As the Program Coordinator for the PK-12 Ed.D. Program, Dr. Caruthers’ duties include recruitment, advising, course scheduling, and program coordination; and the assessment, scheduling, and monitoring of comprehensive exams.
Dr. Caruthers began her career in the Kansas City, Missouri School District as a middle-school teacher and later served in several program and administrative roles; Career Education Coordinator, Gender Equity Coordinator, Staff Development Coordinator, Effective Schools Director, and Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction. Her work with the U.S. Department of Education through the regional laboratories promoted a national focus on educational equity with efforts toward meeting the learning needs of underserved students. This work resulted in the Regional Laboratories’ publication, Closing the Achievement Gap: A Vision for Changing Beliefs and Practices, 2nd ed. Additionally, Caruthers co-authored several training modules including “Power Teaching: Teaching Methods to Meet the Needs of Heterogeneous Groups of Students” and “Dreams: A Life Planning Guide for African American Girls” funded by the Women in Educational Equity Act (WEEA). Her journey from the public schools and regional labs to UMKC led to her current position of Professor for the division of Educational Leadership, Policy and Foundations where she currently serves as Chair of the Division and Program Coordinator for Pk-12 Ed. D. Education Administration. Editorial Board membership includes Educational Studies: A Journal of the American Educational Studies Association and past member of the Journal of Urban Learning, Teaching, and Research and the Regional Education Laboratory Central Governing Board.
School desegregation; Social context of schools; Urban schools; Education administration; Social justice, narrative inquiry
Ph.D., Urban Leadership and Policy Studies in Education, University of Missouri–Kansas City
Dr. Caruthers advises students in the Interdisciplinary Ph. D. (IPh.D.), Educational Doctorate (Ed..D.), and Masters and Specialists in Pk-12 Education Administration programs.
Smith, D., Caruthers, L., & Fowler, S. (in press). Womanish black girls/women resisting the contradictions of silence and voice. Gorham, ME: Myers Education Press, LLC.
Friend, J., Waddell, J. Poos, B., Caruthers, L., DeGraff, T. (2017-2018) A Narrative tale: Arts-integrated inquiry for mentoring teachers for social justice. National Forum of Educational Administration and Supervision Journal. 35(1,2 & 3), 10-46.
Reno, G., Friend, J., Caruthers, L., & Smith, D. (Fall 2017). Positives Behavior Intervention Supports (PBIS), school culture, and the effects on elementary student achievement. Journal of Negro Education, 86(4), 423-438.
Caruthers, L., & Friend, J. (2016). Great expectations: What kids want from our urban public schools. Forward by Dr.Gloria Ladson-Billings, Charlotte, NC: Information Age Publishing.
Friend, J., & Caruthers, L. (2016). Documentary film: The next step in qualitative research to illuminate issues of social justice in urban education. International Journal of Learning, Teaching and Educational Research, 15(6), 33-47.
Caruthers, L., & Poos, B. (2015). Narratives of Lincoln High School African American Graduates in Kansas City, Missouri 1955 to 1985. Journal of Black Studies, 46(6), 626-649.
Friend, J., & Caruthers, L. (2015). Transforming the school reform agenda: A framework for including student voice in urban school renewal. Journal of Urban Learning, Teaching, and Research, 2, 14-25.
Caruthers, L., & Friend, J. (2014). Critical pedagogy in online environments as thirdspace: A narrative analysis of voices of candidates in educational preparatory programs. Educational Studies: A Journal of the American Educational Studies Association, 50(1), 8-35.
Friend, J., & Caruthers, L. (2012). Reconstructing the cultural context of urban schools: Listening to the voices of high school students. Educational Studies: A Journal of the American Educational Studies Association, 48(4), 366-388.
Dean Young Pai Memorial Endowment Fund 2018-2019 Grant Proposal Project Title: Reflections on school desegregation and moving forward Principal Investigator: Candace Schlein, Ph.D.; Co-Investigators: Loyce Caruthers, Ph.D. and Jennifer Friend, Ph.D.
2017-2018 UMKC Inclusive Excellence Award Project Title: Kansas City speaks: Partnering with African American educators, students, and community members to explore urban school integration and excellence. Principal Investigator: Candace Schlein, Ph.D.Co-Investigators Loyce Caruthers, Ph.D., Jennifer Friend, Ph.D., Mr. Fu Zhuo, and Mr. Charles Oakley.
2016 Small Dean’s Grant Project Title: A Quest for Equal Educational Opportunities in Kansas City’s Desegregation Era: Listening to the Voices of African American Administrators, Teachers, and Students; Principal Investigator: Loyce Caruthers, Ph.D.; Co-Investigator: Jennifer Friend, Ph.D., Etta Hollins, Ph.D. Candace Schlein, Ph.D., and Edward Underwood, Ph.D.
2015 Friends of Library Grant Application Collaborative Efforts: Mr. Fu Zhuo, Loyce Caruthers, and Michael Wei (funding for addition of JSTOR Arts & Sciences XII section into university libraries; an interdisciplinary collection that expands coverage of the social sciences (African Studies, Asian Studies, language and literacy, and Middle East Studies.
2014: Project Title: Psychologists Collaborating and Advocating to Restore Equity (Psi CARE): An Integrated Training Program in Behavioral Health Care for Underserved Urban Communities. Funded by the Bureau of Health Professions (BHP), Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). Lead Project Director: Johanna Nilsson, Ph.D., UMKC Counseling Psychology program. Program Evaluator, Loyce Caruthers
