PRESENTING SUPERB RESEARCH THAT ADVANCES THE FIELD OF EDUCATION

The Disquisition: An Equity-Driven Capstone for Leadership Preparation Programs provides a thoughtful, detailed example of a capstone process and paper (The Disquisition) that employs improvement science, critical theory, and critical praxis to prepare educational leaders to disrupt inequity within their organizations. The chapters in this book represent 12 years of collaborative learning among experienced, respected, and award-winning leadership preparation faculty presently at or formerly from Western Carolina University (WCU). It integrates multiple sources of data from research, student feedback, faculty experiences, capstone committee member input, learnings from the Carnegie Project on the Education Doctorate (CPED), and program evaluation data examining the achievement of student learning outcomes.

Following foundational chapters that describe the origin and evolution of the disquisition at WCU and its focus on social justice, faculty present six chapters—each one clearly detailing a primary component of the disquisition process and paper including the problem of practice; a causal analysis; identifying the improvement initiative; designing the improvement initiative; evaluating the improvement initiative and reporting results; and implications, recommendations, and leadership lessons learned. Each of these chapters includes a brief introduction to the component; expectations for students as practitioners (leading the work); expectations for students as scholars (evaluating and writing about the work); an excerpt from the disquisition paper outline relevant to the component; example figures, tables, or text from completed disquisition papers; and scholarly resources for scholar-practitioners. The final chapter of the book presents the process for convening a disquisition committee, a description of the IRB process, and the expectations for defending the disquisition at both the proposal defense and the final defense meeting.  Although this book is written as a guide for students engaging in the disquisition process and writing the disquisition paper, it serves as a strong model for leadership preparation programs and university administrators who seek to build or refine their capstone (and program) in ways that ensure students are prepared to lead justice-driven transformation across their organizations.

Perfect for courses such as: Dissertation-in-Practice Writing; Academic Writing for the Scholar Practitioner; Capstone-Independent Study; Capstone-Student Learning Community; Improvement Science: Data Collection, Analysis & Reporting; Improvement Science: Data Presentation; The Role of the Scholar-Practitioner as Educational Leader

“The Disquisition: An Equity-Driven Capstone for Leadership Preparation Programs is a necessary book for any educational leadership scholar, scholar-practitioner, preK-20 school and system leader serious about the uprooting and interrupting educational inequities. The description of the equity-driven Disquisition process offers a unique, thought-provoking approach which will help practicing educational leaders think deeply and reflexively about systemic change and transformation. EdD programs would benefit greatly from this important scholarship as it masterfully lays out a justice-centered programmatic ethos and process that intentionally tethers research, theory and praxis in ways that can lead to institutional and systemic transformation. I implore all who are committed in redesigning the EdD to intentionally engage this text and allow it to guide the development of future scholar-practitioners.”
Darrius A. Stanley, PhD, Assistant Professor of Organizational Leadership and Policy, Carmen Starkson Campbell Faculty Fellow, Department of Organizational Leadership, Policy and Development, College of Education and Human Development, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities

“This is a must read for anyone designing or implementing a justice-forward EdD program. This volume adds definition to the general premise of the EdD degree through its disquisition, confronting the challenging climate faced by higher education in general and the EdD in particular. It illuminates a pathway to the development of critical consciousness among scholarly practitioners and explains why this program was our choice for CPED’s program of the year award in 2021.”
Harriette Thurber Rasmussen, EdD, Assistant Clinical Professor and Associate EdD Program Director, Drexel University, Co-Lead, CPED Program of the Year Committee

“Change is not easy. In reality it is a constant struggle. We often associate change at the end of the process, with the practitioners themselves changing their practices while they work in the field. This series is truly revolutionary, changing practice within the institutions that conferee the educational doctorate (Ed. D.) degree. The series goes to the heart of change and will certainly make a significant impact on the training of our future leaders for years to come.”
Dean Spaulding. PhD, President, Z Score Inc.

Acknowledgments

Preface

Chapter 1. Introduction to The Disquisition: An Historical Sketch
by Kofi Lomotey, PhD

Chapter 2. Why A Justice-Centered Leadership Preparation Program?
by Jess Weiler, PhD and Kofi Lomotey, PhD

Chapter 3. The Problem of Practice
by Jess Weiler, PhD

Chapter 4. A Causal Analysis
by Jess Weiler, PhD

Chapter 5. Identifying the Improvement Initiative
by Robert Crow, PhD and Emily E. Virtue, PhD

Chapter 6. Designing the Improvement Initiative
by Emily E. Virtue, PhD and Robert Crow, PhD

Chapter 7. Evaluating the Improvement Initiative
by Emily E. Virtue, PhD and Brandi Hinnant-Crawford, PhD

Chapter 8. Implications, Recommendations, and Leadership Lessons Learned
by Heidi B. Von Dohlen, EdD and Emily E. Virtue, PhD

Chapter 9. Defending the Disquisition
by Heidi B. Von Dohlen, EdD

Appendix

About the Authors

Index

NOTE: Table of Contents subject to change up unitl publication date.

Jess Weiler

Dr. Jess Weiler is a tenured Associate Professor in the Educational Leadership (EdD) Program at Western Carolina University in North Carolina. Dr. Weiler serves in several capacities to fulfill her teaching, research, and service responsibilities there. She earned her PhD in educational leadership and policy analysis from the University of Wisconsin—Madison.

Emily Virtue

Emily E. Virtue, Ph.D. is an associate professor of Educational Research and the director of the Educational Leadership doctoral program at Western Carolina University. Her recent research centers on asset-based equity pedagogies in secondary project-based learning settings.

Equity; Social Justice; EdD Programs; Capstone; Leadership Preparation Programs; Scholar-Practitioner; Dissertation-in-Practice; Improvement Science

Teachers, request exam copy:

Request Paperback Request E-Book

PRESENTING SUPERB RESEARCH THAT ADVANCES THE FIELD OF EDUCATION

Teachers, request exam copy:

The Disquisition

An Equity-Driven Capstone for Leadership Preparation Programs

Library E-Books

E-books are now distributed via RedShelf or VitalSource

Jess Weiler

Emily Virtue

Teachers, request exam copy: