The Wednesday Program
The Wednesday Program
Doctoral Program (D.Ed.) for Administrators in Practice
The Wednesday Program at The Pennsylvania State University is designed for school administrators in practice. It is offered every-other year (i.e., in the 2000-2001 academic year but not the 2001-2002 academic year). The program operates all day on Wednesdays during the fall and spring semesters, providing credit toward the D.Ed. in Educational Leadership. This allows cohort members to meet the full-time residency requirement while continuing to work in their current position. Participants in the program obtain permission from their school districts to pursue their professional development by participating in the program each Wednesday for one school year.
The cohort is composed of school administrators in the Commonwealth, and other graduate students in Educational Leadership, who meet in group and seminar activities, creating a real-world, problem-solving environment. (All full-time students are strongly encouraged to join the Wednesday Program). Learning is enhanced by having contact with educational leaders in the field and working with Educational Leadership faculty.
Purpose
The mission of the program is to develop leaders prepared for, and committed to, the reform and continuous improvement of American education. Central to this commitment is a belief, first, that higher levels of learning are necessary and possible for all children and, second, that school administration must emphasize organizing and leading for learning.
Problems of Practice
The Program focuses on problems and issues that school leaders face. You will explore ways to identify and solve problems with the help of outstanding practitioners and professors as part of the instructional team. The emphasis is on problem-finding/formulation, problem-solving, and applications of theory, research, and best-practice knowledge.
Policy Issues
The Program's focus on problems and issues involves in-depth analysis of competing values and value issues; and of policy design and the costs and benefits of alternative policies in education. Issues in leadership, policy implementation, and school effectiveness and improvement are emphasized.
Active Learning
Active involvement in group activities helps to build individual and group leadership skills and collaborative problem solving.
Organization
The program is organized into three seminars that meet each Wednesday: a Policy Seminar, a Research Seminar, and a Decision-Making Seminar. The Policy Seminar analyzes the effectiveness of educational policies and examines policy-making at the local, state, and national levels. In this connection, the Program includes a day-long seminar in Harrisburg, on state-level education policy, and a day-long seminar in Washington, DC, on national education policy. These seminars give the group an opportunity to meet with key policy-makers, legislators, policy-makers, legislators, policy advisors, and professional association representatives.
The first semester of the Research Seminar provides an introduction and overview of research methods. The second semester builds and expands on this, with an emphasis on finding and formulating worthwhile research projects. This method of study facilitates the movement of cohort members toward a dissertation topic and dissertation proposal.
The Decision-Making Seminar focuses on the identification and analysis of problems of practice, and uses group projects, seminar discussions, and analysis of case studies to enhance skills in problem-solving, teamwork, and leadership.
Questions/Answers
Q: How will the program operate?
The Wednesday Program runs all day on Wednesdays, providing 9 or more credits each semester for two semesters, or a total of 18 credits which count toward the D.Ed. in Educational Leadership.
Q: Does the program meet the D.Ed. full-time residency requirement?
Yes, the Wednesday Program fullfills the D.Ed. residency requirement. However, you should consult your advisor about the overall degree requirements, which go beyond Wednesday Program participation.
Q: How will the teaching and instruction be different from other programs?
The group and seminar activities will provide more of a real-world, problem-solving environment than the usual classroom environment. In addition, participants benefit by contact with educational leaders in the field, and are able to learn from them and their cohort colleagues as they progress through the curriculum.
Q: Who will be attending?
Other school administrators in the Commonwealth will constitute the core of the cohort group.
