P-12 School Leadership Track
Lead your school. Lead your district. Lead with a doctorate.
You've built your career leading students, teachers, and schools. Now you're ready for the credential that matches your ambition and expands your influence. Sacred Heart University's Ed.D. in educational leadership with a concentration in P-12 school leadership prepares experienced administrators to lead complex educational systems with strategic clarity, scholarly rigor, and a deep commitment to equity and improvement.
This fully online doctoral program is designed for school administrators who want to strengthen their leadership at the building and district level, complete a real-world dissertation in practice, and earn their Ed.D. without stepping away from the work they love.
Is This Track Right for You?
The P-12 school leadership track is designed for:
- Principals and assistant principals seeking doctoral-level leadership preparation
- Superintendents and central office administrators ready to advance their scholarship and practice
- Aspiring administrators currently holding the Connecticut Intermediate Administrator license (or its equivalent from another state)
- School leaders who want to lead at the district or systems level and require the doctoral credential to do so
If you are a practicing school administrator who wants to earn your Ed.D. in a program designed specifically for your role, this track was built for you.
What You Will Learn
Through your coursework and dissertation, you will:
- Examine foundational theories of educational leadership and apply them to P-12 systems
- Develop strategic planning skills to address complex problems of practice at the school and district level
- Build organizational learning frameworks that support continuous improvement
- Lead professional learning communities and adult learning in P-12 contexts
- Manage and deploy resources ethically and strategically to advance equity and outcomes
- Analyze and influence local, state, and federal education policy to advocate for students and communities
P-12 School Leadership Concentration Coursework
In addition to the shared research core and dissertation seminars, the P-12 track includes 15 credits of specialized concentration courses:
- Adult Learning and Leadership Practice in P-12 Contexts
- Strategic Planning for Educational Improvement
- Strategic Leadership and Organizational Learning Theory
- Resource Management and Deployment
- Leading and Advocating Through Policy
All students also complete shared foundational and research courses, including quantitative and qualitative research methods, grant writing, mixed methods research, public policy, social justice, and foundational leadership in P-16 contexts.
The Dissertation in Practice: Research That Solves Real Problems
Every P-12 track student completes a five-chapter Improvement Science Dissertation in Practice (ISDiP). This is applied scholarship grounded in your professional context. It is designed to address a persistent, real-world problem in your school or district and produce findings that advance practice for leaders beyond your own setting.
Through the ISDiP, you will:
- Identify a complex problem of practice embedded in your work as a school leader
- Conduct end-user interviews and environmental scans
- Review relevant literature and professional practice
- Design and implement a change idea grounded in improvement science
- Discuss findings and implications for educational leaders within and beyond your setting
Career Outcomes
Graduates of the P-12 school leadership track are prepared for advanced administrative roles, including:
- Superintendent
- Principal
- Assistant superintendent
- Director of special education or pupil services
- District curriculum leader
- Central office administrator
- State or federal education policy researcher
- Leader in nonprofit or philanthropic education organizations
Many school leadership roles now require, or are significantly enhanced by, the doctoral degree. Earning your Ed.D. at Sacred Heart gives you the scholarly foundation and practical expertise to compete and lead at the highest level.
Frequently Asked Questions
This track is designed for school administrators, including principals, assistant principals, superintendents, and central office leaders, who want to earn their doctorate and strengthen their capacity to lead at the building and district level.
The program is ideal for individuals who hold the Connecticut Intermediate Administrator license (or its equivalent from another state), though SHU admissions counselors can help determine whether your background is a strong fit.
Both tracks share a common research core and dissertation seminars. The P-12 track includes a 15-credit concentration focused on strategic leadership, organizational learning, resource management, and policy advocacy for school and district leaders. The SEL track focuses on social-emotional and academic learning for educators in teaching and student support roles.