Educational Leadership (Ed.D.)

The School of Education is accredited by the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (http://www.ncate.org/).

National Accreditation Advantage

The Esteves School of Education has held continuous accreditation from the National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE/CAEP) since October 2001. NCATE/CAEP accreditation means that graduates are recognized as having completed an Education program that meets the highest standards in the field. Sage graduates should note the NCATE/CAEP accreditation on their resumes and be prepared to talk about its significance.

Educational Leadership

“Research shows that the leadership skills needed today are different from in the past, and preparation programs must adapt in order to better train people for leadership positions.” (Growing Tomorrow’s Leaders Today: Preparing Effective School Leaders in New York State, a publication of the New York State Board of Regents and the New York State Education Department).

The Doctor of Education program is designed to develop visionary educational leaders who are reflective and ethical practitioners and who will create learning communities where all children experience a sense of belonging, discover the excitement of learning, and demonstrate achievement individually and collaboratively. This program prepares graduates for roles as school district leaders and for leadership positions in educational coordination and policy making at local, regional, and statewide levels.

The program of study for the doctorate in educational leadership will:

• Provide advanced study in leadership and change theory for candidates entering significant leadership roles in school districts or other areas of broad educational influence;
• Lead to the creation of exceptional, inclusive learning communities in the schools and districts served by our graduates;
• Generate a forum for women and men of differing races and ethnicities to convene and challenge themselves as they investigate the effects of race, poverty, gender, and special needs on the achievement of children;
• Develop knowledgeable, engaged leaders who, as scholar practitioners, are skillful in the act of inquiry;
• Produce reflective and active educational leaders who respect the past but are not constrained by it in their thought or action on behalf of learners;
• Become a model of school - university cooperation in leadership development;
• Ignite and disseminate research-based decision-making and problem-solving for school districts in need.

Each candidate will intern throughout the first four semesters, experiencing the annual cycle of school district leadership functions. The internship competency areas relate specifically to the coursework of the semester. Candidates will serve the internship in two carefully selected school districts of varying socioeconomic status, one of which may be the district in which the candidate is currently working.

Area school districts, BOCES and other educational organizations provide research sites and work with program faculty to identify significant problems of practice for each cohort’s dissertation, insuring that Ed.D. candidates’ work is grounded in the real world. These partnerships provide relevancy for the research, build capacity for the school districts, and generate model university school district relationships. Candidates are expected to demonstrate competence individually and to work collaboratively, as a member of a research team to apply the research findings in the field, to understand the complex nature of the issues and problems that schools face, and to draw upon the richness and breadth of the university curriculum. The resulting research will not only address significant and real problems, concerns or questions, but will contribute to the knowledge base in the area of leadership practice.

Admission Requirements

The Program will be limited to qualified candidates who have completed a master’s degree or degrees, with no fewer than 60 graduate credits of study in education or related areas, and a GPA of no less than 3.5 in graduate coursework. Potential candidates will also present teaching or leadership certification and demonstrate potential for educational leadership based on prior work experience. Other requirements include an application to Sage Graduate School, three letters of professional reference that address the candidate’s potential in relationship to the NYSED nine essential characteristics of effective leaders, an on-demand writing sample to determine readiness and capability for scholarly writing, a current resume and a statement of career goals supporting the choice to enter doctoral study at this time, and participation in a personal admissions interview. See the Sage Graduate School admission requirements for more information.

Candidates for the program will be teachers, counselors, principals, and other mid-level professionals who have exhibited leadership potential through their work in schools, school systems, or other educational policy positions. The program is intended for practitioners and is designed to allow for continued employment throughout the period in which they will complete the program. Careful work with school and community leaders is intended to assist in increasing the numbers of highly qualified candidates from under-represented populations who enroll the doctoral program.

Degree Requirements

Candidates for the Ed.D. will complete 102 credits of graduate study, 46 of which must be completed in the Sage doctoral program. Those credits include core coursework, an experiential component integrated throughout the program, and a culminating research activities. The program is designed to be small; a maximum of 15 part-time candidates will be accepted. They will proceed through the program as a cohort that begins, after initial start up, every other year. The seven semester program design includes summer residencies, weekend format courses, online components, and interaction with state and national experts.

The Ed.D. in Educational Leadership is housed on Sage’s Albany campus, with state of the art classrooms and small and large group meeting spaces. Additionally, extensive online resources including Moodle, databases, and journals support the online coursework of the candidates.

LiveText e-Portfolio System

The School of Education requires all students to subscribe to Live Text, an electronic portfolio system.