PowerPoint PresentationGoals in Educational PolicyEducational Performance MeasurementSlide 4Educational Attainment by RaceSAT Score TrendsAverage SAT Scores by Race/EthnicityEducational PerformanceEducational ReformSlide 10Slide 11Slide 12The Debate over School VouchersVirtual SchoolsThe Common Core State Standards InitiativeThe Federal Role in EducationSources of Funds for Public Education in the United StatesOrganizing Public Education in the StatesBattles Over School FinancesFinancing Public SchoolsWhat Does Unequitable School Funding Look Like in Texas?Slide 22Governing Local SchoolsThe Politics of Higher EducationHigher Education in AmericaChapter 16Chapter 16The Politics of EducationThe Politics of Education© 2014 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.Goals in Educational PolicyGoals in Educational Policy•Educating Citizens as a national priority•Predates the U.S. Constitution (1787)•Public education to be “universal, free, and compulsory”•Advancing Social Goals•Socialization into patriotism, responsibility, work ethic, obedience of laws, etc.•Strengthening the Economy•“3 R’s” as foundations of a workforce?•STEM excellence as key to technology dominance?•…but research finds on a weak link between ed spending and economic growth© 2014 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.Educational Performance MeasurementEducational Performance Measurement•Measures matter!•What are the measurable inputs and outputs of the educational system?© 2014 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.Educational Performance MeasurementEducational Performance Measurement•Measures matter!•What are the measurable inputs and outputs of the educational system?•Educational Attainment is a time measure (not performance)•The Dropout Rate Event dropouts – Annual number of students who stop attending in 10-12th gradesStatus dropouts – Cumulative number of all young adults who have not completed high schoolHigh School graduation rate often now calculated using cohorts that track every new 9th grader throughout high school years; are adjusted for students transferring in/out•SAT Scores: Verbal, math, and writing scores obtained on the national College Board Scholastic Assessment Test, required for admission to many colleges and universities© 2014 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.Educational Attainment by RaceEducational Attainment by Race© 2014 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.SAT Score TrendsSAT Score Trends•What are possible contributors to the declines and increases?•Why did the relative relationship reverse?•How does academic performance in 1967 compare to 2012?© 2014 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.Average SAT Scores by Race/EthnicityAverage SAT Scores by Race/Ethnicity•What factors might contribute to these differences?•How might you measure those factors?© 2014 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.Educational PerformanceEducational Performance•(Grad rate is cohort)•So what drives high school graduation rates?•Is this measure a reliable one?•How did Texas’s grad rate rank nationally last year?© 2014 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.Educational ReformEducational Reform•Sociologist James Colemanhttp://education.stateuniversity.com/pages/1841/Coleman-James-S-1926-1995.htmlEducational ReformEducational Reform•“There is no evidence that increased spending on education improves student performance”•Really!?!•Some studies claim this, others say “no dramatic increase” or “no proportional increase”http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2014/05/29/33finance.h33.htmlEducational ReformEducational Reform•“There is no evidence that increased spending on education improves student performance”•Really!?!•Some studies claim this, others say “no dramatic increase” or “no proportional increase”•What about this one…?http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2014/05/29/33finance.h33.html© 2014 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.Educational ReformEducational Reform•Magnet Schools: Schools emphasizing instruction in particular areas in an effort to improve quality and attract students•Examples?•Charter Schools: Schools operated with public funds by private community groups under a charter from public school districts or other granting agency•Often given waivers from certain requirements to enable innovation© 2014 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.The Debate over School VouchersThe Debate over School Vouchers•Vouchers = public funds for education at school of parents’ choice•The Pro-Voucher Argument: “Competition makes anything better!”•Enhances achievement•Opposition to Vouchers: “Takes the ‘collective’ out of the collective good”•Struggling schools lose students and funding, worsening conditions there•Voters Reject Vouchers: Public educators have had some success in opposing •1993: CA voters voted down a ballot initiative•Vouchers as a Constitutional Issue•Separation of church and state: government $$ can’t be used to fund religious education•SCOTUS: government school vouchers can be used at religious schools, because government payment given to parents, not religious organization© 2014 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.Virtual SchoolsVirtual Schools•A school where classes are taught entirely through online methods which can be attended by the student at any location by logging on to their computers and receiving instructions over the Internet.•Two formats:•Fully online classes: All course instruction and activities are completed via computer.•Blended learning classes: Virtual school courses that combine in-person and online instruction.© 2014 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.The Common Core State Standards The Common Core State Standards InitiativeInitiative“The governors and the state education commissioners, through the National Governors Association and the Council of Chief State School Officers, worked together to create a set of common standards in English Language arts (writing, speaking and listening, language) and mathematics to be used at the K-12 level to prepare students for success in college, work, and life.”Why not look it up? Why all the conflict over this? What are pros & cons?http://www.procon.org/view.resource.php?resourceID=2016© 2014 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.The Federal Role in EducationThe