Is this program for me?

• Do you feel called to work with or manage educational programs for at-risk children? If so, Teacher Education with the Alternative/Special Education Option may be the right choice for you!



• Are you a teacher who wants to assume a leadership position in the educational arena? Then consider Teacher Education with the Teaching and Learning Option.

Teacher Education Specialization

The Teacher Education specialization is designed to help students develop the knowledge and skills necessary to be leaders in education. The coursework is designed to help you gain familiarity with the professional literature, understand issues in education, develop research skills, and cultivate professional writing, presentation, evaluation, teaching, and public service skills.

Professional Core

The 21 semester hours in the professional core required for an Ed.D. in Curriculum and Instruction will provide you a thorough grounding in the psychological and philosophical foundations of education. You will also examine critical issues in education, explore the interaction of practice and theory, and plan and evaluate educational research.

Alternative/Special Education Option

The Alternative/Special Education option (24 semester hours) targets individuals who want to work with or intend to work with populations of at-risk children and youth enrolled in public school systems in this area, including both instructors and administrators in charge of planning and evaluating alternative and special education programs. The Alternative/ Special Education program is based on the applied-practitioner model.

Alternative/Special Education Option Program Objectives

• To prepare and educate students who are capable of planning effective programs in the areas of alternative and special education.
• To prepare and educate students who can manage and supervise activities that constitute effective intervention related to populations at risk.
• To educate students who are capable of initiating and implementing organizational change.
• To prepare and educate students who can demonstrate the knowledge and skills necessary to undertake applied research.
• To assist students in developing the skills necessary to evaluate program effectiveness.
• To enhance the counseling and interpersonal skills of students so that they may work more effectively with individuals and groups.
• To assist students in developing consultation, collaborative, and conflict-resolution skills.

Teaching and Learning Option

The Teaching and Learning option (24 semester hours) provides a knowledge base for practicing instructional design in the military and for pursuing a leadership position in state, national, or overseas educational agencies; health-related fields; industrial training programs; or governmental projects. Students use various research-based teaching and learning theories to analyze and assess teaching and learning systems. This program emphasizes the conceptual interaction between teaching and learning theory, research, and practice.

Teaching and Learning Option Program Objectives

• The student will develop a knowledge base drawn from the sociological, psychological, historical and multicultural foundations of education (Cultural Interpreter).
• The student will be educated in research skills that will provide him/her with the tools to synthesize research and analyze contemporary teaching and learning strategies (Problem Solver).
• The student will acquire the technological competencies to function effectively as an instructional leader (Technologist).
• The student will analyze models of classroom management (Critical Thinker).
• The student will analyze and apply teaching and learning theories to specific learning environments (Practitioner).
• The student will analyze and apply alternative assessment practices (Researcher).
• The student will be required to examine contemporary trends, issues and problems related to teaching and learning (Problem Solver).
• The student will analyze the applications of current research in the field of teaching and learning (Theorist).
• The student will compose a dissertation that reflects the knowledge base, research skills and theoretical competencies developed from the course work and synthesize this information into a comprehensive study adding new knowledge to the existing body.

Dissertation

The final step in achieving your doctorate in Curriculum and Instruction with a Teacher Education specialization involves planning, conducting, and documenting a research study focused on an issue related to your specialization. The dissertation process is a major effort involving 18 semester hours, during which time you will work independently under the guidance of your dissertation committee.

How do I get started?

1. Review the information regarding the Ed.D. program and the Teacher Education specialization in the UWF catalog.
2. Contact Dr. Evans, the Director of the School of Education, or Dr. Ogilvie, Doctoral Advisor, to make an appointment to talk to an advisor.
3. Submit an application to Graduate Admissions.
4. Submit an application to the Ed.D. Program Office. Students applying to the Teacher Education program have additional application requirements beyond the standard application criteria.

Expectations and Response to Intervention

School of Education students are expected to adhere to the Principles of Professional Conduct for the Education Profession in Florida and national standards of conduct associated with professional, accreditation, and state agencies. Students who are struggling to meet content and/or disposition standards and/or competencies may be referred to the Response to Intervention (RtI) process. Any student who is referred for an RtI and does not successfully complete the intervention process may be denied continued enrollment in any professional education program.