CPED Challenge Friday

Reimagining the EDD: A Scaffolded, Skill-building Model for Reclaiming Professional Impact

Date: Friday, February 20, 2026

Time: 1:00 - 2:00 PM ET 

In response to declining enrollment and shifting professional demands, our EdD program underwent a comprehensive redesign to better serve practitioner-scholars and fulfill the public promise of the doctorate in education. This session shares how we transformed our program by revising student learning outcomes, transitioning to a more flexible modality, and intentionally scaffolding the curriculum to ensure candidates build their dissertations as they progress. Participants will learn how we identified key leadership and research skills for 21st-century educators and embedded these competencies across our courses. Our redesign also centers the dissertation as a tool for real-time change, helping candidates take informed action within their professional contexts.

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Presenters:

Catherine McGeehan

Dr. Catherine McGeehan is a Professor of Education at Kutztown University where she serves as the Director of the Education Doctorate and Coordinator of the Reading Specialist and Instructional Coaching programs. She holds a B.S. in Elementary Education from Penn State University, a Master’s Degree in Education with Reading Specialist Certification from Cabrini College, and a Doctorate of Education in Reading from Widener University. Before making the transition to higher education, Catherine held many K-12 positions in both The Radnor Township School District and the School District of Philadelphia.  Her last K-12 position was “Literacy Coordinator” for the Radnor Township School District. Additionally, Catherine has co-written several peer reviewed articles and presented numerous times at the national, state and local levels. She currently serves as the Executive Secretary for the Association of Literacy Educators and Researchers (ALER).

Kathleen Stanfa

Kathleen Stanfa is an Associate Professor at Kutztown University of Pennsylvania where she prepares special education teachers and leaders. She spent ten years as classroom teacher, working primarily in urban schools in Los Angeles and New York City. She received a Ph.D. in Special Education from the University of Pittsburgh, a M.Ed. in Special Education from Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania, a M.A. in English from New York University, and a B.A. in English from UCLA. Her teaching and scholarship focus on literacy and the impact of poverty on education as well as confronting the social justice issues challenging public schools in the U.S. Dr. Stanfa has published research in peer-reviewed journals including Teaching Exceptional Children, Multiple Voices for Ethnically Diverse Exceptional Learners, Preventing School Failure and the Journal of Blindness Innovation and Research. As an active member of several national and regional associations, she has numerous conference presentations in the areas of literacy, culturally responsive teaching, and critical pedagogy.

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