In this course, we will examine the possibilities and challenges of using education policy to foster economic mobility in the United States. We will cover early childhood, K12 and higher education sectors. The goals of the course are to (1) familiarize students with the arguments and evidence relating to important education policies and/or interventions and (2) provide students with an analytic framework to assess education policy more generally. Specific policy areas in K-12 include charter schools, school accountability, teacher pay and professional development, school finance reform and the role of technology in schools. Specific policy areas in higher education include financial aid, affirmative action, regulation of the for-profit sector, community college transfer policies, and student support initiatives. Throughout the course, we will focus on the differential impact of policies by student demographic characteristics (e.g., race, gender, socioeconomic status, etc.) as well as community context. While the course will focus primarily on education in the U.S. context, there will be some discussion of how similar challenges are (or are not) addressed in other countries.
There are no formal prerequisites for this course. However, we will read some articles that feature statistical analysis including regression. Knowledge of these methods at the level of PubPol 529 (Stats 250, Econ 451 or equivalent) and PubPol 639 (Econ 251, 452 or equivalent) will be helpful.
