Dallas Baptist University Ed.D. in Educational Leadership K-12

What a special day celebrating Dr. A***n May and her final dissertation defense!

Dr. May's dissertation is titled “The Effects of a 4-Day School Week: A Focus on Student Success,” and her work discusses a very important topic: student success related to academics, attendance, and behavior as defined by ISS, OSS, and DAEP placements. Dr. May’s mixed methods study examined 7th grade reading and math STAAR scores for two years on the 5-day school week and for two years on the 4-day school week. She also looked at attendance and discipline for the same years. Additionally, Dr. May gathered survey data from 660+ students in grades 7-12 to gather student perceptions about how they utilize the extra day at home, their beliefs about the 4-day week’s impact on their academic success, and if they prefer the 4-day week. Students responded to eight questions that utilized a 1-5 Likert scale and five open ended questions to gather this student voice data.

Dr. May’s findings highlighted several important considerations districts and school systems can utilize if they are considering a change to a 4-day week schedule. Dr. May’s written dissertation is excellent, and she did an outstanding job in her final defense presentation! She was knowledgeable, poised, and compelling.

Congratulations, Dr. May! We are so proud of you.

Dr. May's Dissertation Committee was comprised of the following educators:
Dr. Phyllis Scott, Committee Chair
Dr. Kimberly Coppens, Committee Member
Dr. Sharon Lee, Committee Member
Dr. Sally Scoggins, Committee Member
Dr. Julie Leslie, Director of Research for EdD K-12
Dr. Larry McHaney, Director of EdD K-12
Dr. Neil Dugger, Founder of and Program Advisor for EdD K-12

Honoring the fallen today. “Greater love has no one than this…” • John 15:13

Grateful for the courage and sacrifice of those who served our nation.

Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. — John 15:13

Behind every dissertation is a story of perseverance, discipline, and determination. We celebrate those stories, and our incredible graduates who lived them.

Dr. De'Andre Carter (C22), Dr. Sheniqua Johnson (C22), Dr. Yvetta Stokes (C22), and Dr. Cathye Smith (C20), we are honored to celebrate each of you. What makes this moment meaningful is the community that carried you here. The strength in this program is found in its people, and our graduates truly embody excellence and a commitment to serving others.

This moment is well earned. Graduates, your impact is just beginning! Go forward and lead with purpose. CONGRATULATIONS!!!🤩

Today we celebrate Dr. Yvetta Stokes and her outstanding final dissertation defense!

Yvetta's research, titled Culturally Responsive School Leadership: Perspectives on Equity in Education, explores the critical role in advancing equity for students who have historically been underserved. Her research shines a light on both the promise and the challenge of this work, showing that while many school leaders are deeply committed to equity, there remains a gap between awareness and the sustained, systemic change our schools really need.

Through her research, Yvetta calls educational leaders toward a deeper reflection and a renewed commitment to fostering inclusive, responsive learning environments for every student. This kind of work matters, especially because leadership shapes culture, and culture shapes opportunity.

We are encouraged by the impact her research will have on schools, leaders, and communities. Congratulations, Dr. Stokes, on this wonderful accomplishment and the meaningful difference your work will continue to make! We're excited to celebrate you NEXT WEEK!

The following people served on Dr. Stokes Dissertation Committee:
Dr. Ericka Johnson, Dissertation Chair
Dr. Sharon Lee, Dissertation Committee Member
Dr. Sally Scoggins, Dissertation Committee Member
Dr. Julie Leslie, Director of Research for EdD K-12
Dr. Larry McHaney, Director of the EdD K-12 Program
Dr. Neil Dugger, Founder of and Advisor for the EdD K-12 Program

Colloquium 2026 was truly something special!

We celebrated our upcoming and recent graduates and honored recipients of the Servant Leadership and Outstanding Dissertation Awards.

A highlight of the morning was hearing from our alumni panel, who shared meaningful insight on leadership, AI, and growth in today's educational landscape. With over 240 graduates from our program, it's so encouraging to see the impact of our community across so many schools and districts.

We left feeling empowered, especially after Dr. Cathye Smith shared words of wisdom and the testimony of her perseverance. We're so grateful for everyone who joined us, even those from COHORT 1!

A special thanks to our panelists:
Dr. Pamela Brown (C8)
Dr. Courtney Carpenter (C10)
Dr. Andrea Chevalier (C14)
Dr. Troy Mooney (C9)
Dr. Kyle Penn (C8)

We look forward to seeing you next year!

DBU Giving Day is Tuesday, May 5!
Join us in supporting the College of Education Excellence Fund and helping prepare the next generation of educators and leaders. Every gift, no matter the size, makes an impact.
🔗 Give here:

DBU Giving Day 2026 Join me and make a gift to support DBU's mission this Giving Day!

Congratulations to Jenell Kenny of Cohort 23 on successfully defending her proposal! She was incredibly prepared, poised, and compelling. Her study, “Examining the Impact of Smartphone Restrictions on Middle‑School STAAR Mathematics Achievement,” will explore how strengthened smartphone policies influence student focus, learning environments, and math achievement by analyzing STAAR data alongside educator and administrator experiences. We are very excited to celebrate this important milestone as she advances meaningful research that supports evidence‑based decision‑making and student success.

Way to go, Jenell!

Colloquium 2026 is coming up! There's still time to RSVP: https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fforms.cloud.microsoft%2Fr%2FpnNDhSnZWU%3Ffbclid%3DIwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAYnJpZBExZkpwbm1GUTdYYURXT2M5dnNydGMGYXBwX2lkEDIyMjAzOTE3ODgyMDA4OTIAAR6EKqgpzVFGDF3wDEoR5Mr4Sa7v_jNbFvj0_W9KFv_2qiyut6fYwswJcC9TCQ_aem_DkaJHsgEwmr_GMtyP2t1Og&h=AT7byN9T30LUHJDO2Nhyai6eg2fgRNINcXNn7sdECUDA9oToelW1yAHdCRJqy-11DyfuQWw2PcrjxGKEFS-MrmW__vHtyTIur8sYVzAAFuxbUNWmjcIawoZfArcUy_ZxQWi5pDsSJDOO6BvO&__tn__=-UK-R&c[0]=AT7XtabPwc15RpRpu_YzTDexfJU1aNUqEEi7J8HOD4p2e6ebAfmrFHmdmY-8_ogBr8zWU6GEbtXJmwky-ZMtC_ddWAUtNeIXcTCS-cwxy8aJpAtFF6UYQokD9rZx47XU2bE0bpmDjCmTbR_V6bF3M7xC1feU0xq-DI7OdxYxczXr4c9vjNH37nwh21-oW9I0-DFXUy6w0GkeCekoqsqwreDzkk1Cna2lDf6ItkST9Q

Calling on All Current Students & Alumni!
You are invited to our upcoming Colloquium, one of the most meaningful gatherings of our academic year! Join us on Saturday, May 2nd, from 8:30am - 12:00pm in The Great Hall for a focused morning of leadership development, encouragement, and connection.

Colloquium is one of our favorite events of the year because it brings current students, graduates, and educational leaders from across K-12 districts. The morning will include a waffle breakfast bar, insights from a distinguished panel, opportunities to network and engage with district leaders, and a time to connect with colleagues who share your commitment to servant leadership in education.

This event is required for all currently enrolled students to receive program and summer coursework information, and alumni are strongly encouraged to attend the general session.

Please RSVP using this link: https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fforms.cloud.microsoft%2FPages%2FResponsePage.aspx%3Fid%3D1dmqXz2Ahk-wqbmRi58Zo4bbJV-4ucBNpKtMyOMVD4ZUNzhKSzdERlMwV0daU01KR0kwODQxTzJKVC4u&data=05%7C02%7Cjoallen%40dbu.edu%7Cb7eb11784f04465d7c3b08de9745ba40%7C5faad9d5803d4f86b0a9b9918b9f19a3%7C0%7C0%7C639114522890209895%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=FbE%2BZ%2FjET0wyQ9l5C2v5DxIkcFMnv8FInVE13UW0uDg%3D&reserved=0

It's not too late to sign up! We'd love to see you at Colloquium on May 2nd! https://forms.cloud.microsoft/r/pnNDhSnZWU

Calling on All Current Students & Alumni!
You are invited to our upcoming Colloquium, one of the most meaningful gatherings of our academic year! Join us on Saturday, May 2nd, from 8:30am - 12:00pm in The Great Hall for a focused morning of leadership development, encouragement, and connection.

Colloquium is one of our favorite events of the year because it brings current students, graduates, and educational leaders from across K-12 districts. The morning will include a waffle breakfast bar, insights from a distinguished panel, opportunities to network and engage with district leaders, and a time to connect with colleagues who share your commitment to servant leadership in education.

This event is required for all currently enrolled students to receive program and summer coursework information, and alumni are strongly encouraged to attend the general session.

Please RSVP using this link: https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fforms.cloud.microsoft%2FPages%2FResponsePage.aspx%3Fid%3D1dmqXz2Ahk-wqbmRi58Zo4bbJV-4ucBNpKtMyOMVD4ZUNzhKSzdERlMwV0daU01KR0kwODQxTzJKVC4u&data=05%7C02%7Cjoallen%40dbu.edu%7Cb7eb11784f04465d7c3b08de9745ba40%7C5faad9d5803d4f86b0a9b9918b9f19a3%7C0%7C0%7C639114522890209895%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=FbE%2BZ%2FjET0wyQ9l5C2v5DxIkcFMnv8FInVE13UW0uDg%3D&reserved=0

Congratulations to Ashley Carter on successfully defending her proposal!

Ashley's research explores Parents' Perceptions of Kindergarten Readiness in a North Texas School District, highlighting how academic, social-emotional, and behavioral expectations shape early school transitions. By focusing on parent voice, her study has the potential to strengthen alignment, communication, and support for families and schools.

We are so proud of this important milestone! Ashley, we can't wait to see the impact your findings will bring!

Help us congratulate Ashley!