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T505:
Leadership in Education Policy
Spring
2005 |
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Class Meetings:
Mondays 10-12
(weekly)
Discussion Sections: Mondays 2-4
(bi-weekly) |
Class Location:
Gutman
G-05
Section Location: Gutman
G-05 |
As a result of this course, participants will be able
to:
·
describe factors that shape K-12 educational policy at the local, state,
and national levels
·
depict the ways in which local, state, and federal policies interact and
co-evolve in United
States education policy at the pre-college
level
·
delineate the impacts on schools of the No Child Left Behind legislation
and the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act
·
describe the challenges and opportunities faced by leaders in education
policy at the local, regional, state, and national levels
·
delineate methods for evaluating and studying the effectiveness of
education policies
·
Required textbook for this course:
Fowler, Frances C. (2004). Policy studies for
educational leaders: An introduction, 2nd edition. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Merrill Prentice
Hall.
·
Web resources:
Various online
resources are linked to the course schedule shown below. These may be updated
during the semester.
·
Attendance and participation in class sessions, face-to-face discussion
sections, and online discussions are mandatory, as discussions and shared
experiences are important parts of the course. The class schedule may change as
the course progresses; changes will be posted on the course website.
·
Each student is expected to complete all readings and class exercises, as
well as two assignments and contributions to online discussions.
·
Obtaining and regularly using a computer account with access to the
Internet and the World Wide Web is required.
·
To enable individualization of the course to the needs of each student,
special arrangements on assignments may be negotiated in writing with the
instructor. Revised assignments typically involve direct, extensive involvement
in some project engaged in the design, development, evaluation, or
implementation of education policies.
·
Students missing the due date for an assignment must make immediate
arrangements with the instructor to fulfill that requirement before the next
class.
·
If you have a documented disability and wish to discuss academic
accommodations, please contact the instructor immediately.
This course will utilize a combination of lectures, media, guest
speakers, discussions (face-to-face and virtual), and field based projects to
help participants understand leadership issues in
education policy.
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Select Two of the Assignments Below, or Propose Another Alternative to the
Instructor
A. Track a federal education policy initiative from the
campaign trail to the classroom.
This assignment involves:
·
choosing a component of President Bush's education policy platform in the
'04 (or '00) campaign to see how it has been carried out through policy-writing,
legislation, and implementation
·
preparing a paper that a) describes what has happened to the policy
proposal and b) analyzes factors that shaped the outcome
B. Examine State Educational
Technology Policies.
This assignment involves:
·
compiling the educational technology policies of a State you select
·
systematically comparing these policies to a Framework for State Educational Technology Policy Analysis (in Chapter and
Appendix by Dede)
·
preparing a paper that analyzes the strengths and weaknesses of this
State's policies and suggests strategies for improvement
·
Here is an illustration of an exemplary paper on this topic.
C. Evaluate a state education policy on teacher or
administrator licensure.
This assignment involves:
·
choosing a state and describing its licensure policy for teachers,
principals, or superintendents
·
providing a brief overview of the history of the policy
·
fairly evaluating the strengths and weaknesses
of the policy through interviews, reviews of the literature, or examinations of
quantitative data (e.g., employment data, percent highly qualified, student test
scores, etc.)
·
possibly obtaining Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval for your project
D. Conduct research on the Maine Learning Technology
Initiative.
This assignment involves:
·
working with a group of current MLTI program evaluators to carve out your
own research project
·
preparing a paper that presents your research question, methods, and
findings
·
possibly obtaining Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval for your project
E. Conduct research on a local education policy initiative
of your choice.
This assignment involves:
·
conducting original research on a state or local education policy
initiative
·
using your own contacts with a research site
(Unfortunately, we cannot set you up with a site.)
·
preparing a paper that presents your research question, methods, and
findings
·
obtaining Institutional Review Board (IRB) approval for your project
F. Plan a research conference on online professional
development.
This assignment involves:
·
helping to plan a 2005 HGSE-hosted invitational conference entitled,
"Building a Research Agenda for Online Teacher Professional Development"
·
reading about current online professional development initiatives to
select potential presenters and attendees
·
preparing a paper that a) summarizes your contribution to the conference
plan and b) makes specific recommendations about conceptual frameworks and/or
potential presenters
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Grades will be based on completion of course requirements and on the
scope, quality, and creativity of the two assignments. Once feedback and a grade
are received on the first assignment only, if a higher grade is desired
the student can resubmit a revised assignment within two weeks. The grade
assigned to the revised first assignment is final. The extent and quality of
contribution to the course synchronous, asynchronous, and face-to-face
discussions count as 33% of the final grade and are not subject to revision; an
interim grade will be provided at mid-semester for informational purposes.
Incompletes in the course will be given only under unusual extenuating
circumstances.
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Date |
Topics |
Readings/Assignments |
|
2/7 |
Class topics:
·
Introductions
· Examining the two parties' directions
for federal education policy.
Section
topics:
- F2F
discussion of first course assignment and intro to creating a personal
web page (Discussion Section in Gutman 302, this week
only)
- No asynchronous discussion this
week.
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Assignments to do
before the first class, 2/7:
Read an overview of the
Republican and Democratic platforms on federal education
policy, as presented by Education Week in late 2004. Be
prepared to talk about features that surprise, please, or trouble
you. |
|
2/14 |
Class
topics:
·
Looking at local education
policy
·
Spearheading innovation within a
school system
Guest
speaker:
·
Mary Skipper, Tech Boston Academy, "Leadership in School
Design for Technology"
Section
topic:
- Asynchronous
discussion on scaling up effective small-school models.
- No F2F section this
week.
|
Assignments to do
before 2/14:
Reading from the
Fowler text:
"Political Culture" (Ch. 4) p.
94-105
Review the Tech Boston
Academy website
Review the Gates'
Foundation information on the Small High Schools grant
program Also:
Sign up for the Course
Listserv at http://gse.harvard.edu/mailman/listinfo/t505-list.
Post a Personal Homepage
introduction to yourself. It should include: your photo, your email
address, and your academic concentration. Please email your homepage
URL to Jennifer at steeleje@gse.harvard.edu.
She will use it to create a class face book. If you do not already have a
personal webpage, we will help you create one (see Instructions). Read an overview of Tapped
In.
Register as a member of
Tapped In, create
your own office, drop in on a virtual chat that
interests you. |
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2/21 |
No class--President's
Day Holiday |
Assignments to do
before 2/21:
Asynchronous Discussion on scaling up
innovative small-school
models.
|
|
2/28 |
*Class begins at 9
am this day only*
Class topics:
·
Formulating Policies that Overcome
Cultural Inertia
·
In-class simulation: "Making
Change for School Improvement"
Section
topic:
·
F2F discussion on leadership that
overcomes cultural intertia.
·
No asynchronous discussion this
week.
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Assignments to do
before 2/28:
Notify Instructor about Choice of First
Assignment
(via email) --
please note submission guidelines
Reading from the Fowler
text:
"School
Leaders in Oz" (Ch. 1)
p. 1-2
"The Reform that Went Awry" (Ch. 10) p.
298-299
"Power in
Educational Settings," (Ch. 2) p. 41-46
Dede, Chris. Leadership without Followers
|
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3/7 |
Course topics:
·
Synthesis session on local
policy
·
Transitioning into a state policy
analysis framework
Section
topic:
· Asynchronous discussion on scaling up from good
practice to good policy.
·
No F2F discussion this week.
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Assignments to do
before 3/7:
Read Carrigg, Honey,
and Thorpe. "Putting local schools behind the wheel of change: The
challenge of moving from successful practice to effective policy." (33
pgs.)
Read Chapter 5 and
Appendix A by Dede in the Framework for State Educational Technology Policy Analysis. [Chapter 5
is pp. 41-47 (PDF pp. 43-49), and Appendix A is pp. 48-54 (PDF
pp.50-56).]
Skim Dede, Chris. (2004) Making Educational Technology
Work, and the associated rubric. |
|
3/14 |
Class
topic:
·
Evaluating policy
implementation
Guest Speaker:
·
Dr. Michael Russell of Boston College, "Research on How Policy
Influences Technology Implementation"
Section
topic:
·
F2F discussion on scientific
research in education.
·
No asynchronous discussion this
week. |
Assignments to do
before 3/14:
Asynchronous discussion scaling up from good
practice to good
policy.
Reading from the Fowler
text:
"Policy
Evaluation: Determining if the Policy Works" (Ch. 11):
p.310-321
*NEW* Read two PDFs related to Mike Russell's current research on the
Maine Learning Technology Initiative:
1. Muir, M., Knezek, G., &
Christensen, R. (2004). The Maine Learning Technology Initiative: An Exploratory
Study of the Impact of Ubiquitous Technology on Student
Achievement.
Research Brief MLLS0401.
2. Russell, M., et. al. (2005.) NSF Research
Proposal: Advancing the State-of-the-Art of Educational Technology
Evaluations: Keeping Pace with 1:1 Laptop
Initiatives
Skim two views of what
constitutes "scientific research" (note the differences between the two
views):
1. National Research Council. (2002).
Scientific Research in Education. Read the first 5.5 pages of the
"Executive Summary" (pp. 1-6, or PDF pp.
18-23).
2. U.S.
Dept. of Education. (2003) Identifying and Implementing Educational
Practices Supported by Rigorous Evidence: A User Friendly Guide. Read
"Purpose and Executive Summary" and "Part I" (pp. iii-v
& 1-4, or PDF pp. 3-11).
Optional:
Take a look at the USEiT study on which Mike
Russell has worked in the past. |
|
3/21 |
Class
topic:
·
Designing a state-level policy
reform
·
Introduction to the Maine Learning
Technology Initiative
Guest
speaker
(tentative):
MLTI Oversight Team:
Tony Sprague (Project
Manager)
Jeff Mao (Tech Manager)
Bette Manchester (Commissioner's Office)
Section
topic:
·
Asynchronous discussion on the
Maine Learning Technology Initiative.
·
No F2F discussion this week.
|
Assignments to do
before 3/21:
Readings from the
Fowler text:
"Government Actors" (Ch. 6) p. 143-150
Read "Tools for learning: The Maine story." (A 1-page PDF
overview of the MLTI)
On the Maine Learning Technology Initiative website, read About
MLTI, Historical Information and Timeline.
On the Maine Learning Technology Initiative website, skim the 2003Teacher, Student, and School Perspectives: Mid-Year
Evaluation Report (66 pgs). (Focus on methods and key
findings.) |
|
3/28 |
No
Class - Spring Break |
Assignments to do
before 3/28:
Asynchronous discussion on the
MLTI.
Notify Instructor about Choice of Second
Assignment (via email) -- please note submission
guidelines |
|
4/4 |
Class
topic:
·
Implementing and evaluating a
state-level reform
·
More on the Maine Laptop
Technology Initiative
Guest
speaker:
Andy Zucker, Senior Research Scientist,
The Concord
Consortium
Section
topic:
·
F2F discussion on the Fowler
reading, with emphasis on policy entrepreneurs.
·
No asynchronous discussion this
week. |
Assignments to do
before 4/4:
First Written Assignment Due (via email) on
4/4.
Please note submission guidelines
Readings from the Fowler
text:
"Nongovernmental Policy Actors" (Ch. 6) p.
153-163
Read these 2
documents provided by Andy
Zucker:
Ubiquitous Computing
Evaluation Consortium. (2003). Evaluation
Framework for 1-to-1 Computing
Zucker, Andrew.
(2004). Developing a
research agenda for ubiquitous computing in schools. Journal
for Educational Computing Research, 20(4), pp. 371-386.
April
4 discussion section PowerPoint is posted in PowerPoint folder on the
Handouts page of the course website. |
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4/11 |
No
Face-to-Face Meeting
Class
topic:
·
Synchronous
discussions in Tapped
In on policy leverage, 10-11 AM.
Section
topic:
- Asynchronous
discussion on Kozma's international ed tech policy
framework
- No face-to-face
discussion this week.
|
Assignments to do
before 4/11:
In
preparation for asynchronous discussion, read:
Kozma, R. B. (2005).
National policies that connect ICT-based education reform to
economic and social development.
Reading from the Fowler
text:
"How to
Implement a New Policy" (Ch. 10): p.
277-286
Dede, Chris. (2003). Distributed-Learning Communities. Optional:
Means, B. and Penuel, W. "Research to support scaling up technology based educational
innovations." SRI International. (25
pgs.)
|
|
4/18 |
Class
topic:
·
Federal education policy design
and implementation.
Guest
speaker:
·
Susan Sclafani, Assistant
Secretary, Office of Vocational and Adult Education, U.S. Department of
Education
Section
topic:
·
F2F discussion on No Child Left
Behind.
·
No asynchronous discussion this
week. |
Assignments to do
before 4/18:
Asynchronous discussion on
Kozma's policy
framework.
Reading from the Fowler
text:
"McDonnell & Elmore's Policy Instruments"
(Ch. 9): p. 250-259
Read the "Adequate
Yearly Progress " essay by Kati Haycock and Ross
Wiener (pgs. 27-31, which are PDF pgs. 20-24) in Implementing No Child Left Behind.
Read: Dede, Chris. (2002). No
Cliche Left Behind: Why Educational Policy is
NOT like the Movies. Keynote speech at the NCREL National Educational
Technology Conference.
|
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4/25 |
Class
topic:
·
Implementing federal policy at the
state level.
Guest
speaker:
· Cathy Higgins, NCLB Title II-D Program
Coordinator, Office of Educational Technology, New Hampshire Department of
Education
Section
topic:
· Asynchronous discussion on the speaker's model
of leadership.
·
No F2F discussion this week.
|
Assignments to do
before 4/25:
Reading from the Fowler
text:
"The Research on Implementation" (Ch. 10): p.
270-277
To prepare for Cathy Higgins' visit, explore the New Hampshire Office of
Educational Technology web site, particularly the NCLB Title II-D page.
On the NCLB Title II-D page, you might find the LoTI (Levels of
Technology Implementation) Survey page the most interesting.
Other relevant reading:
Bosco, James. (2003). Toward a balanced appraisal of technology in U.S. schools
and a recognition of seven leadership challenges. Paper presented at
the Consortium for School Networking
Conference.
Also, for you own
interest:
Read Chris Dede's Congressional
Testimony May 10, 2001 on recommendations for research spending. Then
view the U.S. Dept. of Education page on Research Awards, to see
what kinds of grants to research centers are being awarded by the DOE.
(Focus on the top link, "Education Research and Development
Centers.") |
|
5/2 |
Class
topic:
·
Influencing federal
legislation
Guest
speaker:
·
Kathleen Fulton, Director for
Reinventing Schools for the 21st Century, National Commission on
Teaching and America's Future
Section
topics:
·
F2F discussion on teacher quality
legislation.
·
No asynchronous discussion this
week. |
Assignments to do
before 5/2:
Asynchronous discussion on the speaker's model
of leadership.
Reading from the Fowler text:
"Influencing Policy Formulation and Adoption"
(Ch. 8) p. 220-229
National Commission on
Teaching and America's Future. (2003). No Dream Denied: Summary Report. (Read pp. 8-14--i.e., PDF pp. 10-16--on the
retention crisis and turnover costs. Several of the pages are just charts
and tables. Skim
any other parts you find
interesting).
On the No Child Left Behind
website, read Teacher Quality: Frequently Asked Questions, focusing on
how "highly qualified" teachers are defined by the
legislation.
Skim Side-by-Side Comparison: An ECS Analysis. The
3-column chart roughly halfway down the page provides an overview
of key issues in the debate about teacher quality. Focus on a couple of
points in the debate that interest or surprise
you.
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5/9 |
Class
topic:
·
Final discussion and (7) project
presentations.
Section
topic:
·
In F2F section, continue final (6)
project presentations.
·
No asynchronous discussion this
week. |
Assignments to
do before 5/9:
Prepare a 10-minute presentation of your
project for assignment #2. (Presentations will run 7-10 minutes each, and
the class will have 5-7 minutes to ask questions after each
presentation.) |
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5/16 |
No
Class - Exam Week |
Assignment due on
5/16:
Second Written Assignment Due (via
email)
please note
submission guidelines
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