Enacting Vision and Navigating Change Case Study for New School Designers and Stakeholders

This Doctoral Research Project (DRP) represents an Ed.D. candidate’s efforts to interpret and implement the Carnegie Project for the Educational Doctorate (CPED) vision and the six associate CPED working principles with a field partner in an urban K-12 school district context. More specifically, this DRP utilized a descriptive case study methodology that documents the design, implementation and continuous improvement of a new, personalized and competency-based high school that was created to ensure equitable access to and success in high-value opportunities for every student. CPED’s six Working Principles (2009) call on Ed.D candidates to demonstrate an array of skills that range from applying theory to engaging communities and leading for equity. The six CPED Working Principles are listed below: The Professional doctorate in education: Is framed around questions of equity, ethics, and social justice to bring about solutions to complex problems of practice. Prepares leaders who can construct and apply knowledge to make a positive difference in the lives of individuals, families, organizations, and communities. Provides opportunities for candidates to develop and demonstrate collaboration and communication skills to work with diverse communities and to build partnerships. Provides field-based opportunities to analyze problems of practice and use multiple frames to develop meaningful solutions. Is grounded in and develops a professional knowledge base that integrates both practical and research knowledge, that links theory with systemic and systematic inquiry. Emphasizes the generation, transformation, and use of professional knowledge and practice. (CPED Consortium, 2009) All six of the CPED working principles guided the development of this DRP and the Ed.D. course work that preceded this summative project. Of particular importance is the call of the first Working Principle to ask questions and generate solutions around issues of equity, ethics, and social justice. Beginning inquiry from a place of equity is essential, as Transformative leadership author and advocate Carolyn Shields (2013) points out that education over the last 50 years has drawn on technical solutions to solve problems that have much more complex and associated with equity-based underpinnings. This case study seeks to transcend technical solutions by bridging theory and action based research