The Education Doctorate, Grassroots Changes, and Future Aspirations: The Carnegie Project on the Education Doctorates Work to Reinvasion the EdD

Dr. Jill Alexa Perry, Duquesne UniversityDr. Debby Zambo, Arizona State UniversityDr. David Imig, University of MarylandThe Education Doctorate, Grassroots Changes, and Future Aspirations: The Carnegie Project on the Education Doctorates Work to Reinvasion the EdD

BELMAS 20131The ProblemIn the long history of the debate between the Ed.D. and the Ph.D., the conversation rarely left the walls of academia (Brown, 1966, 1991; Clifford & Guthrie, 1988; Dill & Morrison, 1985; Freeman, 1931; Levine, 2007; Shulman, Golde, Bueschel, & Garabedian 2006). Since its inception, no group actively looked at the work of practitioners or sought to redesign the EdD as a true professional preparation degree in education.

The Carnegie Project on the Education Doctorate (CPED) The first action oriented effort in an 80 year history seeking to distinguish and define the EdD across many facets Administration, Teacher Preparation, Higher Education, Organizational LeadershipA consortium of 56 institutions that are critically examining the doctorate in education through dialog, collaboration, experimentation and evaluationA design experiment (We dont have all the answersyet.)A national network of institutions, SOE, faculty, student-practitioners, graduate scholarly practitionersIt is a grassroots organization - is member-run

2013:FIPSE Evidence- Institutional, Programmatic & Individual Change

Other Evidence: Books, articles, presentations Nationally & Internationally 2014 & Beyond:Organizational Structures,IES GrantsImprovement ScienceMultiple Agendas-IMPACTReclaimingRedesigningRefashioningPhase I(25 members)Phase II(56 members)

Phase III+ 47 interested

What has CPED accomplished in 6 years?FIPSE Research Questions1. What has been CPEDs impact on doctoral preparation?2. What do the Professional Practice Doctorates look like and how do they differ from what was offered before?3. How did the college/school make these changes?4. What are the lessons learned?

Data and Analytical ProcessDATA: We have 19 cases (2 more coming) and 3 surveys (student, faculty, researcher that had both closed- and open-ended items).Analysis of all measures aimed at ensuring credibility/trustworthiness/validity/reliabilityANALYSIS OF CASES: Focused on finding commonalities and complexities within and across CPED institutions (Stake, 2006; Yin, 2009).Analysis of cases performed f-2-f and virtually.Layers to the cross-cases analysis process:Cases have been read and reread by 3 researchers then examined for answers to RQsMatrices have been created for each case by RQ (Miles & Huberman, 1994)From matrices and cases themeshave emerged at the institutional, the programmatic, and the personal levelFrom themes preliminaryclaims have been developedWorking on substantiating claims with individual cases and converging data

RQ#1 - What has been CPEDs impact on doctoral preparation?

Claim 1: CPED has impacted institutional policies and practices related to doctoral study and these support the EdD as a professional degreeInstitutions turned to CPED because they were facing internal and external challenges:Dwindling applicants colleges/departments losing revenueABDs - low completion rates Frustration (administration, faculty, students) - EdD and/or PhD not meeting students needs (EdD lacked its own identity)Demand for school leadersAdministrators and faculty turned to CPED for answers and CPED provided:A common language/definition of the EdD as a professional degreePrinciples and design features based on students needsNetworking opportunities - access to and an opportunity to engage in a national conversationOpportunities to see if ideas aligned with othersPrestige cachet

Survey data converges: Faculty feel CPED offers a safe place to explore.

As a group, and because they were redefining the EdD, CPED has been accepted by some institutions but has met with resistance from others.

Is it CPED that has met with resistance or is it the idea of a professional practice EdD? .7

Claim #2 - CPED has had an impact on programs in terms of:DesignCohorts DissertationsCommitteesPatterns of engagementStudent/faculty rolesResearch

Survey data converges: Faculty try to utilize a field-based approach, try to have students apply what they learn to their practice, and seek new ways to evaluate students. Improvement is continuous and ongoing.But there are differences - CPED provided programmatic information in the form of principles and design features and depending on the programs context and where it was in the design/implementation process, this information was used in different ways. Claim #3 CPED has had an impact on faculty, students, and deansFACULTYCPED influenced their perceptions of the EdD Have a clearer understanding of the EdD

CPED influenced their positions Types of Positions filledPolicies governing their work environment, workload, and reward structuresCPED gave faculty information and a network of supportProvided a national network and framework within which faculty learned and contributedConvenings seen as a place to network, receive new ideas, and get support to enact programmatic changes

Survey data converges: Faculty reflected on their programs, built communities of practice and increased communication, collaboration, and dialogueCPED helped faculty understand the purpose of the EdD, the goals and needs of students in these programs, and the importance of using students knowledge and opinions in making programmatic changes.

But there are challenges for faculty:

understanding change as a democratic process faculty who were not on board with changes stopped working in programsuntenured faculty dedicated to working with CPED struggle to understand how this work fits into their tenure/reward processpractitioners recruited as faculty for their perspectives but not all feel a part

Survey data converges: Workloads are a concern.STUDENTSCPED influenced studentsviews of doctoral education in relation to their professional practicesviews of the cohort experience, as communities of scholar practitionersSurvey data converges: Students pursued a CPED-influenced EdD because of their professional, career related goals, personal reasons, and because of the degree itself (it met their needs in terms of flexibility and usefulness)DEANSGave them new ways to bargain and collaborate across their organization and others

How Changes Were MadeAt the institutional level changes were made considerate of and within the local context either by intention and/or necessity Support (including financial) from varied levels of administration was provided for redesign or development of programsWhen it came to change circumstances varied - no one timeline describes all Many Phase I institutions were committed to meeting the CPED intent to both distinguish the EdD from the PhD and to strengthen both degreesThe development of new/reformed programs has benefitted students in multiple ways programs are more attentive to students needsPhase I members joined CPED and learned from and contributed to the learning and change of Phase II members through attendance at and participation in CPED convenings

InterestedCPED will be making a call later this year for new members.Visit their website For general information go to: http://cpedinitiative.org/aboutFor an orientation visit: http://cpedinitiative.org/new-member-orientationFor manuscripts/books: http://cpedinitiative.org/emerging-literature

CPED has joined with SIG 168 at AERA you may connect there.Readings can be found at: http://cpedinitiative.org/emerging-literatureContact JillAPerry@cpedinitiative.org

13Thank youQuestions?

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