EDU 280 - Introduction to Educational Policy

This course is designed to introduce students to current issues in educational policy, and help them develop rigorous policy analysis skills. We will examine the goals, institutions, and actors that shape the American K-12 education system in order to understand recent reform efforts and their consequences for students.  Our inquiry will be grounded in seminal theories of the policy process such as agenda setting (Kingdon & Thurber, 1984), power (Lukes, 1974), and the advocacy coalition framework (Sabatier, 1988). Too much of the public discourse on education is polarized by reflexive reactions to particular policy proposals, whereas rigorous policy analysis lies in understanding the details of specific proposals and using conceptual models and strong evidence to evaluate their potential impact on educational stakeholders.

The primary goal of this course is to develop students’ ability to engage current education policy debates using systematic and rigorous methods. As such, a substantial portion of the course will require that students apply theories of the policy process and tools of policy analysis to specific reforms such as the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), the Common Core State Standards, teacher workforce policies, and the growing presence of charter schools, especially in urban areas.  Students will engage these topics through in-class discussions, case studies, presentations, and through the creation of work products such as policy memos, issue briefs, and op-ed articles.

Satisfies a Social-Scientific Thought distribution requirement.
Satisfies a major requirement in the CIS major in Educational Studies & Public Policy Studies.
Satisfies a minor requirement in Educational Studies.