A158: K-12 Education Policymaking in the U.S., A View from the States

*Lottery-Based Enrollment* The purpose of this course is to provide an overview of the role and impact of state governments in setting and implementing K-12 education policy in the United States, with a focus on major issues that affect instructional practice and student outcomes.

In the complex intergovernmental partnership that comprises U.S. public education, states have the primary responsibility for establishing local school systems, ensuring adequate and equitable resources, training and certifying educators, implementing common assessment and accountability systems, and overseeing compliance with regulations to ensure equal access. It’s impossible to understand current education policy without a thorough grasp of the role, responsibilities and challenges facing state governments as they exercise their leadership over public education.

This course will introduce students to the major structures and systems of public education, with special focus on relevant issues of greatest importance and controversy through the perspectives of policymakers and practitioners.  It will place a premium on engagement in classroom discussions, group presentations, and individual writing assignments that encourage a pragmatic evidence-based approach to analyzing issues, while providing a window into the complexity and limitations of policymaking.