02/08/2024
By Zakkiyya Witherspoon
The School of Education invites you to attend a doctoral dissertation defense by Ross A. Thibault on “Equity in Excellence: Expanding Access and Achievement in Advanced Coursework."
Candidate: Ross A. Thibault
Degree: Doctoral- Leadership in Schooling
Defense Date: Wednesday, Feb. 21, 2024
Time: 9 a.m.
Location: Remote via Zoom
Thesis/Dissertation Title: Equity in Excellence: Expanding Access and Achievement in Advanced Coursework
Dissertation Committee
- Dissertation Chair: Phitsamay Uy, Ed.D., Associate Professor, Leadership in Schooling, Graduate Coordinator for Ed.D. Programs, & Co-Director of Center for Asian American Studies
- Committee Member: James Nehring, Ed D., Professor, Leadership in Schooling
- Committee Member: Christy Whittlesey, Adjunct Faculty, UML School of Education Ed.D. Program
Abstract
This three-manuscript dissertation in practice examined the disproportionate rate of enrollment in and completion of advanced coursework between all students and students belonging to historically marginalized groups at one mid-size suburban high school in Massachusetts. Manuscript 1 defines and frames the disparate rate of enrollment in and completion of advanced coursework as the problem of practice and investigates causal factors found in the literature as well as in the local context believed to be contributing to this excellence gap. Manuscript 2 offers a detailed case study of a rapid improvement Plan, Do, Study, Act (PDSA) cycle implemented to evaluate the efficacy of personalized conferencing as a means of eliminating the excellence gap. Manuscript 3 builds upon the knowledge gained from the PDSA cycle and makes recommendations for consideration by school leaders interested in eliminating the persistent excellence gap.