EDU-205 School and Society

Assignment:Policy Analysis

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Description:

In our course we considered federal education policy decisions directed towards K-12 schools.Education reform is often driven by new policy decisions at the federal and state levels.In some situations, the policy is an attempt to revise previous decisions, in other cases the policy seeks to create new educational discourse.In our course we continue to explore the difference between policy intent and policy impact, looking at both intended and unintended consequences of policy decisions.We have also considered how policies impact different communities in different ways, often as a result of existing conditions or structures within our school communities.As students of education, our task is to be well-educated on existing education policy and proposed education policy.

In this assignment, you will identify a single state K-12 education policy decision or initiative.You will use the paper to contextualize the policy, identify its plan, and consider its actual / projected impact.You should represent key proponents of the policy as well as the objections to the policy.You may explore the impact of the policy on rural, urban, or suburban schools.You may also explore the impact of the policy on racial, socioeconomic, gender, special needs, immigrants, LGBTQ students, or other communities within schools.The paper should also reflect your assertion of the policy’s strengths and / or weaknesses.Policy decisions that are currently enacted should include research that demonstrates impact / effectiveness.Policy initiatives that are being considered for implementation should include projections of impact.Use available library resources to conduct research necessary to organize a meaningful examination of policy.

Although any state education policy is an accepted topic for this paper, students are encouraged to discuss their policy topics with classmates and / or the instructor before or after class.In some cases, a public policy topic may be selected if the student can analyze its impact (potential impact) in a school setting.