EDU542: Strategic Planning for Educators

Credit Hours:
3
Estimated Hours Per Week:
15

Overview

This course establishes the requisite knowledge and skills needed to assist an educational organization in planning more effectively for a constantly changing internal and external environment. The course covers basic components of strategic planning processes that can be adapted to specific educational environments.

In the course project, students develop a strategic plan that incorporates/facilitates the development of a vision and mission, and a positive school or organizational culture. For students in the MEd in Adult Education programs, the course project is called Strategic Plan: Improving Organizations and Culture. For students in the MEd in Education Leadership and Administration (K-12) programs, the course project is called Strategic Plan: Improving School Programs and Culture; it is a key assessment designed to demonstrate mastery of the Educational Leadership Constituent Council (ELCC) professional standards. In addition, students in the K-12 programs will be assessed on their ability to develop a strategic plan that incorporates/facilitates evidence-based practices when implementing effective instructional programs and: (1) respond to the diverse needs of families and communities, and (2) mobilize community resources.

This course does not include a required field-based activity.

Course Learning Objectives

Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

  • Define strategic thinking and its importance as a planning tool
  • Identify key organizational members to include in the strategic planning process identifying their areas of responsibility
  • Conduct internal and external environmental scans for their specific educational organization, specific program, or their business entity
  • Conduct brainstorming and input sessions to identify opportunities, threats, and issues.
  • Write briefs of critical issues facing their educational or business organization. In the educational setting, these issues would address instructional objectives.
  • Design an operational plan addressing critical issues based on a strategic planning model.
  • Design a plan to monitor implementation and progress to goals for the strategic and operational plan.
  • Revise the strategic plan in response to evaluation of impact and to maintain its timeliness by applying timely, efficient, effective, and ethical review processes.
  • Establish an ongoing environmental scanning system for their specific educational organization
ENROLLMENT
To enroll in this course, please complete the online application.

Special Requirements

The textbook, Strategic Planning for Public and Nonprofit Organizations, is bundled with the workbook, Implementing & Sustaining Your Strategic Plan, and the two items are sold as a bundle by the JIU bookstore.  Both books must be purchased through the JIU bookstore to successfully complete the course.

Prerequisites

For those students enrolling May 2011 or later in the MEd in Education Leadership and Administration: Principal and Administrator Licensure program specialization, EDU600 must be completed successfully before registering for EDU542.

Required Texts
EDU542 texts are available from the JIU/Follett Bookstore