Education Leadership, Ed.D.

Introduction

The focus of the Doctorate of Education (Ed.D.) is to produce ethical and humane leaders for Maryland and the nation’s schools who are:

1. Sensitive to the diverse needs and individuals who attend our schools and who will seek to provide an equal and quality education for all children.
2. Instructional leaders able to build an effective team‐oriented approach to teaching and learning in order to maximize the academic achievements of all students.
3. Scholar practitioners with reflective, problem solving habits who are able to design, consume, critique and implement research relevant to effective practice.
4. Adaptable to changing environments and problems, to solving new problems, and developing adaptive learning environments.

The program is aligned with the standards of the Educational Leadership Constituent Consortium (ELCC), the Interstate School Leadership Licensure Consortium (ISLLC) and the Maryland Instructional Leadership Framework (MILF). It is part of The Professional Education Unit in the Department of Education.

Educational Objectives

Candidates who satisfactorily complete the Education Leadership Program will receive the Doctor of Education degree (Ed.D.) and will be able to demonstrate the following:

1. Leadership skills which demonstrate team‐oriented approaches to teaching and learning in order to maximize student achievement.
2. Development of an educational institution’s vision and mission.
3. Alignment of the total school culture to student learning and achievement.
4. Monitoring and facilitating the alignment of curriculum, instruction and assessment.
5. Improvement of instructional practices through purposeful observation and assessment of teachers and staff.
6. Regular integration of appropriate assessments into daily classroom instruction.
7. Utilization of multiple sources of data to improve classroom instruction and student achievement.
8. Facilitation of professional development for staff that is focused, sustained, and research‐based.
9. Engagement of all stakeholders in a shared responsibility for school and student success.
10. Ability to meet the educational needs of a diverse and multi‐cultural student and community population.
11. Ethical standards in all research and education leadership activities.

Admissions Procedures

Applicants will be considered for admission to the Education Leadership (EDLD) Doctoral Program in accordance with the general admission requirements set forth by the UMES Graduate School. Applications will be reviewed and recommendations concerning admission made to the Dean of Graduate Studies. All applicants must satisfy the following minimum requirements:

1. Earned baccalaureate and Master’s degrees from regionally accredited institutions.
2. A minimum of a 3.0 grade point average in the Master’s degree.
3. Three years of recent teaching or successful relevant professional experience.
4. State certification for a supervisory position or equivalent.
5. The completed UMES application materials.
6. A writing sample: A sample of the student’s writing that can be used to evaluate the student’s ability as a writer and potential success in the Doctoral program. The minimum length of the sample is five pages and should not exceed 30 pages. It should focus on a current issue in education.
7. Current criminal background check.
8. An interview.

Application Deadline

As a cohort‐based program, there is usually one admission period per year (fall). The application deadline is April 1. Students are responsible to ensure that completed applications and supporting materials are received in the UMES Graduate School by the application deadline. Extenuating circumstances may be considered for late enrollment.

Advisor and Research Advisory Committee

Upon admission to the Education Leadership Program, students will be assigned to an Academic Advisor. After passing the comprehensive examination, the student will select a Research Advisory Committee (RAC), consisting of 4 members, which must be approved by the Coordinator of the EDLD Program and the Dean of Graduate Studies.

Doctoral Internship

Students are expected to document at least 300 contact hours in the internship experience that is approved by the Professor of Record for EDLD 675  and the Coordinator of the Education Leadership (EDLD) Doctoral Program. The internship must be successfully completed and evaluated before the comprehensive examination can be attempted.

Comprehensive Examination

The comprehensive examination must be passed before a student can defend the Dissertation Proposal. The comprehensive examination will be given twice a year. Students may register for it once they have successfully completed all course work and the internship and only have the dissertation and seminar remaining. Students may only take the comprehensive exam twice. In cases where a student fails an element or elements of the Exam, only that or those elements failed will need to be taken on the second attempt.

The Proposal Defense

The student and his/her Research Advisory Committee (RAC) will agree upon a dissertation subject and accompanying research design. The proposal manuscript will include the first three chapters (Introduction, Review of the Literature, and Methods) of the final dissertation. The student will follow the current edition of the APA Style Manual regarding referencing.

The Proposal Defense, is an oral examination of the research proposal. The student passes if there are four affirmative votes. If failed, the student must re‐defend the proposal within one year. A second failure will result in cancellation of admission. After passing the Proposal Defense, the student officially applies for Advancement to candidacy for the Ed.D. degree and must submit all necessary forms.

The Dissertation Defense

The ability to undertake independent research and provide sufficient evidence of scholarship is demonstrated by submission of an original dissertation, which is required of all candidates for an Ed.D. degree. A minimum of 12 dissertation hours is required to complete the EDLD Doctoral degree program. The candidate has up to four (4) years to successfully defend his/her dissertation from the time he/she was admitted to candidacy. The Dissertation Defense must be held in UMES facilities. The student must be enrolled in at least one credit of EDLD 899  at the time that the dissertation defense takes place. One negative vote constitutes failure. Candidates may be examined no more than twice. After failing the second attempt, the candidate’s admission to the graduate program is terminated.

EDLD Programs Grading and Retention Policies

The grading policy for the EDLD program is that students must receive a grade of either “A” or “B” in each course and a grade of “Pass” on the comprehensive examination and the dissertation. A student who receives a grade of “C” or lower in any course must repeat that course. Students must follow the UMES Policies on Academic Honesty.

For more information on this program, please contact:

Derry Stufft, Ph.D.
Graduate Program Coordinator
Education Leadership Program
2027 Hazel Hall
University of Maryland Eastern Shore
Princess Anne, MD 21853
Phone: 410‐651‐6216
Email: dlstufft@umes.edu
http://www.umes.edu/EDLDLeadership/