Educational Administration Educational Leadership (EDLED-GE)

Introduces students to graduate study in educational leadership. Students develop habits of scholarship while exploring the lived realities of children & their school experiences. This dual focus deepens understanding of educational leadership & practice, e.g., student outcomes & the State learning standards, effects of testing, implications of reform policies.

Leaders of mission driven educational organizations & networks that collaborate with schools & communities face the challenge of both understanding & securing funds for educational equity & social change. Restrictive government grants & the ever-changing grant making cycles of philanthropic foundations make fundraising difficult for mission driven organizations to sustain &/or grow programming. This course helps leaders 1) learn about the challenges of fundraising for organizations focused on educational equity, 2) identify sources of funding aligned with mission, 3) engage school & community stakeholders on resource sharing & 4) write effective grants that will lead to sustainable initiatives.

Policymakers allocate a considerable proportion of federal, state and local budgets to K-12 education yet questions remain about the equitable distribution of funding and the returns on the investment in public education. The focus of this course is the core concepts of K-12 education finance. Topics to be covered include but are not limited to: human capital and signaling theory, education production function, approaches to adequacy, the differences between adequacy and equity in school finance, and types of funding.

Deals with research & practice regarding leadership of school units, with emphasis on the knowledge & planning required of school leaders focused on the provision of high quality instruction. Emphasis is on the study & design of classroom & school processes that promote equity in educational opportunities across the school community, including design of learning environments, accountability systems, & assessment strategies. The legal & fiscal environments in which school function are introduced.

The best leaders inspire others through the power of their example. This course engages students in a practical research-based approach to transformational leadership practice. Students will: develop their own personal platforms as transformational leaders; deepen their sense of life purpose and professional commitments; increase their competencies for understanding and influencing others; learn how to cope with complexity in the workplace, and practice strategies for self-renewal and self-care as transformational leaders.

Deals with research & practice regarding school leadership & teacher work, including analysis of current policies, practices, standards of ethical behavior, & trends in professional & student development. The conditions of teachers’ work, support for ongoing professional learning, engagement in planning & decision making are explored. Also focuses on workforce development (recruitment, staffing, tenure, promotion, & retirement); fiscal issues (salary, welfare, & fringe benefits); distributed power (academic freedom, teacher unionism, negotiations, grievance procedures); development of staff, board, & community relationships, collaboration with colleges & universities in teacher preparation.

Each student is assigned to a selected superintendent, supervising principal, or official of an educational organization who serves as a supervising administrator. The student’s activities include field experiences in administration & community leadership.

In this culminating experience students engage in fieldwork in a community-based or advocacy organization & participate in a university seminar to discuss their field-based experiences. Students develop a professional platform, keep reflective journals, & intern under the mentorship of field-based supervisors. Seminar discussions focus on issues of educational leadership, politics & advocacy in field-based organizations.

Educational Leaders work in public & private schools & universities, as well as in social agencies, unions, community organizations, policy organizations, & educational think tanks. Increasingly, educational advocates need to understand how to collaborate with others to achieve their goals through collective &/or community action. In this course, we examine how social movements & advocacy organizations have influenced policy & practice in educational institutions. How do these organizations mobilize to achieve their purpose? This course examines the strategies & tactics that successful advocates use to organize constituencies & achieve their purposes.

Course explores current educational practices & policies affecting marginalized youth in a variety of settings such as schools, juvenile justice system, foster care, & child protective services. Students will apply social/cultural reproduction theories to analyze prevention & intervention strategies. Special attention will be paid to how organizations create relevant learning &/or intervention environments.

Examines the challenges of transforming high schools to increase educational opportunity & outcomes of urban youth. We will investigate past efforts to transform urban high schools as well as more current school reform efforts such as small schools, charter schools & middle colleges. Using relevant theories on educational change & an in-depth study of school reform, we will examine the roles that principals, teachers, & external providers play in sustaining the change process & analyze the challenges of leading , teaching & learning in today’s changing urban high schools.

It should be noted that independent study requires a minimum of 45 hours of work per point. Independent study cannot be applied to the established professional education sequence in teaching curricula. Each departmental program has established its own maximum credit allowance for independent study. This information may be obtained from a student's department. Prior to registering for independent study, each student should obtain an Independent Study Approval Form from the adviser.

Develops awareness & understanding of the dynamics of change. Theoretical frameworks are used to aid students in improving their ability to undertake leadership responsibility & to facilitate school improvement. Planning & analysis of school reforms address issues of classroom organization, school community, & relationships between schools & communities.

Critically investigates the personal and systemic politics of leadership within the complex cultural landscape of public education. Scrutinizes the power dynamics that are intentionally present and their shaping educational practices and policies. Offers a deep dive into frequently conflicting expectations, vested interests, and contextual concerns that various communities introduce into education. This course encourages students to challenge normative assumptions, engage with critical theories, and develop strategies for more equitable and inclusive leadership.

Increasingly, data is a primary factor in every step of the decision making process in education administration—from informing lines of inquiry to determining courses of action. In this course, students acquire the skills necessary to work with and analyze administrative and survey data and, in the process, describe school-related inputs, outcomes, relationships, and trends.

Students will develop an understanding of the ways in which they may inquire about policy issues relevant in their academic & professional lives. By exploring in depth a substantial body of knowledge drawn from selected cases & current theoretical issues, students will study the development of policy, the instruments used to effect policy, & some analyses of implementation.

Develops understanding and skills in the analysis & interpretation of demographic data using U.S. census, regional, & local data sets. Uses forecasting & strategic analysis methods as a basis for long-range planning of school facilities, programs, & client needs. Includes the use of computer-based methodologies, geographic information systems, & community asset mapping to formulate processes that connect schools with a wide array of higher education & community resources, including social service & health providers.

This course examines critical issues related to contemporary K–12 teacher policies and labor movements, focusing on factors affecting the equitable distribution of teachers, the fundamentals of modern teacher policy reforms, and the political and social conditions underlying recent teacher labor movements. Students leave this course with a strong overview of current teacher policy and labor market issues as well as an in-depth examination of a focus area they select.

Practical course designed to acquaint the student with research design & methodology in order to facilitate an understanding of research in the administration of educational organizations. Focuses on critical evaluation of research studies & comparative assessment of organizational analyses.

Students examine and assess different strategies for conducting inquiries about policy issues relevant to their academic and professional lives.Through the use and analysis of case studies, students examine how policies are developed and implemented, explore cross-sector effects, and critically assess public policies with an understanding of the media and political biases. Cases are drawn from current domestic and international debates in such areas as desegregation, public health, housing, and migration.

In this doctoral seminar, students will develop an understanding of the ways in which they may inquire about policy issues relevant in their academic & professional lives. By exploring in depth a substantial body of knowledge drawn from selected cases & current theoretical issues, students will study the development of policy, the instruments used to effect policy, & some analyses of implementation.

Course takes place during the Residency I requirement of the Online Ed.D. Program. The course provides an overview of the Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership and Organizational Studies curriculum. Students will review the two-year program timeline and discuss expectations of the program, and the fundamentals of doctoral study. The course will highlight the major program milestones embedded within the capstone deliverables.

This seminar facilitates the design & critical review of proposed doctoral research. Serves an integrating function for the study prior to undertaking full-scale doctoral research. Course credit is granted only upon completion of a doctoral research proposal.

Course takes place during the Residency I requirement of the Online Ed.D. Program. The course explores various learning theories such as adult learning, workplace learning, and K- 12 learning development. Industry guest speakers will share their expertise throughout the course to provide current perspectives on the field.

This course combines leadership theory with practical skill sets that can be immediately used in the students' current professional organization. Topics include (1) Asset based leadership using StrengthsFinder and Myers Briggs, (2) Leading vs. Managing, (3) Fostering Collaborations, (4) Leading within a Bureaucracy, and (5) Leading in Diverse Contexts. The course also includes a Capstone deliverable of the auto-ethnography.

This course expands upon the leadership theory discussed in the Leadership I course and applies them to situations that arise in the education sector. Topics include (1) Leadership in Education, (2) Framing Power & Politics, (3) Leading in Crisis/Turbulence, (4) Coping with Challenges that Arise, and (5) Defining Leadership Moments.

This course focuses on the multiple sectors in public, private, and non-profit organizations that work together to address educational issues. Topics covered include (1) Collective Impact in Education, (2) Cross-Sector Partnerships in Education, (3) Social Impact Funder Collaborative Intelligences, and (4) Multi-sector Partnership in Education.

Advanced theory-research integration seminar. Designed to examine, compare, & evaluate theories & conceptual models applicable to the study of complex organizations. Explorations of the relationships between the conceptualization & the design of research. Emphasis placed on the development by students of theoretical bases for doctoral dissertation research.

Advanced theory-research integration seminar. Designed to examine, compare, & evaluate theories & conceptual models applicable to the study of complex organizations. Explorations of the relationships between the conceptualization & the design of research. Emphasis placed on the development by students of theoretical bases for doctoral dissertation research.

This is a 0-credit course to ensure students receive advising and complete all deliverables to successfully defend the Problem of Practice during a period of maintenance of matriculation.

This course is designed to demonstrate the student’s accumulated knowledge in Leadership and Organizational Studies in a series of projects under the additional supervision of an advisor. The completed problem of practice should bring together the student’s central research question, organization, leadership skills, and professional experiences.

This course is the continuation of Capstone I designed to support the completion of the first draft of the Problem of Practice and Organizational Improvement Plan under the additional supervision of an advisor. The Capstone necessitates multiple drafts of the research that are subjected to heightened peer review and regular feedback from the student’s instructors and advisor.

During this course, students will incorporate advisor, instructor, and peer feedback into their final Problem of Practice and Organizational Improvement Plan. This course also includes a residency in which students showcase their Capstone Project.

This course takes place during Residency II requirement of the Online Ed.D. Program. Students will be exposed to industry experts in the education field of various sectors and learn how the theories learned in the last two years of the program are applicable to the current state of education.

This course is the final culmination of the Capstone requirement. This course includes one-on-one advising and finalizing of all capstone deliverables as students prepare for Problem of Practice defenses in the final semester.

This course provides an introduction to critical and ethical issues surrounding data. As education leaders, student data is used in various ways for multiple purposes. Recognizing the person behind the numbers, this course covers topics including (1) Research and applied ethics, (2) Concepts of privacy and publicity, (3) Issues in data collection and data mining and (4) Lifecycle of data.

This course offers an intensive walkthrough of a qualitative research method design with a heavy focus on practical application during asynchronous learning. This course is a reduced mini module tailored for the Ed.D. Online students who are considering using qualitative research method for their Capstone Project. Topics covered include (1) Conceptual and Theoretical Frameworks, (2) Qualitative Research Design, and (3) Making Sense of Qualitative Data.

This course provides practical skills to become a leader in the student’s professional organization to implement change and innovation in all sectors of education. Building upon the organization assessment conducted in the Organizational Theory course, this course covers topics including: (1) Team Formation and Team Process, (2) Strategic Analysis, (3) Innovation in Higher Education, (4), Intermediary as Innovators, and (5) Measuring Impact.

This course offers the tools and a practical application of developing a research design for the EdD in Leadership and Innovation. Topics covered include (1) Introduction to qualitative research methods and (2) Research design and developing questions for generating and defending a POP proposal. This course also builds on topics/themes from the Research Methods course.

This is the second in a sequence of quantitative research methods for Ed.D. in Leadership and Innovation students. This course is for Ed.D. students who are using quantitative methods for their Problem of Practice Capstone Project and have completed Quantitative Methods I

This course offers an intensive walkthrough of a quantitative research method design with an extensive lab component for asynchronous learning. This course is a reduced mini module tailored for the Ed.D. Online students who are considering using quantitative research method for their Capstone Project. Topics covered include (1) Univariate Statistical Inference, (2) Regression, (3) Multiple Linear Regression, and (4) Statistical Models for Causal Analysis.

This course focuses on the importance of performance measurement and institutional management systems to manage resources in any organization. Recognizing resources are tied to funding, topics include (1) Performance Management Measurement from a Funder’s Perspective, (2) Public School Finance, (3) Higher Education Finance and (4) Non-Profit Finance Management.