Thousands of Doane graduates are leaders in today's schools-teachers, administrators, principals. But it's more than numbers that make our education program a model copied by other institutions. It's the focus on current research, performance-based education and taking risks to stay relevant. It's the feeling that the program and the people behind it care about what students need. It's the impact in classrooms-the stories of our alumni as students and as education leaders. These are a few of their stories.
Did you know that when Thomas Doane deeded the land for a college on a hill above Crete he was thinking about teachers? The Midwest population was booming and he knew teachers were needed. When Doane opened its doors, so did a quality teaching program grounded in the liberal arts. The world of education has changed since 1872, but Doane is still true to its mission to prepare teachers for all classrooms.
That mission evolved into Doane's teacher education and master's degree programs-programs that pride themselves on always being a little ahead of the times. Doane was one of the first to develop a performance-based
teacher education program ; one of the first in the nation to warranty the quality of graduates and guarantee graduates employment.
Teacher training is the calling; undergraduate teachers in-training find support during each step of the journey from student to teacher. Undergraduates spend 300 hours working in public schools before they student teach. They learn to teach in rooms built to mimic elementary, middle, high-school and special education classrooms-with the newest classroom technology. They spend the summer after commencement taking 12 graduate hours in the Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction program.
Thomas Doane may have been thinking about teachers the day he signed that deed. But his decision impacted the education of millions of children-probably more than even he could imagine.
C H A P T E R 2 - The Master Plan
Sixteen summers ago, two old desks arrived at the Lincoln campus. Wilma Daddario's desk had a dent on one side, so she turned it against the wall. Phones lines were connected. Bookshelves went up. And Doane's Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction degree program was in business.
Humble beginnings, but somehow fitting. The program has seen explosive growth. It has earned statewide and regional respect. It's a model copied by other institutions. But it has kept the things that have made it so successful-hardworking and service oriented, a program that looks for ways to remove roadblocks and serve s
tudents.
In a nutshell, it's a program dedicated to the professional development of teachers. Course content is designed with concern for best practice, current research, and a commitment to the application and assessment of curriculum and K-12 students.
Its site-based component made it stand out. Rather than distance learning, Doane would take its programs across Nebraska, matching the needs of teachers in their region. That first term, 278 students registered. Daddario, assistant dean, soon found she wouldn't see that desk much during certain times of the year. For she and the program's first Dean of Graduate Studies, Dr. Richard Dudley, it was more about miles covered, e-mails answered, phone calls returned.
The program boosted its numbers and name recognition by capitalizing on a new human relations requirement of the State Department of Education, putting together one hour workshops and taking them on the road. Since that time, enrollment has climbed like a line on an ideal growth chart-655 by 1997; 933 by summer 1999 (the largest and busiest term of the year); and 1,534 by summer 2008.
Dr. Lyn Forester became dean of graduate studies in curriculum and instruction in the late 90s. Today the program includes a 36-hour course of study, a research component, and endorsements in early childhood, English as a Second Language, reading specialist and mild and moderate special education. The entire program, through a rotation of courses, is now offered in Lincoln, Grand Island, Omaha and Norfolk. Students also take classes in towns surrounding the sites or ESUs across the state.
The secrets to its success, according to graduates, are flexibility and relevance, reports Dean Forester. They see the impact in their classrooms. They feel like the program and the people behind it care about what they need. Maybe one day, a doctorate or specialist degree for superintendents will be added. And in an ideal world, a permanent home for the Omaha courses would be found. Other than that, Forester and Daddario wouldn't change much in the years that followed the arrival of that old desk.
C H A P T E R 3 - Educational Leadership
The Master of Education in Educational Leadership program began in 1996 with 10 students, a program designed in part from conversations with a broad base of school leaders. Thirteen years later, about 550 have earned the Master of Education in Educational Leadership degree.
Even with its steady growth, one thing hasn't changed-there are still more applicants than room each year. "There's no other program in the state that does what we do," said Jed Johnston, dean of graduate studies in educational leadership.
Doane's not an easy program. It continues to exceed the requirements set by the State Department of Education. Johnston, Assistant Professor Sue Rasmussen and EDL Adjunct Dick Hindalong make site visits and meet each student's principal. Full-day classes during the fall and spring semesters are held on weekends, primarily on Sundays.
Students seek the program in part for its relevance and its use of cadres-small groups of students who will move through the program together, allowing for a more concept-based process rather than class-based, and building relationships that continue long past commencement.
Coursework includes lessons with successful regional leaders who share their unique approaches to leadership, student success and expertise. The program also builds in instructor site visits, development of a portfolio, practicum/field experience and a school improvement project. It taps the leadership expertise of current Nebraska school leaders as speakers in seminars. The program's individual research component is based on the school improvement process required of schools by the Nebraska State Department of Education.
In 13 short years, it has left its mark on Nebraska and Iowa schools. Its loyal following creates "Doane pockets," schools like Bellevue East and Lincoln East where the administrative team is primarily made up of EDL graduates. Last fall, Johnston counted 41 graduates in new leadership positions.
Doane is up to Cadre 19 now, each new student seeking the answer to the program's core question: What skills do leaders need to make a difference in schools?
T O B E C O N T I N U E D . . .