Requirements
General Requirements
All students in the EDLD program must complete the core courses (24 semester hours), an administration concentration (12 credits), a research core (9 credits), an internship (3 credits) and the dissertation (12 credits).
A Doctoral comprehensive examination must be taken and passed by the students. Advancement to candidacy for the degree occurs after the student passes the comprehensive examination. Twelve (12) semester hours of credit are awarded for the satisfactory completion of the dissertation. Sixty (60) credit hours are required for the degree and they can be earned within a three-year cohort sequence. The program will include the following elements:
- An entry level (orientation) set of experiences to outline roles, responsibility, timeline expectations, and to build a sense of cohesiveness for the group.
- A set of Core Courses to include topics such as organizational behavior, politics and governance, management, instructional issues, evaluation and program assessment, research and data analysis.
- A set of courses and experiences designed for development of additional research skills.
- A supervised internship experience based on the student’s background and career objectives.
- The creation of an exit experience that highlights, through public presentation of research or special projects, the accomplishments of the student.
- Students must maintain a “B” or better grade in all courses. A grade of P (pass) or F (fail) is reserved for the comprehensive examination and the dissertation.
- Students who received a grade of C or D must repeat the course. Two grades of C or D can result in a student being dismissed from the program.
- A student who receives a failing grade (F) will be dismissed from the program.
Courses
Credits Distribution
| A. Core Domains of Leadership | 24 Credits | |
| EDLD 640 | Writing for Publication | 3 Credits |
| EDLD 641 | Inclusionary Classroom Practices | 3 Credits |
| EDLD 642 | School and Community Relations | 3 Credits |
| EDLD 644 | Supervision and Professional Development | 3 Credits |
| EDLD 645 | Ethics and Diversity | 3 Credits |
| EDLD 647 | Curriculum and Instructional Leadership | 3 Credits |
| EDLD 648 | Planning and Program Evaluation | 3 Credits |
| EDLD 649 | Policy and Politics | 3 Credits |
| B. Specialization in Leadership | 12 credits | |
| EDLD 662 | School Plant Management | 3 credits |
| EDLD 664 | Advanced School Law | 3 credits |
| EDLD 667 | School Finance and Resource Allocation | 3 credits |
| EDLD 669 | Personnel Management and Negotiation | 3 credits |
| C. Integrated Internship | 3 credits | |
| EDLD 675 | Internship in Administration | 3 credits |
| D. Research Methods | 9 credits | |
| EDLD 683 | Qualitative Research for Educational Leaders | 3 credits |
| EDLD 685 | Quantitative Research for Educational Leaders | 3 credits |
| EDLD 687 | Research Instrument Design | 3 credits |
| E. Dissertation Research | 12 credits | |
| EDLD 899 | Doctoral Dissertation with Seminar | 12 credits |
| All Credits (Core, Specialization, Internship, Research, Dissertation) |
Course Descriptions
Course Descriptions
EDLD 640 Writing for Publication: This course is designed to assist students in the publication process. It presents tools, techniques and resources for writing scholarly articles and for the dissertation writing process. It will familiarize the student with various writing styles and focuses on improving the writing ability of the student.
EDLD 641 Inclusionary Classroom Practices: The emphasis of this course is on the leadership of the special education teachers, regular education teachers and the special education program. Students will receive guidance in supporting teachers of students with disabilities and students with disabilities in general education classrooms, supporting the general education teacher in providing instruction to children with disabilities, and facilitating the acceptance and optimal learning of students with disabilities in a non-segregated, diverse, inclusionary educational environment.
EDLD 642 School and Community Relations: This course offers a review of the history and philosophy of education in the United States with a focus on the ideals which fostered growth and change. Students will examine the relationship of the school to the community. Emphasis will be placed on the school community concept, community analysis, community characteristics affecting educational quality, public involvement in educational strategic planning, and district evaluation. Group dynamics and conflict resolution are also emphasized in the course.
EDLD 644 Supervision and Professional Development: The nature and function of supervision as it relates to staff is the focus of the course. A contemporary view of supervision from both a theoretical and practical perspective will be presented. The role of the “supervisor” will be examined as it has evolved from the traditional model to the instructional leadership model, a model that embraces collegiality and professional development. The course includes strategies and processes that relate to a variety of supervisory models, e.g.: clinical supervision, mentoring, differentiated supervision, cooperative development, and professional, self-directed development. Emphasis is placed on studying different ways in which evaluating, organizing and planning for the school system may be effectively improved through the cooperative participation of school personnel. Professional development will be examined as a means for school-wide improvement.
EDLD 645 Ethics and Diversity: This course is designed to provide an in-depth analysis of how diversity has impacted education in America. In addition, this course will explore and examine the role of educational leaders in pluralistic school. In addition, the course is designed to provide school leaders with reflective considerations of current and anticipated ethical issues and dilemmas facing education. Activities and assignments of the course will require course participants to give careful reflection on their values and on their leadership practices in dealing with ethics and diversity.
EDLD 647 Curriculum and Instructional Leadership: This course focuses on: effective assessment practices, effective curriculum design, development and implementation, curriculum evaluations, and current issues and trends in the subject fields. Attention is given to the professional decisions that must be made about curriculum alignment and assessment. The major focus will be on developing learner-centered school cultures that assess outcomes and understand curriculum alignment and instructional outcomes, including state, regional and national standards. The belief driving the course is that school administrators are instructional leaders who understand the theoretical and practical aspects of school improvement through effective instructional leadership practices.
EDLD 648 Planning and Program Evaluation: The course is designed to give the administrator the knowledge, skills, strategies, and applications of planning for educational organizations. It will include different planning models to include strategic planning, long range planning and total quality management. Students will be able to determine present status, determine future direction, chart a course of action, and assess progress toward specified outcomes.
EDLD 649 Policy and Politics: This course will explore the role of politics and public policy in education. It will examine policy models and frameworks, and their application to current policy issues in K-12 education. The course is designed around the theoretical frameworks necessary for understanding public policymaking. It offers a perspective on the role that research plays in the policy process and provides students with the chance to interpret the context of policy development for current policy issues. The curriculum focuses on local, state and federal education policy. School board and administrator relations will play a major importance in the course.
EDLD 662 School Plant Management: This course is the study of issues involved in the planning, operation and maintenance of school facilities, buildings and grounds. Emphasis is on the analysis of leadership beliefs and actions that promote the effective use of existing facilities and possible applications to meet current educational and community needs and culture.
EDLD 664 Advanced School Law: This course will include an analysis of selected general legal principles, laws and law-making agencies that affect leaders and educational institutions. The legislative process will be analyzed with regard to governmental decision-making and the legalities of lobbying. Ethics for school leaders will be a major focus of the course.
EDLD 667 School Finance and Resource Allocation: Students in this course will become knowledgeable about state fiscal law and will learn to distinguish among the various revenue sources and district budgeting. Business office functions, including bid law, purchasing and building fund management, will be studied.
EDLD 669 Personnel Management and Negotiations: This course will focus on hiring techniques, job analysis and job evaluation procedures that comply with district, state and federal regulations. The collective bargaining process and the interpretation and implementation of an employee collective bargaining agreement will be studied. Evaluation research within applied settings will be examined. Specific topics include both qualitative and quantitative methods in program evaluation, needs assessment, data interpretation and utilization strategies.
EDLD 675 Internship in Administration: This course will utilize university faculty and practicing administrators to analyze topics relevant to the role of the superintendent, including but not limited to: school board relationships, the legislative process, lobbying, community relations, program accountability, ethics and other role-specific concerns. In addition, practicing administrators, faculty and interns will share internship problems, experience, concerns and practices. This is a hands-on internship where the student will be working closely in the headquarters of school districts with practicing administrative leaders. A minimum of three hundred (300) hours of on-the-job experiences are required to complete the course.
EDLD 683 Qualitative Research for Educational Leaders: This is an intensive course in the use of field-based and general qualitative research methods in the study of education. Qualitative research focuses on understanding, rather than predicting or controlling, phenomena. The aim of the course is to help participants acquire skill and gain experience in using a wide range of methodological and analytical research techniques. The emphasis of the course is on the collection, management, analysis, and interpretation of qualitative data.
EDLD 685 Quantitative Research for Educational Leaders: This course is designed to provide students with the quantitative research skills required of effective, executive educational leaders. This course builds on a student’s foundation of research and statistics and introduces advanced statistical techniques commonly used in educational research. Areas of study will include sampling, probability, variables, reliability and regression. The focus is on developing skills through the use of statistical analysis software (e.g., SPSS).
EDLD 687 Research Instrument Design: The purpose of this course is to prepare the student to write an approved doctoral dissertation proposal in standard format on a researchable topic in educational administration. The course will help students to integrate knowledge of research design and statistics in a practical fashion to revise and complete the dissertation proposal. This seminar will be interactive, and at times serve as a writing lab to help students receive feedback in order to revise draft proposals. Throughout the course, students are required to work closely with their major dissertation chair and committee, as appropriate.
EDLD 899 Doctoral Dissertation with Seminar: Students develop and carry out an independent research project related to education leadership. A minimum of 12 credits in this course is required for graduation. Continuous enrollment in this course is required while working on the dissertation project. Seminar meetings will be held with the candidates to help mentor them through the process and move to completion of the dissertation.
