GOVT 455 - Seminar: Education Policy and Politics in the United States

Credits: (4)
Prerequisite(s): GOVT 301 or GOVT 307 or SOCL 352
College Curriculum: COLL 400
This research seminar explores the policy and politics of K-12 education in the United States. Topics covered include, first, the government institutions and organized groups outside government that influence how the nation governs education at the national, state, and local levels; second, the implications those governing arrangements have on the balance of political power and on the content of policy that affects teaching and learning; and third, the forces that influence educational opportunities and outcomes for students with various backgrounds (i.e., race, ethnicity, gender, economic status) and learning needs (i.e., students with disabilities, students learning English as a second language). Course requirements include high expectations for class participation and the completion of an original research paper that follows the format of a social science journal article.