The vision of this program is to prepare transformational leaders who will become change agents committed and prepared to improve the quality of learning communities and learning across the life span.
We welcome your interest in our programs! Our students develop their abilities to plan learning programs for both adults and K-12 settings; help communities in capacity-building; orchestrate professional development activities; foster learning for advocacy, action, and social justice; improve organizational capabilities; and conduct research in these settings and beyond. Our students provide leadership through research, scholarly contributions, and participation in a wide variety of positions across the field of education and around the world.
Students learn to team with faculty and field professionals beyond classroom experiences as demonstrated in our most recent student contributions. To see a preview of our current faculty research interests click here.
 Click here to watch and listen to a recent graduate talk about her experiences in the PhD Program Dr. Leticia Romero Grimaldo is project manager for the Texas Institute for the Acquisition of Language for Learning, which assists schools throughout the state with their programs of instruction for English language learners (ELLs) through technical assistance and professional development. She is also an adjunct professor for Texas State University–San Marcos, where she teaches master's-level courses in instructional supervision and professional development within the Education and Community Leadership Program. She has published manuscripts in the Journal of School Leadership and Journal of Educational Research & Policy Studies. Previously, she worked as a statewide coordinator for the Vaughn Gross Center for Reading and Language Arts at The University of Texas at Austin. In this role, she provided technical assistance to Reading First state, district, and campus educators in reading and ELL instruction and developed professional development on various topics, such as strategies for ELLs and facilitating change in schools. Leticia Romero Grimaldo, Ph.D. | Project Manager Texas Institute for the Acquisition of Language for Learning Meadows Center for Preventing Educational Risk |
In the News…
Click here to view upcoming conference opportunities to present and meet with fellow professionals within the field
Wendy Francik, a spring graduate of the APCE Program, received the prestigious Outstanding Graduate Student Research Award for 2013 at the Adult Education Research Conference for her dissertation research, THE NATURE OF SELF-DIRECTED LEARNING AND TRANSFORMATIONAL LEARNING IN SELF-MANAGING BIPOLAR DISORDER TO STAY WELL. This prestigious award is made annually to a single graduate student selected at the Adult Education Research Conference, the premier research conference in the field of Adult Education held in the U.S. Participants and papers selected for the conference come from around the world. Notably, Wendy completed her studies at Texas State as a part-time doctoral student while maintaining demanding positions in a state agency.
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School Improvement doctoral students participated in a Writer’s Retreat facilitated by faculty at the Balcones Springs Conference Center in Marble Falls from April 11-14. The retreat began Thursday evening and continued through Sunday morning, involving students who are working on the dissertation process. The goal of the retreat was to provide a collegial environment conducive to intensive dissertation writing, faculty mentoring, and peer support.
Adult Education Quarterly (AEQ) is a quarterly scholarly refereed journal committed to advancing the understanding and practice of adult and continuing education. AEQ aims to stimulate a problem-oriented, critical approach to research and practice, with an increasing emphasis on interdisciplinary and international perspectives. Innovative and provocative scholarship informed by diverse orientations and methodologies is encouraged.
Congratulations to Chaitra McGrew
Chaitra McGrew (School Improvement, Cohort 11) has been named a Public School Research Scholar by the CREATE Consortium (Center for Research, Evaluation, and Advancement of Teacher Education). The Public School Research Scholars program involves seminars and funding intended to support the doctoral research projects of public school professionals working in areas related to educational quality and effectiveness. CREATE is a consortium of universities in the Texas A&M, Texas State, University of Texas, and University of Houston systems and an additional 23 public and private Texas universities. Chaitra is one of 8 doctoral students selected from amongst these universities, based on the quality of her proposed dissertation project.
Dr. Joellen Coryell was presented with the 2012 Early Career Award from the Commission of Professors of Adult Education at the American Association of Adult and Continuing Education Conference. Dr. Coryell is an assistant professor in the APCE Program. Dr. Coryell was recently named as one of the Top 25 Texas Education Professors by Online Schools in Texas.
A DECADE OF TEACHING, RESEARCH, AND SERVICE
A Celebration of the 10th Anniversary of Texas State University’s Ph.D. Programs in APCE and SI
Dr Tom Cox
Doctor of Philosophy
Major in Education – Adult, Professional, and Community Education
Dissertation Title: Exploring Learner-Centeredness: A Study of an American Sign Language Interpreter Training Program
Research Professor: Dr. Ann Brooks
Department of Counseling, Leadership, Adult Education and School Psychology
Dr. Anna Bustameante
Doctor of Philosophy
Major in Education – Adult, Professional, and Community Education
Dissertation Title: Validation of the Simple Activity Measure (SAM) in College Physical Activity Classes
Elementary Teachers in Multilingual Classrooms
Research Professor: Dr. Steve Furney
Department of Counseling, Leadership, Adult Education and School Psychology
Dr. Kenyatta Dawson
Doctor of Philosophy
Major in Education – Adult, Professional, and Community Education
Dissertation Title: Measuring the Ivory Tower: Career Satisfaction among Faculty of Color
Integrated with Developmental Reading and Dental Science
Research Professor: Dr. Robert Reardon
Department of Counseling, Leadership, Adult Education and School Psychology
Dr. Karon Henderson
Doctor of Philosophy
Major in Education – School Improvement
Dissertation Title: The Micropolitics of Educational Policy: The Intersection of Policy, Practice, and Ontology of White English-Speaking Elementary Teachers in Multilingual Classrooms
Research Professor: Dr. Miguel Guajardo
Department of Counseling, Leadership, Adult Education and School Psychology
Dr. Brenda G. Henry
Doctor of Philosophy
Major in Education – School Improvement
Dissertation Title: Resurgence of the Spirit: A Qualitative Study of African American Women's Experiences in Doctoral Study
Research Professor: Dr. Miguel Guajardo
Department of Counseling, Leadership, Adult Education and School Psychology
Dr. Patricia Hiller
Doctor of Philosophy
Major in Education – Adult, Professional, and Community Education
Dissertation Title: A Look at How African-American Mothers Adapt to the Imprisonment of an Adult Son and the Impact on their Identities and Relationships
Research Professor: Dr. Jovita Ross-Gordon
Department of Counseling, Leadership, Adult Education and School Psychology
Dr. Pamela B Johnson
Doctor of Philosophy
Major in Education - School Improvement
Dissertation Title: A Grounded Theory Study on Leaders Who Lead by Learning: Publically and Purposefully
Research Professor: Dr. Duncan Waite
Department of Counseling, Leadership, Adult Education, and School Psychology
Dr. Gregory Rodriguez
Doctor of Philosophy
Major in Education - School Improvement
Dissertation Title: Perceptions within a Virtual Community of Practice: A Q-Method Study
Research Professor: Dr. Duncan Waite
Department of Counseling, Leadership, Adult Education, and School Psychology
Dr. Sylvia Segura
Doctor of Philosophy
Major in Education – School Improvement
Dissertation Title: Examining the Lived Experiences of Principals Who Use Literacy as an Intentional School Improvement Effort
Research Professor: Dr. Sarah W. Nelson
Department of Counseling, Leadership, Adult Education and School Psychology
Dr. Mark Weems
Doctor of Philosophy
Major in Education – Adult, Professional, and Community Education
Dissertation Title: Voices From the Field: Stories of Social Justice Principals
Research Professor: Dr. Sarah Nelson
Department of Counseling, Leadership, Adult Education and School Psychology
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