Predicting EdD Applicant Potential Using Structured Behavioral Interviews During the Application Process

Abstract

This essay describes the work of faculty at a public university in the southeast to align their application process with CPED principles through the addition of structured behavioral interviews. Their work was grounded in the premise that redefinition of the Ed. D. program to focus on the effective preparation of scholarly practitioners also requires a redefinition of the type of student who is most likely to benefit and, consequently, how the applicants most likely to achieve success are identified and admitted. A structured interview was added to the application process as a tool to gather data to accurately predict the likelihood of student success in the program and as a leader of change in schools. The development of the interview was guided by selection science literature, and questions were aligned to essential student attributes. Although the interview questions and process are still evolving, data from the initial administration suggests that the interview has promise as a useful element of the candidate selection process.