Pullman–For a second time, the Washington State University College of Education has been chosen to help strengthen doctoral education in the country’s leading research universities.
As part of the Carnegie Initiative on the Professional Practice Doctorate, the college will work alongside representatives of 19 other universities to create and improve Ed.D. programs. Those programs are designed to help school administrators combine scholarly research with the practical demands of their jobs.
The professional practice degree will help meet the increasing demand for a new type of education professional, said Judy Mitchell, dean of the College of Education.
“This is a time of high standards for all learners in K-12, a focus on student learning outcomes, and a need to close the achievement gap for children who are poor, belong to a minority, or speak other languages,” Mitchell said. “Colleges of education must have degree programs that are relevant to the demands faced by principals and superintendents, as well as teachers.”
Mitchell said she predicted that the Ed.D. will become the College of Education’s most popular doctoral degree. WSU already offers the degree at all four of its campuses, with a specialization in Educational Leadership. Two other specializations are being developed by faculty: Teacher Leadership and Community College Leadership. That work will be greatly helped by participation in the Carnegie Initiative, Mitchell said.
The initiative is a combined effort of the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and the Council of Academic Deans in Education Research Institutions.
The WSU College of Education participated in the similar Carnegie Initiative on the Doctorate, which led to sweeping changes in its Ph.D. program. The Ph.D. is designed for scholars who plan to conduct research and teach at the university level. There are currently 118 students in education Ph.D. programs and 141 working toward an Ed.D. degree.
