Educational Policy recent issues

Education Policy as a Practice of Power: Theoretical Tools, Ethnographic Methods, Democratic Options

Levinson, B. A. U., Sutton, M., Winstead, T. — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 01:36:18 PDT

This article outlines some theoretical and methodological parameters of a critical practice approach to policy. The article discusses the origins of this approach, how it can be uniquely adapted to educational analysis, and why it matters—not only for scholarly interpretation but also for the democratization of policy processes as well. Key to the exposition is the concept of appropriation as a form of creative interpretive practice necessarily engaged in by different people involved in the policy process. Another crucial distinction is made between authorized policy and unauthorized or informal policy; it is argued that when nonauthorized policy actors appropriate policy they are in effect often making new policy in situated locales and communities of practice.

Turning Around Failing Schools: Policy Insights From the Corporate, Government, and Nonprofit Sectors

Murphy, J. — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 01:36:18 PDT

In this article, the author reviews research from the organizational sciences to develop turnaround policy guidelines that may prove useful for policy makers and educators. The approach is an integrative review of the literature. The author employs a comprehensive process to unpack and make sense of the turnaround literature from the organizational sciences. Strategies appropriate for document analysis and interview data are employed. Insights are captured from the five major research pathways for studying organizational turnaround. Research findings are blended into three policy dimensions, namely, leadership, efficiency, and focus. It is argued that the literature on turning around failing organizations in sectors outside of education provides potential blueprints for recovery activity in failing schools. This is the first systematic effort to mine research in the corporate, not-for-profit, and public sectors to develop policy insights for shaping efforts to turn around failing schools.

Social-Emotional and Character Development and Academics as a Dual Focus of Educational Policy

Elias, M. J. — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 01:36:18 PDT

There is a missing piece to America’s education agenda, and children will continue to be left behind until that piece is addressed. Furthermore, children are not being systematically prepared for their complex roles as citizens in our democracy. A growing body of evidence from research and practice suggests reconceptualizing education as an integration of social-emotional and character development (SECD) and academic learning. This article reviews skills children need for effective social and academic participation, characteristics of schools that effectively integrate these forms of learning, and key reasons to adopt this integration. It concludes with examples of, and suggestions for, bringing SECD to prominence in educational policy making.

Are School Uniforms a Good Fit?: Results From the ECLS-K and the NELS

Yeung, R. — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 01:36:18 PDT

One of the most common proposals put forth for reform of the American system of education is to require school uniforms. Proponents argue that uniforms can make schools safer and also improve school attendance and increase student achievement. Opponents contend that uniforms have not been proven to work and may be an infringement on the freedom of speech of young people. Within an econometric framework, this study examines the effect of school uniforms on student achievement. It tackles methodological challenges through the use of a value-added functional form and the use of multiple data sets. The results do not suggest any significant association between school uniform policies and achievement. Although the results do not definitely support or reject either side of the uniform argument, they do strongly intimate that uniforms are not the solution to all of American education’s ills.

Globalization and English Language Policy in Turkey

Kirkgoz, Y. — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 02:55:25 PDT

It is widely acknowledged that globalization has made a considerable impact on multidimensional aspects of human life including the language policies of many countries. This article examines the adjustment of Turkey’s language policy in response to the global influence of English at different levels of Turkish national education, including its role in Turkish academia, as an indication of the status that English holds in the country by investigating the macro policy changes in connection with micro level implementations based on available research, official documents, and curriculum documents. The findings indicate that although there is much evidence pointing to the prominent role that English occupies in Turkish education system largely through the government’s planned language policy, there also exist problems at the instructional level largely due to the way in which English is propagated. Finally, implications for future direction of language policy, practice, and research are presented.

You Just Feed Them With a Long-Handled Spoon: Families Evaluate Their Experiences in a Class Size Reduction Reform

Graue, M. E., Oen, D. — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 02:55:26 PDT

Emerging from an evaluation of Wisconsin’s Student Achievement Guarantee in Education program (SAGE), a multidimensional program popularly known for its class size reduction component, this article examines SAGE’s lighted schoolhouse initiative aimed to strengthen links between home and school. Drawing on family focus groups held at nine SAGE schools, we use Bakhtin’s tools of addressivity and answerability to explore how families constructed locally specific identities within particular community contexts. Family discussions focused on responding to needs: family social needs, the need for social connection, and perceived answerability felt by families for their community. We suggest that schools would be more successful in building relationships if they used the potential power promised in class size reduction programs and developed programming focused on the needs and resources of families in particular communities rather than imagining a generic, one-size-fits-all model of parents.

Does State Funding Affect Graduation Rates at Public Four-Year Colleges and Universities?

Liang Zhang, — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 02:55:26 PDT

This study uses panel data to examine the direct link between state funding and graduation rates at 4-year public institutions. We find some evidence for a positive association between state funding and college graduation rates. When other factors are held constant, a 10% increase in state appropriations per full-time equivalent (FTE) student at 4-year public institutions is associated with approximately a 0.64 percentage point increase in graduation rates. This positive link appears to hold for both institutions that have enjoyed an increase in state funding and those that have experienced a reduction. In addition, the positive association seems to hold for all research/doctoral, master’s, and baccalaureate institutions. These estimated effects are smaller and, in general, statistically insignificant when both institution and time-fixed effects are controlled.

The Effect of Teacher Certification on Middle Grades Achievement in an Urban District

Curran Neild, R., Nash Farley-Ripple, E., Byrnes, V. — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 02:55:26 PDT

Fewer than 20 states require middle grades certification; in most states, credentials overlap so that both elementary and secondary certified teachers may teach in the middle grades. Moreover, in many urban districts, getting teachers for the middle grades is a challenge. Despite this crazy-quilt of certifications and a growing body of work on teacher qualifications, there have been few studies that examine the teachers’ impact on learning in the middle grades. This paper uses a data set from an urban district to estimate the impact of different certifications (and lack of certification) on middle-grades students’ learning gains in mathematics and science. In mathematics, we find that students with elementary- and secondary-certified teachers outscore those with uncertified teachers and those who are certified in special education. Especially strong effects are seen in science, where students with secondary science-certified teachers substantially outscore those with any other kind of teacher.

School Staff Responses to Gender-Based Bullying as Moral Interpretation: An Exploratory Study

Anagnostopoulos, D., Buchanan, N. T., Pereira, C., Lichty, L. F. — Fri, 29 May 2009 10:18:09 PDT

Gender-based bullying is the most common form of violence that students encounter in U.S. public schools. Several large-scale surveys reveal its consequences for students. Fewer studies examine how school staff members make sense of and respond to such violence. The authors address this knowledge gap by presenting analyses of interviews conducted with high school faculty and staff. Synthesizing sociological studies of violence and positioning theory, the authors illuminate the webs of relationships and cultural narratives in which school staff responses to gender-based bullying are situated. The authors find that, although school staff members felt compelled to intervene when male students sexually harassed quiet girls, they were reluctant to intervene in abusive heterosexual dating relationships and were ambivalent about their responsibility toward gay and lesbian targets of bullying. The authors argue for expanding prevention efforts beyond intervention to engage school staff in critically examining sexist and heterosexist roles, norms, and practices.

Instructional Practice in the Context of Converging Policies: Teaching Mathematics in Inclusive Elementary Classrooms in the Standards Reform Era

Mayrowetz, D. — Fri, 29 May 2009 10:18:09 PDT

In this study, the author explores elementary mathematics instruction in the context of standards-based reform and special education policy. Based on observation of inclusive classrooms and interviews with 12 teachers, the author finds that instructional practice was only somewhat consistent with the policy messages to include students with disabilities under the standards umbrella and to individualize instruction. Moreover, the author suggests three ways in which teachers respond to converging policies: skimming the surface of both policies without engaging the ideological core of either, finding the common ground while remaining true to the spirit of both policies, and privileging one policy at the expense of the other.

State High School Exit Examinations and NAEP Long-Term Trends in Reading and Mathematics, 1971-2004

Grodsky, E., Warren, J. R., Kalogrides, D. — Fri, 29 May 2009 10:18:09 PDT

In 23 states, members of the high school class of 2008 were required to pass a state high school exit examination (HSEE) to earn regular high school diplomas. Proponents of these policies claim that they improve student academic achievement, although critics argue that they reduce the quality of instruction without raising academic achievement. Using nationally representative data collected to facilitate the analysis of temporal achievement trends, the effects of minimum competency and more difficult state HSEEs on student achievement in mathematics and reading between 1971 and 2004 are evaluated. The potential disparate impacts of state HSEEs on the achievement of students by race/ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and prior academic achievement are examined in this study. No evidence is found for any effects of state HSEEs on achievement in either reading or mathematics at the mean or at the 10th, 20th, 80th, or 90th percentiles of the achievement distribution.

Dreams Deferred?: The Relationship Between Early and Later Postsecondary Educational Aspirations Among Racial/Ethnic Groups

Asha Cooper, M. — Fri, 29 May 2009 10:18:09 PDT

This study uses data from the Educational Longitudinal Study of 2002 to test a conceptual model that integrates aspects of sociological and econometric frameworks into a traditional status attainment model for educational aspirations. Using descriptive and logistic analyses, this study advanced understanding of the patterns and stability of aspirations; characteristics of students who increase, decrease, and maintain aspirations; predictors of 12th-grade aspirations; and variations in predictors of 12th-grade aspirations by race/ ethnicity. The study's findings have implications for policy, practice, and research. Specifically, the findings reinforce the need for policies and practices geared toward enhancing existing high school reform efforts. The study also identifies recommendations for future research.

Is Racism in Education an Accident?

Apple, M. W. — Fri, 29 May 2009 10:18:09 PDT

Conceptualizing Education Policy in Democratic Societies

Perry, L. B. — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 11:38:12 PDT

Although theorists and policy makers agree that schooling should be democratic, what this exactly means often varies. This article establishes a conceptual model for analyzing education policy in democratic societies, based on the key concepts of equality, diversity, participation, choice, and cohesion. The model facilitates the design, evaluation, comparison, and analysis of education policy in democratic societies. It also facilitates analysis of the interrelationship of the five concepts and the ways in which they both complement and conflict with each other. By providing an integrated view of the five democratic values, the model can help policy makers and analysts balance competing demands on education policy. Finally, the model improves understanding of the ways in which educational systems continually adjust to changing theory and economic, political, and social forces, and therefore, it has the potential to help explain and predict educational change.

Barriers to College Opportunity: The Unintended Consequences of State-Mandated Testing

Perna, L. W., Thomas, S. L. — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 11:38:12 PDT

This study explores the ways that state high school testing policies shape college opportunity among students attending 15 high schools in five states. The authors use multiple descriptive case studies to explore how testing policies influence key predictors of college enrollment (e.g., high school graduation, academic preparation, knowledge, and information) and a high school's capacity to promote college enrollment. The study identifies several unintended consequences of state-mandated high school tests for factors related to college enrollment and shows that the unintended negative consequences are greater at schools with the lowest average socioeconomic status and academic achievement than at other schools.

Deciding Who Decides Questions at the Intersection of School Finance Reform Litigation and Standards-Based Accountability Policies

Superfine, B. M. — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 11:38:13 PDT

Courts hearing school finance reform cases have recently begun to consider several issues related to standards-based accountability policies. This convergence of school finance reform litigation and standards-based accountability policies represents a chance for the courts to reallocate decision-making authority for each type of reform across the governmental branches. Using an institutional choice approach, this study analyzes how judges in two school finance cases reallocated governmental decision-making authority. This study further highlights the historical and legal factors underlying this reallocation and suggests that this reallocation may represent a desirable new approach for dealing with educational policy problems in an evenhanded way.