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Doctorate in Education
Concentration in Educational Leadership
Purpose
This program is designed for the development and certification of educational leaders who can lead and manage private and public K-12 systems, higher education programs, and state, national and international educational organizations. The program emphasizes the mastery of skills and processes for adapting to social, political and economic influences when faced with human, financial and structural demands. The program requires the completion and defense of a dissertation research project.
- The cohort program is scheduled around an accelerated weekend format to accommodate the schedules of working adults.
- The weekend scheduling provides opportunities for concentrated, in-depth study of course topics.
- Courses integrate “real-world” field experiences.
- Cohort members complete a six credit, full semester internship on a project with a mentor in the area they wish to pursue after degree completion.
- The dissertation process is treated as an integral part of the program, enabling students to complete the program, including defense of the dissertation, within three years.
- Interstate School Leaders Licensure Consortium (ISSLC) accreditation standards provide the base model for the program.
- The program is designed to meet the State of Delaware certification requirements for School Leader II (Superintendent/Assistant Superintendent).*
NOTE: Students without an earned master’s degree in Educational Leadership may have course requirements in addition to those for the Ed.D. to meet the State of Delaware’s academic requirements for School Leader II certification.
Requirements
The Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership (Ed.D.) is a 51 credit hour, three year program, including a 6 credit hour Applied Educational Internship.
Courses are conducted in an accelerated weekend format. Courses span six weeks. Class sections are normally held the first, third and sixth weekends of a six week session. Normally a two week break is provided between courses, so that students can prepare for the next course. Sessions are held Friday nights from 5:00-9:00pm; Saturdays from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and Sundays from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Capstone
Doctoral candidates must complete and orally present and defend a doctoral research dissertation. Candidates are also responsible for presenting a professional portfolio reflecting their experiences and skills related to ISSLC standards.
All of the following courses are required in this program of study
12-800. The Superintendent as CEO- Effective Management and Executive Skills.
This course gives an overview and provides the foundation for developing and cultivating the leadership skills and values that superintendents will find helpful to move from a theoretical base to becoming an effective practicing CEO. This course addresses district vision, school culture, politics and governance, internal and external communication, organizing for high performance, curriculum design and delivery, and human resource management for student learning. ISLLC Standards 1-6, NCATE and AASA professional standards for the superintendency are used to define the role of a superintendent as CEO. 3 credits.
12-801. Contemporary Issues in American Education.
This course assists advanced students to further analyze current trends, problems and theories based upon an examination of recently surfacing educational events and/or topics from a historical perspective. Discussions focus on a critical exploration of topics related, but not limited to, the formation of curriculum, instructional policy and methodology, and assessment of student success in education. Additionally, current issues that involve students with challenges, No Child Left Behind, state standards and teacher certification, state testing, the state student testing program (DSTP), full inclusion, school choice, charter schools, and accreditation are typical topics of discussion. Components that relate to administrative handling of current issues and challenges in the educational system, found in ISLLC Standards 4 and 6, are addressed. 3 credits.
12-888. Action Research in Education.
This course addresses the role of action research in studying the underlying problems that occur in educational organizations. The types of action research, their advantages and disadvantages, the action research process, and the similarities and differences between action research and formal quantitative and qualitative research are examined in detail. 3 credits.
12-803. Human Resources Management/Personnel Administration.
This course addresses the role and functions, strategic planning, information technology, recruitment, selection, and induction of employees, staff development, performance appraisal, compensations, employment continuity, and unionism from the human resource administrator’s standpoint. Additionally, this course addresses the human relations aspects intrinsically involved in and through the human resource parameters. The relationship of the human resources office to the effective, safe, and efficient operation of an educational organization’s vision for the promotion of student success are further examined. 3 credits.
12-804. Effective Administration, Staff Development, School Plant and Facilities.
This course explores the major issues that impact administrative policies, decisions, and one’s effectiveness as a school leader. The following topics are examined: district vision and school culture: developing a staff development/in-service program that addresses the improvement of the educational program and assesses its effectiveness; strategic planning for future plant and facility needs; politics and school governance; internal and external communication; organizational processes for effective and efficient performance; curriculum design and delivery; human resource management for student learning; and leadership values and skills. 3 credits.
12-805. Quantitative and Qualitative Research Methods.
This course is designed to prepare doctoral students to understand, interpret, evaluate and design qualitative and quantitative research and to develop the ability to select and use appropriate research methods. This course integrates the major concepts and practices of qualitative and quantitative research methodology and introduces descriptive and inferential statistics. This course focuses on the development and application of research for the purpose of writing the doctoral capstone. Topics addressed in this course include choice of research methods, developing a problem statement and proposal, preparing questionnaires, conducting research, tabulating data, and reaching conclusions from qualitative and quantitative data. Additionally, this course includes readings on methodology, lectures, discussions, presentations, and in-class exercises that are designed to highlight various issues. 3credits.
12-806. Educational Policy: Political, Social, Economic, Legal, and Cultural Issues.
This course provides the framework and content by which the doctoral student as an aspiring administrator can affect school governance and policy. Major issues influencing administrative practices are addressed, including, but not limited to, school autonomy versus government control, state legislated learning effects on the teaching profession, democratic versus professional authority in the teaching profession, lack of minorities in administration, the effects of economics on the educational system, society’s cultural views, desires, and ramifications, and comprehending the diverse theories of school change. In this course, doctoral students have opportunities to develop their skill sets that will enable them, as aspiring administrators, to build the requisite interlocking and collaborative relationships among school personnel, the community, and state and federal agencies for the purpose of creating better schools. Advanced students will focus upon current issues and challenges that impact the formation of educational policy in today’s ever changing society. 3 credits.
12-807. Leading School Change at a Time of Increasing Demands, Pressures, and Societal Change.
This course focuses on a review and discussion of current methods used to change school cultures, curriculums, and parent/community involvement. The course is used to enhance collegiality, professionalism, instructional strategies, classroom management techniques, effective classroom designs, student motivational techniques, and to create a safe and orderly environment. Additionally, the course focuses on making staff development a worthwhile endeavor and using systems thinking as the key to continuous improvement. It focuses on envisioning desired results, defining reality through data, developing action plans while welcoming accountability. 3 credits.
12-808. Strategic Planning and Program Analysis.
This course explores the steps of the strategic planning process in educational organizations. The benefits of involving a broad range of personnel in the process are discussed. The doctoral student will examine the following strategic planning steps: the development of a mission statement; completion of an environmental scan; development of key objectives and initiatives; design of programs and activities to accomplish the key objectives; and determination of performance measures to monitor and evaluate the organization’s progress toward accomplishing its key objectives. 3 credits.
12-809. Technology Applications.
The course addresses the latest technologies from a practitioner’s point of view. The Internet and World Wide Web are used with the intent to make informed decisions. Fifty percent of the semester is assigned to an on-site field experience, in which the student demonstrates the ability to report research, security, data collection, etc. Doctoral candidates complete a project focusing on the applications of technology to the unique area of their administrative interest within educational administration, leadership or supervision and teaching fields. Doctoral candidates will have the opportunity to focus on emerging technologies and their applications from the viewpoint of planning, enhancing communications, managing information and the latest technologies used by professionals in their respective fields. 3 credits.
12-812. Internship: Applied Educational Administration
The internship experience is a supervised field experience that enables the doctoral candidate to practice knowledge and skills acquired in coursework and professional experiences in an authentic setting. The doctoral candidate experiences the everyday life of an administrator and how everyday challenges are solved, such as time management strategies, organizational techniques, successful secretarial relationships, appropriate interpersonal skills and human relations, communication vehicles, problem solving, negotiation, instructional leadership, management, professional dispositions, and leadership. In conjunction with the field-based administrator, doctoral candidates will identify an educational problem in the organization and design an action-based research project to examine possible solutions. 6 credits.
12-817. Dissertation Seminar I
12-818. Dissertation Seminar II
12-819. Dissertation Seminar III
Three one-hour Dissertation Seminars are required. The dissertation seminar is designed to address doctoral candidates’ progress in the choice of topic, determination of their research format, and dissertation chapter requirements. Assistance is given to clarify the candidate’s research question(s), determine the appropriate research design, methodologies and analysis of data. Doctoral candidates meet with the course professor as a cohort group and/or on an individual basis with their respective dissertation committee chair. Discussion of policies and procedures of the dissertation process is addressed in this course. One credit each.
12-820. DISSERTATION RESEARCH I.
12-821. DISSERTATION RESEARCH II.
12-822. DISSERTATION RESEARCH III .
12-823. DISSERTATION RESEARCH IV.
This course provides candidates in the doctoral program of Educational Leadership with advisement and support while carrying out their dissertation study. Doctoral candidates are required to address one or more ISLLC standards through their choice of dissertation research. Each course is three credits hours. A minimum of 12 credit hours of Dissertation Research are required.
12- 899. Sustaining disseration research.
Students must be continuously enrolled until their dissertation research and oral defense requirements have been completed. This course provides the vehicle for completion of those requirements.
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