The mission of the curriculum and instruction doctoral programs in the College of Education at Kansas State University is to prepare its educators to be knowledgeable, ethical, caring decision makers in a diverse world, and to do so based on contemporary and emerging theory and research and on research-enlightened practice. These doctoral degrees are designed to prepare graduates to assume positions of leadership in schools, school districts, community colleges, colleges and universities, and other educational settings when dealing with curricular and instructional issues. In the College of Education’s Strategic Plan for 1998-2005, these doctoral programs are listed as having a “very high” overall priority in the college.
The doctoral degrees in curriculum and instruction are unique at Kansas State University in that the selection of courses and experiences is made with the student and the supervisory committee, based on past academic and professional experiences and taking into account the future professional role the student intends to seek. Each doctoral student takes three research courses.
In February 2003, the Kansas Board of Regents approved the consolidation of the M.S. in Elementary Education and the M.S. in Secondary Education into one new degree—the M.S. in Curriculum and Instruction. At this time, the program review report for the M.S. in Elementary Education is included in the report by the Department of Elementary Education, and the program review report for the M.S. in Secondary Education is included in the report by the Department of Secondary Education. In the next program review report, all graduate programs (masters and doctoral) in curriculum and instruction will be included in the Curriculum and Instruction Program Review Report.
Quality of Faculty
The quality of teaching is very high among the faculty members who teach in these programs. Most faculty members have course evaluation scores of 4.0 to 5.0 (on a 1.0- to 5.0 scale), with many faculty members regularly receiving scores of 4.5 and higher. The College of Education initiated an Outstanding Graduate Teaching Award three years ago, and a curriculum and instruction graduate faculty member is the most recent recipient of that award.
Faculty members interact closely with their doctoral advisees, especially at the dissertation phase of the program. Faculty members are very productive in the area of research and creative endeavors. Several faculty members have published textbooks in their field. Faculty members have reported numerous journal articles, book chapters, book reviews, conference papers and panels. In the last five years, there has been an increase in extramural funding concerning teacher education, English as a Second Language, science education, mathematics education, and other areas. In addition, the faculty members have provided service on many committees, task forces, editorial boards, accreditation teams, and many other service roles.
Quality of Students
Doctoral applicants take either the Miller Analogies Test (MAT) or the Graduate Record Exam (GRE). In FY 02, the mean score on the MAT of students admitted to the doctoral programs was 54. (The MAT national average for graduate students in education is 45.) In FY 02, the average mean GRE scores for the students admitted in the doctoral programs were 468 verbal, 571 quantitative, and 516 analytical. The graduate hours grade point average of students admitted to the doctoral programs in Curriculum and Instruction can be seen as a measure of the quality of the students in the program. The grade point average for graduate hours completed of students admitted in Summer 2001, Fall 2001, and Spring 2002 was 3.84.
The quality of a student’s dissertation is another reflection of the quality of the students in the program. Two curriculum and instruction doctoral students in recent years received the outstanding dissertation of the year award from national professional organizations after refereed review (1992—the outstanding dissertation in teacher education, 1999—the outstanding dissertation in staff development).
Employer Demand
There is ongoing demand for graduates of these degree programs. Graduates often move into teacher education faculty positions, or positions of leadership in school districts. There is a shortage of applicants for teacher education faculty positions for many academic fields, and the graduates of these degree programs would be eligible for these positions. Similarly, there is an ongoing need to staff central office leadership positions in school districts, and the graduates of these degree programs often move into those positions.
Service Provided to the Discipline, the University, and Beyond
As a comprehensive research land-grant university, the mission of Kansas State University is to develop students’ knowledge, skills, and attitudes, enabling them to function effectively in today’s society and world of work. The doctoral programs in curriculum and instruction are designed to fulfill that mission within the context of teacher education and curriculum and instruction.
Cost Effectiveness
The number of majors in the discipline increased in the last five fiscal years to 128 from 113, with a five-year average of 122. In the last five fiscal years, a yearly average of 16 doctoral degrees were conferred. Departmental instructional expenditures have held steady over this same period of time. Significant changes in instructional expenditures are not expected in the near future, even with re-examination of the purposes and requirements of the doctoral degrees.