CANDEL Publishes Journal Issue on the Impact and Importance of Ed.D. Programs

Faculty and alumni of the UC Davis Capital Area North Doctorate in Educational Leadership (CANDEL) program have published a themed issue of Impacting Education: Journal on Transforming Professional Practice. This special August 2024 issue, Voices from CANDEL: Leading for Equity and the Scholar-Practitioner Journey, responds to a gap in research by scholar-practitioners informing the field of educational leadership and underscores the critical importance of a doctorate in education (Ed.D.) for fostering equity-driven leadership.

“All of these authors have reflected deeply and passionately about their experiences in the program,” write guest co-editors Professor Elizabeth Montaño and Professor Rosaisela Rodriguez in the issue’s introduction. “They provide insights into their leadership and how being a scholar-practitioner has enabled them to attack complex organizational and institutional issues with both research and practical skills.”

Sixteen CANDEL faculty and alumni contributed the 11 articles in Voices from CANDEL, offering a unique mix of perspectives from scholars and leaders in P-12, community college and university settings. Together, they share how the program prepares alumni to use research to inform their everyday practice, transform their leadership abilities, make changes in their institutions and impact the state of education.

The chapters include:

“Introduction to Impacting Education Themed Issue”
Rosaisela Rodriguez, Elizabeth Montaño

“Reflections on the Education Doctorate: A Traditionally Untraditional Journey”
LeAnn Fong-Batkin

“The Exigency of Centering Equity in Educational Leadership Development: A Journey Through CANDEL”
Alison Sanders

“The Power of Writing in Community: Being Seen and Supported in an Ed.D. Journey”
Marney Randle, C. Inez Anders, molly m. heck

“Challenging the Notion of the Pipeline Problem in STEM”
Rebecca K. Andersen

“Centering Equity in Teacher Education Research Through Pláticas Con Maestras”
Margarita Jiménez-Silva, Marissa Luna Lopez

“Qualitative Data in the Driving Seat: Applying Qualitative Methods in High School”
Siobhan Reilley

“Considering the Impact of Standardized Testing on Workforce Diversity”
Lyndon Huling, Cynthia Sommer, Ira Young

“The Impact of Research and the Power of Data: Leveraging data as a scholar practitioner to drive decision making for equity!”
Ebony E. Lewis

“Centering Educational Equity in a Primary Leadership Role”
Andrea Rodriguez

“Supporting Latinx First-Generation Professionals”
Enrique Velasco Fuentes

“Equity in Action in Community College Leadership”
Neue Y. Leung

Voices from CANDEL is intended to promote dialogue between educational leaders from public schools, community colleges, state and local educational agencies and many other organizations supporting the education field. Divided into three actionable sections that cover leadership development, research and equity, the issue invites readers to carry the authors’ stories into their own work as scholar-practitioners.

Voices from CANDEL reflects the UC Davis program’s larger mission to advance educational equity and social justice by preparing transformative leaders to enact systemic change through advocacy and critical, collaborative, inquiry-centered and timely action. Recent program alumni have gone on to foster change at community colleges, universities, and government agencies.