Educational Change and the Political Process

Educational Change and the Political Process brings together key ideas on both the system of educational policy and the policy process in the United States. It provides students with a broad, methodical understanding of educational policy. No other textbook offers as comprehensive a view of the US educational policy procedure and political systems. Section I discusses the actors and systems that create and implement policy on both the federal and the local level; Section II walks students through the policy process from idea to implementation to evaluation; and Section III delves into three major forces driving the creation of educational policies in the current era—accountability, equity, and market-driven reforms. Each chapter provides case studies, discussion questions, and classroom activities to scaffold learning, as well as a bibliography for further reading to deepen exploration of these topics. This new edition will explore recent Trump-era and post-Trump era US politics and policy changes as well as the politics of race.

'A unique blend of education policy analysis concepts with the underlying political structure and actors that influence the outcomes of policies. The broad scope and specific insights of the book makes it essential for both students, educators, and scholars.'—Michael Kirst, president California State Board of Education, Professor Emeritus , Stanford University 'Educational Change and the Political Process' brings together issues foundational to educational policy with recent debates over such issues as education governance, funding and accountability in a well-written, accessible textbook. It clearly explains how education policy problems, opportunities, actors and instruments differ by location in the education policy system, raise different challenges of implementation and evaluation, and play out in terms of major touchpoints for policy and practice. A useful addition: each chapter concludes with questions and activities designed to engage students in concrete discussions of the chapter’s policy tradeoffs and perspectives. I know of no other textbook that affords thisall-inclusive, system-wide treatment of education policy making—and in-depth reference list. Mitra’s textbook provides an invaluable resource for instructors and students of education policy, and will be relevant for years to come.'—Milbrey McLuaghlin, David Jacks Professor Emeritus of Education and Public Policy, Stanford University

Dana L. Mitra is Professor of Education (Educational Theory and Policy) at Penn State University.