Doctor of Educational Leadership (EdD)

This course is designed to refresh student backgrounds in descriptive and inferential statistics, and through review of this background, to develop a much richer and deeper understanding of the applications of these background skills to the reading and interpretation of literature and conducting research in the field of education. Students will review a wide variety of descriptive statistical techniques, then use these techniques to develop deeper understandings of their applications to advanced inferential statistical methods. Students will become familiar with ANOVA models, regression techniques, factor analysis, and multivariate applications, and use these applications to review literature in their field of interest.
Offered in: Fall Only
Prerequisites: None

This course is designed to extend prior graduate training in quantitative research methodology to develop a much richer and deeper understanding of the applications of these background skills to the reading and interpretation of literature and conducting research in the field of education. Students will review a wide variety of quantitative techniques, including pre-experimental, true experimental and quasi-experimental designs. Students will conduct literature reviews on their topics of interest, and apply their understandings of quantitative research methodologies to literature in their field of interest. Students design a study of their choice applying all aspects of the course, including APA writing style, literature reviews, and a detailed methods section covering their applications of research design to their topic of choice.
Offered in: Spring Only
Prerequisites: EDL-732

This course is designed to extend prior graduate training in qualitative research methodology to develop a much richer and deeper understanding of the applications of these background skills to the reading and interpretation of literature and conducting research in the field of education. Students will review a wide variety of qualitative techniques, including interviews,focus groups,content analysis and ethnography. Students will conduct literature reviews on their topics of interest,and apply their understandings of qualitative research methodologies to literature in their fields of interest. Students design a study of their choice applying all aspects of the course,including APA writing style, literature reviews, and a detailed methods section covering their applications of research design to their topic of choice.
Offered in: Fall Only
Prerequisites: EDL-733

This course introduces and instructs students in case study method & design. The course applies previous coursework in statistics, quantitative methods, and qualitative methods to evaluating and conducting case studies in education. As a method for researching "how and why" questions regarding "real world" (or "natural" settings such as neighborhoods,schools, or academic departments),the unique features and appropriate applications of case study method and design are described and analyzed. Published case studies of education (education-related)endeavors are reviewed and evaluated.
Offered in: Fall Only
Prerequisites: EDL-734

Successful completion of doctoral-level coursework and in particular successful completion of the dissertation require a specific set of well-developed academic skills and orientations including the ability to: utilize library resources including databases and information technologies; conduct thorough literature reviews; apply theory to guide both research and practice; and comprehend, interpret, critique and produce academic prose. As such, the course provides students with a foundation for growth throughout the program.
Offered in: Fall Only
Prerequisites: None

This course examines the history and current status of the relationship between education and various forms of social inequality. Relying on both historical writings and current empirical research, the course analyzes the various ways in which formal educational institutions have been and are related to sustaining, increasing and reducing various forms of social inequality. Emphasis is given to using this analysis to evaluate current educational policy and practice, especially with respect to the transition to post-secondary education.
Offered in: Fall Only
Prerequisites: EDL-731

This course identifies common themes in educational reform efforts over the past 150 years, and traces the history and future of these efforts within and across educational systems through an analysis of empirical research, historical writings and governmental and non-governmental initiatives. Common strands include reforms focused on: standardization, assessment and accountability; governance; curriculum and pedagogy; teacher training; professionalization; funding and accountability; and the use of technology. Emphasis is given to these themes vis-à-vis a critical analysis of the marketization and commercialization of education. This understanding is applied to ethically navigating the current reform landscape and evaluating current reform efforts.
Offered in: Spring Only
Prerequisites: EDL-731

This course draws from the fields of culture studies and multicultural education to understand cultural phenomenon in relation to education. It identifies and analyzes cultural issues at the institutional, organizational and classroom level.Emphasis is given to reviewing theoretical perspectives, empirical research, and demographic trends. The course also identifies and analyzes effective teaching-learning environments in the classroom at primary, secondary and post-secondary educational levels.
Offered in: Spring Only
Prerequisites: EDL-731

This course is designed to provide primary and secondary educational leaders with the knowledge and skills necessary to understand and successfully lead their organizations within the constraints and opportunites provided by current legal and governance structures. This course focuses on policy creation and implementation strategies while managing legal risks with special attention to respecting the civil rights of all constituency groups. This course will be structured to address current issues of importance to primary and secondary educational leaders.
Offered in: Summer Only
Prerequisites: None

This course is designed to provide primary and secondary educational leaders with the knowledge and skills necessary to understand and successfully lead their organizations within the constraints and opportunities current funding streams. This course focuses on legal, equity and budgetary issues, with a focus on improving the efficacy and efficiency. This course will be structured to address current issues of importance to primary and secondary educational leaders.
Offered in: Summer Only
Prerequisites: None

This course identifies and evaluates efforts to coordinate district,university,business/industry, and community service agencies in building effective programs that enhance the capacity of educators to meet the needs of all students. Students learn to communicate effectively with various cultural,ethnic,racial,and special interest groups within the community and learn to involve them appropriately in policy development,assessment,and planning. Students learn to design and implement community needs assessment,community participation projects,and community education organizations. Students develop and understanding of community power structures,including identifying major opinion leaders and their relationships to the school. Students develop an effective and interactive staff communications plan and public relations program.
Offered in: Spring Only
Prerequisites: None

Integrates the study of the fields of curriculum, instruction and assessment from the point of view of improving learning outcomes. This course provides a critical overview of current curriculum issues and prepares participants to assume an instructional leadership role in this area. Readings, simulations, case studies, critical reflection activities, and visiting speakers are used to develop understandings of current learning theory, curriculum development, instructional strategies, and assessments. In this way students will have opportunities to practice curriculum standards alignment, student achievement data analysis,and the integration of technology.
Offered in: Spring Only
Prerequisites: None

Students develop an applied research proposal that studies an institutional issues or problems. The student will identify the question or problem to be studied and the student will, under the guidance of the instructor,develop an applied research proposal to be carried out in Applied Research Practicum II.
Offered in: Fall Only
Prerequisites: None

Students conduct the research or evaluation proposal developed in Applied Research Practicum I. The student will obtain IRB approval,collect and analyze the data,and write up the full research report.
Offered in: Spring Only
Prerequisites: ELK-745

This course is designed to provide post-secondary educational leaders with the knowledge and skills necessary to understand and successfully lead their organizations within the constraints and opportunities provided by the current legal context and choice of governance structures. This course focuses on policy creation and implementation strategies while managing legal risks with special attention on respecting the civil rights of all constituency groups.This course will be structured to address current issues of importance to post-secondary educational leaders.
Offered in: Summer Only
Prerequisites: None

This course provides detailed,hands-on experiences with the challenges that are faced by upper-level administration in the development, management, financing,and planning of higher education institutions. Costs,revenues, staffing,and constraints that face educational leaders in both public and private venues are examined.Extensive examples of organizational structures, personnel and staffing needs,and financial considerations are shown as dependent upon each other, and integral to the strategic planning needed to meet institutional missions.
Offered in: Summer Only
Prerequisites: None

This course is designed to prepare post-secondary educational leaders with the skills to manage the changing world of curriculum in higher education. This course studies the development and management of curriculum within higher education; purposes,uses,and control;program development; and distance education. Emphasis is placed on curriculum evaluation and planning.
Offered in: Fall Only
Prerequisites: None

This course examines the advanced evaluation of instructional and educational programs,and introduces students to many of the critical issues involved in assessment in higher education. The course places strong emphasis on the assessment of student learning,and demonstrates this through examples from literature provided by a variety of accrediting agencies.Extensive examples provide mathematical and conceptual understandings of differing measurement approaches to reliability and validity techniques for assessment tools.
Offered in: Spring Only
Prerequisites: None

Students develop an applied research proposal that studies an institutional issue or problem. The student will identify the question or problem to be studied and the student will, under the guidance of the instructor, develop an applied research proposal to be carried out in Applied Research Practicum II.
Offered in: Fall Only
Prerequisites: None

Students conduct the research or evaluation proposal developed in Applied Research Practicum I. The student will obtain IRB approval, collect and analyze the data, and write up the full research report.
Offered in: Spring Only
Prerequisites: Elh-745

This is the first of a two-course sequence, in which students identify the final dissertation topic,and develop the major sections of a complete dissertation proposal for research of the topic under the guidance and supervision of an Educational Leadership faculty member. This course guides the student in all aspects of dissertation proposal design,format,and sequence. Students will provide a fully detailed topic for research of significance to the field,assemble a dissertation committee,and prepare the major aspects of the dissertation proposal, including introduction, theory for the research,review of the related literature,and a set of protocols for the conduct of the study.
Offered in: Fall Only
Prerequisites: None

This is the second of a two-course sequence, in which students prepare the final dissertation proposal,including all elements of written work in Edl 722,and preparing IRB applications,any applicable contact letters,and proposal defense presentation material under the guidance and supervision of an Educational Leadership Faculty member. This course guides the student in all aspects of dissertation proposal finalizing,defense,and application materials for IRBs. Students will provide all elements of the final written dissertation proposal,follow guidelines regarding its final presentation to the dissertation committee,scheduling of defense and any required revisions following the defense.
Offered in: Spring Only
Prerequisites: EDL-752