Course Descriptions

Ed.D Courses

EDUC 510 : Teaching Reading and Language Arts

Investigates how children learn to read, improve their fluency, and strengthen their vocabulary and comprehension. Includes required reading tutoring practicum. (3)

EDUC 514 : Management and Student Engagement

Introduces commonly used engagement and management strategies for increasing academic achievement. Includes a 15 hour practicum. (2)

EDUC 520 : Current Issues of Child Abuse and Neglect

Issues of child abuse, neglect, harassment, and violence. Includes identification and reporting procedures, and the legal and professional responsibilities of all mandated reporters. (1)

EDUC 528 : Reading and Writing Across the K-8 Curriculum

Investigates genres of contemporary children's literature and how to develop a personal repertoire of reading material for classroom use. Also examines strategies for teaching writing in K-8 classroom. (2)

EDUC 529 : Reading and Writing Across the Secondary Curriculum

Explores strategies for integrating young adult reading materials and written work and reading and writing instruction in all secondary content areas. (2)

EDUC 544 : Sociocultural Foundations of Education

Examines the purposes of K-12 schools, the root causes of the achievement gap, and the ways accomplished teachers adapt to the changing sociocultural context of schooling. (2)

EDUC 556 : Critical Issues in Secondary Teaching

Introduces what successful secondary teachers know and are able to do in the areas of curriculum and assessment, instructional methods, and classroom management. (2)

EDUC 561 : Instructional Methodologies for Secondary Teachers

This course will introduce the instructional methodologies being used currently in secondary schools, including curriculum design, instructional strategies, the use of assessments, and specific methodologies for content area instruction. (4)

EDUC 562 : Schools and Society

Individual and cooperative study of the socio-cultural and cultural, political, legal, historical, and philosophical foundations of current practices of schooling in America. Prerequisite: Admission to the M.A.E./Cert program or consent of instructor. (3)

EDUC 563A : Integrating Seminar: Technology Embedded Instructional Design

Students work cooperatively and individually to integrate education course work, field experience, and individual perspective during graduate degree programs. May be repeated for credit. (2)

EDUC 563B : Integrating Seminar: Internship

A seminar focusing on development of professionalism and competence in inquiry and reflective practice with opportunities to demonstrate your knowledge and skills related to the complexities of teaching. (2-4)

EDUC 564 : The Arts, Mind, and Body

An exploration of methods to facilitate creativity and meaning-making in the classroom through visual, musical, non-verbal/physical movement, and dramatic arts. (2)

EDUC 565 : Elementary Reading, Language Arts, Social Studies

Practice designing, implementing, and assessing lessons and units that integrate reading, language arts, and social studies content in K-8 classrooms. Introduces exemplary reading, language arts, and social studies classroom materials and examines what successful classroom managers in K-8 classrooms know and are able to do. (2)

EDUC 566 : Elementary Math and Science

Practice designing, implementing, and assessing math and science lessons and units in K-8 classrooms. Introduces exemplary math and science classroom materials and examines what successful classroom managers in K-8 classrooms know and are able to do. (2-4)

EDUC 568 : Internship in Teaching

Internship in classroom settings. Fourteen weeks of teaching under the direct supervision of cooperating teachers and university supervisors. Designed for students in the M.A.E./Cert program. (6)

EDUC 587 : History of Education

A study of great men and women whose lives and writings have shaped and continue to shape the character of American education. (3)

EDUC 588 : ST: Leadership in Higher Education

Leadership development for administrators and faculty. Focus on higher education leadership models as they relate to PLU. Restricted to PLU administrators and faculty. (1 to 4)

EDUC 589 : Philosophy of Education

Philosophical and theoretical foundations of American education as well as the social philosophy of growing diverse populations in the K-12 schools. (3)

EDUC 591 : Independent Study

To provide individual graduate students graduate-level study not available in the regular curriculum. The title will be listed on the student term-based record as IS: followed by the specific title designated by the student. (1 to 4)

EDUC 700 : Educational/Instructional Leadership Orientation & Introduction

This course is to prepare students for executive/advanced school leadership roles in districts. The course emphasizes the character, dispositions, and skills, as well as the values and beliefs, which inform effective school and organizational leadership and support the development of a districtwide vision. Additionally, this course will introduce students to the PLU Ed.D. program and build relationships among cohort members and faculty. (3)

EDUC 701 : Educational Research I

This course provides foundational concepts in educational research including various methodologies. The course will address criteria for evaluating and using educational research in their own practice. Students will develop skills in understanding and evaluating research claims. Course concepts include descriptive and inferential statistics and quantitative research designs. Students will also develop knowledge and skills of action research. (4)

EDUC 711 : Educational Research II: Qualitative Research

This second course in the research methods sequence addresses major concepts of qualitative research methods. Students will learn the major methodologies and ethical implications of qualitative research including appropriate research questions. Students will learn and implement qualitative data collection and analysis techniques. (2)

EDUC 721 : Educational Research III: Program Evaluation

This third course in the research methods sequence addresses major concepts of program evaluation. This course prepares students to plan, implement, evaluate, and disseminate the results of a job-embedded Program Evaluation for their Applied Project. The course addresses the similarities and differences between program evaluation and other forms of education research and related ethical implications. Students will learn the steps in designing and conducting a program evaluation, as well as considerations when contracting for program evaluations, as many educational grants and programs require outside evaluation. (2)

EDUC 731 : Educational Leadership: Instructional Leadership

In this course, students will learn both the field's best knowledge of what high-quality learning is and how to generate it at a systems level. Students will read, discuss, collect and analyze data around learning at all levels of a school district's system; including, students, teachers, and school and district leaders. Concurrently, students will examine the leadership actions and formal and informal organizational systems that serve as levers for learning. Students will be guided by three key questions at each level of analysis: what is the learning, how does the learning occur, and when and under what conditions do people learn? (3)

EDUC 732 : Current Trends and Challenges in Educational Leadership

Educational leaders serve in districts impacted by many social, economic, and political factors; thus, leaders must maintain a clear understanding of these issues in order to implement change. This course will provide an in-depth analysis of current trends and issues impacting leadership. This will enable the candidate to focus on personal growth and development of characteristics of leadership. This course will explore and study the current issues and trends related to the field of education leadership through several case studies. Emphasis will be placed on current problems of practice, research, and analysis of practices related to effectiveness. (3)

EDUC 741 : Educational Law, Policy, and Governance

The primary goal of this course is to assist the school leader to develop the attitudes, knowledge, and skills necessary to effectively practice high quality, ethical and legal practices based on the law and appropriate policy application. This course explores federal and state law that school administrators and superintendents are responsible to know and administer. This course is a requirement for all students in the Ed.D. program and for the superintendent certification. (2)

EDUC 742 : Human Resources in P12

This course provides learning of concepts, skills, theories, and techniques involving human resource management and a review of examples of HR practices in P-12 school systems. This course extends what building leaders know and understand about HR and looks at it through a district and superintendent role. There will be an examination of human resource planning, development, and utilization in modern organizations. Topics include: recruitment, selection, training and development, performance appraisal, collective bargaining, contracts, benefit programs, relationships, and role of the human resource department. (2)

EDUC 743 : Educational Finance in P12

The primary goal of this course is to help aspiring school leaders understand school finance and the systemic and political impacts on P12. Students will look at school funding, applying an equity and instructional lens, to help prioritize and guide district level funding. Particular emphasis will be placed on the role of the superintendent or program leader in advocating for students and programs. (2)

EDUC 744 : Community & Family Engagement

The primary goal of this course is to assist district leaders in developing the knowledge, skills, and cultural understanding to improve learning and achievement by collaborating with families and community members, responding to diverse community interests and needs, and mobilizing community resources. Students will explore the roles and responsibilities of school leaders in co-creating with families and communities to establish social networks of shared responsibility for student learning and development. This course is a requirement for all students in the Ed.D. program and for the superintendent certification. (2)

EDUC 745 : School Board Relations

The school board governs and the superintendent administers the school district. While this may sound simple, it is often the most difficult area for the board and superintendent to clarify. Not having a clear understanding of the board and superintendent's proper role can lead to poor communication, mistrust, and, in the end, conflict and educational failure. This course will focus on the role of the superintendent, board, and the relationship between the two. (1)

EDUC 746 : Crisis, Conflict, Emergency Management

Effectively managing crisis, conflict, and emergencies is a critical responsibility of a school leader. This course focuses on how educational leaders plan for, manage, and address crises at the institutional level. This course provides practical experiences where students analyze and apply knowledge related to crisis management systems essential to the health and safety of employees and students. (2)

EDUC 747 : Central Office and Programmatic Leadership

This course focuses on superintendent or school district leader roles in establishing effective central management and the integration of special programs; including, Title I, LAP, student services, early childhood, career and technical education, and special education. The course also includes systems and strategies to evaluate program leaders and principals across the system. Students will explore approaches to improve central district systems and student learning for historically underserved populations. (2)

EDUC 760 : Evaluation and Supervision in Educational Leadership

The primary goal of this course is to develop knowledge, skills, dispositions, and cultural competence required of the aspiring school leader to effectively assess instruction and provide feedback to teachers for the improvement of practice and pedagogy in the P-12 setting. This course will cover the evaluation and supervision of certificated staff; including, teachers, principals, and central office/program administrators. During this course, the school leader will conduct several classroom, school, and district observations using the Washington State Teacher and Principal Evaluation (TPEP), one of the three approved instructional frameworks, and the AWSP principal framework. (2)

EDUC 761 : Educational Leadership: Equity and Social Justice

This course will prepare students to serve as leaders who can demonstrate effective diversity leadership for all students; including, students of all races, students who are linguistically diverse, students with disabilities, students from low-income families, and students along the gender/sexual identity spectrum and their intersections. This course supports students in creating equitable and rich school and district cultures where staff, students, and members of the wider school community are engaged and work together to create a dynamic, inclusive learning environment. (3)

EDUC 762 : Educational Leadership: Systems Leadership

The goal of this course is to expand the students' understanding of systems thinking (a) the role of the leader in evaluating systems theory and frameworks used by educational organizations, particularly in the creation and maintenance of organizational identity; (b) knowledge and skill of policy formulation, evaluation, and advocacy; including, methods of influence, building strategic alliances, and setting policy agendas; (c) the role of the educational leader in working with multiple constituencies (government, legislature, lobbyists, special interest groups, media); and (d) purposes and effective strategies for building teams in leadership settings. (3)

EDUC 763 : Collaboration and Contributions to the Profession

This course supports Ed.D. students/candidates by offering opportunities for them to engage in providing and receiving professional growth and development, mentorship, and networking within the P-12 system. Students in this course will partner with local school and local system leaders, community leaders, current cohort members, and alumni to advance connections and identify next career steps. (1)

EDUC 790 : Program Evaluation Applied Project & Seminar

This is the first course in the Ed.D. Program Evaluation Applied Project Series. Throughout this sequence the Ed.D. student will plan, implement, evaluate, and disseminate the results of a job-embedded Program Evaluation. (3; 1 didactic, 2 clinical)

EDUC 791 : Program Evaluation Applied Project & Seminar

This is the second course in the Ed.D. Program Evaluation Applied Project Series. Throughout this sequence the Ed.D. student will plan, implement, evaluate, and disseminate the results of a job-embedded Program Evaluation. This course includes public presentation of the Program Evaluation to both an academic audience as well as the relevant client (e.g. school, district, state agency, and/or community organization). (4; 1 didactic, 3 clinical)

EDUC 792 : Applied Project Seminar

This course serves as an introduction to the Instructional Leadership and Equity Applied Project process. Students will build upon their research methods and leadership courses to develop their problem statement, research question(s), and outline for their project proposal. The course will also provide an overview of the IRB process. (2)

EDUC 793 : Instructional Leadership and Equity Applied Project & Seminar

This is the first course in the Ed.D. Instructional Leadership and Equity Applied Project series. Throughout this sequence the Ed.D. student will plan, implement, evaluate, and disseminate the results of an Equity Focused Applied Project that represents a synthesis of the learning throughout the doctoral program. (4)

EDUC 794 : Instructional Leadership and Equity Applied Project & Seminar

This is the second course in the Ed.D. Instructional Leadership and Equity Applied Project series. Throughout this sequence the Ed.D. student will plan, implement, evaluate, and disseminate the results of an Instructional Leadership and Equity Focused Applied Project that represents a synthesis of the learning throughout the doctoral program. This course includes public presentation of the project to both an academic audience as well as the relevant school, district, state agency, and/or community organization. (5; 1 didactic, 4 clinical)

EDUC 795 : Executive Leadership Internship

The superintendent internship is part of the professional preparation of school administrators. The basic function of the internship is to enable the intern/candidate to gain the necessary experience in the performance of the critical tasks of his/her profession while under the close supervision of a certified, experienced superintendent and a university field supervisor. The internship is 360 hours and will assist the aspiring school leader by building upon coursework and learning through practical field experience. NELP leadership standards that are in the foundation for the superintendent certification program frame this course. Will be repeated twice for certification and may be repeated up to four times total. (1)