation for it is a group
task.
Northern Arizona University Policy Statements
SAFE ENVIRONMENT POLICY
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NAU’s Safe Working and Learning Environment Policy seeks to prohibit discrimination
and promote the safety of all individuals within the university. The goal of this policy is
to prevent the occurrence of discrimination on the basis of sex, race, color, age, national
origin, religion, sexual orientation, disability, or veteran status and to prevent sexual
harassment, sexual assault or retaliation by anyone at this university.
You may obtain a copy of this policy from the college dean’s office or from the NAU’s
Affirmative Action website http://www4.nau.edu/diversity/swale.htm. If you have concerns
about this policy, it is important that you contact the departmental chair, dean’s office,
the Office of Student Life (928-523-5181), or NAU’s Office of Affirmative Action (928523-3312).
STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES
If you have a documented disability, you can arrange for accommodations by contacting
the office of Disability Support Services (DSS) at 928-523-8773 (voice), 928-523-6906
(TTY). In order for your individual needs to be met, you are required to provide DSS
with disability related documentation and are encouraged to provide it at least eight
weeks prior to the time you wish to receive accommodations. You must register with
DSS each semester you are enrolled at NAU and wish to use accommodations.
Faculty are not authorized to provide a student with disability related accommodations
without prior approval from DSS. Students who have registered with DSS are encouraged
to notify their instructors a minimum of two weeks in advance to ensure
accommodations. Otherwise, the provision of accommodations may be delayed.
Concerns or questions regarding disability related accommodations can be brought to the
attention of DSS or the Affirmative Action Office. For more information, visit the DSS
website at http://www2.nau.edu/dss/.
INSTITUTIONAL REVIEW BOARD
Any study involving observation of or interaction with human subjects that originates at
NAU—including a course project, report, or research paper—must be reviewed and
approved by the Institutional Review Board (IRB) for the protection of human subjects in
research and research-related activities.
The IRB meets monthly. Proposals must be submitted for review at least fifteen working
days before the monthly meeting. You should consult with your course instructor early
in the course to ascertain if your project needs to be reviewed by the IRB and/or to secure
information or appropriate forms and procedures for the IRB review. Your instructor and
department chair or college dean must sign the application for approval by the IRB. The
IRB categorizes projects into three levels depending on the nature of the project: exempt
from further review, expedited review, or full board review. If the IRB certifies that a
project is exempt from further review, you need not resubmit the project for continuing
IRB review as long as there are no modifications in the exempted procedures.
A copy of the IRB Policy and Procedures Manual is available in each department’s
administrative office and each college dean’s office or on their website:
http://www4.nau.edu/ovp/regulatorycompliance/irb/index.htm. If you have questions, contact
Melanie Birck, Office of Grant and Contract Services, at 928-523-8288.
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ACADEMIC INTEGRITY
The university takes an extremely serious view of violations of academic integrity. As
members of the academic community, NAU’s administration, faculty, staff and students
are dedicated to promoting an atmosphere of honesty and are committed to maintaining
the academic integrity essential to the education process. Inherent in this commitment is
the belief that academic dishonesty in all forms violates the basic principles of integrity
and impedes learning. Students are therefore responsible for conducting themselves in an
academically honest manner.
Individual students and faculty members are responsible for identifying instances of
academic dishonesty. Faculty members then recommend penalties to the department
chair or college dean in keeping with the severity of the violation. The complete policy
on academic integrity is in Appendix G of NAU’s Student Handbook
http://www4.nau.edu/stulife/handbookdishonesty.htm.
ACADEMIC CONTACT HOUR POLICY
The Arizona Board of Regents Academic Contact Hour Policy (ABOR Handbook, 2-206,
Academic Credit) states: “an hour of work is the equivalent of 50 minutes of class
time…at least 15 contact hours of recitation, lecture, discussion, testing or evaluation,
seminar, or colloquium as well as a minimum of 30 hours of student homework is
required for each unit of credit.”
The reasonable interpretation of this policy is that for every credit hour, a student should
expect, on average, to do a minimum of two additional hours of work per week; e.g.,
preparation, homework, studying.
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