Two Leander ISD employees will be part of the first class ever to receive doctorate degrees conferred by Concordia University Texas, according to a press release from the university.
Jim Rose, Running Brushy Middle School principal, and Sarah Martinez, LISD director of research and program evaluation, will receive their Doctor of Education degrees from the Northwest Austin university during its Dec. 7 commencement. They are part of a 14-student class that will receive CU's first doctorates, according to the release.
Rose’s dissertation was titled “Middle School Scheduling for Social-Emotional Learning and Academic Success,” while Martinez’s dissertation was called “A Mixed-Methods Study of the Effects of Implementation of Professional Learning Communities by Collaborative Teams on Elementary Student Academic Achievement and Growth.”
According to the release, in 2017, Concordia and LISD partnered to start a master’s degree program entitled “Aspiring Leaders," in which graduate students meet at Cedar Park High School with Concordia and LISD educators. Through that program, 13 LISD employees are scheduled to receive master's degrees during the December commencement, according to Concordia spokesperson Sue Ellen Jackson.
A private, liberal arts university, Concordia University Texas is part of the Concordia University System, which is composed of eight colleges and universities operated by the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, according to the release. More than 36,000 students are enrolled nationwide in Concordia schools, according to the release.
