Doctoral Preparation Programs in Educational Administration: The Status of Reform in Four Midwestern Universities

Abstract

This study examined reform in educational administration preparation pro grams. A review of literature and telephone interviews with key informants at four exem plar universities identified benchmarks to assess the degree of reform at four doctoral granting Midwestern universities. Multiple methods of inquiry included (a) document re view of programmatic information, (b) telephone interviews with personnel at exemplar programs, (c) personal interviews with twenty-one of twenty-three professors at the four institutions, and (d) four focus groups that included fifty-two students enrolled at the in stitutions. Three major themes emerged from analysis of data: political, professorial, and curricular. These themes provide the framework that describes the extent to which four composite universities have reformed their programs. The four universities ranged from isolation in reform efforts to institutionalization of reform efforts. The article con cludes with considerations for those seeking to reform educational administration preparation programs, discusses the significance of the findings and their relationship to the change process, and identifies needs for future research.