The Carnegie Project on the Education Doctorate

Name of institution:

University of Maryland

College of Education

Key Institutional Characteristics:

• Flagship institution
• 40% minority students
• 100 graduate faculty

Traditional Programs:

• 6 different doctoral programs
• 55-60 credits
• Varied comprehensive exam formats
• All have internships
• All have dissertation

Professional Practice Doctorate Pilot Program

Foci:

Policy development and organizational leadership

Pilot Project Description:

Teaching and Learning Policy

Purpose/Goals:

• Students in the program will have the opportunity to use what they learn to improve educational policy and practice both because of their qualifications and the opportunities to learn that make up the program.
• The content of the program will be rigorous and relevant to the learning needs of individuals who have the potential to influence pre-college educational policy and practice. The content is defined largely by “job analyses” that identify what those who provide leadership to professional associations, advocacy organizations, and government agencies need to know and be able to do.
• The program will be coherent substantively and pedagogically.
• Students will be able to complete the program in a timely manner (i.e., in three post-masters degree years, part time).
• The learning processes will be engaging and will facilitate the transfer of what is learned to the improvement of educational policy and practice). Much of the program is rooted in authentic problem solving making extensive use of a version of the Legacy Learning Cycle.
• Good use will be made of unique opportunities to promote learning in the context of on-going efforts to improve policy and practice and to work with adjunct faculty of exceptional talent.
• Faculty workload will be manageable, especially with respect to advising and dissertation work.

Key Characteristics:

• Train leaders in policy analysis and formation that enhances student learning , especially students who are underperforming for various reasons
• Faculty from 5 COE depts

Student profile:

• Cohort group for Washington-based educational organization
• Current professionals from NEA and other education-related organizations

Admissions:

• Undergraduate/Graduate GPA; evidence of capacity for professional leadership; samples of analytical work

Core Courses:

• Theory and research on teaching and learning
• Analytic methods
• Policy development and implementation
• Dissertation: integrative analytical research

Action steps:

Evaluation steps:

• Student/faculty surveys, focus groups, comments of collaborating institutions

Progress toward design concepts:

• Solid understanding of teaching and learning
• Use of work environment as laboratory
• Collaborative learning and action
• Application seminars = year-long problem solving
• Research laboratories
• 4-5 person dissertation teams

Challenges:

Facuty buy-in for faculty not directly involved in the program

Finding ways to transition from old to new programs