ECE 351: Advanced Leadership in Early Childhood Education

Course Description

This course will focus on leadership in early childhood education. An overview of the principles and practices of leadership will be framed with an anti-biased approach and reflective practice.  Students will examine leadership as it relates to children, families, and community. Topics will include leadership styles, collective leadership, leadership and social justice, current issues, and advocacy in the early childhood profession.  (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. Apply concepts of leadership as framed by an anti-biased, collective leadership approach.
  2. Assess program leadership practices.
  3. Evaluate the influence of culture on leadership.
  4. Design a leadership plan.
  5. Apply leadership skills to support an issue of social justice through advocacy.
  6. Analyze and apply strategies for communication, consensus building, and conflict resolution.
  7. Explain various leadership styles.
  8. Examine one’s personal leadership style.
  9. Identify current issues in early childhood education at the local and national levels.

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

Discussions (Weeks 1-8)

25%

Reflective Journal (Weeks 1-8)

20%

Reaction Paper (Week 4)

15%

Advocacy Project (Week 6)

15%

Leadership Plan (Week 8)

25%

Total

100%

Required Textbooks

Available through Charter Oak State College's online bookstore

  • Long, Souto-Manning, and Vasquez. Courageous Leadership in Early Childhood Education: Taking a Stand for Social Justice. Teachers College Press, 2016. ISBN-13: 978-0-8077-5741-3
  • O'Neill and Brinkerhoff. Five Elements of Collective Leadership for Early Childhood Professionals, Red Leaf Press/NAEYC.  ISBN-13: 978-1-60554-546-2
  • McClain Terrell, Ann. Graceful Leadership in Early Childhood Education. Red Leaf Press, 2018. ISBN-13: 978-1-60554-573-8

Additional Resource (Not required and not available through bookstore)

  • Feeney, S. & Freeman, N.K. Ethics and the Early Childhood Educator: using the NAEYC Code. 3rd Washington, D.C.: National Association for Young Children, 2018. ISBN-13: 978-1-938113-33-8

Course Schedule

Week

SLOs

Readings and Exercises

Assignments

1

1,7,8

Topics: Overview of Leadership in ECE, Ethics in Early Childhood Practice & Graceful Leadership

  • Readings:
    • Graceful Leadership in EC Education, Pages 1-94
    • Derman-Sparks, et.al. “Building Anti-Bias EC Programs: The Role of the Leader”
  • Review course syllabus
  • Review course policies
  • Read assigned chapters and article
  • Review the lecture material
  • Participate in discussions
  • Submit Reflective Journal

2

1,5,9

Topics: What is Collective Leadership and Why Now? Leadership and Social Justice in EC

  • Readings:
    • O’Neill & Brinkerhoff. (O&B) Five Elements of Collective Leadership, Chapters 1 and 2
    • Redefining Leadership: Lessons from an Early Education Leadership Development Initiative
    • Long, et.al. (Long) Courageous Leadership in EC Education, Chapters 1, 2, and 15
  • Read assigned chapters and article
  • Review the lecture material
  • Participate in discussions
  • Submit Reflective Journal

3

1,3,4,5

Topics: Trust, Inequity, Power, and Privilege; Social Justice

  • Readings:
    • O’Neill & Brinkerhoff (O&B) - Five Elements of Collective Leadership, Chapter 3
    • Long, et.al. (Long) - Courageous Leadership in Early Childhood Education, Pick two chapters from the following: 4, 6, 7, 8, 10, 12, 13, 14 
  • Read assigned chapters
  • Review the lecture material
  • Participate in discussions
  • Submit Reflective Journal
  • Begin Reaction Paper
  • Begin Leadership Plan

4

1,3,4,5

Topics: Elements of Collective Leadership; Social Justice

  • Readings:
    • O’Neill & Brinkerhoff (O&B) - Five Elements of Collective Leadership, Chapter 4
    • Long, et.al. (Long) - Courageous Leadership in Early Childhood Education, Pick two chapters (not read in Week 3) from the following: 4, 6, 7, 8, 10, 12, 13, 14
  • Read assigned chapters
  • Review the lecture material
  • Participate in discussions
  • Submit Reflective Journal
  • Submit Reaction Paper
  • Begin Advocacy Project
  • Continue Leadership Plan

5

1,3,4,5

Topics: Collective Leadership in ECE; Social Justice and Advocacy

  • Readings:
    • O’Neill & Brinkerhoff (O&B) - Five Elements of Collective Leadership, Chapter 5
    • Long, et.al. (Long) - Courageous Leadership in Early Childhood Education, Pick any two chapters not previously read
  • Read assigned chapters
  • Review the lecture material
  • Participate in discussions
  • Submit Reflective Journal
  • Continue Advocacy Project
  • Continue Leadership Plan

6

4,5

Topics: Adopting Collective Leadership

  • Readings:
    • O’Neill & Brinkerhoff (O&B) - Five Elements of Collective Leadership, Chapters 6 and 7
  • Read assigned chapters
  • Review the lecture material
  • Participate in discussions
  • Submit Reflective Journal
  • Submit Advocacy Project
  • Continue Leadership Plan

7

2,4

Topics: Assessing the Leadership Efforts

  • Readings:
    • Bloom & Abel. “Expanding the Lens-Leadership as an Organizational Asset”
  • Read assigned article
  • Review the lecture material
  • Participate in discussions
  • Submit Reflective Journal
  • Continue Leadership Plan

8

1-9

Topics: Wrapping It All Up!

  • Readings:
    • No assigned readings this week.
  • Review the lecture material
  • Participate in discussions
  • Submit Reflective Journal
  • Submit Leadership 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.