K-12 Leadership, Ed.D.

(60 credits)

Program Description

The Doctorate of Education program prepares educators to take leadership roles in improving educational systems and advancing student learning and success. The low residency, three‐year, cohort‐based structure of the program is ideal for working professionals, and the focus on applied research allows participants to have an immediate impact on the quality of education in their work environments. The K‐12 Leadership and Higher Education Administration concentrations allow participants to develop expertise in specific settings and issues. The program will also engage students, faculty, and other members of the education community in integrated inquiry into issues that span our educational systems. This unique combination of deep understanding, expanded vision, and diverse professional networks positions participants for innovative, entrepreneurial leadership in a complex and changing world.

Those students in the K-12 Leadership concentration who are interested in principal and/or superintendent licensure may combine the EdD requirements with the certification requirements. Please refer to program requirements.

Students will meet during two weekends in each seven‐week course, at the end of the first and sixth weeks of each course. Each summer the cohort will meet in August to engage in coursework, dissertation development, and comprehensive project development. Participants will display proficiency in meeting the program outcomes through the development of a capstone project, the development of a dissertation proposal, and the completion of the dissertation.

Certification Tracks

Students in the K-12 Leadership concentration may elect to declare an administrator certification track and take alternate courses in their Ed.D and additional certification specific courses to meet certification requirements. Please see the tracks below for eligible certifications and requirements.

• K-12 Leadership, Ed.D: Curriculum Administrator Certification  
• K-12 Leadership, Ed.D: Reading and Writing Specialist Certification 
   
• K-12 Leadership, Ed.D: School Business Administrator Certification 
   
• K-12 Leadership, Ed.D: School Principal Certification  
• K-12 Leadership, Ed.D: School Superintendent Certification  
• K-12 Leadership, Ed.D: Special Education Administrator Certification  

Learning Outcomes

• Articulate a personal philosophy of professional practice and a vision for educational organizations which is responsive to societal challenges of complexity, diversity, and social justice
• Identify and address critical and contemporary issues in educational policy and practice
• Demonstrate knowledge of administrative, leadership, and management practices and structures found in diverse institutions of education
• Assess teaching and learning and create strategies to improve professional practice and student learning
• Use data to inform evidence‐based decision‐making regarding educational issues, enhance professional practice, and promote organizational change and reform
• Demonstrate skills to work effectively with others, be advocates for members of the learning community, and lead organizational change and reform
• Demonstrate information and research literacy incorporating of a broad range of education resources and scholarship
• Design and conduct independent and collaborative research
• Demonstrate effective and inclusive written and oral communication skills