Administrative Leadership (Type B) Projects

First Quarterly Webinar February 11, 2014

Agenda

•  Introduction to the Webinar Series Tom Bellamy, David Guardino, Bill Cheney, facilitators

•  Webinar Presentation –  Dr. Barbara Smith and Dr. Elizabeth Steed

•  Questions and Discussion

•  Webinar Evaluation

Preparing Leaders in Policy, Administration and Early Childhood Special Education/Early Childhood Education

Elizabeth A. Steed, PhD & Barbara J. Smith, PhD School of Education and Human Development

University of Colorado Denver

*Adapted  from:  Rausch,  A.,  Steed,  E.  A.,  Mehta,  N.  A.,  Harris,  E.,  &  Smith,  B.J.  (2014,  October).  WANTED:  Early  childhood  policy  leaders  ready  to  change  the  world!    Presented  at  the  Division  of  Early  Childhood’s  30th  Conference.  St.  Louis,  MO.    

Disclaimer

This content was developed under a cooperative agreement from the U.S. Department of Education, H325A120003. However, those contents do not necessarily represent the policy of the U.S. Department of Education, and you should not assume endorsement by the federal government.

The ECSELS Grant is…

•  A federally funded (U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs) doctoral program for 11 EdD students at CU Denver

Purpose of ECSELS

•  To train 11 doctoral students as effective leaders at the national, state and local levels to improve outcomes of children with disabilities, ages birth through 5, including high needs children with disabilities

Future Careers

•  Senior positions in school districts, early intervention programs, higher education, government, or other national, state or community-based education organizations

Two ECSELS Cohorts

The EdD is…

– Practice-based, doctoral-level program for professional leadership

– Prepares leaders to •  address complex educational challenges by using

decision-focused and analytic research skills •  have a broad-based understanding of systems

anchored in principles of equity and access to education

LEGITIMIZING THE EDD

“Ph.D.’s study the world, but Ed.D.’s change the world.

Jon Wergin, 2011 Harvard Educational Review

The EdD at CU Denver

•  EdD in Leadership for Educational Equity with a concentration in Early Childhood Special Education/Early Childhood Education (ECSE/ECE)

•  Other concentration areas: –  Executive Leadership –  Mathematics –  Professional Learning and Technology –  Science –  Urban Ecologies

Application

•  http://www.ucdenver.edu/academics/colleges/SchoolOfEducation/Apply/Doctorate/Pages/EdD.aspx

•  Must include: cv, written statement (including policy interest), 2-3 professional artifacts (e.g., policy paper, research paper), 3 letters of recommendation, official transcripts (req Masters in education or related field), current GRE

The EdD at CU Denver

•  Part-time, 3-year program (54 credit hours) •  Two years of coursework + 1 year of dissertation •  Courses offered in weekend, hybrid, online, and

summer intensive formats •  Part of the Carnegie Project on the Education

Doctorate (CPED): consortium of over 80 colleges and schools of education aimed at strengthening the EdD

Courses

•  Equity and Diversity (6 credit hours) •  Leadership and Learning (12 credit hours) •  Research Methods (9 credit hours) •  ECSE/ECE Concentration Area (12 credit hours) •  Thematic Dissertation/Capstone (15 credit

hours)

1st Year Courses

•  Summer –  EDFN 7410: Power & Privilege –  EDUC 7100: Leadership in Education

•  Fall –  ECED 7200 Early Intervention Strategies –  EPSY 7212: Learning Theory and Learners

•  Spring –  ECED 7070 Social Competence and Classroom

Supports –  EDUC 7230: Organizational Performance

2nd Year Courses

•  Summer –  DSEP Professional Learning & Technology –  RSEM (Research) Core 1

•  Fall –  ECED 7000: ECSE/ECE Policy & Leadership Seminar I –  RSEM (Research) Core 2

•  Spring –  ECED 7002: ECSE/ECE Policy & Leadership Seminar II –  RSEM (Research) Core 3

3rd Year Courses

•  Summer –  EDFN 7250 School & Society –  Dissertations in Practice

•  Fall –  Dissertations in Practice

•  Spring –  Dissertations in Practice

Individual Program of Study

•  Completed during first summer and revisited each year

•  Involves: –  Identification of professional goals, strengths, and

areas for learning and growth –  Self-rating on competencies in early childhood policy

and law foundations, early childhood evidence-based systems, services, and practices, methods to study change and influence policies and systems, and collaborative leadership and application

–  Timeline for completion of portfolio requirements

Student Support

•  Tuition paid and a monthly $1000 stipend for books, conference travel, and dissertation activities

Exams

•  Comprehensive exam –  Following completion of all coursework –  A prospectus of the thematic dissertation/capstone –  Required prior to starting dissertation/capstone

scheduled for third year –  Pass/fail

Dissertation/Capstone

•  Completed in third year at job site •  Focus on problems of practice that affect young

children with or at risk for disabilities •  Two field-based issues:

–  Inclusion of young children (birth through 5 years) –  Disproportional discipline / representation of young

children of color in special education •  Includes:

–  Three chapter monograph with appendices –  Presentation to involved learning organization

Issue and Discussion Questions

•  Issue: –  Students have limited experience conducting

research –  Students take 3 courses in action research

•  How do we ensure that our students produce a well designed capstone that is also doable in a part-time program?

•  What are some helpful research-related resources (e.g., books, websites, articles) or supports for students or their advisors?

Policy and Leadership in ECSELS

•  ECSELS portfolio requirements •  Seminar readings and assignments •  Field experiences •  Internships •  Dissertations in practice

ECSELS Portfolio Requirements

•  Participate in required courses •  Co-teach an ECSE/ECE course •  Present at a state conference •  Conduct policy research •  Develop a policy related product •  Write a literature review •  Write a practitioner paper and submit it to a peer-

reviewed journal •  Review journal manuscripts •  Complete a leadership activity •  Options: Write a grant proposal, conduct a program

evaluation, supervise licensure students, present at a national conference

ECSE/ECE Policy & Leadership Seminar

•  Two consecutive semesters (fall/spring second year) •  Focus is policy and collaborative leadership skills

needed to improve services and outcomes •  Competence in IDEA •  History of EI/ECSE/ECE including the role of policy •  Multiple systems serving young children with special

needs •  Collaborative leadership needed to influence

multiple systems

•  Complex issues: –  Multiple systems: public schools, Head Start, child care

–  Inclusion: evidence based practice; yet, has increased only 5.7% in 27 years

–  Quality of services: developmentally appropriate, equal quality across all systems: education, Head Start, etc.

–  Expulsion: 3 times the rate of school age (PD implications)

–  Disproportionality: discipline, expulsion, sped referrals

ECSE/ECE Policy & Leadership Seminar I •  Foundations

•  History of ECE/EI/ECSE, including the critical role of state and federal laws and court cases

•  Professional Practice •  National Professional Associations •  Professional Standards •  Recommended Practices •  Resources for EBPs

•  Policy •  US Constitution and Bill of Rights •  Branches and Levels of Government •  Stages of policy making

•  Federal and State ECE/EI/ECSE policies •  IDEA Statute and Regulations (apply to all issues and work

throughout the program) •  State policies

•  Critical issues in the field •  inclusion •  disproportionality •  program quality and accountability (across systems,

evidence based practices •  effective professional development •  implementation science

•  Effective communication and advocacy strategies with policy makers and other leaders

ECSE/ECE Policy & Leadership Seminar II

•  Effective leadership skills for analyzing, improving, creating policies to improve services and outcomes (Collaborative Leadership skills)

•  Policy Research and Program Evaluation Methods •  Effective strategies for translating research to policy

•  Policy briefs •  Fact sheets •  Communicating research findings to policy makers

•  Engage in and record stages of policy development and associated advocacy and leadership skills

•  Day on the Hill •  Policy and leadership field experiences •  Grant writing

Policy Website

Policy Brief

Policy Brief

Field Experiences – Day on the Hill

Internships

Dissertations in Practice - Examples

•  Evaluation of Colorado’s quality rating and improvement system (QRIS) for inclusivity, especially for families with children with disabilities from diverse cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds

•  Development and piloting of a graduate preservice course in policy and advocacy for early interventionists and ECSEs

Issue and Discussion Question

•  Issue: –  Our doctoral students entered our program with little

knowledge about IDEA or relevant policies for ECSE/ECE

•  How can we “boost” what we provide in our preservice programs so that Masters and licensure students in ECSE/ECE are knowledgeable about IDEA and other relevant laws and policies?

QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS

Questions and Comments

How to contact us

•  Elizabeth A Steed: Elizabeth.Steed@ucdenver.edu •  Barbara J. Smith: Barbara.Smith@ucdenver.edu