California State University Fresno Project Proposal Doctoral Program in Educational Leadership at Fresno State (DPELFS) Overview DPELFS was developed within the framework created by the CSU system. The CSU system-wide framework offered an innovative Ed.D. model that connects program philosophy, pedagogy, and target populations through a design that: Is focused on practice and applies research tools to the challenges administrators face in real-world contexts in effecting important reforms and improving student achievement; Prepares Pre-K-12 and Post-secondary education leaders within a framework of both (a) common and (b) distinctive issues affecting education in the two different sectors; Involves faculty with varied disciplinary perspectives in coursework examining theory, research, and significant fieldbased problems; Includes outstanding professional leaders in instructional and mentoring roles, and in curricular and programmatic dialogue and decision-making; and, Applies a range of research methods to major problems of educational practice relevant to diverse educational settings, using a framework of data-driven decision-making. The framework included core educational leadership concepts that were to be interwoven into every leadership doctoral program offered by any CSU institution. Table 1 below delineates the Core Educational Leadership Program Concepts. Table 1 Core Educational Leadership Program Concepts Concept Leadership Foundations Systemic Educational Reform Visionary Educational Leadership Complexity and Organizations Collaborative Management Diversity and Equity Description Achieving reform and improvement within California's Pre-K-12 and postsecondary education institutions. Leadership based on a shared vision of learning grounded in moral principles and ethical decision-making. Modern theories of management of complex organizations and applications to education. Fostering distributive leadership, facilitating collaborative change.
Addressing issues of diversity, equity and opportunity, including attention to special populations. Educational Policy Political, fiscal, environmental contexts affecting local, state, and federal Environments educational decision-making. Educational Internal and external accountability processes and their use in data-driven Accountability planning. Leadership Specialization: Pre-K and Post-secondary Leadership School and Campus Creating shared aspirations and expectations that result in supportive Cultures environments and student excellence. Effective Instructional Cognition, curriculum, instruction, staff development, and educational Strategies equity. Human Resource Human resource management and development; learning organizations; Development professional communities. Student Learning Developing classroom, school, and community-based student services and Supports support. School-Community Working with families, communities, businesses, local and state Relations governmental entities. Resources and Fiscal Financing public education and resource allocation to achieve student Planning outcomes. Research Methodology
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Assessment and Evaluation Applied Quantitative Inquiry Applied Qualitative Inquiry Field-Based Research Data-Driven DecisionMaking
Assessing learning outcomes; using data for student interventions and local decision-making and improvement. Formulating researchable questions; design and statistical analysis of surveys; quantitative data collection. Qualitative methods of data collection and interpretation; narrative and discourse analysis. Research applied to relevant field settings, including collection, analysis, and use of data. Intensive case study of data-driven decision-making to improve educational outcomes.
The Doctoral Program in Educational Leadership at Fresno State (DPELFS) was created in line with these core program concepts and was created as an outgrowth of the Joint Doctoral Program in Educational Leadership (JDPEL), which was a collaborative effort between California State University, Fresno and the University of California, Davis. This joint program had been in existence for 15 years, and had a graduation rate of nearly 70%. The new doctoral program is unique in that it has a governance structure that includes partners from the Pre-K-12 and Post-secondary education sectors (Regional Partnership Advisory Board [RPAB]). Many of the policies, which guide the new program, were developed at the CSU system-level Academic Senate. New policies, however, emanate from the doctoral program Graduate Group and are subsequently approved the Academic Senate at the Fresno State Campus. More specifics will be provided about the Regional Partnership Advisory Board (RPAB) below. Mission Statement The Doctoral Program in Educational Leadership is designed to educate and train promising educational leaders, educational administrators, teachers and other school personnel with high leadership potential, to examine critically current educational practices and policies from a broad theoretical perspective, to formulate administrative, and instructionally effective approaches that can improve the quality of instruction and the learning environment in schools as well as in the educational environments of students. Program Goals Students who complete the DPELFS will be able to assume leadership positions and to be outstanding leaders in education. They will have the knowledge and ability to lead schools to implement best practices, provide sound fiscal management, and provide equitable educational opportunities for children in their schools. The specific goals of the DPELFS are discussed below. Develop educational leaders who will: 1. Be competent to play a key leadership role in the execution of concrete educational reform focused on instructional practices and policies, curriculum, school-community relations, and home and school learning environments; 2. Be able to create adequate information bases, evaluate educational programs, analyze complex educational problems, identify solutions, advise teachers and other educators, monitor the impact of solutions adopted, develop cooperative teams of practitioners and researchers in schools, and develop research capabilities necessary for the implementation of educational policy and practices; 3. Understand and use the current literature related to instructional leadership, school administration and reform, the social and cultural context of schooling, the role of the home languages and culture in the academic development of children, and the research methodologies required to investigate and understand school effectiveness; and, 4. Design and execute studies of school practice and theory that will result in enhanced educational practice at school sites. Student Learning Objectives Student learning objectives have been developed for the program, and have been imbedded in coursework. The syllabus for each course clearly outlines the student learning objectives for that course, and how the work in the course will address those objectives. The program objectives are outlined below.
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Objective 1 1.1 Graduates of the DPELFS will know how to provide visionary leadership in educational reform in complex education organizations with respect to instructional practices and policies, creating healthy school and campus cultures, implementing appropriate curriculum, and in establishing school-community relations and home and school learning environments. 1.2 Graduates of the DPELFS will attend and be exposed to a variety of forums and seminars outside the regular course offerings to stimulate awareness of educational issues competing interests, and the ultimate effects of policy decisions. 1.3 Graduates of the DPELFS will demonstrate visionary educational leadership in the development articulation, implementation, and stewardship of a vision of learning that is shared and supported by the school community; by modeling a personal code of ethics; and by developing professional leadership capacity. 1.3 Graduates of the DPELFS will demonstrate leadership in the application of effective instructional strategies in advocating, nurturing, and sustaining a school culture and instructional program conducive to student learning and staff professional growth. 1.4 Graduates of the DPELFS will be able to develop a sound, defensible plan of resources and fiscal planning for ensuring management of the organization, operations, and resources for an effective and safe learning environment.
Objective 2 2.1 Graduates of the DPELFS will be able to undertake educational program evaluations and assessments in educational settings, and be able to collect, disaggregate, and analyze data to be able to offer appropriately differentiated instruction. 2.2 Graduates of the DPELFS will be able to provide instructional leadership through: policy development; collaborative team building; conducting research; and devising solutions and taking appropriate actions to implement proposed solutions. 2.3 Graduates of the DPELFS will be able to demonstrate, through an intense writing assignment, their understanding of educational issues and problems and relate such within their focus of study (Pre-K-12 Education Administration or Postsecondary Education Administration). Objective 3 3.1 Graduates of the DPELFS will know how to access the current literature using available technology relative to educational leadership. 3.2 Graduates of the DPELFS will be able to write literature reviews for problems related to instructional leadership, school administration and reform, social and cultural contexts of schools, primary language and customs as they relate to academic development, and issues related to school effectiveness. 3.3 Graduates of the DPELFS will be able to use a variety of research methodologies in investigating issues related to school effectiveness. 3.4 Graduates of the DPELFS will be able to demonstrate their understanding of how theory informs practice with respect to school effectiveness and in the academic development of children. Objective 4 4.1 Graduates of the DPELFS will be able to undertake and complete a significant research study related to their area of focus (Pre-K-12 Education Administration or Post-secondary Education Administration). Students The program will continue to admit 24 students (12 Pre-K-12 and 12 Post-secondary) each year. Students would be professionals in either the Pre-K-12 educational setting or in the post-secondary education arena. They are expected to hold a master’s degree and to have significant leadership experience in their field. Support from their employer is required, and some evidence that they intend to pursue a leadership position is expected in their application.
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Program Content Program Development The program was designed within the CSU framework outlined above, but with the input of the Regional Partnership Advisory Board (RPAB). The RPAB was created and was convened to help construct the proposal to ensure that the program meets the needs of the education community. Members of the RPAB include the Chancellor of the State Center Community College, Presidents of local community colleges, County Office of Education Superintendents, District Superintendents, and an ACSA representative; a total of 16 members. Each RPAB member was asked for their input regarding courses, learning outcomes and possible fieldwork components. These same individuals participate in the governance of the program (according to the bylaws established for the program and approved by Graduate Group faculty members), ensuring continuous review of curriculum and fieldwork. Program Content DPELFS is a 60 unit degree; 27 units of Core courses, 21 units of Specialization courses, and 12 Dissertation units. Fieldwork components are embedded in the following courses: Applied Qualitative Research Methods; Advanced Applied Research and Measurement in Education; Advanced Applied Quantitative Methods; Theories of Cross-cultural Education; Conceptual Curriculum Perspectives for Educational Leadership; Educational Evaluation, Assessment and Planning; and Educational Policy Environments. DELPFS has two focal areas or strands, one in Pre-K-12 Education Administration and the other in Post-secondary Education Administration (including Community College leadership and administration). Students progress through the program in cohorts. Students from both strands take core courses together, and then will split off during their specialization phase. Courses are offered late afternoons and evenings and on weekends to accommodate working professionals wishing to pursue this doctoral degree. The campus offers Blackboard, the system by which courses can be offered either fully or partially online. The program can be completed in three (3) years, or students desiring to take longer may do so by not registering for dissertation units during the final year. Program Coherence As mentioned previously, the program begins with core courses attended by all students regardless of their track. Fieldwork which is comprised of live data and projects from the County Office of Education are integrated into the coursework as part of the assignments for the course. The electronic portfolios system ToolKeep is used to document the activities completed during the fieldwork for later assessment by the Graduate Group faculty. Specialization course are more practical in nature, and extend what has already been learned in the core courses. Instructors for these courses will be faculty with a particular expertise (e.g., Instructional Leadership in Reading, Instructional Leadership in English Language Arts) or practicing professionals (superintendents or community college presidents). Signature Pedagogy will be the focus of revamping the qualifying examination for the program. A list of critical readings that will be completed during the core courses will be identified and an exam demonstrating proficiency in using that literature to critically think about a problem or issue will be developed. The Graduate Group has identified a subcommittee to begin developing this Signature Pedagogy. Lastly, a capstone experience (dissertation) will be undertaken by the participants in the doctoral program. The research project will be action-oriented, or applied research. The Graduate Group faculty will need to work with the students during their mandatory research seminars, where the students will complete and critique each other’s writings. It is expected that the end product will be a contribution to the practice of educational leadership in the Central Valley of California. Faculty Resources, Teaching, Advising and Dissertation Supervision Faculty
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The faculty who teach and govern this program are recommended for membership in the doctoral faculty Graduate Group. Graduate Group members for the Doctorate in Educational Leadership include Core doctoral faculty and Affiliated doctoral faculty. The Core doctoral faculties include 13-25 tenured/tenure-track faculty who have been elected to serve on the Graduate Group and meet the criteria established by the University for graduate faculty serving on graduate groups. These faculty serve on subcommittees, advise and mentor students, chair student committees (qualifying examination and dissertation), serve on student committees (qualifying examination and dissertation), teach courses, and remain active in professional scholarship. Appointment as a Core Graduate Group member is for a term of five years. Upon completion of four years, Core faculty members wishing to continue their membership in the Graduate Group reapply to the Membership Committee. The Membership Committee forward its recommendation concerning the reappointment of the faculty member to the full Graduate Group. Appointment and renewal of appointment as a Core Graduate Group member is dependent upon teaching effectiveness, participation in program committees, and demonstrated currency in her/his area of scholarship related to the program. Affiliated doctoral faculty include tenured, non-tenured, and adjunct faculty who teach in the program. Affiliated faculty may serve on but not chair student dissertation committees, may teach courses, may participate in curriculum and policy discussions during Graduate Group meetings, but have no vote. Appointment as an Affiliated Graduate Group member in the doctoral program is for a term of three years. Upon completion of two years, Affiliated Graduate Group members wishing to continue membership as an Affiliated Graduate Group member reapply to the Membership Committee. The Membership Committee forwards its recommendation concerning the reappointment of the faculty member to the full Graduate Group. Appointment and renewal of appointment is dependent upon the member’s willingness and demonstrated record of participation and support of the program. Continuing doctoral faculty Graduate Group members (Core and Affiliated) are reviewed every three years by the Membership Committee members. Appropriate recommendations regarding their continued membership on the Graduate Group and any specific areas of weaknesses that need to be addressed is sent to the DPELFS Director, the Dean of Education, and the Dean of Graduate Studies. Specific criteria include the responsibility to exhibit a strong, continuous professional record of published research through monographs, refereed journal articles, chapters in edited volumes, grants, and presentations at national and international meetings of relevant professional associations; develop and offer courses for doctoral students serve on dissertation and qualifying examination committees, and serve on program committees. Teaching Faculty who teach courses in DPELFS are awarded 4.5 units for teaching the course, and the equivalent of 1.5 units of funds made available to them for research, scholarship and other professional development endeavors. Faculty who supervise dissertations receive .5 unit for each supervision for each semester the student is enrolled in dissertation units (normally the equivalent of 1.5 units). Extra money is also made available at the .5 unit cost for scholarly work and professional development. A faculty member normally teaches only one course in the program; providing the students with maximum exposure to faculty during the program. Advising Students are assigned a faculty advisor when they enter the program. That faculty member remains their advisor until the student selects a dissertation chair. If the dissertation chair is not the original advisor, advising duties transfer to the dissertation chair. Dissertation Students participate in mandatory dissertation seminars for two semesters before their last year in the program. During these seminars, students are exposed to faculty research interests, write their dissertation proposals, critique other student participant’s writings, and take both their qualifying examination and their preliminary dissertation defense.
Timely Progression
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Students should be able to complete their program of study, including their dissertation, in three years. Students are encouraged to begin exploring their topic of interest in the first class, and are advised to frame course assignments around that topic as much as is possible. Students attend a two-day orientation at the beginning of the program where they spend part of a day with a librarian learning how to access current literature and how to use the information resources throughout the CSU system. The following schematic demonstrates the courses taken and the sequence of those courses. Components of Laboratory Practice Laboratory practice in DPELFS will be through imbedded fieldwork in targeted core courses (a * in the course cell below indicates the courses with imbedded laboratory practice). In addition, it is expected that each Specialization course will incorporate practice similar in nature to the ones discussed below. The Fresno County Office of Education has been working with us to develop these laboratory experiences. For example, they have recently identified one of their districts as being a DAIT (Program Improvement District) that will be required to have certain data analysis conducted, curriculum audits, and reports submitted. This district’s data will be given to our students for the appropriate data analysis and reporting, which will be part of the course entitled Advanced Applied Quantitative Methods. In the course entitled Conceptual Curriculum Perspectives for Educational Leadership the County Office and the DAIT District will provide copies of all written assignments, standards and assessment instruments, and the students will perform an analysis of the alignment of the curriculum to the standards of the taught curriculum then to the assessments being used. One of the specialists in the County Office has agreed to assist in the supervision of this laboratory work. Other similar activities are being designed for the students who are in the Post-secondary education track. Reception to having the laboratories embedded into the courses has received a high level of support from both the faculty teaching the courses and the County Office staff. In addition, promotion of this idea has been introduced to the Regional Partnership Advisory Board, and those members have been encouraged to begin to think about experiences they could offer to the students in the DPELFS program. Scholarship of Teaching Exploring teaching (inquiry-based discussions) related to teaching and learning will be a focus of the doctoral faculty Graduate Group. A subcommittee of the Graduate Group will be appointed to begin to explore inquiry questions that can be adopted to collect data and begin to explore teaching and learning (based on prescribed student outcomes). While there already exists a subcommittee on Research, another committee is needed to begin a more direct focus, and to design forums for productive sharing of teaching scholarship. The committee will need to determine appropriate inquiry questions for the collection of relevant data for informed discussions around teaching. It is interesting to note that we (in the Education Administration Department) have been teaching the Theory of Action, which includes the system of inquiry, best-practices and professional learning communities at the elementary and secondary levels when we are coaching principals and superintendents. It seems only fitting that we are now using our own coaching tools to improve our practice! Signature Pedagogy Our Signature Pedagogy (as was described previously) is integrated into the qualifying examination, which takes place at the end of the Core course segment of the program. There is currently a committee established to revise the current process to develop the list of readings (from the Core courses) that will be included in this writing assignment as well as to redefine the process and procedures for this assessment process.
Doctoral Program Course Sequence (with Summer School) Beginning Fall, 2007
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Note: All courses are 3 units. Core = 27 units Specialization = 21 units Dissertation = 12 units Total = 60 units Fall 2007 6 Units Total EDL 201 Organizational Theory in Complex Organizations Year 1 Spring 2008 6 Units Total EDL 202 Educational Reform Summer 2008 6 Units Total EDL 206 Conceptual Curriculum Perspectives for Educational Leadership * EDL 208 Theories of Cross-cultural Education
EDL 209 Advanced Applied Research and Measurement in Education
EDL 204 Advanced Applied Quantitative Methods Spring, 2009 9 Units Total EDL 280T Specialization Courses Pre-K-12 course #1 ------------------Pre-K-12 course #2 EDL 280T Specialization Courses Post-secondary course #1 ------------------Post-secondary course #2 1st Mandatory dissertation lab (no units given)
Fall 2008 9 Units Total EDL 207 Applied Qualitative Research Methods Year 2 EDL 211 Educational Evaluation, Assessment and Planning EDL 203 Educational Policy Environments
Summer, 2009 6 Units Total EDL 280T Specialization Courses Pre-K-12 course #1 ------------------Pre-K-12 course #2 EDL 280T Specialization Courses Post-secondary course #1 ------------------Post-secondary course #2 EDL 299 Dissertation Units (Includes 2nd mandatory dissertation lab)
Fall, 2009 9 Units Total EDL 280T Specialization Courses Pre-K-12 course #1 ------------------Pre-K-12 course #2 EDL 280T Specialization Courses Post-secondary course #1) ------------------Post-secondary course #2 EDL 299 Dissertation Units Indicates Fieldwork Imbedded in Course Core Courses Dissertation Units Year 3 Begin Qualifying Exam Process Preliminary Dissertation Defense
Spring, 2010 9 Units Total EDL 280T Specialization Courses Pre-K-12 course ------------------Post-secondary course EDL 299 Dissertation Units
Pass Qualifying Exam and Advance to Candidacy Begin Final Dissertation Defense Process
Specialization Courses Final Dissertation Defense
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