UWG
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UWG's first doctoral degree candidate
May 7, 2004
CARROLLTON,
GA - There is one person who stood a little taller than all the graduates
at the University of West Georgia’s spring graduation ceremony.
Ann Baker is the University’s first graduate of the Doctor of Education
program in School Improvement.
Baker received her undergraduate degree from UWG, and did post-graduate work in school administration there also.
“I love the smaller, more personal aspect of UWG,” she said. “Most importantly, I love being a pioneer, and the opportunity to be in the first Doctoral program was intriguing to me. I had applied and was accepted at other schools, but UWG was my first choice.”
She is a 30-year veteran of the public school system, serving as a school administrator for the last ten years. Her experiences of four different schools and four different socio-economic levels of students gave her the affiliation with a variety of strategies, techniques and methods in an effort to improve student achievement.
“My studies at UWG not only increased my knowledge of the subject, but helped me to form more specific ideas and opinions about the processes that bring about school effectiveness,” she noted. “I feel that my doctorate, along with my 30 years of experience, has given me a solid base with which to approach school improvement in poverty areas.”
UWG’s Ed.D. in School Improvement focuses on preparing school administrators and instructional leaders who can initiate and model effective teaching and learning and who can effect and sustain a systematic culture of change in schools. The 60-credit hour program is designed for school personnel who will complete the program in the evenings, on weekends, and during the summers through various delivery systems.
“This program is unique in the country,” explained Dr. Deborah Jenkins, professor of curriculum and instruction. “Students see us as a University with no walls or no departments because we utilize faculty from across the campus in areas like the Arts and Sciences and Business.”
The major strands of study which include expanded knowledge about teaching and learning for a diverse student population, effective use of research data and student assessments, development of leadership abilities, and incorporation of effective instructional technologies, will result in proven ability to design, implement, and evaluate school improvement projects.
A variety of assessments are used to measure candidates’ competencies including the development and presentation of a portfolio, a school improvement project, and a school-based dissertation.
Baker completed a dissertation titled, Women Educational Leaders: Beliefs, Practices and Leadership Characteristics for School Improvement. She focused on a study of principals in schools that had shown an above average improvement in student achievement, and specifically looked at the gender differences in leadership style.
“I found that the female administrators spent more of their time on curriculum and instruction while males spent more of their time on management and operations,” she said. “The females were more likely to be collaborative and ranked credibility and trust at higher levels than did the males. There are increasing numbers of female school administrators and I wanted to provide information that would be helpful to them in leading their school to higher achievement levels.”
Two years into the program, Baker was involved in a serious car accident that caused her to reorder her life’s priorities.
“Having 30 years in public education, I decided to retire and pursue the doctorate, she noted. “Now that I have it completed, my first priority is to take a nice long break to spend time with my family.”
Her plans for the future include continuing working in higher education, beginning consulting in the area of school improvement, becoming more involved in international educational organizations and writing.
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