University Catalog 2023-2024

Educational Administration and Supervision

NC State’s Ed.D. in Educational Administration & Supervision program is tied for #14 in U.S. News & World Report’s rankings of 393 graduate programs in the U.S. and ranked #1 in North Carolina! The program is designed to prepare systems-level leaders to improve the quality of K-12 schools by preparing the next generation of superintendents dedicated to educational excellence and equity. Graduates are empowered with leadership strategies that improve student performance in environments that are dynamic, interactive, and culturally diverse.

Program Description

The Ed.D. in Educational Administration & Supervision leads to district/superintendent licensure and requires core courses in educational leadership, research methods (9 hours), an internship (6 hours), and a dissertation (12 hours). Students must be officially admitted to the Ed.D. program to enroll in doctoral classes. Please be aware that a Ph.D. in Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis is also offered, but only the Ed.D. leads to superintendent licensure.

Course of Study

The program requires a minimum of 54 credit hours beyond the master’s degree. Students complete 27 hours of core and elective courses, 9 credit hours of research methods, a two semester internship (6 hours), and 12 hours of dissertation research.

Admission Requirements

Applicants must hold a North Carolina Principal’s license or be eligible to receive one; transcripts; three letters of reference (at least one must be from your current supervisor); resume (including teaching assignments, leadership experiences, and trainings); personal statement of interest and fit with career goals; and official score report from either the Miller Analogies Test (MAT) or the Graduate Record Exam (GRE). Test should have been taken within the last five years.

Faculty

Full Professors

  • Bonnie C Fusarelli
  • Lance D. Fusarelli

Associate Professors

  • Lisa Bass
  • Anna Margaret Jacob

Assistant Professors

  • Jennifer Ayscue
  • Timothy Drake

Practice/Research/Teaching Professors

  • Gregory E. Hicks
  • Henry Johnson
  • Francine Piscitelli Riddick
  • Michael Ward

Emeritus Faculty

  • Paul F. Bitting

Adjunct Faculty

  • John D. Enamait
  • Cameron Sublett
  • Keith Witham

Courses

Education

ED 710  Applied Quantitative Methods in Education I  (3 credit hours)  

This course is designed for researchers and leaders to gain experience using quantitative analytic approaches to answer questions in educational research and policy analysis. As the first course in a two-part series, this course introduces students to foundational tools in quantitative data analysis. Specifically, topics include measurement, graphical and tabular data displays, probability, hypothesis testing, t-tests, X2 tests, analysis of variance (ANOVA), and fundamentals of regression.

Typically offered in Fall, Spring, and Summer

ED 711  Applied Quantitative Methods in Education II  (3 credit hours)  

Students will apply and enhance their quantitative skills through analysis of existing datasets. Course goals include practicing and extending Multiple Regression knowledge and skills, generating and testing hypotheses in a multiple regression framework, and appropriately disseminating results. Restricted to doctoral students in Education Research only.

Prerequisite: ED 710

Typically offered in Fall, Spring, and Summer

ED 730  Introduction to Qualitative Research in Education  (3 credit hours)  

Design of qualitative studies, conduct of field work including open-ended interviews and participant observation, analysis of data and understanding of theoretical and philosophical background of this research approach.

Typically offered in Fall, Spring, and Summer

ED 731  Advanced Qualitative Research and Data Analysis in Education  (3 credit hours)  

Intensive course in the use of field-based and general qualitative research data analysis methods in the social study of education. The course is to help participants acquire skills and gain experience in using various methodological and analytical research techniques. The course emphasis is on the collection, management, analysis, and interpretation of qualitative data.

Prerequisite: ELP 736, EAC 785 or ED 730

Typically offered in Fall, Spring, and Summer

Education Leadership & Program Evaluation

ELP 724  Contemporary Educational Thought  (3 credit hours)  

Reading and discussion of 20th-century works in educational philosophy. Consideration of such movements as pragmatism, reconstruction, perennialism and existentialism.

Typically offered in Fall, Spring, and Summer

ELP 728  School Law For the Administrator  (3 credit hours)  

Comprehensive study of constitutional, statutory and case law as related to elementary and secondary school administration. Emphasis on legal issues associated with governance, finance, property, personnel and curriculum.

Typically offered in Spring only

ELP 729  Educational Finance  (3 credit hours)  

Historical and sociopolitical contextual analysis of underlying values, methodologies and policies associated with economic and financial planning of K-12 education (e.g., efficiency, equity, and liberty) and the economic and financial mechanisms used to generate, distribute, and expend revenues for educational purposes.

Typically offered in Fall only

ELP 735  Policy Research in Education  (3 credit hours)  

This course will draw on both classic and contemporary materials in educational policy research and will primarily focus on the substance of policy research rather than methodology. It addresses research pertaining to the foundations, implementation and evaluation of policy in all levels and sectors of the educational system. Major attention will be given to education in the United States, with comparative perspectives included.

Typically offered in Fall, Spring, and Summer

ELP 751  Politics of P-12 Education  (3 credit hours)  

Analysis of political interactions of individuals and groups in P-12 education, specifically, how politics shapes educational decisions within a federal system of governance. Topics covered include micropolitics and macropolitical systems at the school, district, municipal, state, and federal levels, as well as political culture, interest groups, advocacy coalitions, and institutions. Doctoral standing required.

Typically offered in Fall only

ELP 753  Data Decision Making for School Administrators  (3 credit hours)  

Understand the purposed and uses of school data for research-based school improvement. Understand different types of assessment needed for school and district-wide improvement. Develop models of administrative decision making incorporating key goals, resources, curriculum alignment, data, assessment, and evaluation. Doctoral student status required.

Typically offered in Spring only

ELP 756  Organizational Leadership & Mangement for School Leaders  (3 credit hours)  

Prepares district-level administrators to analyze the changing nature of the superintendency, including major management and leadership responsibilities and leadership approaches. Operational domains examined include school governance and organizational theory, school boards, school district policy, collaborative leadership, material and human resource management, systemic and sustainable reform, contemporary challenges, and personal practices management. Doctoral standing required.

ELP 780  Evaluation Theory and Practice In Education  (3 credit hours)  

Review of educational program evaluation with emphasis on (1) theory and conceptual models of evaluation, (2) evaluation design, and (3) environmental practical factors influencing design and implementation of evaluation studies.

Typically offered in Fall only

ELP 795  Special Topics  (1-6 credit hours)  

Special Topics in Educational Research and Leadership

ELP 820  Special Problems In Education  (1-6 credit hours)  

Opportunity for graduate students in education to study problem areas in professional education under direction of member of graduate faculty.

Prerequisite: Graduate standing or PBS status

Typically offered in Fall, Spring, and Summer

ELP 851  Internship In Educational Leadership and Program Evaluation  (1-9 credit hours)  

Utilization of participant-observer role and required participation in selected educational situations with emphasis upon development of observational skills, ability to record relevant observations by means of written journals, skills in analyzing experiences identifying critical incidents and projection of events and consequences. Required development of possible alternative courses of action in various situations, selection of one of alternatives and evaluation of consequences of selected course of action.

Prerequisite: Nine hrs. in grad.-level courses

Typically offered in Fall, Spring, and Summer

ELP 891  Problems Of Research Design In Education  (1-3 credit hours)  

Provision of individualized but structured investigation of alternative problem definitions, research methodologies and statistical analyses for a problem of student's choosing, usually associated with thesis or dissertation. In small groups or individually with instructor, student consideration of research design, measurements and statistical analysis necessary to conduct research.

Prerequisite: ELP 742

Typically offered in Fall, Spring, and Summer

ELP 895  Doctoral Dissertation Research  (1-9 credit hours)  

Dissertation research.

Prerequisite: Doctoral student

Typically offered in Fall, Spring, and Summer