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  2. EDU A111C

Politics and Education Change: Case Studies
EDU A111C

Jointly Offered with: Harvard Kennedy School as SUP 452M

Course Information

Description

What does it take to achieve policy change in public education? In this module, we will study how and why education policy shifts (or doesn't) by looking at examples at the federal and state levels. We will explore and test a classic political science framework (John Kingdon's) for how policy agendas are set. Each week, we will focus on a specific policy change effort ranging from recent classic examples (Race to the Top under Obama/Duncan) to currently unfolding policy issues such as “free college” and whatever is emerging from the current political and policy landscapes. We will look at how individuals and institutions work to drive change and analyze their effectiveness. We will consider how to update Kingdon for today’s world with explicit deep dives on how social media changes policy agenda setting and how the recent polarization and trend towards federal executive action impact agenda setting. Finally we will look at what might come next on the education policy agenda. We will draw on the instructor's own experience in seeking policy change and hear from weekly guests who are current leading advocates, participants, and critics to study the process and practice of policy change in American education.
 

School Graduate School of Education
Credits 2
Cross Reg

Available for Harvard Cross Registration

Department Education
Course Component Regular Course
Instruction Mode In Person
Subject Education
Grading Basis HGSE Student Option (Letter Graded, Sat/Unsat)
Learning Goals In this module, students will explore how education policy changes take place in American public education and learn how to apply a consistent analytical framework to diverse cases. Over the course of this module, students will: (a) Gain familiarity with the classical political science framework of John Kingdon on how policy ideas get on action agendas and move ahead through windows of opportunity; (b) Explore how education policy changes actually happen, as illustrated by case studies at the federal and state levels; (c) Examine the policy change roles of diverse stakeholders including elected and appointed officials, advocacy groups, think tanks, unions, community groups, parents and educators; (d) Investigate the real consequences and outcomes, intended and unintended, of policy actions; and (e) Gain exposure to leading participants in these changes through guest speakers at each session.
Career Focus

This module is best suited for students seeking careers in education policy or students eager to better understand patterns of how policy change occurs in US K-12 and higher education (international students have generally found the course accessible and useful as well).  Through the application of a leading framework for analyzing public policy agenda setting to cases of education policy at the federal and state levels, students will develop comfort in analyzing and discussing education policy dynamics. Through exposure to both the Lecturer and the weekly guests, participants will gain a sense of the individual perspectives of people who successfully pursue careers in various aspects of education policy making.