THE N

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The University of Missouri-St. LouisPresented by

Dr. Kathleen Sullivan BrownJune 12-14, 2013

CPED Convening, Washington, D.C.

Faculty Planning Committee

• Previous effort to distinguish Ed.D. & Ph.D. failed in 2006

• Inspired by CPED, 30 of 70 COE faculty met monthly for a year and a half

• Studied common elements of Ed.D. programs in selected first-wave CPED institutions

• Designed a new curriculum for a practice-focused doctorate

• Approved by the COE faculty and the campus

Goals of the UMSL Faculty

• Create a high quality program

• Create a program that is distinct from the Ph.D. in Education

• Create a program that improves practice in EducationFor Individual StudentsFor Communities of Practice

Signature Pedagogy: Learning Communities of Practice• Thematically based communities

Individuals with common focus, similar in background and in experience, and similar in career goals

Could be cross-disciplinary, viewing a problem from different perspectives

• Time-based cohorts• Moving through the program together to support each other’s

scholarship and learning

• Mentored by a team of faculty and practitioners, experts in the theme

• Doctoral students are admitted to the Ed.D. program by being admitted to a Learning Community of Practice (there will be no individual students)

Learning Communities of Practice

• Members/students play a role in building the program for the community Inquiry and Tool Courses Content of the Learning Community of Practice Seminars

Complex Problem of Practice addressed by the Community as a Capstone is integrated in the Community Members might address different pieces, much like individual

puzzle pieces come together to form a bigger picture Members of the community are continuously enrolled in the

learning community seminar

Learning Communities of Practice

• Built around faculty expertise and interest

• Built around contextual needs in education and school improvement

• Admission to any given learning community likely will occur at intervals (e.g., every other fall)

• Not keeping pace with the community could be problematic for student

• There may not be an appropriate learning community for every individual

• Individuals vary in how central the learning community theme is to their interest

• Some might have to choose membership in a community over pursuing an individual interest

Critical Component: Mentor Teams

• Faculty are the significant difference in doctoral programs

• Research universities set high standards for scholarship in the tenure process

• Faculty are engaged in their field of expertise full time

• Professional development, membership and leadership in learned societies, and their own scholarship put them on the cutting edge

• They generate the works everyone else reads

• How does a Learning Community fit with those demands?

The Curriculum Framework

1. Learning Communities of Practice seminars (15-20 credits)

2. Laboratory of Practice (3-6 credits)

3. Common Courses (8 credits; 4 courses @ 2 credits each)

4. Inquiry Approach Electives (4 credits; 4 courses @ 1 credit each)

5. Tool Course Electives (4 credits; 4 courses @ 1 credit each)

6. Specialization (30-60 credits; may include Master’s degree or Ed Specialist work)

7. Dissertation in Practice (8 credits)

TOTAL: 80 credits (Residency requirement of 42 credits)

Timing and Scheduling

• Five learning communities were planned for fall 2013

• Learning community members scheduled to graduate August 2016

• Three-year program

• Meet with learning community once a week through most of the 3 years

• Some group decision as to days/time

• Some group decision as to elective inquiry and tool course meetings

• Possibility of all courses meeting on one day

• Most semesters have a 6 credit commitment (about 5.5 hrs of meeting)

• Use of partial online meetings is possible

• Meeting at practice sites is possible

The Dissertation in Practice

• Can take many forms in addition to the traditional, 5-chapter format

• Will require an individually-authored portion

• May have learning community-authored portions

• Written product, but can be supplemented with other media

• Presentations to the community of practice

• Presentations to the campus graduate faculty

• Expectation: Community will identify a complex problem of practice and individuals or small groups within the community will take the leadership for addressing certain parts of that complex problem. When the parts come together, a greater overall solution is derived than would be possible from individuals working on their own.

Admission Requirements

• Master’s degree or successful graduate work

• Employment in educational practice related to the learning community theme

• Two years of experience in practice

• Admission to all doctoral programs is competitive

Application Elements• Online Application for Admission to the Graduate School

• Transcripts of higher education work

• Supplemental Application• Verification of employment in educational practice• Verification of two years experience• Professional resume’

• Writing Sample• 3 Letters of Recommendation

• Individuals who can address your potential for doctoral work• Critical thinking and communication skills• Individuals who can speak to your practice

Assessment• Doctoral students will purchase and use an electronic portfolio,

SCOPE, the College of Education’s assessment system• Work products will be organized in SCOPE and can be reviewed

for the transition point assessments• Transition points are:

• Qualifying examination (first summer)• Comprehensive examination (second summer)• Defense of Dissertation in Practice (third summer)

• Some assessments will be course-embedded (writing assessments, critical thinking assessments)• Some assessments will also be program assessments• Assessment and sharing part of our responsibility to CPED

The Learning Communities of Practice beginning Fall 2013

• Education Policy• Character Education & Democratic

School Governance• Higher Education Student Services• Language, Literacy & Culture

Admissions Process/Results

• Mentor teams reviewed application materials, held interviews and made selections.

• More applications were received than possible openings, given that each learning community wanted to remain small (12-15).

• Little marketing or outreach was done except on the COE website.

Currently engaged in enrolling students for Fall 2013 and sequencing courses.

Greatest challenge now is organizing faculty time and contracts.