Curriculum, Assessment and Instruction

Masters in Curriculum, Assessment and Instruction (M.Ed in CA&I)

Education Specialist in Curriculum, Assessment and Instruction (Ed.S in CA&I)

Doctor of Philosophy in Education Schools and Communities (Ph.D in in CA&I)

Degree overview

The CA&I programs are designed for practicing teachers and/or those with existing teaching licenses. For individuals with an undergraduate degree in a subject other than education or who do not have a teaching license, UMaine offers a Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) program.

Program Overview
The graduate programs in Curriculum, Assessment and Instruction are designed for elementary, middle and high school teachers, who want to assume more responsibility and larger leadership roles while continuing a career in the classroom. These programs (M.Ed. and Ed.S.) are designed to help teachers enhance learning and development of students, while addressing state and federal standards in the areas of curriculum, assessment and instruction. The Education Schools and Communities (ESC) Ph.D. is designed to prepare practicing teachers and leaders who can lead systemic change in educational and community settings and promote equitable opportunities for children, adolescents, and adults. This will support innovation and greater collaboration both within the college and within schools and communities across Maine.

For additional information about the program, please contact: coehd@maine.edu.

Master’s of Education (M.Ed.)

The Master of Education (M.Ed.) program in Curriculum, Assessment and Instruction is designed for teachers who want to assume more responsibility and larger leadership roles while continuing a career in the classroom.

The degree requires a minimum of 33 credit hours and is offered either completely online or through a combination of online and on-campus courses. The following six online courses (18 credits) are required of all students:

EHD 519 - Formative Assessments: Research, Practice and Policy
EHD 521 - Classroom Practice to Improve Learning
EHD 533 - Dynamics of the Curriculum
EHD 541 - Prevention and Intervention in School Settings: Social Emotional Learning
EHD 586 - Seminar: Action Research in PreK-12 Schools - offered Fall only.
EHD 587 - Practicum: Action Research in PreK-12 Schools - offered Spring only.

Students select an area of specialization. They may choose one of the existing Graduate Certificates as a specialization or create an individually designed specialization in consultation with an advisor. Students currently enrolled in a master’s degree program through the Graduate School who wish to pursue an approved graduate certificate program simultaneously must apply for admission to the certificate program before one-half of the required credits are completed. There will be no additional charge for this application once an application has been made to the CA&I M.Ed.

Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports: RTI for Behavior (9 credits)
High Leverage Practices to Support Inclusion (12 credits)
Instructional Design (12 credits)
Classroom Technology Integrationist (12 credits)
Early Childhood Teacher (12 credits)
Teacher Leadership (12 credits)
Library and Media Specialist (15 credits)
Computational Thinking for Educators (12 credits)
Individually designed concentration (9-15 credits to be created in consultation with advisor)

One’s area of specialization plus elective credits must equal 15 credits so if the area of specialization has 9 credits, 6 credits of electives (or courses brought in) are required. If the area of specialization equals 15 credits, there are no electives.

Education Specialist (Ed.S.)

The Education Specialist (Ed.S.) provides a cohesive program of professional development beyond the master’s level for educational specialists. A master’s degree in the Ed.S. subject matter or related area is required for admission. The program of study is individually planned by the student and the student’s advisor. For candidates with a master’s degree in the subject matter, a minimum of 30 credit hours of work beyond the master’s level is required to earn the Ed.S. Candidates without a master’s degree in the subject matter will be required to complete additional credits beyond the program’s minimum degree requirements. Candidates must complete a minimum of 12 semester hours in professional education coursework at the 500- and/or 600-level at the University of Maine. Students also are required to complete a capstone experience, such as an action research project or internship.

All work for the Ed.S. must be completed within six years.

Ph.D. Program in Education, Schools, and Communities (Ph.D.)

The ESC Ph.D. will prepare practicing teachers and leaders who can lead systemic change in educational and community settings and promote equitable opportunities for children, adolescents, and adults. This will support innovation and greater collaboration both within the college and within schools and communities across Maine.

Objectives:

Prepare educators and community service providers to assume leadership positions in school and community agencies.
Prepare students to teach, lead, and conduct research in P-12 schools, community, or higher education settings, particularly those serving rural communities.
Offer coursework through distance modalities, making it accessible to students throughout Maine and beyond, including those in remote rural areas.
Address the educational needs of working professionals seeking part-time doctoral preparation.
Provide hands-on experience in grant writing and project management.
Create a flexible program that builds on the COEHD’s existing graduate coursework and Ph.D. programs, with the intent of growing and stabilizing enrollment across doctoral programs.

Academic Coursework: The curriculum consists of 15 required foundational course credits, 12 required research core credits plus a research elective, 9 required program core credits, and two interdisciplinary elective credits combined with comprehensive exams, responsible conduct of research, a research practicum, and a dissertation.

Research Prerequisites: EHD 510 Introduction to Educational Research; INT 601: Responsible Conduct of Research

Program Core: (minimum 15 credit hours). This section may vary by student. Some students may choose the Program core (9 credits) + Interdisciplinary Electives (6 credits). Program Core Course must be at the EdS or doctoral level in CA&I. Students can choose to complete the 15 hours of Program Core coursework entirely from the Core, however, some students may be interested in interdisciplinary electives connected to our other College of Education and Human Development doctoral subplans in Literacy, STEM, SPED and P&I.

2. Research Methods (minimum 15 credit hours). Students are required to complete a minimum of 15 hours selected from courses in consultation with their doctoral program committee. Courses might include EHD 571 (Qualitative Research: Theory, Design, and Practice), EHD 572 (Advanced Qualitative Research), EHD 573 (Statistical Methods in Education I), and EHD 574 (Statistical Methods in Education II) plus Research Methods Elective.

3. Foundations Coursework (minimum 15 credit hours) Students are required to take five courses in foundations of education, from EHD 621 (Educational Psychology), EHD 660 (History of American Education), EHD 661 (The Sociology of Education), EHD 663 (Comparative and International Education), EHD 664 (Philosophy of Education), EHD 601 (Doctoral Proseminar). Students are also responsible for INT 601 (Responsible Conduct of Research).