EDLD 6060 – Current Issues in Special Education Leadership

COURSE OVERVIEW:

This course is a critical study of the contemporary and controversial issues within the field of special education leadership. Doctoral candidates will be introduced to the philosophical, psychological, and sociological basis of teacher education, including an analytical review of research-based curricula, programmatic innovations, policy issues and their effects, and ethical practices. Discussions will focus on evidence-based core concepts that contribute to effective program planning and future implications for the advancement of special education issues in schools.  I have taught the course EDLD 6060 7 times: (Spring-2019, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24 and 25).

SAMPLE SYLLABUS:

• Spring 2025

Sample Course Assignment:

• Literature Review

• Sample Exemplar Below 

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GRADE DISTRIBUTION

COURSE EVALUATIONS

Spring 2022 Evaluation Spring 2023 Evaluation Spring 2024 Evaluation

COURSE REVISION STATEMENT

Since first teaching EDLD 6060 in Spring 2019, I have revised the course to prepare doctoral candidates to critically analyze and influence the evolving landscape of special education. Initially structured as a broad study of contemporary controversies, the course has developed into a rigorous seminar where candidates synthesize research, evaluate policies, and design equity-focused solutions for schools and districts.

Over time, I strengthened the applied components by embedding policy analyses, equity audits, and research synthesis projects that require candidates to ground their work in both scholarship and practice. These revisions reflect the CEC Advanced Standards on Research and Inquiry (Standard 4) and Leadership and Policy (Standard 5), which call for advanced candidates to apply evidence, evaluate programs, and lead systemic improvement.

Because EDLD 6060 was designed and delivered fully online from its inception, it did not require the abrupt pandemic-related transitions that many other courses faced. Instead, it became a model that informed my own transition in other courses, giving me experience with virtual engagement strategies, digital collaboration tools, and online assessment methods before the pandemic. At the same time, the course provided an ideal platform for examining leadership challenges in real time, as candidates analyzed issues such as equitable access to virtual learning, the disproportionate impact of school closures on students with disabilities, and the role of advocacy in shaping district responses.

The course also aligns with the 2024 LADOE Teacher Preparation Competencies, particularly in leadership, ethics, and program accountability. Candidates practice using data for decision-making, evaluating special education programs, and addressing cultural and linguistic equity as part of their doctoral preparation.

Across the seven times I have taught this course, I have refined readings to highlight emerging research, scaffolded writing to strengthen scholarly argumentation, and expanded opportunities for peer-led seminars and applied policy projects. Candidate work has consistently demonstrated growth in their ability to critically evaluate research, articulate ethical frameworks, and propose reforms that advance equity in special education leadership.

Looking ahead, I plan to integrate collaborative policy labs with local education leaders, expand action research opportunities, and situate Louisiana’s context within national policy debates. These enhancements will ensure EDLD 6060 continues to prepare doctoral candidates as scholar-practitioners capable of leading transformative change in special education.