EPPL 601 Educational Policy
Summer, 2009
EPPL 601:
Educational Policy: Development & Analysis
Syllabus
Steven R. Staples, Ed.D.
Jones Hall 221
221-2342
srstap@wm.edu
Monday - Thursday
Time 4:30-8:00 PM
Place Jones 306
Course Description
EPPL 601: Educational Policy is a course which provides the opportunity for students to
have a clear understanding of how policy works in education, how to analyze and
formulate educational policies, and who the key interest groups and players are in the
making of policy.
Course Objectives
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Understand the social, cultural, and political forces shaping the evolution of
contemporary education programs and institutions.
Show knowledge of important reports on education and to compare premises and
conclusions for their policy implications.
Demonstrate an understanding of who decides and how decisions are affected by
multiple forces in a pluralistic democracy.
Understand alternative approaches (methodological and conceptual) to policyoriented inquiry.
Describe the basic functions of government and the roles of federal, state, and
local agencies in education policy.
Compare and contrast alternative conceptualizations of educational policy
making.
Explain the direct and indirect ways in which government action affects
the operation of schools and school systems. (And to show the intended
and unintended outcomes of policies.)
Describe and analyze networks of policy leaders and the roles their organizations
play in the transmission, interpretation, and evaluation of state-level policy
experiments.
Explain the limits on governmental power and the protections afforded
individuals in pursuit of their constitutional and statutory rights.
Analyze cases of policy making in a dynamic system and understand that
problems, solutions, and the system itself are loosely coupled in time and space.
Explain how symbols, language, information, and media relate to the distribution
of power and allocation of results in the political arena.
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EPPL 601 Educational Policy
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Summer, 2009
Understand the political complexities of policy implementation.
General Course Requirements
Honor Code. All student work is governed by the Honor Code of the College. In short,
the Honor Code stipulates that students shall not lie, cheat, or steal. Plagiarism—the act
of representing someone else's ideas, work, or words as your own, either by identifying
them as your own or by failing to acknowledge the source—is a violation of the Honor
Code and of professional ethics. Acts of plagiarism will result in failure of the
assignment and/or the course, as well as referral to the Honor Council. In addition, all
student work created for this course should be original to the course.
APA Style. “APA style” refers to the publication guidelines of the American
Psychological Association (APA), which is the accepted style manual in the field of
education. (Please see the list of course texts at the end of this syllabus for additional
information.) APA format must be used for all citations and references in student work.
Your aim should be to create a professional appearance to your work, with recognizable
conventions that facilitate—rather than detract from—the communication of ideas
between you and your reader.
Participation. Students are expected to participate in the course in a manner consistent
with the characteristics of effective educational leaders. Participation in class has three
purposes: (1) Participation in class discussions, tours and activities is the central method
for constructing each student’s understanding and meaning of the course content; (2)
participation is essential to building and employing a collaborative, team-based approach
to the course; and (3) student participation is necessary for formative assessment of
learning and on-going planning for instruction. Therefore, participation is included in
students’ final grades.
E-mail Communication. Participation in the course outside of class meeting times
includes homework assignments, work on projects, reading, and collaboration with
classmates. Participation also includes monitoring e-mail communication from the
professor and/or classmates. Your William and Mary e-mail account is your official
address for the course. Please be sure to monitor it regularly.
Attendance. Since participation is a required component of the course, regular attendance
is necessary. If an absence or tardiness is necessary, please contact me as early in
advance as possible. Also, arrange with a classmate or with me, if necessary, to gather
missed materials and to review class activities. Absences, frequent tardies, or
unconstructive participation will reduce a student’s final grade.
Assigned Readings. The readings are integral to this course. The Earthman text has been
selected because of its clarity and detail. I trust you will find his presentation easy to
follow and apply. Your reading will serve a critical role in developing your foundational
content knowledge and in creating a common context for all of us in the class.
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EPPL 601 Educational Policy
Summer, 2009
Course Evaluation. The professional evaluation of academic programs is an essential
responsibility of educational leaders at all levels; therefore, you are expected to complete
the on-line course evaluation at the end of the course. You will receive e-mail
notification from The College of William and Mary when the site is available for you to
complete the evaluation. Your honest and constructive evaluation of the course and
instructor are important and appreciated. Your course evaluation is anonymous.
Meeting Days, Readings, and Assignments
M July 20
Class Introduction/Overview
Introduction & Definitions
Chapter 1
Kozol pp. 1-6
Tu July 21
Power
Chapter 2
Kozol pp. 7-39
Wed July 22 Economics & Demographics
Chapter 3
Th July 23
Political Systems & Culture
Chapter 4
Kozol pp 175-205
M July 27
Values & Ideology
PAPER #1 DUE
Chapter 5
Tu July 28
Policy Actors
Chapter 6
Wed July 29 Issue Definition & Agenda Setting
Policy Formulation & Adoption
Chapters 7,8
Th July 30
Financial Implications &
Chapters 9,10
Implementation Issues with People
PAPER #2 DUE
M Aug 3
Policy Evaluation
Policy in the United States
PAPER #3 DUE
Tu Aug 4
Final Examination Parts I & II
Chapters 11, 12
Wed August 5 Policy Analysis Team Presentations
Th August 6
Policy Analysis Team Presentations
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EPPL 601 Educational Policy
Summer, 2009
Student Evaluation
Paper 1
15%
Paper 2
15%
Paper 3
15%
Exam Part I
10%
Exam Part II
10%
Policy Analysis Paper & Team Presentation
35%
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Final Grade
100%
Grading Scale
The faculty of the School of Education uses the following grading scale, including plus
and minus designations, to evaluate student performance in graduate courses:
A
B
C
D
F
Performance considerably above the level expected for a student in a
given program.
Performance equal to the expectation for acceptable performance at the
student’s level of study.
Performance below expectation but of sufficient quality to justify degree
credit.
Performance unacceptable for graduate degree credit but sufficient to
warrant a “passing” grade for non-degree purposes.
Unacceptable level of performance for any purpose.
Assignments
Paper #1. Subject: Policy Development (15%)
Identify a local/state policy. Review the circumstances/events that prompted the
development of this policy.
Include:
 Any alternate policies considered
 Groups involved/influencing the policy
 Implementation issues
3 Pages MAXIMUM
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EPPL 601 Educational Policy
Summer, 2009
Paper #2. Subject: Interest Group Analysis (15%)
Compare & contrast the views of 2 different interest groups on a particular issue
of education policy.
Include:
 Areas of agreement
 Areas of disagreement
 Speculate on motivation for each group’s stance
3 Pages MAXIMUM
Paper #3. Subject: Trend Analysis (15%)
Identify an educational policy issue that has been problematic. Trace the
development & implementation of this policy in one or more jurisdictions over a
period of time.
Include:
 Identify the problem addressed by the policy
 Changes in the policy over time
 Consistent portions of the policy
 Identify jurisdiction reviewed
3 Pages MAXIMUM
Exam Part I (10%)
This portion of the final exam will assess mastery and understanding of basic
concepts provided during the course sessions and assigned readings.
Exam Part II (10%)
This portion of the final exam will require the application of course concepts in a
variety of case studies and scenarios.
Policy Analysis Paper & Team Presentation (35%)
Identify & summarize current research on one of the following educational policy
Initiatives:
 Charter Schools
 High stakes testing & accountability
 Phonics in reading instruction
 Vouchers/tuition tax credits
 Small class size
 Retention vs promotion
 Affirmative Action admissions for higher education
 Random Drug-Testing of Students
 Title IX implementation
 High School Reform
 Inclusive Practices for IEP students
 Service learning
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EPPL 601 Educational Policy
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Topics approved in advance by the instructor
Include a minimum of three studies in the review. One must present dissenting
views on your conclusions.
The final paper must include:
 Consistent findings among the studies
 Disagreement among the studies
 Practical implications of findings for current policy & educational leaders
10 Pages MAXIMUM
Team Presentations are maximum 30 minutes (timed).
Presentations must include:
 One page overview handout for each student in class
 Presentation of 3 aspects of paper (see list above)
 Leading class discussion of topic
Course Text
Policy Studies for Educational Leaders (Fowler)
Other readings as assigned by the instructor
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