600

In this course students will consider the social, economic, and political considerations related to financing public schools. Adequacy and equity provide the lens for analysis and critique of existing policies and practices. Students will learn about effective practices for decision-making and resource allocation that support improved student achievement. The changing landscape of federal, state, and local funding, new forms of teacher compensation, strategic management of human capital, charter schools, partnerships, and fund-raising are also considered. Prerequisite(s): Admission to the Educational Leadership Doctoral Program, Educational Specialist Program, or with permission of the Program Director. 3 semester hours

In this course students will extend their cultural proficiency to lead pluralistic schools. Coursework requires students to engage in self-assessment, reflection, and goal-setting around their cultural proficiency. Students will also analyze diversity within the school setting, examine school structures that promote or hinder equitable educational practice, and evaluate policy, curriculum, and instruction from a cultural proficiency lens. Prerequisite(s): Admission to the Educational Leadership Doctoral Program, Educational Specialist Program, or with permission of the Program Director. 3 semester hours

In this course students will be introduced to a systems approach to design, implement, and support transformational change required for improved teaching and learning. Students will examine the conditions, competencies, culture, and context that affect organizational change as well as critical skills required to lead a change initiative. Students will also identify the barriers to change and strategies to build capacity, develop high functioning teams, improve decision making, and assess progress to sustain change initiatives. Prerequisite(s): Admission to the Educational Leadership Doctoral Program, Educational Specialist Program, or with permission of the Program Director. 3 semester hours

In this course students are introduced to leadership theories, principles, and styles. Students explore how leaders work to establish climate, conditions, and culture that foster both adult and student learning. Building professional learning communities, cultivating relationships, and establishing trust among internal and external stakeholders will be addressed. Communication and advocacy skills for the school leader, capacity building, and sustaining organizational initiatives will also be examined. Prerequisite(s): Admission to the Educational Leadership Doctoral Program, Educational Specialist Program, or with permission of the Program Director. 3 semester hours

In this course students will focus on community engagement through the exploration and analysis of school/educational policy in community settings. Power structures, social and political contexts, cultural and demographic changes, and principles of social justice are examined as they affect school and community relations. Students will explore principles of community development such as autonomy, self determination, and the integration of community resources. Students will also examine multicultural understanding, group dynamics, community organizing, interagency cooperation, financial resources, and evaluation. Prerequisite(s): Admission to the Educational Leadership Doctoral Program, Educational Specialist Program, or with permission of the Program Director. 3 semester hours

This course is required for candidates in the Subsequent Certification (Superintendent Endorsement) program who hold doctoral degrees in Educational Leadership, Educational Administration, or Educational Policy but who did not earn recognized endorsements for the superintendency within those doctoral programs. Candidates register for a total of 9 semester hours to fulfill the portfolio documenting knowledge, skills, and dispositions mandated by national standards. Prerequisite(s): Candidates must hold a Type 75 endorsement in Illinois or a Type 51 License in Wisconsin. Candidates must be admitted to either the Educational Leadership Ed.D. or Subsequent Certification (Superintendent Endorsement) program. 1-9 semester hours (may be repeated up to 9 semester hours)

This course focuses on federal and national trends in education policy. An examination and analysis of the way these trends influence policy and political action at the school district level are addressed by focusing on governance structures, politics, and the influence of interest groups. Candidates will analyze cases while developing a working knowledge of educational politics and policy. Prerequisite(s): Admission to the Educational Leadership Doctoral Program, Educational Specialist Program, or with permission of the Program Director. 3 semester hours

In this course students are introduced to models and processes for curriculum planning, organization, and evaluation through a district leadership perspective. Traditional and contemporary curriculum theories and frameworks are examined as they relate to curriculum issues and problems. Macro and micro levels of curriculum are explored to understand how knowledge is shaped in schools and how curriculum is organized to assist students to meet specific learning goals. Case studies are used to develop a practical working knowledge of contemporary problems and solutions to issues of curriculum, teaching, learning, and assessment. Prerequisite(s): Admission to the Educational Leadership Doctoral Program, Educational Specialist Program, or with permission of the Program Director. 3 semester hours

This course focuses on school change in the contexts of teacher learning and organizational culture. School improvement, teacher learning, and vision are linked by a focus on teaching as the core technology of schools. School culture, teacher professionalism, teacher knowledge, and instructional leadership are examined for the purpose of building instructional capacity and teacher professionalism within the organization. Prerequisite(s): Admission to the Educational Leadership Doctoral Program, Educational Specialist Program, or with permission of the Program Director. 3 semester hours

This course is designed to support candidates through the dissertation writing process by focusing on scholarly writing. The course will emphasize developing good dissertation writing practices and finding scholarly voice. Candidates will analyze exemplars and use current course assignments for writing practice. Pre-requisite(s): Initial enrollment in the Ed.D program. Co-requisite(s): None. 1-4 semester hours

In this course students will examine theoretical and practical knowledge necessary for a school leader to guide curriculum, instruction, and assessment at the district level. Identification and exploration of assumptions, principles, and concepts of learning theories, strategies, and assessments to foster an inclusive learning community will be emphasized. The use of technology to inform and enhance instruction will also be examined. Prerequisite(s): Admission to the Educational Leadership Doctoral Program, Educational Specialist Program, or with permission of the Program Director. 3 semester hours

This course focuses on how well a school district is functioning as an organization. Students combine sociological analysis of organizational roles, structures, and dynamics with practitioner research methods to better understand and assess their school district's organizational conditions, context, culture, and competencies. With the goal of uncovering and building organizational capacity from within, qualitative and quantitative research methods are applied to various organizational structures and operating systems that impact power distribution, information flow, collegiality, school climate, and leadership development. Prerequisite(s): Admission to the Educational Leadership Doctoral Program, Educational Specialist Program, or with permission of the Program Director. 3 semester hours

In this course candidates analyze and critique theories, paradigms, and methods of practitioner-focused research that impact district educational policy and decision-making. This includes evaluation, and various forms of both quantitative and qualitative research. Candidates also study research that informs and influences product development (e.g., achievement tests, software, textbooks, training programs), policy decisions, and evaluation techniques utilized in the field by principals, superintendents, and state-level educational administrators. Pre-requisite(s): Admission to an NLU doctoral program or with permission of the EDL doctorate program coordinator. Co-requisite(s): None. 3 semester hours

In this course candidates study the methodologies, assumptions, and the techniques for various types of data collection and analysis used by educational leaders. The course begins with an overview of student data as a form of organizational performance (e.g., test scores, graduate rates, attendance, etc.) then moves to the broader issues of evaluation, experimentation, quantitative analysis, and interpretivist analyses. The course ends with a review of current research trends in data-driven decision-making. Throughout the course candidates analyze cases to develop a practitioner's knowledge of research, evaluation, and data use for school improvement. Pre-requisite(s): Admission to an NLU doctoral program or with permission of the EDL doctorate program coordinator. Co-requisite(s): None. 3 semester hours

The Ed.D. Internship in Educational Leadership provides interns with the opportunity to apply theoretical and empirical knowledge to solve practical administrative problems. Under the direction of an advising professor and a cooperating superintendent (or other district administrator with a superintendent endorsement), the intern will assume district-level leadership work in areas such as planning, finance, community and board relations, policy development, and curriculum and instruction. A minimum of 800 hours of work is required over two to three years. Prerequisite(s): Admission to the Educational Leadership Doctoral Program, Educational Specialist Program, or with permission of the Program Director. Co-requisite(s): None. 12 semester hours

The course organizes doctoral candidates’ postsecondary internship work in the Ed.D. degree in Educational Leadership with a major in Leadership for Learning and Change. Candidates in this program and major work as educators in postsecondary institutions and pursue internship activities related to their content area specializations and postsecondary job roles. Candidates’ internship work is supervised by an advising professor and a cooperating Subject Matter Expert related to the content area specialization. Internship projects may include work as a visiting academician, shadowing or co-teaching with the Subject Matter Expert or other colleagues, engaging in collaborative scholarship focused on research or grant activity, service work on special projects focused on institutional improvement, community engagement work within the academy, or leadership work on behalf of college student services or programs. Internship activities are documented within the candidates’ leadership portfolio. Pre-requisite(s): None. Co-requisite(s): None. 1-8 semester hours

The intern seminar provides an opportunity for administrative interns to integrate practical experience with theoretical models addressed in the program course work. Students will meet with the seminar professor weekly to review the activities in which the interns are involved, share experiences, and products, discuss the degree of success achieved, analyze administrative styles of cooperating administrators, analyze interpersonal relationships and integrate these with the theoretical modes, processes and skills. Pre-requisite(s). None. Co-requisite(s): None. 3 semester hours