Chapter 1Chapter 1Policy- What it is and Policy- What it is and Where it Comes FromWhere it Comes From

Dr. Dan BertrandDr. Dan Bertrand

The transformation of The transformation of the Education Policy the Education Policy EnvironmentEnvironment The Way it Used to Be:The Way it Used to Be:

– Until 1980’s public schools were respected Until 1980’s public schools were respected institutionsinstitutions

– Funding was adequateFunding was adequate– State governments delegated most of their State governments delegated most of their

authority over public education to the local authority over public education to the local school districtschool district

– Education policy was developed within the Education policy was developed within the iron triangle (Legislative committees, ISBE iron triangle (Legislative committees, ISBE and lobbying groups)and lobbying groups)

The New Policy The New Policy EnvironmentEnvironment Today, business, media, and political Today, business, media, and political

leaders consider public education to be leaders consider public education to be in crisis.in crisis.

Financial emergenciesFinancial emergencies The state exerts authority over public The state exerts authority over public

schools by issuing many new policies schools by issuing many new policies and proposals.and proposals.

Educators are seen as part of the Educators are seen as part of the problem.problem.

Reasons for these Reasons for these changeschanges Economic changes:Economic changes:

– WWII boom followed by economic slow WWII boom followed by economic slow down in the 1970’sdown in the 1970’s

– Citizens more reluctant to increase taxesCitizens more reluctant to increase taxes– Politicians unwilling to increase taxes so Politicians unwilling to increase taxes so

they try to reduce spending on public they try to reduce spending on public servicesservices

– Resulting in increasing disparity between Resulting in increasing disparity between the rich and the poor.the rich and the poor.

– More children growing up in poverty.More children growing up in poverty.

Demographic changesDemographic changes

Baby boomers and political concern Baby boomers and political concern about paying for their retirements about paying for their retirements and funding their health care cost.and funding their health care cost.

More older people who are less More older people who are less attuned to the needs of education.attuned to the needs of education.

More multicultural- increased More multicultural- increased diversity.diversity.

Ideological ShiftIdeological Shift

The focus of educational politics has The focus of educational politics has shifted from equality issues to issues shifted from equality issues to issues relating to excellence, accountability and relating to excellence, accountability and choice.choice.

Criticize schools for alleged inefficiency Criticize schools for alleged inefficiency and insensitivity to the market.and insensitivity to the market.

Ideologies of business and the religious Ideologies of business and the religious right have lead to increased skepticism.right have lead to increased skepticism.

Changing Role of Changing Role of School LeadersSchool Leaders Reallocation of AuthorityReallocation of Authority

– Feds have less authority over Feds have less authority over schools than in 1980schools than in 1980

– Until recently states delegated much Until recently states delegated much of their authority to local districtsof their authority to local districts

– In 1980’s states began to take back In 1980’s states began to take back some of their authority.some of their authority.

District LeadershipDistrict Leadership

State and national issues are large State and national issues are large district leaders main concern.district leaders main concern.

Effective superintendents must Effective superintendents must understand politics at the local, state understand politics at the local, state and national levels.and national levels.

Central office administrators must Central office administrators must understand how their district interfaces understand how their district interfaces with business, government, community with business, government, community groups and social agencies.groups and social agencies.

Public LeadershipPublic Leadership

Public school administrators are being Public school administrators are being transformed from bureaucratic leaders transformed from bureaucratic leaders to public leaders.to public leaders.

They are called to act outside their They are called to act outside their district and to function as leaders in district and to function as leaders in networks of organizations.networks of organizations.– Where they have no hierarchical status Where they have no hierarchical status

and must rely upon leadership tools such and must rely upon leadership tools such as persuasion, coalition strategies and as persuasion, coalition strategies and political strategies.political strategies.

Defining PolicyDefining Policy

Public policy is the dynamic and Public policy is the dynamic and value laden process through value laden process through which a political system handles a which a political system handles a public problem. It includes a public problem. It includes a government’s expressed government’s expressed intentions and official enactments intentions and official enactments as well as its consistent patterns as well as its consistent patterns of activity and inactivity.of activity and inactivity.

Policy and LawPolicy and Law

Policy and StatutesPolicy and Statutes– Statutes are laws enacted by the Statutes are laws enacted by the

legislature.legislature.– Most statutes are worded in general terms Most statutes are worded in general terms

with little detail about implementation.with little detail about implementation.– Rules and regulations are provided by Rules and regulations are provided by

governmental agencies.governmental agencies.– Courts have the right to review statutes to Courts have the right to review statutes to

interpret them and to determine their interpret them and to determine their constitutionality.constitutionality.

Policy and LawPolicy and Law

Two battles occur during the passage Two battles occur during the passage of a statute.of a statute.– One committee determines the level of One committee determines the level of

funding to support an educational statutefunding to support an educational statute– Another committee determines the Another committee determines the

wording of the statute.wording of the statute. Implementors of most educational Implementors of most educational

policies are superintendents, principals policies are superintendents, principals and teachers. and teachers.

Policies are usually altered during Policies are usually altered during implementation. implementation.

Classical Stage Model Classical Stage Model of of Policy ProcessPolicy Process Issue definitionIssue definition Agenda settingAgenda setting

– List of subjects or problems that is List of subjects or problems that is receiving serious attention.receiving serious attention.

Policy FormulationPolicy Formulation– Written draft of a proposed statute is a billWritten draft of a proposed statute is a bill

Policy AdoptionPolicy Adoption– Voted on by an appropriate governmental Voted on by an appropriate governmental

body- school board, legislature, etc.body- school board, legislature, etc.

Classical Stage Model Classical Stage Model of of Policy ProcessPolicy Process ImplementationImplementation

– Most must be implemented at a grass Most must be implemented at a grass roots level.roots level.

– Success of implementation often means Success of implementation often means motivating and providing the resources for motivating and providing the resources for educators.educators.

EvaluationEvaluation– To determine if they work the way they To determine if they work the way they

were supposed towere supposed to– Applied research- universities or think Applied research- universities or think

tankstanks

Policy AnalysisPolicy Analysis Defined as the “evaluation of Defined as the “evaluation of

alternative government policies or alternative government policies or decisions to arrive at the best policy or decisions to arrive at the best policy or decision in light of given goals, decision in light of given goals, constraints and conditions”.constraints and conditions”.

Policy studies have largely replaced the Policy studies have largely replaced the studies of educational policies.studies of educational policies.

Overall, objective is to improve the Overall, objective is to improve the quality of public policy by providing quality of public policy by providing information and suggesting a range of information and suggesting a range of solutions to public problems.solutions to public problems.

Types of Policy Types of Policy AnalysisAnalysis MonitoringMonitoring

– Systematically collect data relevant Systematically collect data relevant to a policy domain an to the on-to a policy domain an to the on-going policy process.going policy process.

ForecastingForecasting– Predicting what policy issues will be Predicting what policy issues will be

important in 5 to 10 years.important in 5 to 10 years.

Types of Policy Types of Policy AnalysisAnalysis EvaluationsEvaluations

– Provide information about how well Provide information about how well the policy is achieving the purposes the policy is achieving the purposes for which it was designed.for which it was designed.

PrescriptionsPrescriptions– Outlines the options open to policy Outlines the options open to policy

makers an may recommend which makers an may recommend which would be most desirable.would be most desirable.

The School Leader and The School Leader and

Policy StudiesPolicy Studies Act as hierarchical leaders within their Act as hierarchical leaders within their

organization and as public leaders in a organization and as public leaders in a broader community.broader community.

As Policy Makers by recommending a As Policy Makers by recommending a policy revision to the school board, policy revision to the school board, developing a manual or writing a developing a manual or writing a discipline code.discipline code.

As Implementors of policy they must As Implementors of policy they must develop a plan to carry out the policies.develop a plan to carry out the policies.

The School Leader and The School Leader and

Policy StudiesPolicy Studies As Followers of Policy Issues, they As Followers of Policy Issues, they

must be more active in educational must be more active in educational policy than ever before by being policy than ever before by being informed and active.informed and active.

As Influencers of Policy, they are in a As Influencers of Policy, they are in a position to exercise influence on the position to exercise influence on the policy process on the state and federal policy process on the state and federal level.level.