The College of Education welcomes undeclared and students from all majors to enroll in this course.
EDLPS 302 Introduction to Education Policy: Research, Theory, and Practice
T, TH 2:30 - 4:20
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
This course introduces students to the basic theory, research, and practice about educational policy in the United States that influences students’ educational outcomes, as well as life-long opportunities and earnings. No prior knowledge or experience is required to enroll in this course. The first segment of this course will start the discussion with the basic concepts of educational policies, including how to identify policy issues, prioritize policy goals, and who participate in the policy process. Students will have ample opportunities to use tools and models to explore seemingly tenuous connections between education policy and practice.
The second segment of this course will use several basic economics of education concepts to help students understand the measures of educational outcomes and the impacts of education on individual and societal outcomes. We will discuss inequalities in early-childhood education, K-12 and their connections to the broad social and economic inequality. We will also discuss if money matters for education outcomes.
The third segment is to discuss four types of policies that shape educational practices and significantly influence educational outcomes. These policies include not limited to mandates (e.g., laws and statutes), inducements (e.g., short-term transfer of money for certain goods and services), capacity-building (e.g., long-term transfer of money for building individuals or organizational capacity), and system-changing (e.g., re-allocation of authority). This discussion will prepare students to propose policy solutions to real educational issues.
The design of this course is guided by the principle that individuals’ learning and success is a function of not only the traditional schooling system, but a networked, multi-dimensional organization, communities, and systems. This course discusses policies that penetrate and influence educational practices across governmental organizations, schools, communities, families, for-profit, and nonprofit organizations. It balances theory with empirical evidence to discuss the components of the networked systems and their policies and practices that influence equity and excellence in education.