Graduate Courses

Identifies and addresses population characteristics, incidence, and general educational placement options for the different categories of exceptional learners. Assessment practices and exemplary teaching techniques are also explored for multicultural and diversity issues. Law, policy, and IEP procedures are emphasized. Field experience required.

Focuses on the linguistic and cultural relationships between language and learners including the assessment and evaluation of applied linguistics, and the structures and function of spoken and written languages. Candidates practice numerous assessments and language intervention strategies designed as supports for learning, language disabilities, and cultural linguistic differences.

Emphasizes developing knowledge, understanding, and communication skills to discover and apply the resources of communities and families to meet the students' educational needs. Special attention is given to understanding the concept of "family" as a social structure and to appreciating the historical, cultural, and social forces which shape families, school, and community.

Analyzes and plans toward productive behavior in academic and social settings. Candidates will participate in developing support systems for behavior in the classroom (PreK-transition) by learning alternative forms of intervention as well as collaborative and consultative techniques.

Candidates learn to compose an IEP for students with mild disabilities, use relevant assessment methods to identify students' instructional needs, use the assessment data to inform planning and teaching, apply their assessment data to field cases or to case studies, and learn to monitor students' progress.

Candidates learn to develop functional prevention and intervention assessment of students with moderate to severe disabilities, observe, sample, and analyze students behavior according to developmental cognitive, social, language, and motor domains in assessing and evaluating progress toward academic and curricular IEP, and understand specialized supports and technology.

Candidate learns to select, modify, and evaluate curricular materials for individuals and groups of English as a second language learners taking into account the learners' abilities, learning rates, and styles of learning. Candidates are also given field practice time to work with ESOL individuals using the methods and materials discussed in class.

Examines and applies the major concepts, theories, and research related to the nature and acquisition of language as a system. This includes a focus on the components of language, including phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, pragmatics, semiotics, discourse varieties, aspects of social and academic language, rhetorical registers, and writing conventions.

Examines various genres of literature, pre-primary through grade 8. Includes book selection appropriate to age and interest level. The course uses literature to enrich integrated school curriculum, and demonstrates techniques for increasing reading motivation and teaching through print and technological media.

Opportunity to create, under the guidance of an instructor, an in-depth, selective education administration bibliography to enrich personal knowledge and to augment professional career goals. Course includes reading logs and reflective journal assignments and for three or more credits a literature review is required. May be taken as a standard class or as an independent study.

An exposure to the core Church documents concerning Catholic education beginning with Vatican II. In addition to reading in-depth research related to Catholic education, course includes reading logs and reflective journal assignments and for three or more credits a literature review is required. May be taken as a standard class or as an independent study.

Explores topics of teaching in learning through the lens of the Catholic faith tradition and the responsibilities of Catholic school teachers.

Provides early career Catholic School Teachers opportunities to reflect on what it means to be a Catholic Educator and how to model and teach the values of the faith. Teachers receive support while they explore personal strengths, share teaching experiences, and learn and reflect on teaching practices while developing a philosophy of education that integrates Catholic values.

This course will introduce principles of adult learning and teaching to higher education instructors. Through an introduction to philosophy education theories of learning behavior, models of teaching, strategies of critical thinking and meta-cognition, and purposes and methods for assessment of learning, candidates will formulate their knowledge base relative to their goals as higher education instructors.

Explores the impact of computer technology on today's schools. Emphasis is placed on developing skills for integrating technology to facilitate learning.

Includes the content of comparative education and global education. Emphasis on multicultural education, civil rights, student and teacher rights in the context of school law and discrimination awareness with emphasis on school applications.

Provides candidates with opportunities to apply professional and pedagogical knowledge in a tutoring setting. Candidates design lessons and assessments used with individual students or small groups of students. The course includes seminars on current topics in education that will assist candidates as they move into P-12 classroom experiences.

Introduces the responsibilities of teaching through the lens of social, cultural, philosophical, economic and legal perspectives. Emphasis is on understanding the linking of theory and practice and developing pre-service professional knowledge skills and dispositions, especially related to lifelong learning and written and oral communication skills.

Examines behavioral, social, cognitive and biological perspectives on human learning and development across the life span, focusing on ages 3-21, and with priority given to application of the multiple theories explored. Field experience required.

Candidates explore current assessment and evaluation methods used in diverse PK-12 classrooms. Using criteria from multiple perspectives, candidates will study and create traditional and performance-based strategies for analyzing and reporting individual and group performances. Course content is tied to a concurrent field experience at one of four levels of licensure: early childhood, elementary, middle, or high school.

Focuses on the design and implementation of effective curriculum and instruction through the mastery of planning skills and instructional methods. Candidates will plan and teach a unit of instruction that incorporates their understanding of content and students. The level of desired licensure and content area will determine the specific content of the course. Taught in conjunction with field experience.

Promotes the development of a theoretical framework for educational practices that encourage the intellectual, personal, and moral development of students from diverse backgrounds. This course offers practical strategies for encouraging students in the active process of constructing social order, building self-esteem, encouraging positive social interaction, engaging actively in learning, solving human relations problems, and establishing effective classroom procedures and routines.

Emphasizes how children develop various types of literacy. Theory of development of literacies will be emphasized with application of skills in the classroom. The course includes an emphasis on reading readiness, emergent literacy, assessment methods, recent research and theoretically sound practice for improvement of reading and language arts. This course is taught with field experience.

Provides student teachers opportunities to examine accomplishments and share concerns regarding their teaching performance in the classrooms through participation in group discussion. Student teachers will acquire information about transition to profession, professional development plans, and information about licensure.

Examines educational research (both qualitative and quantitative) and statistical methods in light of current research on effective teaching, school practices, and data-driven decision making. Candidates locate, read, and critique research and develop a research proposal relative to important classroom and school issues which will be applied when completing their culminating research project in the research class following this course.

Candidates will develop a research project which addresses the candidate's application and integration of research course content, professional knowledge, and the School of Education's conceptual framework and is intended to translate theory and research into practice. The project is completed independently in consultation with a project advisor. Dissemination of the research will include a written paper and an oral component.

Provides student teachers opportunities to apply professional and pedagogical principles in a classroom and school community. Student teachers assume major responsibilities on a part time basis of the wide range of teaching duties under the direction of qualified personnel and will produce a work sample demonstrating acquired professional knowledge, skills, and dispositions.

Provides student teachers opportunities to apply professional and pedagogical principles in a classroom and school community. Student teachers assume major responsibilities on a full- time basis of the wide range of teaching duties under the direction of qualified personnel and will produce a work sample demonstrating acquired professional knowledge, skills, and dispositions.

Student teachers continue to apply professional and pedagogical principles in a classroom and school community. Student teachers assume full time teaching responsibilities for an extended period of time under the direction of qualified personnel. A work sample is required.

Explores interpersonal dynamics and those performance competencies that relate to human resource management in early childhood, elementary, middle school, and high school. Issues addressed range from hiring, supervising, and evaluating of personnel to personnel processes and systems, including empowering stakeholders, staff development, labor relations and collective negotiations, school-community relationships and partnerships.

Focuses on perspectives and skills in leading and navigating schools through multi-level and systemic change. Change theory, the building of learning communities, and transformational leadership represent the core knowledge bases upon which candidates build their own mental models of administrative leadership. The course emphasizes using a local school as a center of inquiry and change.

Examines legal foundation of educational policy focusing on constitutional and statutory provisions governing schools. Analyses, through selected case studies at various levels of schooling, research, trends, and emerging issues in the politics of educational governance equip the candidate with skills and understandings in interacting with local school systems in ethically responsible ways.

This course provides skills and techniques for effectively and efficiently managing and evaluating resource allocation and finance at various levels of schooling. It includes an analysis of current national, state and district sources of revenue and also the identification and development of alternative revenue sources to support local schools.

Familiarizes candidates with the benefits and challenges of supervision and coaching for instructional improvement. Theories of planning, analysis, and evaluation in conjunction with supervision as well as models of supervision will be explored and practiced. The relationship of the supervisor to curriculum development, staff development, and teacher evaluation will also be addressed.

This capstone course provides a partnership with the IAL candidate, university supervisor, and field-based mentor-administrator. Candidates are required to demonstrate and document their skills, knowledge and experiences gained from their IAL coursework and practicum activities. The candidate must create a portfolio that documents successful completion of national administration standards to be assessed at the end of the practicum.

An examination of issues critical to educators' professional growth and life-long learning. Candidates make explicit their values and goals as they relate to pedagogical approaches, school and student assessment, technology use both in and out of the classroom, and other issues connected to educators' professional lives. This course provides a foundation for professional inquiry and research throughout the M.Ed. program.

Examines social and cultural forces that affect schools and the experiences of students and teachers. This course encourages practitioners to value, embrace, and affirm the cultural, racial, class, and gender diversity of both their local and global communities and will help them to design and implement instructional practices that empower all students.

Assess your personal leadership attributes and craft a personal leadership development plan that leads to building an achievement-oriented district. Consider research which informs visions of current and future public and private schooling in a diverse and democratic society. Practice the art and science of leading toward and sustaining a vision through nurturing relationships, motivating stakeholders, and collaborating with others.

Examine best practices and sound educational research that lead to achievement for all students. Learn strategies to create a culture of high expectations with academic and behavioral foci through leadership practices, staff development, policy development, and the allocation of time, funds, and human resources.

Explore the uses of data-based research and technology in leadership, business, and student learning in an era of information and communication expansion. Discern meaningful uses of technology and data to advance learning and organizational development. Explore the data-based management principles related to finance and other operational services such as nutrition, transportation, maintenance, and communication.

Introduces research as a means to improve instructional and school-based decision-making. Various qualitative research techniques will be applied to classroom or school observation. As an extension of reflective practice, candidates will be expected to produce a qualitative research-based proposal.

Examines strategies for collaborating with the boards of education, legislature, community, business, religious, and service organization leaders to create broad-based support for education and students within a diverse community. Learn how to effectively interact with parents, teachers, and other administrators to support an educational vision and address student and family conditions that impact learning. Explores effective strategies for media relations.

Explore ethical decision-making, hone political understandings and skills, learn to capitalize on diversity through inclusive practices, and develop a personal mantle of moral responsibility. Through case methodology, learn to act with integrity and justice while helping every student achieve.

Examines educational research and statistical methods in light of current research on effective teaching and schooling practices. The course is developed to enhance practicing educators' understanding and application of research findings in the classroom. Candidates will be expected to develop a proposal which applies course knowledge.

This practicum will be conducted at the district level and involve a field experience to provide opportunities to participate in district leadership decision-making, policy design and implementation, uses of data and technology in communication, human resources, building positive community relations, and conflict management. Through action research, participants synthesize knowledge in these areas and enhance skills and dispositions.

Candidates maintain, update, and submit evidence of completing tasks aligned with state and national standards to their academic advisor during each semester that the candidates enroll in an endorsement course. A candidate-generated portfolio of evidence is submitted as a capstone requirement to the academic advisor at the end of the program.

Serves as a capstone experience in which students produce a professional portfolio demonstrating skills related to the 10 standards for continuing licensure in Oregon. Simultaneously candidates develop a continuing professional development plan.

Students design and conduct a classroom, school, or community-based research project written in formal academic style that addresses the candidate's integration of the professional knowledge and the School of Education's conceptual framework in the non-thesis graduate program. The project is completed independently in consultation with a project advisor. (Candidates must be eligible to graduate in the subsequent academic term.)

Practicum is a supervised field experience that provides opportunities for students to meet professional competencies as recommended by the state and national organizations. Prior approval by Reading Faculty Advisor. Fee $55 per credit.

The course provides experiences with intern teaching in a PK-12 school classroom under the direction of a mentor and a University supervisor. This course may be repeated.

Opportunity to fuse theory and practice in a specialized area in a field placement. The practicum is under the direction of a university instructor. Candidates are expected to demonstrate acquired knowledge, skills and dispositions related to the specialized area of study. A professional work sample is required. The course may be repeated up to 9 hours. Fee: $55 per credit.

Opportunity to fuse theory and practice in a specialized area in a field placement. The practicum is under the direction of a university instructor. Candidates are expected to demonstrate acquired knowledge, skills, and dispositions related to the specialized area of study. A professional work sample is required. This course may be repeated up to 9 hours. Fee: $55 per credit.

Practicum is a supervised field experience that provides opportunities for students to meet professional competencies as recommended by the state and national organizations. Prior approval by Special Education Faculty Advisor. Fee $55 per credit.

Practicum is a supervised field experience that provides opportunities for students to meet professional competencies as recommended by the state and national organizations. Prior approval by ESOL Faculty Advisor. Fee $55 per credit.

Examines the spectrum of curriculum reform issues and tensions confronting today's schools and classroom. Candidates will develop a critical perspective that reflects the complexity of political, social, and pedagogical pressures and trends impacting teaching and learning.

Offers practical classroom-based strategies for ensuring active engagement in learning positive social interactions, and responsible contributions to the classroom as learning community. Candidates examine and apply new techniques in their classrooms and assess them as members of a peer critical learning group. Helps candidates formulate a theoretical or research-based foundation that will guide them in developing classroom relationships and management.

Introduces systematic and objective processes for identifying, analyzing, and refining effective instructional practices providing the practitioner with skills and experiences in observing peers as well as an understanding of his or her teaching actions.

This course explores how individuals across multiple roles in schools can collaboratively support instructional leadership. Models of leadership – from those rooted in positional authority to those that emerge from participatory decision-making – are examined. These models serve as frameworks that professionals can use to assess and improve their personal leadership within the structures and norms demonstrated within school settings.

Identifies and analyzes current educational reform initiatives and evaluates them based on theoretical and research-based (Best Practices) models of change. Candidates are required to engage in formal inquiry and dialogue about the challenges confronting their own schools as dynamic units of change. Key concepts include school growth and renewal, effective schooling, and professionalism.

Provides insights into models of teaching and learning with focus on distinct learning activities, environment, evaluation, and assessment. Emphasis is placed on expanding personal repertoires to become competent in the selection and use of appropriate and effective teaching strategies.

Studies components of the reading process and the various operations performed while reading. Candidates develop empathy and respect for the learner of reading while exploring the stages of reading and the particular operations and strategies necessary in the ability to be a reader. Required for reading endorsement.

Introduces candidates to the broad areas of language and culture relevant to PK-12 classrooms. Introduces theories, materials, and methods for reading/language instruction for diverse classrooms. Candidates develop empathy and respect for students with language and cultural differences. Required for reading and ESOL endorsement. Field experience arranged by instructor may be required.

Reviews current theory, knowledge, and practice of reading and written communication for students in grades 4-12. Integrates pedagogical knowledge of literacy development of theory into practice. Candidates learn methods for facilitating the use of reading and writing skills in the content area classroom. An emphasis is placed on teaching for diversity and developing empathy and respect for all learners.

Studies theories, strategies, assessment methods, case studies of assessment, diagnosis, and instruction of reading-related learning problems which exist in PK-12 classrooms. Focuses on working with individual learners' problems in reading and the language arts related to diverse learners. Required for reading endorsement. Field experience required.

Provides understanding of reading program management as it applies to the development, implementation, and improvement cycle for increased student reading achievement. Students learn to integrate into practice theoretical content knowledge of reading, knowledge of diverse learners, and pedagogical knowledge of reading. This is the culminating course of the Reading Endorsement.

This course provides an historical as well as socio-political review of the neuroscience that includes a shift in the western paradigm bridging cognitive processes of the mind with neuroscience. Such a paradigm shift is applied to how educators might think differently about these types of cognitive processes.

Research on the brain and the mind covers several different disciplines, specifically those of sciences and psychology. This course focuses on the translation of the brain research to understanding the human mind in education. Emphasis is on the functional way meaning is acquired through the brain as an organ of complex systems.

This course defines learning in terms of neurology and then applies the knowledge to issues of learning differences. The course will cover ethical concerns, issues, and interventions necessary for educators to meet the diverse needs of learners. Participants will be provided with numerous case studies for practice.

Emphasis will be on how educators can improve learning for better literacy of all students. Participants will be given ample opportunities to practice strategies and to explore case studies.

Participants are expected to spend a minimum of 45 self-managed, but supervised, hours in an activity that promotes their development and learning as neuroeducators.

Credit arranged.

Credit arranged.

Credit arranged.

This course is team taught by neuroscientists with a particular expertise in a topic and educator who translates the topical content to applications. A particular topic and/or related issues to a topic are explored with students through readings, discussions, and reflections. Topics vary each semester. May be repeated for credit.

Credit arranged.

Credit arranged.

Candidates design and conduct a classroom, school, or community-based research project written in formal academic style that addresses the candidate's integration of the professional knowledge and the School of Education's conceptual framework in the non-thesis graduate program. The project is completed independently in consultation with a project advisor. (Candidates must be eligible to graduate in the subsequent academic term.)

Candidates develop a research thesis with a major professor and two other committee members for the master of arts degree.

This course examines the theory and practice of qualitative research design and analysis through in-depth study of descriptive and interpretive research methods.  Standards for rigorous and ethical qualitative research are applied across methodological approaches to critique research design and to evaluate the credibility of findings.  This course supports prospectus and dissertation work.

This course examines principles and application of advanced quantitative parametric and non-parametric statistical analysis as used with educational research. Course content includes examination of appropriate quantitative research designs, use of statistical software package(s) such as SPSS to analyze data, understanding hypothesis testing and assumptions supporting each test of significance, and instrument design. This course supports prospectus and dissertation work.

This course examines the theory and practice of evaluation and action research methodologies. Develops skills to critique program evaluation designs, instruments, analysis, and reports in applied settings.  Examine findings in relation to the data and to assess their influence on individual and organizational development.  Approaches to strengthen evaluation and research capacity within a collaborative group or organization are addressed.

This course is grounded in the premise that understanding the complexity of culture and cultural identities broadens an individual’s ability to interpret and powerfully influence interaction in a diverse society. Developing an integrated perspective of how culture is expressed at the individual and organizational level supports an educator’s ability to further social justice in a complex environment.

This course engages students in integrating historical instances and educational philosophy within the context of change initiatives. The course will augment program graduates’ understandings of the meaning of past events and will serve as a powerful resource for interpreting current practices, assessing evolving trends, and imagining future directions.

This course draws on theories of group and organizational dynamics to strengthen an educator’s ability to evaluate and design structural dimensions of organizations that can enhance individual efficacy and interpersonal cooperation. Applying knowledge of group and organizational dynamics can enhance an educator’s ability to act ethically, resolve conflicts, and foster purposeful collaboration.

This course examines seminal work and newly emerging research and theory about how individuals neurobiologically learn and change across the life span. A focus on the identification of principles of adult learning and the differences between adults and youth as learners offers a foundation for applications and investigations within concentrations. Application to teaching and leading will be supported.

The candidate will develop a dissertation prospectus under the guidance and direction of the faculty advisor.

This course is designed to support students in the dissertation process. Students work collaboratively with faculty and peers around a common area of concentration to develop further their dissertation.  Students develop skills for publication and dissemination of research.

Completion of dissertation research under the direction of the chair of the candidate's dissertation committee.  Students enroll in this course simultaneously with ED 622 Area of Concentration Seminar.

Registration for any EdD candidate who has received the grade of IP in the second consecutive ED 699 Dissertation Research course is required while the dissertation is in progress. Fee: $50.