Forming a Unique Partnership Between a University's Educational Leadership Master's Degree Program and Its...

Area of Science:

• Educational Leadership
• Program Development
• Higher Education Administration

Background:

• University educational leadership program experienced declining enrollment and below-average state test scores in 2019.
• Identified issues impacted program viability and graduate preparedness.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the root causes of declining enrollment and poor performance in an educational leadership program.
• To implement a transformative solution addressing identified program deficiencies.

Main Methods:

• Utilized the Five Whys protocol to determine the root cause of the identified problems.
• Applied the five stages of the design thinking process to develop a solution-based approach.
• Formed a stakeholder workgroup with school district professionals to gather input on needed skills.

Main Results:

• A year-long collaborative process led to a significant program transformation.
• The redesigned program experienced increased enrollment.
• State assessment scores for program graduates improved, surpassing the state average.

Conclusions:

• The integration of Five Whys and design thinking effectively addressed critical program issues.
• Stakeholder collaboration and data-driven program modification are key to successful educational leadership program reform.
• The transformed master's program achieved widespread acceptance and district support.