Leadership for Learning Ed.D.

Program Total (Ed.S.) (75 Credit Hours)

Notes:

The Educational Specialist (EdS) degree may be awarded upon completion of the first 18 hours of the common core, and 15 hours in the concentration.

The Ed.D. degree has five concentrations as listed below.

1. Adolescent Education–Mathematics
2. Adolescent Education–English/Language Arts
3. Early Childhood & Elementary Education
4. Inclusive Education
5. Instructional Technology

Ed.D. Common Core in Distributed Leadership for Learning (27 Credit Hours)

The focus in the Common Core is for candidates to develop shared leadership expertise by building networks of influence and working across boundaries. Candidates are introduced to and develop an understanding of the foundation of Distributed School Leadership for learning. Through collaborative case study and problem based learning experiences embEd.D.ed in the context of schools, candidates enrolled in all the concentrations work together to tackle the challenges faced by teachers and teacher leaders in today’s P-12 schools. Candidates develop an understanding of and proficiency in a variety of distributed leadership roles and demonstrate their expertise as required by the program’s eight Performance Outcomes.

The courses are:

• EDL 8000 - Foundations of Leadership for Learning
• EDUC 8100 - Advanced Study of Learning
• EDUC 8300 - Intercultural Communication and Global Learning
• EDRS 8000 - Applied Quantitative & Qualitative Research
• EDL 8100 - Critical Issues in School Transformation
• EDRS 8900 - Applied Field Research
• EDRS 9100 - Advanced Qualitative Research Methods
• EDRS 9200 - Advanced Quantitative Research Methods
• EDUC 9800 - Doctoral Seminar

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• EDUC 9900 - Dissertation
• ECE 9900 - Dissertation
• EDAD 9900 - Dissertation
• ENED 9900 - Dissertation
• INED 9900 - Dissertation
• ITEC 9900 - Dissertation
• MAED 9900 - Dissertation

Ed.D. Concentration Options (27 Credit Hours)

The focus of the Concentration is to deepen and broaden the knowledge, skills, and dispositions of the candidates in their content. To be a mentor, to empower others, and to support and sustain change within schools, graduates must be viewed as strong content leaders by their colleagues. Candidates have five concentration options in the Ed.D. program—Adolescent Mathematics Education, Adolescent Education- English/Language Arts, Early Childhood and Elementary Education, Inclusive Education, and Instructional Technology. Each option is composed of a Concentration Core and Concentration Electives. The description of these options and the courses of study are provided below.

Dissertation (Minimum, 9 Credit Hours)

Dissertation topics and research must be focused on developing and documenting policies and practices positively impacting student learning. The dissertation must clearly link to at least one of the eight roles of Distributed School Leadership which serve as thematic organizers. Candidates collaborate with and rely on support from peers, faculty and P-12 professionals for review of the literature, research and design recommendations, editing and feedback.

Guided Electives (12 Credit Hours)

Candidates use guided electives to expand their content expertise and influence in schools and to provide pathways to additional career opportunities. Candidates may elect to take courses in content areas other than their major concentration. They may decide to deepen their knowledge of intercultural communication and global learning by selecting study abroad opportunities. Finally, they may seek additional endorsements and deepen their expertise in high need areas such as ESOL and reading, delve deeply into timely critical issues through seminars or in-depth scholarly research, or investigate special topics offered in the critical issues courses outside of their own concentration. Candidates select these hours in consultation with their major advisor.

Concentration Descriptions and Courses

Teaching Field or Tracks

Early Childhood Education (27 Credit Hours)

The Early Childhood & Elementary Education concentration is designed for teachers in Pre-K through fifth grade. This program of study provides the skills necessary for elementary and early childhood education teachers to become active members in a variety of distributed leadership roles at the elementary school level or district level. Candidates in this concentration develop in-depth knowledge and skills in the areas of curriculum and instruction. Through their ability to synthesize and apply the latest research in curriculum decision making, they demonstrate leadership as change agents for students and education.

The concentration is aligned with NCATE and PSC Unit Standard 1 and is consistent with the Bagwell College of Education conceptual framework. Graduates demonstrate leadership by being models of the profession and experts in teaching and instructional leaders. They demonstrate leadership as mentors to support and guide pre-service teachers to improve teaching and learning for all.

Graduates will be advocates for curriculum improvement while specializing in the art and craft of teaching. Through a thorough theoretical base of curriculum development, understanding of global education issues, and an appreciation for the philosophical inquiry and ethical issues in education, graduates will be leaders for learning. The ECEE teacher-leader will become the change agent of tomorrow’s schools.

Inclusive Education (27 Credit Hours)

As previously noted, the cornerstone of the doctorate, Leadership for Learning, is an interdisciplinary core providing the framework that establishes a common set of performance outcomes aligned with the DSL Model. These performance outcomes are introduced in the core and threaded throughout all learning experiences in each concentration to develop teacher leaders in various areas of specialized content.

Graduates of Inclusive Education will demonstrate the knowledge, skills and dispositions to serve in a variety of distributed leadership roles in the P-12 schools, state and federal governmental agencies, or private not-for-profit agencies that serve students with disabilities or those who are culturally and linguistically diverse.

The focus of the concentration in Inclusive Education is to prepare teacher leaders who are committed to creating culturally responsive educational environments ensuring that all students, including those with disabilities or those who are culturally and linguistically diverse or both, have equitable opportunities for achieving high academic standards in the state-approved curriculum. The program of study deepens and broadens the knowledge and skills of the candidates in their content by emphasizing eight essential components of preparation, including: (a) recognition of one’s own ethnocentrism; (b) knowledge of students’ cultural backgrounds as well as their cognitive and learning abilities; (c) understanding of the broader social, economic and political context; (d) ability and willingness to use culturally appropriate, positive behavior management strategies; (e) commitment to building caring classrooms that are intentionally inviting and inclusive; (f) understanding and use of research-based practices in general education environments; (g) the ability to analyze school wide, complex problems and resolve issues such that all teachers, students and parents are supported and successful; and (h) an understanding of global issues in education and how they translate into the education of students in the United States. The program of study is predicated on the assumption that in successful schools, teachers collectively hold a powerful belief system of high expectations that rejects deficit assumptions about students, their cultures, abilities and life circumstances.

The concentration in Inclusive Education is offered by the Inclusive Education Department and emerged as a result of collaborative dialogue among faculty members in the department, the P-12 school community, and members of the PTEU. The program of study was carefully crafted in concert with the conceptual framework, Collaborative Development of Teaching, Learning and Leadership, adopted by the PTEU, and aligned with standards recommended by the National Council on Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) and Georgia Professional Standards Commission as well as those of the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) and National Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL). The preparation of all candidates is enriched by an international experience providing opportunities to learn first-hand about the challenges faced by language minority students as well as how educational programs are designed and delivered abroad.

Instructional Technology (27 Credit Hours)

The focus of the Instructional Technology concentration is to deepen and broaden the knowledge and skills of candidates in this area of study. The Instructional Technology concentration prepares elementary, secondary and middle grades teachers to be leaders in the use of technology for standards-based instruction and assessment. Instructional Technology emerges from the concept of teacher leadership as its primary emphasis is to support the development of teachers in their efforts to use emerging technologies to increase student achievement. The program  of study prepares teachers to model best practices in the use of instructional technologies and provides high-quality professional learning experiences for other educators. This course of study is designed to meet the Georgia Professional Standards Commission (GAPSC) standards for receipt of a T -6 (Ed.S.) and a T-7 (Ed.D.) certificate.

The concentration is aligned to the Technology Facilitation standards developed by National Council of Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) and the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE). These standards are designed to help candidates “exhibit knowledge, skills, and dispositions equipping them to teach technology applications; demonstrate effective use of technology to support student learning of content; and provide professional development, mentoring, and basic technical assistance for other teachers who require support in their efforts to apply technology to support student learning” (ISTE/NCATE, 2002).

Candidates address these performance standards in the context of collaborative inquiry with peers and faculty during class discussions and course assignments. Course assignments focus on promoting teacher leadership through the development of high-quality, technology-based curriculum resources and facilitating the effective uses of technology for standards-based instruction and assessment of student learning. Candidates continue their study of distributed leadership and the distinct responsibilities of the eight roles of school leaders as they manifest in the context of supporting an instructional technology program in a school/district. Assignments also build candidates’ understanding of how to lead, design and implement high-quality professional learning for educators and to navigate the change process connected with introducing a technological innovation into a learning environment. Additionally, courses will require candidates to interact with a broader community of researchers and practitioners through the review of published literature in the field and the participation in professional learning organizations.