Education Policy and Management

Education Policy & Management

Curriculum

The Education Policy and Management Program (EPM) is designed to prepare graduates to assume challenging positions in a variety of governmental, intermediary, non-profit, school and other educational organizations. The program introduces students to the world of policy and the intergovernmental system that provides “public education” in the United States. Students grapple with strengths and weaknesses of policy as a tool for school improvement. They delve into contemporary policy issues utilizing research skills and evidence, political analysis and organizational knowledge. The EPM program aims to equip graduates to understand, participate in, and ultimately lead complex initiatives involving policy and practice.

For many experienced educators and education activists, the EPM program opens the door to a world of new professional opportunities for influencing policies and practices which ultimately impact schools and the lives of children. Graduates of the EPM program work in federal, state and local government, national foundations, advocacy organizations, professional associations, policy “think tanks,” school improvement organizations, and in local schools and districts. They fill many, diverse roles, enjoying success as leaders, advocates, policy analysts, consultants, researchers, planners, educators or philanthropists.

Coursework is largely self-designed but requires work in educational policy, research, management, and organizations. Students have access to the full range of courses in the Graduate School of Education, and many opt to take related courses elsewhere in the University, such as in the Harvard Kennedy School or the Harvard Business School. The EPM program is a one-year, full time Master's program.

Students thinking about a career as a policy analyst or advisor in a governmental unit, or an organization that conducts studies on behalf of government will probably want to take at least two courses in policy and, depending on prior grounding in statistics and research methods, two in research and evaluation. Students leaning toward working in a nonprofit organization that provides assistance to schools, or operates at the community level on behalf of children and youth, will probably want to consider taking two or more courses in management. However, students choose the EPM Program for a variety of reasons, and these recommendations may not be equally relevant for everyone. For instance, students who plan to go directly into classroom teaching or return to the classroom will probably have a different course selection strategy. The EPM faculty and staff are available to help students design their course of study at HGSE to make the most of their time here.

Many EPM students participate in HGSE's Internship program, the Field Experience Program.

There are education-related courses offered at the Harvard Business School and the Harvard Kennedy School, which may complement your course of study. To learn more about cross-registration opportunities, please see below under "Cross-Registration."

EPM Requirements and Courses 2010-11:

All EPM students are required to take 5 “A” or “S” classes from HGSE. EPM students are also required to take one (1) HGSE course from each of the required categories below (which can be part of the 5 A or S classes); there are no exceptions or substitutions for these classes. Your elective classes can be taken either at HGSE or other Harvard Schools.

Additionally, EPM students are strongly encouraged to take A024: Politics and Public Education in the United States (fall 2010). A100: Introduction to Educational Policy (fall 2010); A129: Federal Government in the Schools (spring 2011); or A312: Systemic Reform in Urban School Districts and Schools (spring 2011), core courses that are designed to immerse students in the world of contemporary educational policy in the United States. These courses share a common goal, namely, to increase students' understanding of the complexities of educational policy and to assist them in becoming effective leaders and practitioners who inform, shape, and implement education policy.

Remember that students need 32 credits to graduate.
Course List (Note: Students are required to take one course from each list in the three categories below)
* Denotes limited enrollment course; permission of the instructor required

Policy:
A-024: Politics and Public Education in the United States (fall)
*A-100: Introduction to Educational Policy (fall)
A-108: Strategies and Policies for Narrowing Racial Achievement Gaps (formerly H-204: Youth Development and The Achievement Gap) (spring)
A-111C: Time and Learning (spring)
A-113: Urban Education (spring)
*A-125: State Education Policy: A Practicum (spring)
A-129: The Federal Government in the Schools (spring)
A-139: Pursuing Teacher Quality: Policy, Research, and Practice (fall)
*A-142: Analyzing Education Policy (fall)
A-144: Education Organizing (spring)
A-205: Microeconomics: A Policy Tool for Educators (fall)
A-327: Charter Schools: Threats or Opportunities for Public Education? (spring)
*AH-120: Public Policy and Child Development: US and International Perspectives (spring)
H-514: Comparative Perspectives on Immigration and Education Policy (spring)
H-525: Immigration, Education, and Identities in the United States (fall)

Research and Evaluation:
S-005: Introduction to Educational Research (fall)
S-011: Understanding Today's Educational Testing (spring)
S-012: Empirical Methods: Introduction to Statistics for Research (fall)
S-030: Intermediate Statistics: Applied Regression and Data Analysis (spring)
S-032A1: Accumulating Evidence: How to Conduct a Quantitative Research Synthesis that Informs Educational Policy and Practice (Part 1) (spring)
S-032A2: Accumulating Evidence: How to Conduct a Quantitative Research Synthesis that Informs Educational Policy and Practice (Part 2) (spring)
S-040: Introduction to Research Methods and Data Analysis in Education (fall)
S-052A: Applied Data Analysis (fall)
S-052B: Applied Data Analysis (spring)
S-504: Introduction to Qualitative Research (fall)
*S-522: Analyzing Culture: Dialog, Discourse and Theme (spring)
*S-710C1: Interviewing in Qualitative Research (spring)
*S-710C2: Interviewing in Qualitative Research (spring)
A-121: Teaching and Learning: Links between Research and Practice (spring)
*A-162: The Art and Science of Portraiture (fall)
A-205: Microeconomics: A Policy Tool for Educators (fall)
A-801: Education Policy Analysis and Research in Comparative Perspective (fall)
AH-125: The Science of Learning Behavior and Health: Implications for Early-Childhood Policy (spring)
AT-113: Educational Effectiveness: Examining Influences on Student Achievement (spring)
T-545: Engagement and Learning: Technologies that Invite and Immerse (spring)

Management:
*A-010H: Financial Strategy and Leadership in High-Performing Nonprofits* (spring)
*A-019: Education Sector Nonprofits (fall)
*A-021: Leadership in Social-Change Organizations (fall)
A-027A Managing Financial Resources in Nonprofit Organizations (fall) (offered at the HKS)
A-027B Managing Financial Resources in Nonprofit Organizations (spring) (offered at the HKS)
A-122: The Why, What, and How of School, Family, and Community Partnerships (spring)
A-124: School Reform from the Outside In: The Role of External Partners and Funders (spring)
A-132: Educational Innovation and Social Entrepreneurship in Comparative Perspective (spring)
A-213: Schools and the Law (fall)
A-312: Systemic Reform in Urban School Districts and Schools (spring)
*A-320: Building a Democratic School (spring)
A-326A: School Reform: Curricular and Instructional Leadership (fall)
A-326B: School Reform: Curricular and Instructional Leadership (fall)
A-326C:School Reform: Curricular and Instructional Leadership (fall)
A-506: Teachers' Unions and School Improvement (spring)
A-604: Partnering: Leadership Skills for a Networked World (spring)
*A-605: Leading and Managing Organizations (spring)
*A-608: Leadership, Entrepreneurship, and Learning (fall)
A-804: Monitoring and Evaluation for Improving Education Systems (spring)
AT-105: New Professional Roles for Teachers (spring)

Harvard Graduate School of Education January 2011 Winter Term Courses:

Below is the list of HGSE 2011 January Term courses. All but three courses are open enrollment. Six of the courses count towards the EPM requirements and their categories are listed in bold at the end of the course title.

*Denotes limited enrollment course. Please check the course websites for enrollment procedures.

*A-010C: Adult Development and School Leadership (Management)
A-101: Native Americans in the 21st Century: Nation-Building I
A-111J: Critical Issues in Special Education Policy and Practice (Policy)
*A-164: Program Evaluation (starts in winter and continues in the spring) (Research/Eval)
*A-310E: Leadership for Instructional Improvement (Management)
A-310G: Data Wise: Using Data to Improve Teaching and Learning (Management)
A-310K: Leadership in High-Performing Public Charter Schools (Management)
H-110G: Learning in a Globalizing World: Language Acquisition, Cultural Awareness, and the Brain
T-210X: Foundations of Urban Education

Cross-Registration

Many HGSE students choose to take courses at other Harvard graduate schools (aka, cross-registering), including the Harvard Business School (HBS), the Harvard Kennedy School (HKS), and the Harvard Law School (HLS). For more information about cross-registering at other Harvard schools, please visit: http://coursecatalog.harvard.edu