Ed.D. Doctor of Education Doctor of Education Case Study 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A principal notices that Black and Hispanic students are disproportionately referred to special education. Which case study analysis framework best addresses this systemic issue?
- Deficit thinking model
- Critical race theory lens (Correct answer)
- Behaviorist intervention model
- Constructivist learning theory
Correct answer: Critical race theory lens
A critical race theory lens examines how systemic racism and structural inequities produce disproportionate special education referrals among students of color.
Question 2: In a case study, a superintendent discovers that professional development funds are spent on one-day workshops with no follow-up. Which evidence-based recommendation should she prioritize?
- Increase workshop frequency to monthly sessions
- Implement job-embedded, sustained professional learning communities (Correct answer)
- Replace workshops with online self-paced modules
- Require teachers to attend external conferences annually
Correct answer: Implement job-embedded, sustained professional learning communities
Research consistently shows that sustained, job-embedded professional learning communities produce greater teacher growth and student outcomes than isolated one-day workshops.
Question 3: A district case study reveals that its strategic plan goals are unmeasurable. Which SMART criteria element is most critically missing?
- Specific
- Measurable (Correct answer)
- Achievable
- Time-bound
Correct answer: Measurable
Measurability is the missing element when goals cannot be assessed quantitatively or qualitatively to determine progress or success.
Question 4: An Ed.D. candidate analyzes a case where teacher turnover is highest in Title I schools. Which theoretical lens most directly explains how working conditions drive this pattern?
- Social learning theory
- Organizational ecology theory (Correct answer)
- Expectancy-value theory
- Attribution theory
Correct answer: Organizational ecology theory
Organizational ecology theory examines how institutional environment, resources, and working conditions shape personnel retention and organizational survival.
Question 5: A case study school implements a new reading curriculum but student scores remain flat after two years. Which mixed-methods approach would best diagnose the implementation problem?
- Randomized controlled trial comparing two schools
- Fidelity observations paired with teacher interview data (Correct answer)
- Longitudinal survey of parent satisfaction
- Standardized pre/post testing of a control group
Correct answer: Fidelity observations paired with teacher interview data
Combining fidelity observations with teacher interviews reveals both whether the curriculum was implemented as designed and why deviations occurred.
Question 6: In a case study of a rural district, the Ed.D. researcher finds that community members distrust outsider-led reform. Which participatory approach should guide the research design?
- Experimental design with randomization
- Community-based participatory research (CBPR) (Correct answer)
- Delphi method with expert panels
- Quasi-experimental interrupted time series
Correct answer: Community-based participatory research (CBPR)
CBPR co-constructs research questions and methods with community members, building trust and ensuring local relevance and ownership.
Question 7: A case study finds that a school's improvement plan was written by administrators without teacher input. According to distributed leadership theory, what is the primary risk?
- The plan will exceed budget allocations
- Teachers will lack ownership and commitment to implementation (Correct answer)
- Parents will challenge the plan's legality
- State accountability measures will flag the school
Correct answer: Teachers will lack ownership and commitment to implementation
Distributed leadership theory holds that excluding practitioners from planning undermines their sense of ownership, reducing buy-in and implementation fidelity.
Ed.D. Doctor of Education Doctor of Education Case Study 2
A principal notices that Black and Hispanic students are disproportionately referred to special education.
Which case study analysis framework best addresses this systemic issue?