The DPEL Journey to the EdD

This seminar course combines alternatives views of organizational theory with application to the structure of the school; to critical roles played by teachers, principals and other school personnel; and to examine the relationships among structural elements of schools.

This seminar course examines change in education settings in the context of organizational theory, structure, and culture; change processes; and change leadership strategies and styles. K-12 educational settings and higher education settings are used to test theories and change strategies.

This seminar course focuses on determinants of policy in educational organizations and leadership. Analysis of structures used for legal, fiscal and political decisions and conflict management. Role of the educational leader in relation to intergovernmental activities aimed at educational reform.

This seminar course examines advanced research methodologies and data analysis techniques applicable to education and social science settings. Topics include experimental and quasi-experimental design, advanced statistical techniques, sampling distributions, nonparametric statistics, inference and hypothesis testing. Specific applications to the work of the education leader.

In this seminar course students will develop the philosophical and analytical skills to examine curriculum theory and practice, including the conceptualization of purposes of the organization of subjects matters, and of the instructional methods.

This seminar course examines the purpose and nature of qualitative research including current applications in educational settings. Emphasis is directed toward critical analysis of current qualitative studies and will include field-based application.

This seminar course is designed to explain and discuss the most relevant theoretical approaches dealing with cross-cultural, multicultural education. As diverse and conflicting perspectives are examined, students will experience the complexity of views and perceptions that leaders must address when working with multicultural populations coexisting in a pluralistic society.

Exploration of epistemological foundations, theoretical perspectives of research in educational leadership, and alignment of approaches to designing and conducting educational research, including ethical issues. Emphasis on reading and evaluating research literature and designing rigorous and defendable research projects.

Examines assessment practices, planning strategies, and evaluation processes in K-12 and higher education settings. Addresses current issues and trends in the field of education related to school accountability.

Through the study of statutes, regulations, court decisions, and case studies, students will examine the major functions of human resources, such as employer-employee relations, performance evaluation, recruitment and selection processes, employee discipline, interpreting bargaining agreement language, and prevention of harassment and discrimination. There will be an emphasis on the critical role of human resources in education.

This course is designed to expose the student to a wide range of administrative problems at the college and university level that have legal implications. This course should assist current and prospective college and university faculty and administrators in recognizing the legal parameters around which decisions are made. The course will address the legal relationships between the higher education institution and its trustees, administrators, faculty, students, local/state/federal governments, educational associations, and business/industry communities.

This course provides an understanding and development of knowledge of community college administration with emphasis on the California Community College system. The course combines theory, research, topics, issues, and debates of the profession. Practical applications will be explored while enabling students to develop a knowledge base grounded in current theory and research in community college administration

Students analyze forces driving reading/language arts mandates and their impact on the implementation of reading curricula. Using philosophical and corporate underpinnings of the "Reading Wars", students discover the praxis between theory, research, and practice.

Application of Human Resource Management Theory, empirical findings, and best practices to school leadership. HR theories and practices including recruitment, staffing, motivation, performance management, and development are examined, emphasizing the strategic role of HR in enhancing organizational effectiveness.

Develops advanced skills to effectively manage internal and external resources within the school setting. The course provides an overview for leveraging external resources, obtaining grants, developing external partners, and examining issue and studies related to financing public education.

Examination of Federal Law, California Ed. Code, California Code of Regulation, and program implementation. Freedom of expression, separation of church and state, personnel law, liability, governance requirements, and special education are covered.

This course focuses on developing and enhancing organizational leadership and administrative skills that are of major importance for current and future career survival and success. Specific skill areas include self-efficacy, communication, motivation, organizational politics, change processes, team building, diversity/inclusion, problem-solving, and negotiation.The course is based on relevant literature from the behavioral sciences to provide a knowledge base for the work in administrative skill development that is the focus of the class. Given the class focus, it is primarily experiential in nature with skill assessments, exercises, role-plays, case studies, and group discussion activities being key learning tools.

During this course, attention will be focused on the following questions: 1) What is leadership? 2) How does the research literature define leadership generally Educational leadership? 3) What role does leadership play in the policy-making process? What role does it play in everyday practice? 4) How have notions of leadership changed in recent times? 5) What characteristics make an individual a leader? 6) What are the implications for leaders in K-12 and higher education institutions?

This course is designed to explore the effective use of information systems and educational technology in administration, management, and instruction in post secondary education. Students will be able to plan, design, implement, and evaluate a cost-effective means to apply current technology through leadership, resource allocation, trends, information security, curriculum integration, and individual student learning.

This course provides students with experiences for the acquisition of skills needed to develop a literature review. Students will learn the skills needed to develop a literature review. Students will learn to use research in order to understand and investigate connections between theory and practice in various areas of educational leadership and policy. It is recommended that students have a minimum of 6 hours of graduate-level research methods.

Explores concepts of justice that provide the scholar-practitioner tools to identify, explain, and address inequities. Candidates explore concepts of equal basic rights, equality of opportunity, and promoting the interests of the least advantaged members of society through philosophic theories emphasizing institutional, capability, and human development approaches to justice. Candidates address the strengths, limitations, and application of theories to developing more just policies and practices for their organizations and communities.

This course will discuss current trends in high education and expose students to multiple paradigms and influences that impact the higher educational enterprise. Students will have opportunities to critically analyze the underpinnings that impact decision-making and their associated implications on student success.

Research for individual doctoral graduate students. CR/NC grading only.

Contact the program office for specific guidelines on completing the dissertation. CR/NC grading only.