Tips for Writing Your
ELPS Ed.S.
Comprehensive Exam
2016
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Ed.S. Comprehensive Exam: Developing strategic
plan to address a problem/situation in an
educational organization (school, district, or agency)

The purpose of the Ed.S. comprehensive exam is to demonstrate that you can
collect and analyze data regarding a school and community in order to apply the
knowledge you have gained in the ELPS program to develop a strategic plan to
address the needs of the stakeholders.

The four areas that the Ed.S. comp is graded on are as follows:

2016

Clear identification and explanation of a current organizational situation

Clear explanation of why the current organizational situation is unsatisfactory in meeting
the needs of one or more stakeholders and/or the goal(s) of the organization

Clear description of the proposed changes and how the changes will positively impact
stakeholders and the current situation

Clear and logical description of strategies to be implemented to bring about the
necessary changes (including an evaluation of progress at various stages of
implementation)
You should clearly demonstrate the knowledge gained in the ELPS program in your
strategic plan through references to course content/concepts that support the
actions you are proposing, as well as why the current situation is unsatisfactory.
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Getting started…..

Download the directions for the Ed.S. comp from the ELPS Forms webpage
http://www.unco.edu/cebs/elps/forms.htm

Be sure you have submitted your request to take your comprehensive exam and
submitted it to the ELPS Administrative Assistant at least by the beginning of the
semester you are taking the exam.

You should also have submitted before your last semester in the program your
request to graduate to the ELPS Administrative Assistant to have your advisor sign
and fax to the Graduate School http://www.unco.edu/grad/forms/index.html

Due dates for comprehensive exams are as follows:
2016

Fall—By 5 pm the third Monday in October

Spring—By 5 pm the third Monday in March

Summer—by 5 pm the third Monday in June

You may submit your exam earlier in the semester that you have submitted your request
to complete your comps but you MUST submit them by the above times and dates.
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Ed.S. Comprehensive Exam: Developing a
strategic change plan to address an
organizational problem/situation

Identify a current unsatisfactory situation in an educational organization. This can
be at the school, district, or agency level.

Gather as much pertinent information about the school/district/community
related to this situation as possible. Possible sources include the following:
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
School’s UIP/improvement plan

District’s UIP/improvement plan

Demographic data on school and district (often found on the respective websites)

Survey data from students, parents, teachers, etc.

Census data on community demographics (Age, level of education, occupations, etc.)

School’s student achievement data available on the CDE website (or the state education
department of the school you are focusing on)

Any information on parental involvement, extra-curriculars, curriculum, programs, etc.
from the school and district websites

Results of TELL Colorado survey (or other similar surveys administered by the
district/school and open to the public)

Local newspaper articles on the school and/or district.
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Other steps in preparation to writing…

Read and apply the Writing Tips also found on the ELPS Forms website (towards
the bottom of the list). Go back and reread these tips after you have written your
exam and proofread.


Part of your preparation to be a school leader is the ability to communicate well, both in
writing and orally. Grammar and punctuation errors detract from the message of any
communication, therefore minimize such errors by knowing the rules, applying them,
and proofreading carefully.
Assemble all of the data you have collected (see prior slide for suggestions for
sources) and analyze the data. Your guiding question in this analysis should be the
following: What needs are revealed by the data for each stakeholder group?

Stakeholders and some of their interests that you might consider/address include the
following:

Students ( achievement and assessment, safety, equity/diversity, culture)

Teachers (supervision and evaluation, professional development resources and needs, culture)

Parents (perceptions, support, school interactions, communications)

Community (perceptions, resources, support, interactions, communications)

District Office (reporting requirements, resources, rules/regulations, finance, communication
lines, hiring/termination processes, evaluation process, negotiated agreements)

State (reporting requirements, rules/regulations)
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Other steps in preparation to writing…

Review the sections required in the Ed.S. comprehensive exam instructions.
Each of these sections should be clearly labeled in your comprehensive
exam. These are as follows:

1. Identification and explanation of the current situation
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Discuss key decision-makers, followers, and stakeholders/constituents of current
situation

Identify key policy or personnel decisions that have created the current situation

Identify values/epistemologies of past leaders that have influenced the current
situation

Identify any organizational structures that have influenced the current situation

Identify resource issues that may have contributed to the current situation
(human resources, including skill and knowledge, as well as financial resources)
2. Explanation of why the current situation is undesirable

Discuss why the current situation does not align with the purpose, mission, and/or
values of the organization

Discuss the effect on members of the organization of the current situation (i.e.
morale, motivation, efficacy, etc.)

Discuss why the current situation is not acceptable to current stakeholders
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Parts of the Ed.S. Comp that must be clearly
addressed…..

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3. Articulation of a more desirable situation

Explain the goal of the proposed change, addressing the purpose/mission/values of the
organization

Discuss the effect on members of the organization of the proposed change, addressing
any issues of diversity and equity that are applicable

Explain the leadership qualities/behaviors/values necessary to enact the proposed
change

Articulate the benefits of the change on external stakeholders
4. Development of strategies to implement the proposed change

Identify and discuss key structural, human resource, financial, and political elements
of the organization that are necessary for successful implementation of the proposed
change. (Discuss any policy changes that would be necessary, as well.)

Outline a strategic plan for implementing the proposed change, including approximate
timelines and key personnel with rationales for each element of the plan

Identify possible challenges to implementation and discuss methods for dealing with
those challenges

Discuss a possible plan for monitoring and evaluating the change
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Remember….

Students must use both materials from ELPS course content and outside
resources.

APA style/formatting must be used. References must be cited at end of
exam.

If you are completing an interdisciplinary Ed.S. degree/comp exam--Be sure
that you also explicitly include references from your EDSE coursework and
outside readings.
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Other steps in preparation to writing…

Go through all of the syllabi, papers, materials, slides, texts, etc. from ALL of
your ELPS program classes and identify sources that relate to each section of
your exam. (If you are doing an interdisciplinary degree/comp, include
references from coursework from both disciplines.)

Reread the directions for the Ed.S. comp, particularly the rubric description
for a Level 4/High response below.
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Written responses to all parts of questions demonstrate

evidence of excellent knowledge in educational leadership related to
the Plan of Studies and/or state and national standards;

ability to synthesize and apply that knowledge to leadership problems
or significant educational issues;

ability to present a clear formulation of the problem/issue; and

skills in organizing and expressing ideas in a logical, coherent, literate
and convincing fashion.
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Writing your comprehensive exam….

As you write, be sure to review the Writing Tips on the ELPS Forms page
periodically.

Begin with an introduction.

Do NOT write as though you are addressing a particular group of stakeholders. You
are writing an exam and your audience are your ELPS professors.

Be sure each section of the exam response is clearly labelled with the
sections and items listed in the Be sure you explicitly include the data related
to each entry plan step.

Strategy steps should be detailed. Your description should be clear enough
that someone could implement your strategic plan based on what you have
included in your exam.

Don’t forget to include a description of how the implementation and impact
of your proposed changes in the strategic plan will be monitored and used to
guide further implementation and changes.

Make sure you include a strong conclusion.
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Writing your comprehensive exam….
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2016
Your Ed.S. comp differs from the strategic plan you completed as part of the
ELPS 603 class in the following ways:

The comp must address each section and item specified in the directions and listed
on slides six and seven of this Power Point.

The comp must include references from across ALL of your coursework. This does
not mean you should state the course title as you apply concepts from a given
course; rather, you are expected to demonstrate, through your analysis and
proposal, that you can effectively apply the knowledge you have gained in all of
your courses.

Thus, the comp is a much more detailed and research-supported presentation,
analysis, and response to a particular organizational situation/problem.
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When you have completed your first
draft….

Be sure you have a solid introduction and conclusion to your strategic plan, as
well as transitions between each section.

Be sure you have clearly organized the exam and included headings for each
section and item addressed in each section.

Be sure you have cited materials from courses throughout your ELPS program
and, if completing an interdisciplinary degree/comp, coursework from both
disciplines.

Be sure the reason for each action item in your strategic plan is clearly and
persuasively presented.

Review the Writing Tips and proofread!
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If you are doing an interdisciplinary
Ed.S. degree….

Be sure that you also explicitly address applicable special education director
standards as well as the CO Principal Standards.

Send your exam to the ELPS Administrative Assistant as listed in the next slide
and indicate in your email that you are submitting an interdisciplinary exam
so it can be read by a member of the Special Education faculty as well as a
member of the ELPS faculty.
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When submitting your Ed.S.
comprehensive exam….

Email the file to the ELPS Administrative Assistant and your program advisor.

If you are completing an interdisciplinary Ed.S. degree/comp exam--Be sure
to also email the exam to a member of the Special Education faculty and
indicate that you completing an interdisciplinary exam when you send your
exam to the ELPS Administrative Assistant.

It takes approximately two weeks to grade all of the comp exams submitted
each semester.

After the exams are graded, the results are sent to the Graduate School.

It may take up to four weeks after the comp exam is due before you will hear
the results. Please be patient.
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