Education Policy and Program Evaluation Core Seminar

EDU S803 Subject & Catalog Number

Description

This seminar will expose students to major theories, analytic approaches, and conclusions from the study of policy formation, implementation, and effectiveness in the domains of early childhood, K-12, and postsecondary education, in the United States and internationally. Broadly, the seminar will address three main topics: (1) the social, political, and economic context in which education policy is developed and implemented; (2) the education policy process, from formation to implementation and evaluation; and (3) the evaluation of education policies. While the seminar will not offer formal training in evaluation methods, it will address issues such as potential criteria for program success, the value of evaluations of implementation in addition to those focused on causal impacts on outcomes, and the role of research evidence in the policymaking process. The seminar will also expose students to key findings from evaluations of policies in key areas. A substantial portion of the seminar will consist of case studies of specific policy reforms (e.g., Head Start, No Child Left Behind).
Required for and limited to first-year Ph.D. students in the Education Policy and Program Evaluation concentration.