Educational Leaders and the Program Evaluation Dissertation with Logic Model

Introduction

At the heart of the Doctor of Education degree (Ed.D.) is the practical application of the knowledge and skills earned during the program, which can then be used in the field of education. While this terminal degree may have either a research (which overlaps with the Doctorate of Philosophy) or a professional focus (which requires the ability to solve educational problems using existing knowledge) there exists debate about whether the Ed.D. provides practitioners with the scholarly experiences that create value as professionals (Jacobson, 2005; Redden, 2007) or if it contributes to “the danger that we achieve rigorous preparation neither for practice nor for research”(Shulman, Golde, Conklin Bueschel, & Garabedian, 2006, p. 26). While there are many solutions that are being bandied about for this dilemma, some educational leadership doctoral programs have embraced the program evaluation dissertation as a means to provide practitioners with research skills that are rigorous and also relevant for those who plan to address problems in the field of education while they serve as practitioners. Drawing upon information from two established programs from the University of Rochester and Alabama State University, this chapter describes the procedures involved in educational evaluation and why it makes sense to teach about evaluation (program, policy, and curricular) in educational leadership programs. It also elaborates on the necessary components of an evaluation based dissertation that include a logic model, and other items to consider for those who are interested in implementing this type of dissertation into a professional practice doctorate program.