ECE 351: Advanced Leadership in Early Childhood Education

Course Description

This course identifies the challenges of leadership in early care and education. Emphasis is placed on comparing leadership styles. Ethical principles as they relate to children, families, teachers, and the community will be reviewed. Students will be given tools to enhance their leadership skills and their ability to think creatively, analyze critically, and manage knowledge effectively as it relates to current trends and issues. (3 credits)

Prerequisites

  • ECE 250: Administration and Supervision of Early Childhood
  • ENG 101: English Composition 1
  • ENG 102: English Composition 2

Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs)

After successfully completing this course, students will be able to:

  1. Define leadership, describe the difference between leadership and management, and reflect on their own leadership experiences.
  2. Discuss the impact of culture on leadership.
  3. Identify major historical views on leadership and describe how they have impacted current early care and education programs. (NAEYC standards 6a, 6b, 6c, 6d)
  4. Describe appropriate ethical relationships with children, families, colleagues, community, and society. (NAEYC standard 6b)
  5. Recognize and assess one's personal leadership style.
  6. Develop a personal professional leadership career plan for the field of early care and education. (NAEYC standards 6a, 6d)
  7. Report on a current issue affecting early care and education. (NAEYC standards 6d, 6e)
  8. Examine what it means to become a professional in the field of early childhood. (NAEYC standards 6a,6c)
  9. Describe the strategic planning process and apply it to the work environment.
  10. Discuss and apply strategies for communication, consensus building, and conflict resolution.

General Education Outcomes (GEOs)

Please check the applicable GEOs for this course, if any, by outcomes at GEO Category Search, or by subject area at GEO Discipline Search.

Course Activities and Grading

Assignments

Weight

Reflection Papers

5%

Leadership Style Assessment

5%

Personal Professional Leadership Career Plan (outline Week 3, final product Week 8)

10%

Ethical Situations

20%

Current Issue in Early Care and Education

10%

Advocacy Project

10%

Discussion Boards (all weeks)

40%

Total

100%

Required Textbooks

Available through Charter Oak State College's online bookstore

  • Sullivan, D.R. (2009). Learning to Lead: Effective Leadership Skills for Teachers of Young Children. 2nd ed. Washington, D.C.: Redleaf Press. ISBN-10: 1605540188 or ISBN-13: 9781605540184
  • Feeney, Stephanie. Ethics and Early Childhood Educator. 3rd ed. NAEYC, 2018. ISBN-10: 1-938113-33-0 or ISBN-13: 978-1-938113-33-8
    Note: This textbook is also required for ECE 205 and ECE 250.

Special Computer Requirements

  • Students will need basic computer skills. They should be able to successful navigate the web and use clip art and graphs.

Course Schedule

Week

SLOs

Bloom's

Readings and Exercises

Assignments

1

1

Knowledge
Comprehension

Course Overview; Leadership and Management

  • Readings:
    • Learning to Lead - Chapter 1 "Leadership in Early Childhood"
    • Ethics and the EC Educator - Chapter 1 "Intro to Morality and Ethics"
  • Videos:
    • Watch video, "Are You a Leader or a Loser," Willie Horton, available in Blackboard
  • Read and study lecture
  • Read assigned chapters
  • Participate in discussions
  • Complete written assignment (Reflection Paper)

2

1,4

Knowledge
Comprehension
Analysis

Types of Leadership Styles; Yes, you are a leader!; Overview of the NAEYC Code of Ethical Conduct

  • Read and study lecture
  • Read assigned chapters
  • Participate in discussions
  • Complete written assignment (Leadership Style Assessment)

3

2-5

Analysis
Synthesis

Effective Leadership in a Cutural Context & Developing Leadership Plans

  • Learning to Lead, Chapter 3 “The Cultural context of Leadership"
  • Ethics and the EC Educator - Chapter 4 "Ethical Responsibilities to Children” &
  • Ethics and the EC Educator - Chapter 5 “Ethical Responsibilities to Families”
  • Read and study lecture
  • Read assigned chapters
  • Participate in discussions
  • Complete written assignments (Ethical Situation # 6 - Culturally based parental practices p. 70)
  • Complete Assignment and outline of Personal Professional Leadership Career Plan

4

9

Knowledge
Comprehension 

Strategic Planning & SWOT Analysis

  • Learning to Lead - Chapter 4 "It Takes a Village"
  • Web articles and resources (links provided in Blackboard)
  • Read and study lecture
  • Read assigned chapters
  • Participate in discussions
  • Complete written assignment (Reflection Paper)

5

7

Analysis
Synthesis

Current Issues & Advocacy

  • Learning to Lead - Chapter 6 "Empowerment, Fellowship, and Advocacy"
  • Web articles and resources (links provided in Blackboard)
  • Read and study lecture
  • Read assigned chapters
  • Participate in discussions
  • Complete written assignment (Advocacy Plan)

6

10

Application
Analysis
Synthesis
Evaluation

Building Relationships through Communication

  • Learning to Lead - Chapter 5 “Leadership Connections with Schools and Communities”
  • Ethics and the EC Educator - Chapter 7 "Ethical Responsibilities to Community and Society”
  • Web articles and resources (links provided in Blackboard)
  • Read and study lecture
  • Read assigned chapters
  • Participate in discussions
  • Complete written assignment (Ethical Situation # 15 - Kindergarten Expectations p. 107)

7

8

Knowledge
Comprehension
Analysis
Synthesis

Leader as Mentor

  • Learning to Lead - Chapter 7 “Nurturing Leadership in Children"
  • Ethics and the EC Educator - Chapter 6 “Ethical Responsibilities to Colleagues”
  • Web articles and resources (links provided in Blackboard)
  • Read and study lecture
  • Read assigned chapters
  • Participate in discussions
  • Complete written assignment (Ethical Situation # 7 - Personal Business p. 77)

8

1-10

Application
Analysis
Synthesis
Evaluation

The Future of Leadership

  • Ethics and the EC Educator - Chapter 8 “The Code is a living document”
  • Web articles and resources (links provided in Blackboard)
  • Read and study lecture
  • Read assigned chapters
  • Participate in discussions
  • Complete written assignment (Personal Professional Leadership Career Plan)
  • Submit Course Evaluation

COSC Accessibility Statement

Charter Oak State College encourages students with disabilities, including non-visible disabilities such as chronic diseases, learning disabilities, head injury, attention deficit/hyperactive disorder, or psychiatric disabilities, to discuss appropriate accommodations with the Office of Accessibility Services at OAS@charteroak.edu.

COSC Policies, Course Policies, Academic Support Services and Resources

Students are responsible for knowing all Charter Oak State College (COSC) institutional policies, course-specific policies, procedures, and available academic support services and resources. Please see COSC Policies for COSC institutional policies, and see also specific policies related to this course. See COSC Resources for information regarding available academic support services and resources.