Dr. Donica Ouckama Hadley is the Executive Director of the Lab School at JMU.  She has served over 24 years in education as a classroom teacher, assistant principal, principal, supervisor, and instructor in higher education. Dr. Hadley’s teaching and scholarship primarily focus on P-16 culturally relevant and responsive teaching and leadership with an emphasis on cultivating relationship building. Donica has a passion for working with and empowering pre-service P-12 teachers and administrators.

Academic Degrees:

• Ph.D., Educational Leadership, Old Dominion University
• M.Ed., Education Administration, University of Massachusetts Lowell
• B.S., Elementary Education, State University of New York at Oswego

Research and Teaching Interests:

• Culturally Relevant & Responsive Teaching & Leadership
• Cultivating Relationship Building
• Preservice Teacher Education
• Children’s Literature

Professional Involvement:

• American Education Research Association
• Virginia Chapter of the National Association for Multicultural Education

Courses Taught at JMU:

• TCLD 640: Management & Problem Solving in Schools
• TCLD 650: Leadership and Communication Skills in Schools
• TCLD 660: Collaborating, Teaming & Leading in Schools
• TCLD 670: Leading Curriculum Implementation& Revision
• ELED 272: Introduction to Early Childhood and Elementary Education
• ELED 311/321: Practicum with a Focus on Learners and Learning
• ELED 411: Practicum Supervisor
• ELED 510: Creativity and the Arts in Elementary Education
• ELED 570: Learning and Teaching in the Elementary Education Curriculum
• ELED 621: Practicum Supervisor
• ECED 372: Introduction to Early Childhood Education
• ECED 412/512: Natural and Social Sciences in PK-3
• ECED 508: Observation and Study of the Young Child