Education Policy

3 Credits · Level: Undergraduate

Dear Student, American education is in crisis. International education rankings demonstrate that the United States underperforms compared to other countries. But the challenge goes deeper; everyday millions of American students do not have the opportunity to develop their talents because of inadequate schooling. Education Policy is about what we can do as educators, policy analysts, and citizens to recapture the power of education to elevate and enlighten individuals’ lives and to ensure democracy thrives. In Education Policy you will develop new analytic skills, an in-depth understanding of the social forces shaping education policy, strategies for blending theory with practice, and struggle with the complex process of creating innovative solutions to enduring educational challenges. Education Policy is a seminar; each student will have a research project associated with an education think tank in Washington D.C. The books for Education Policy: Shaping Education Policy: Power and Process edited by Douglas E. Mitchell, Robert L. Crowson and Dorothy Shipps; Understanding Education Indicators: A Practical Primer for Research and Policy by Michael Planty and Deven Carlson; Radical Possibilities: Public Policy, Urban Education, and a New Social Movement by Jean Anyon; Class Rules: Exposing Inequality in American High Schools by Peter W. Cookson, Jr.