Current Topics in Edu Policy

3 Credits · Level: Graduate

Today, American education is in turmoil. What is the future of public education? What is the future of higher education? In this course, students are encouraged to ask the big questions about education policy while at the same time acquiring the skills and knowledge necessary to be astute policy analysts and problem solvers. The course is open to students with no prior policy background as well as those who have policy-making experience. Students will explore such topics as the history of education policy in the United States, the ongoing struggle for racial educational equity yesterday, today, and tomorrow, how schools and colleges are funded and how it shapes the opportunity structure in the United States, the political dynamics of school choice, the role of state and the federal government in shaping education policy, and how the electronic revolution has changed the educational landscape. Good education policy is evidence-based; what constitutes good evidence and how we can distinguish valid and reliable evidence from speculation and opinion will bring an analytic lens to our work. The class is organized as a seminar designed to maximize student participation and voice. Students will complete a final project on a current education policy question.