---

...ABOUT THE EDL DOCTORAL COHORT PROGRAM
...ABOUT THE MED/CAS PROGRAM FOR EDL (see below)

 What is the Cohort Model?
The future of the EDL Doctoral Program is envisioned in two position papers authored by the Educational Leadership Department during the 2003-04 academic year: Transformational Leadership Through a Community of Learners and Three Questions: Who Are We? What Are Our Commitments? Where Are We Going? This new vision for preparing educational leaders has been enthusiastically embraced by both current and aspiring district-level school leaders. As a catalyst for change at the district-level, the nationally-recognized EDL doctoral program is a cohort-only program.

How long does it take to complete the program?
The EDL Doctoral Cohort model is a 3-year program--from beginning to end. A year consists of 4 terms: summer, fall, winter & spring. Year One is comprised of all the EDL Program Courses and the NCE Doctoral Core. Year Two includes coursework in research paradigms, methods and design; completing the superintendent internship; formulating a dissertation topic; and writing the comprehensive exam. Year Three consists primarily of drafting, revising and defending thedissertation.

Who teaches in the program? How is a cohort advised and led?
All EDL faculty members may teach in the program provided they have an earned doctorate. Whenever a new cohort is formed the Director of the EDL Doctoral Program, in consultation with the EDL Department Chair, assigns a Team Leader for the cohort. The Team Leader is then responsible for assembling a 6 member Faculty Team that will service and support the cohort until graduation.

What constitutes a Faculty Team?
A Faculty Team has six members: A Team Leader and a 2nd Member (both of whom must be EDL faculty); 2 members from the Research & Inquiry Department; and two Adjunct Faculty. Working closely with the Director of the EDL Doctoral Program and the Department Chair, the Team Leader is responsible for coordinating all aspects of the 3-year cohort experience, including: selecting Associate Faculty; EDL Program Course staffing; overseeing internships; reading comprehensive examinations; coordinating dissertation completion; and student advising.

How is a Faculty Team assembled?
With input from the Department Chair and Director of the EDL Doctoral Program, the Team Leader selects her team. The full 6 member team doesnot need to be named until the end of the first year of the program. During the first year, the Team Leader, the 2nd Member (both from EDL) and other EDL faculty are busy teaching the EDL Program Courses. However, at the beginning of the 2nd year, the Team Leader identifies and pulls together the full six-member Team to begin coordinating the research, internship, comprehensive exam and dissertation writing stages of the program that make up Years Two and Three.

How are Adjunct Faculty selected?
Standards of the Educational Leadership Constituent Council (ELCC), and the Specialty Program Area for NCATE, which granted national recognition of the Educational Leadership Program in 2004, expect that practicing or recent district level leaders will be working in collaboration with university personnel in the preparation of new leaders. Adjunct Faculty are selected for expertise or experience that will meet the unique needs of the cohort (e.g., knowledge of special student populations or recent experience as a district administrator or superintendent).

Criteria for Identification and Selection of Adjunct Faculty: (1) must possess an earned doctorate; (2) have expertise or experience relevant to educational leadership or administration at the district level; and/or (3) can lend support to one or more of the ELCC Leadership Standards upon which the model is based.  

Is the Faculty Team the same as the Dissertation Committee?
No. The Faculty Team assembled to work with a cohort comprises a six-member pool of faculty from which students may select a chair and members for their dissertation committee. Dissertation committees need at least three members (two must be from EDL) and can have up to four members. An additional member, the Dean's Representative, is assigned to each committee by the Director of NCE Doctoral Programs. The Dean's Representative attends both the proposal hearing and the defense and writes a report for the Director of the NCE Doctoral Program about the outcome.

Do students have a choice in selecting their dissertation committee?
Yes. As stated above, the dissertation committee must: (1) be chaired by an EDL faculty member and (2) have at least one additional member from EDL besides the chair. Given these requirements, students may choose their dissertation chair and committee members from the six-member Faculty Team that has been working with the cohort. The Team Leader does not necessarily chair, or serve on, all dissertations inthe cohort.

How will the model work in Wisconsin?
The same as it does in Illinois--with two exceptions: (1) The Wisconsin DPI requires that we "frontload" the Internship and Internship Seminarin the sequence of courses so that students obtain the superintendent certification earlier in the program and (2) Because students forming the cohort are being recruited from a much wider geographic area than in Illinois, Wisconsin will be a weekend model. (One weekend amonth--Friday 6-9 pm, Saturday 9-5 pm, and Sunday 8 to noon. One additional Study Night a month and substantial continuous web-basedcourse activity is also required.)

---

...ABOUT THE MED/CAS PROGRAM FOR EDL

What members of a school staff need Administrative Certification?
In the State of Illinois Administrative Certification is called the “Type 75.”  In Wisconsin administrative certification is called the “Type 51.”  In Florida it is called Level 1 Educator Certification in Educational Leadership. In general all educators who are involved in state-mandated teacher supervision need Administrative Certification.  Depending on district contracts Administrative Certification can also be required ofdepartment chairs, curriculum leaders and grade level team leaders. Likewise, in Wisconsin one additional course (beyond the scope of the program itself) EPS 561 is required for qualification for a leadershiprole in the field of special education.

What are the major components of the National-Louis University Program NLU utilizes?

• A cohort model:  students form a group and stay with that groupthroughout the program.  The group meets on the same night, onenight per week. 
• Faculty members:  all have experience in school administration. 
• Internship Report:  the final written culminating project at the end of each course.
• Internship Requirement:  15 hours of internship work outside ofclass in a school setting developing experience that enhances theunderstanding of the focus of each course.

How long does it take to complete the Program? Is thereanything else necessary (beyond the program itself) to qualify forstate licensure?
The overall time frame is 6 terms, approximately 18 months.  Eachterm students take two courses.  The courses are paired, blending the main concepts of each.  The program requires reading, research and completion of written projects as well as internship hours (see #2above).  The Type 75 licensure – in Illinois – requires additional state testing.  At this time the Type 51 licensure – in Wisconsin– does not require any additional state test.  In Florida the Level 1 Educator Certification in Educational Leadership does require an exam as well.

In general what is the typical time commitment during classes and between classes throughout the program?
Students are expected to complete reading and research between classes.  They are expected to attend all class meetings, come to class with assignments completed, and to participate in all in-class activities.  On occasion an exception may be made because of a school, family or health commitment; however, if a student has a consistent conflict, choosing another cluster on a different night or skipping a term will be necessary.

What do the specific courses cover?
Please see the summary of the twelve courses listed here.