Frances Kayona

Dr. Frances Kayona

Dr. Frances Kayona is an Associate Professor in the College of Education, Health and Human Sciences at St. Cloud State University, where she serves as full professor in the Department of Educational Leadership, Higher Education, and Student Affairs. Dr. Kayona joined the St. Cloud State University faculty in 2001 and has taught graduate courses across Educational Administration and Leadership, Higher Education and Child and Family Studies. Her teaching and research interests encompass educational supervision, program evaluation, organizational theory, curriculum development, educational research, assessment, research design and methodology, and human resources. She has taught courses at the master’s, specialist, and doctoral levels and has provided extensive independent-study opportunities that support graduate students in completing research and culminating projects.

From 1994 to 2001, she also worked as an educational consultant for K–12 teachers and school organizations nationwide, facilitating standards-based curriculum development, assessment, and performance-evaluation systems. Her early scholarship included publications, technical reports, copyrighted curriculum and assessment materials, and the co-authored book Redesigning Schools for Success: Implementing Small Learning Communities and Teacher Collaboration.

Dr. Kayona’s scholarship and professional contributions have evolved to include program assessment, accreditation, quality assurance, and culturally responsive program evaluation. She has led accreditation teams, authored quality-assurance and program self-study reports, contributed to assessment instrument development and validation, and published book reviews addressing program evaluation and culturally responsive approaches to evaluation. She has also provided substantial professional support to colleagues through mentoring, professional development assistance, and grant review.

A dedicated university and professional leader, Dr. Kayona served as President of the St. Cloud State University Faculty Association from 2019 to 2021 and has held numerous university and department committee appointments. She has served twice as interim chair of Educational Leadership and Higher Education and has chaired the Child and Family Studies Department. Her services include faculty governance, academic policy, strategic planning, diversity initiatives, technology, budget, and grant review.

Student success is central to Dr. Kayona’s work. She has advised more than 200 students, written numerous letters of recommendation and support, chaired 33 completed graduate culminating projects including dissertations, field studies, theses, and starred papers and served on dozens of additional graduate committees. Across more than two decades at St. Cloud State University, her work reflects a sustained commitment to graduate education, student achievement, academic quality, collaborative leadership, and institutional improvement. She is the recipient of the R. Paul Brimm Outstanding Dissertation Award and the Iowa State University Research Excellence Award for Outstanding Dissertation in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies.

Professional Credentials/Licensure

• SCSU Peer Assessment Consultant
• NASSP Selecting and Developing the 21st Century Principal Assessor
• NCA Quality Assurance Review National Certification

Program Areas

Doctoral, Specialist, Post-Master’s Graduate Certificate, Masters, Graduate Certificate

Research/Interest Areas

• Curriculum leadership
• Assessment leadership
• Performance Appraisal
• Program Evaluation

EDAD Courses Taught

• Program & Assessment/ Evaluation Techniques
• Advanced Supervision Techniques
• School Reform, Change, Accountability
• Organizational Theory
• Human Resource Issues in Higher Education
• Research Design in EDAD and Field Study Design
• Curriculum Construction for School Administrators
• Intro to School/Community Relations
• Human Resource Administration
• Assessment for School Administrators
• Introduction to Educational Research
• Assessment and Information Management for Data Driven Leadership