Ed.D. Doctor of Education Doctor of Education Case Study 4 â Questions and Answers
Question 1: A case study examines a university that implemented a diversity hiring initiative but retention of faculty of color remained low. Which concept best explains this outcome?
- Glass ceiling effect
- Tokenism and institutional culture mismatch (Correct answer)
- Affirmative action backlash
- Credential gap hypothesis
Correct answer: Tokenism and institutional culture mismatch
Tokenism theory explains that without structural and cultural change, underrepresented faculty hired through diversity initiatives face isolation and leave, regardless of recruitment success.
Question 2: An Ed.D. student analyzing a case study must distinguish between program outputs and outcomes. A tutoring program reports 500 tutoring sessions completed. This is an example of:
- An outcome
- An impact metric
- An output (Correct answer)
- A formative assessment result
Correct answer: An output
Outputs are the products of program activities (sessions completed), while outcomes measure the effect on participants (e.g., improved reading scores).
Question 3: A case study school implements Universal Design for Learning (UDL). Which pillar of UDL addresses providing students multiple means of expressing what they know?
- Multiple means of representation
- Multiple means of action and expression (Correct answer)
- Multiple means of engagement
- Multiple means of assessment
Correct answer: Multiple means of action and expression
UDL's 'multiple means of action and expression' pillar ensures students can demonstrate knowledge through writing, speaking, drawing, or other modalities.
Question 4: In a case study, a school board votes to close an underenrolled elementary school in a predominantly Black neighborhood despite community opposition. Which legal doctrine requires the board to demonstrate nondiscriminatory intent?
- Title IX of the Education Amendments
- Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment (Correct answer)
- Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
- Every Student Succeeds Act
Correct answer: Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment
The Equal Protection Clause prohibits state actors, including school boards, from making decisions that intentionally discriminate on the basis of race.
Question 5: A case study reveals a principal consistently attributes student failure to students' home environments. Which cognitive bias does this reflect?
- Confirmation bias
- Fundamental attribution error (Correct answer)
- Availability heuristic
- In-group favoritism
Correct answer: Fundamental attribution error
The fundamental attribution error is the tendency to overweight dispositional or situational factors external to the school when explaining student outcomes, absolving the institution.
Question 6: A district case study shows that its bilingual education program was dismantled under pressure from an English-only ballot initiative. Which federal protection was potentially violated?
- Title I of ESEA
- Lau v. Nichols and the Equal Educational Opportunities Act (Correct answer)
- Plyler v. Doe ruling
- Title III bilingual grant requirements
Correct answer: Lau v. Nichols and the Equal Educational Opportunities Act
Lau v. Nichols and the EEOA require districts to take affirmative steps to overcome language barriers, and eliminating bilingual supports without adequate alternatives may violate these mandates.
Question 7: An Ed.D. dissertation case study uses member checking to enhance trustworthiness. Which qualitative validity criterion does member checking most directly address?
- Transferability
- Dependability
- Credibility (Correct answer)
- Confirmability
Correct answer: Credibility
Member checkingâsharing findings with participants for verificationâdirectly strengthens credibility by confirming the researcher's interpretations accurately reflect participants' experiences.
Ed.D. Doctor of Education Doctor of Education Case Study 4
A case study examines a university that implemented a diversity hiring initiative but retention of faculty of color remained low.
Which concept best explains this outcome?