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History and Mission of an Innovative Program
The Ph.D. Program in Education began in
1995 as collaboration between Rhode Island College and the University of
Rhode Island. Start-up funding for
the Program came from a generous grant from the Feinstein Foundation, which
has provided extensive support for programs to enhance Rhode
Island's public and private schools, colleges,
and universities. In recognition of
the Foundation’s central role in launching the Joint Ph.D. Program in
Education, its students are known as “Feinstein Fellows.”
This
cooperative program, in addition to drawing on the resources of two strong
institutions, has several other features that distinguish it from most
doctoral programs in education nationwide.
It has a very specific and clearly designed focus, which applies to
all of its students. It has been
designed for the crucial mission of preparing leaders of effective,
research-based, educational reform. These leaders will be trained to
integrate three essential roles:
Analytic
Thinkers--who can assess current
practices and their historical roots;
Expert Collaborators--who can work with
others to design and implement innovative programs;
Applied
Researchers--who can rigorously
evaluate new
educational programs and
practices.
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