Education Policy and Leadership

The newly formed Department of Teaching and Learning, Policy and Leadership is the merger of the Department of Curriculum and Instruction, the Department of Education Policy Studies and the program in Organizational Leadership and Policy Studies, formerly in the Department of Leadership, International, and Higher Education.

The Division of Education Policy and Leadership situates the study of education in the broader social context and brings an array of discipline-based perspectives and research methodologies to the examination of education issues, policies, and practices.  Through its programs of research, teaching, and public service, this division seeks to engender a deeper understanding of the complexities embedded in efforts to improve the quality and equity of educational experiences. More specifically the division seeks to enhance our knowledge of policy and leadership as catalysts for social change and to develop the scholarly habits of mind required to develop courses of action that strengthen our education systems and advance the collective good. The division prepares graduate students to assume a variety of roles including scholars, policy analysts, and leaders in a variety of education-related settings, and contributes to teacher education and undergraduate general education through course offerings in the foundations of education, curriculum theory, and the role of education in a pluralistic and interdependent world. By working collaboratively with school systems and other organizations, the division seeks to develop partnerships dedicated to informing education policy and practice at the local, state, national, and global levels.