Keeping In TOUCH Dr. Joseph Deardorff retires as Dean of Ed.D. Program Dr. Joe Deardorff, Dean of the Doctoral Studies program has announced his retirement effective July 2008. Joe plans to spend time traveling including three months in warmer weather. Dr. Deardorff came to Wilmington University Caption describing picture or graphic. to help create both a Masters and a Bachelors program in Career and Technical Education. Shortly after the programs were approved and initiated, he was appointed as the Dean of Doctoral Studies. During the 4 ½ years that he served as the Dean of the program, a concentration in Organizational Leadership was added to the existing Educational Leadership concentration in the Ed. D. program. The Educational Leadership program meanwhile has been significantly modified to include rigorous standards-based coursework that addresses the requirements for NCATE accreditation which the Division of Education received in 2007. He formerly served as the Superintendent of the New Castle County Vocational ogram at Wilmington University Technical School District where he previously had experience as its Deputy Superintendent and high school principal. He retired from the school district after 35 years of service and joined the faculty at Wilmington University in July 2003. Second ISSUE JULY, 2008 Special points of interest: More points of interest ∗ P. 2-3 ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT. * P. 11-14 PRESENTATIONS ∗ ∗ P. 4 FROM THE DEAN’S CHAIR. P. 15-17 PUBLICATIONS. ∗ ∗ P. 5 COHORT SPOTLIGHT P. 18-19 AWARDS / HONORS ∗ ∗ P. 6-10 TRANSITIONS. P. 20-21 FINAL DEFENSES In progress In progress PREPARING FOR GRADUATION 2008 A publication from the Ed.d. pr A publication ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT from the Ed.d. program at Wilmington Dr. Jennifer School. Dr. Jennifer Lavender and Dr. University Lavender (W) is James Lavender married while members of returning to teaching Cohort 12. They are the parents of three in January after a long children: Avery, Age 8; Madison, Age 4; Wilson Graduate Center maternity leave. She and Jessica, Age 1. See picture below Dover will be entering her 11th year teaching taken a few months ago. See spotlight on Georgetown Social Studies at Garnet Valley High Dr. James Lavender on page 3. Tel: 302 295 1124 Fax: 302 295 1128 E-mail: [email protected] Find us on the web! www.wilmu.edu Nominate someone you’d like to see featured in the “Alumni Spotlight”. Send your nominations to Ann Gibason, Wilson Graduate Center. Volume 1, Issue 2 [email protected] July, 2008 Managing Editor Linda H. Frazer, Ph.D., 2 ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT Dr. James J. Lavender (W) Dr. Lavender concluded that begins his third year as the 93% of the students who had superintendent of schools and looped possessed the requisite business administrator for the skills to be successful readers and 97% of them were Gibbsboro School District. The prepared for kindergarten. In early 2008, Dr. Lavender’s district is located in Gibbsboro, work was published as a monograph by VDM Verlag and is Camden County, NJ and is best entitled, “Looping Through Preschool: The Benefits of known for its small class sizes, strong community support, Looping on Kindergarten Readiness” and is currently and academic excellence, all of which Dr. Lavender is available at www.amazon.de. proud to have encouraged in addition to his effective In his hometown of Woolwich Township, NJ, Dr. financial management of the district. Lavender has served his community as an elected official Dr. Lavender previously served as the Director of Early since 2005. As the township’s Deputy Mayor, Dr. Childhood Education for the Gloucester City School Lavender has been entrusted to govern the fastest growing District in Gloucester City, New Jersey. Under Dr. municipality in the entire state. Dr. Lavender also serves as Lavender’s leadership, the Early Childhood Program a member of the Boards of Education for the Gloucester earned a near perfect Compliancy Rating by the County Special Services School District (GCSSSD) and the Department of Education – Office of Early Childhood and Gloucester County Institute of Technology (GCIT). was positioned as the preeminent early childhood program In 2006 Dr. Lavender was recognized by the Board of in the State. Directors and University President upon graduation from Dr. James Lavender is also the co-founder and President of Wilmington University for his outstanding student iCare for Education, a national school fundraising program leadership and dedication to the philosophy and mission of located at www.icareForEducation.com and iCare For the University with the prestigious President’s Award for Families, a national program aimed at helping working Leadership. Dr. Lavender has also been awarded the 2006 families and can be found at www.icareForFamilies.com. Dedication & Service Award, Gloucester City School District and the 2002 Outstanding Middle School Teacher While in Wilmington’s EDD program, Dr. Lavender of the Year, VFW Post 2071. evaluated the effectiveness of a multi-year student progression program better known as “looping.” In Dr. Lavender was born and raised in southern New Jersey September 2005, Dr. Lavender concluded his study “The and currently resides in Woolwich Township, NJ with his Effectiveness of Looping on Kindergarten Readiness.” The wife – Dr. Jennifer S. Lavender (Wilmington University, study helped Dr. Lavender determine that preschool 2006) – and three daughters. Dr. Lavender is a graduate students, who had experienced a 2-year loop, from Rowan University (1995) and Wilmington demonstrated greater preparedness for reading and an even University’s master’s (2002) and doctorate programs greater preparedness for kindergarten entry. (2006). Nominate someone you’d like to see featured in the “Alumni Spotlight. Send your nominations to Ann Gibason, Wilson Graduate Center. [email protected] 3 From the DEAN’s chair This has been an exciting year. Cohort 15 members I am pleased to announce that Dr. Czarkowski has completed all of their regular coursework, and sub- been appointed as the "Director" for the doctoral mitted their portfolios for faculty review. They are program. now ready to submit their proposals to write their dissertations. Beginning with Cohort 15, there are The University has decided to include the doctoral several options that candidates have to complete program in the Education Division as it previously their dissertation project. They may write an Ap- had been years ago and has changed the governance plied Research Dissertation similar to what earlier of the program so that Dr. Czarkowski will report to cohorts have completed, an Executive Position Pa- the Dean of the Education Division effective July 1, per, an Action Research Paper, or they could even 2008. As additional doctoral programs are approved, work with another candidate to write a collaborative such as the DBA, it was concluded that the govern- paper where the research of each candidate would ance of the programs should come under the deans build on the work of another candidate. of the various divisions rather than have a "dean" for each doctoral program. For example, Dr. Durandetta The new requirements for candidacy went into effect is currently a "director" in the DBA program in the with Cohort 15 and include the completion of at least Business Division. 180 hours of internship activities (90 for candidates in the Organizational Leadership Concentration), an The Education Division currently has two other Di- evaluation by their site mentors of their standards- rectors who report to Dean Gochnauer. based internship, submission and successful comple- It expected that our key focus of effectively serving tion of an extensive standards-based electronic port- and advising students will continue, and that the pro- folio, a passing score in a newly administered three- gram will remain somewhat autonomous even hour narrative assessment of their knowledge of the though the governance has changed. leadership standards, and two papers that include their Leadership Development Plans and their Vision Sincerely for both their personal and professional lives after graduation. Joseph M. Deardorff, Ed.D. We are pleased to say that Cohort 15 at all three sites Dean, Doctoral Studies have been up to the task and are working diligently to graduate by next January. News Alert! Dr. Czarkowski has been appointed as the "Director" for the doctoral program. His office will be at the Wilson Graduate Center effective July 1, and a re- placement for Dr. Czarkowski will be selected and assigned to the Dover campus this summer. Ann Gibason will continue to be the primary contact for students in the doctoral program. Photo by Ann Gibason 4 COHORT SPOTLIGHT Photo by Jean Gordon. Pictured above are some members of Cohort 16 in a classroom at the Dover Site. From left to right front row: Amy Draggoo, Annie Kingcade, Cassie Green, and Mary Chen. From left to right second row: Jean Gordon, Tami Grimes- Stewart, Angie Holocker, Susan Frampton, Kristine Peters, and Susan Rohrman. From left to right back row: Dan Pritchard, Jerry Lamey, Dan Ehmann, Mike Grossman, Ada Twitchell, Tina di Vito Sanders, Rob Rescigno and Dina Vendetti. Those eager smiles let us know how much they are anticipating finishing the second year. To put the spotlight on your Cohort, submit a picture with names to Ann Gibason, Wilson Graduate Center. [email protected] . 5 TRANSITIONS Cohort 1 Cohort 2 In 2002 Paul Biery (W) moved from Crouch, Margaret (W) formerly Deborah Morgan Zych (W) became Principal in Colonial School District to Associate Professor at Goldey-Beacom Assistant Supervisor for the NCCVT Director of Schools in the same district. College became a self-employed Holo- District in October 2003 after having caust Education Consultant in 1996. served as Supervisor for CCPS. Deb- Harriet A. Brown (W) retired in See Presentations and Publications. orah married Greg Zych on November April 2003. See Awards/Honors. 14, 2002. In 1998 George Gordon Harding Dennis Dixon (GT) has retired but (W) formerly World Wide EDI Coor- continues to serve Delaware Tech and dinator for DuPont Merck Pharmaceu- Wilmington University as an Adjunct ticals became Professor at the Univer- Cohort 4 Instructor.