Deasy's Easy Degree raises questions about Doctoral Quality

This from the Washington Post:

In Most School Districts, the Doctor Is in Charge,

but Some Question Degree

Most top school officials in the Washington area -- and a growing number across the country -- hold doctorates, even though some experts contend the advanced degrees are often too easy to obtain and of questionable value for education leadership.

Questions about the academic credentials of superintendents arose anew after the University of Louisville began an investigation of a PhD in education it granted four years ago to John E. Deasy, now superintendent in Prince George's County.

Nationally, the percentage of superintendents who hold an education-related PhD or the education doctorate known as an EdD rose from 36 percent in 1992 to about 51 percent in 2006, according to the American Association of School Administrators. An exception to this trend in the Washington area is D.C. Schools Chancellor Michelle A. Rhee, who holds a master's degree in public policy.

Superintendents and many academics say the doctoral programs teach vital management and statistical skills while providing an intellectual challenge. But critics say the programs mostly provide financial rewards -- for the universities that collect tuition and for educators who pick up a credential that helps them earn a higher salary and a "doctor" title...

...Other superintendents' transcripts have come under scrutiny. On Sept. 3, the board of the Emery Unified School District in California accepted the resignation of a superintendent who reportedly lied about having a doctorate and other degrees. On Sept. 8, a superintendent in New Jersey, H. James Wasser, said he would stop using the "doctor" title and give up a $2,500 annual pay raise for a doctorate awarded from a suspected diploma mill...

...The value of doctoral programs in education has long been debated. The difference between the EdD and the more research-oriented PhD is often murky. James G. Cibulka, the president of the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education, said administrators and researchers pursue EdDs and PhDs in education, resulting in unfocused programs and what Cibulka called "utter confusion."

He said efforts are underway to sharpen the distinction between the degrees, but the mixture of scholarly and professional students contributed to "uneven" quality in student work...