Curriculum

This course is designed to prepare students to become critical consumers of research in Education. Students identify an authentic problem of practice and develop a set of meta-skills to effectively identify, locate, read and evaluate peer-reviewed research articles. Through application of taught strategies, students navigate the key sections of research articles (introduction/statement of the problem, literature review, methods, results and analyses, and conclusion). Students use research skills, along with their writing skills form RCR 701, to summarize current literature on a SEAL-related topic.

This course is designed to introduce students to the foundational elements of academic writing within the discipline of education. The work is sequenced from basic practice to the professional application of elements of clear, concise, coherent writing. Using the process of pre-writing, writing, and revising strategies, students examine purpose, audience, organization, style, flow, and the proper use of grammatical conventions. Students apply these skills to a cogent argument about an idea focused on a problem of practice within the field, writing about data, assessing and using sources, and identifying and evaluating a solution.

This course is the first course addressing social and emotional learning (SEL). In completing this foundational course, students will establish an understanding of the history of the field of emotion science, the current SEL research, and related foundations of neuroscience. Looking through the lens of 21st-century societal context and challenges in education, as developing "emotion scientists and practitioners", students will integrate learnings to explore and develop their personal SEL skill set and competencies, as well as examine potential applications of foundational learning to SEL problems of practice in their own contexts.

This course provides the skills necessary to design, conduct, and interpret qualitative research in educational settings. Students explore approaches to qualitative research, consider the questions qualitative research can answer, critically examine pivotal qualitative studies, and apply essential conceptual, digital, and methodological tools. It culminates in a pilot qualitative inquiry into a problem of social, emotional, and/or academic learning of the student's choosing.

This course builds students' knowledge to comprehend, critique, and develop quantitative research. Students gain a fundamental, working knowledge of various quantitative methods and statistical analyses. While completing the course, students conduct their own quantitative research project on a topic of their choice.

Candidates work with their Dissertation Chair and other committee members to design the essential elements of the dissertation proposal. By the end of these seminars, candidates should have completed the Dissertation in Practice as described in the Dissertation Manual. Each seminar has its own requirements so that the candidates stay on track to complete the Dissertation in Practice.

This course aims to equip doctoral students with foundational knowledge and practical skills in qualitative research. The course supports students in designing and conducting qualitative research for improvement science dissertations while introducing them to broader qualitative methodologies. By integrating theory with hands-on practice, the course aims to prepare students to critically and ethically investigate problems of practice in education through qualitative inquiry.

This course covers the assumptions and mental models that inform different approaches to research, and the ways in which qualitative and quantitative goals, questions, methods, analysis strategies, and presentation styles can be productively integrated in a mixed methods research approach. Students engage in critical analysis of empirical educational research to better understand the differences between quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods methodologies as well as the philosophical and theoretical foundations for conducting mixed methods research. Students develop their own research proposal and dissertation prospectus in an area of interest utilizing an integration of qualitative and quantitative approaches, methods, and data for a single study.

Candidates work with their Dissertation Chair and other committee members to design the essential elements of the dissertation proposal. By the end of these seminars, candidates should have completed the Dissertation in Practice as described in the Dissertation Manual. Each seminar has its own requirements so that the candidates stay on track to complete the Dissertation in Practice. This course also prepares candidates to successfully complete their IRB application and Proposal Defense.

Building on the most current research, this third SEL course focuses on how teacher leaders and administrators can operationalize high-quality schoolwide/districtwide SEL by building upon SEL practices and programs, creating an environment that infuses SEL into every part of students' educational experience, and promoting equitable academic and social-emotional outcomes for all.

The course uses social-emotional learning strategies and content for recognizing, understanding, and responding to trauma in order to develop trauma-sensitive classroom spaces. Additionally, the course will explore indicators of trauma in students, the impact of violence and other stress on learning, trauma stewardship, the risk of secondary trauma and burnout tools for coping and other strategies that support teachers. Resilience as a factor in response to trauma will be examined.

Candidates work with their Dissertation Chair and other committee members to implement their proposal. By the end of these seminars, candidates should have completed the Dissertation in Practice as described in the Dissertation Manual. Each seminar has its own requirements so that the candidates stay on track to complete the Dissertation in Practice. This seminar focuses on writing the results and discussion of the proposal as implemented.

The course explores characteristics of school settings sensitive and responsive to trauma and toxic stress, staff development and professional support for teachers and staff, and the role of families and community partners in developing a trauma-sensitive school.

This course is designed to prepare students to think critically about how key elements of social justice - fairness, equity, excellence for all - intersect with public education. Students analyze the effectiveness of efforts to improve access to high quality schooling and academic outcomes for all students. Using a Social Justice lens, students examine case studies and initiatives at the school, district and state/federal policy level. They develop action plans that advance fairness and equity of opportunity for all students, focusing on the opportunity and achievement gaps between historically privileged and underserved populations.

This course is for candidates who did not complete their dissertation at the conclusion of year three.

This course is designed to prepare students to research potential grant sources/funders and to develop, write, and critique competitive grant proposals consistent with a Request for Proposal. Through a process of examining the details of the components of a grant proposal, students develop the meta-skills of grantsmanship and then synthesize these with the reading and writing skills developed in RCR 700 and 701 to complete a submission-ready grant proposal.

Through participant exercises, theoretical analysis, discussions, and a variety of readings, participants of this course examine how educators can construct, implement and institutionalize a plan for an ethical classroom, school, and society. An examination of critical issues, which educators commonly face, utilizing case studies and theoretical analysis will lead participants towards a professional ethics and a discipline-appropriate personal creative pedagogy for positively contributing to society.

Candidates work with their Dissertation Chair and other committee members to implement their proposal. By the end of this seminar, candidates will have completed the full Dissertation in Practice as described in the Dissertation Manual. This course also prepares candidates to successful complete their Dissertation Defense.

The course seeks to develop leadership qualities and practices in administrators by creating efficient strategies, networks and systems for leading sustainable schoolwide SEAL and school culture/climate initiatives.

This course will be taken in conjunction with Dissertation Seminars 3 and 4 in the last year of the program. No fee. Pass/fail.