Department Research Profile

The Department of Educational Leadership is one of the largest producers of school leaders in the state of Georgia. Department programs are consistently ranked nationally as “Most Affordable” and “Best Value Online.” The Ed.D. in Educational Leadership is ranked among the “Top Education Degrees in Online Programs.” The Department currently houses 30% of Doctoral Students at KSU and approximately 25% of Graduate Students in the Bagwell College of Education. Department faculty are regularly sought out as consultants by partner school districts for their expertise in Leadership Preparation; faculty have been invited to present research on principal pipelines and gender pay equity to state organizations. They have served in P-12 education, including roles as principals, area superintendents, and district administrative staff. Faculty hold academic credentials from flagship institutions. Several faculty hold credentials in Professional Coaching.

EDL faculty have expertise in the broad areas of Educational Leadership and Higher Education Administration. Specific areas of expertise include research in the following areas: Principal and Teacher Preparation and Evaluation; Grief Leadership and Trauma-Informed Leadership Practices in Organizational Settings; Human Resources; Student Affairs Standards and Practice; Digital Communities of Practice in Educational Leadership; Improvement of Standardized Testing for English Language Learners; Global/International Education and Sustainability in K-16 Contexts; Independent and Charter Schools Leadership; Contemporary and Historical Leadership Paradigms; P-20 collaborations; State Educational Policy; and Health and Well-Being of Historically Marginalized and Underrepresented Faculty, Staff, and Students Across the P-20 Continuum. Department Grant funding includes a NSF Grant for $445,000 on the topic of Preparing a STEM Workforce and co-partnered with faculty from Virginia Tech and the University of Florida. Exploring Teacher-Leader Development in a Virtual Community of Practice was submitted for $25,000 by QSR International, and Ecology of Black Women School Leaders was awarded a Bagwell College of Education Grant of $2,500.