Department of Educational Policy Studies

Examination of the social, political, cultural and economic factors shaping African Americans educational experiences in the United States historically and currently. Same as AAST 104. Individual and Society, and US Society course.

Relations between school governance and politics. The role of educational interest groups, school boards, professional educators, and citizens in formulation and execution of educational policy. 3 undergraduate hours. 4 graduate hours.

Topics are announced at the time the class is scheduled. 3 undergraduate hours. 4 graduate hours. May be repeated to a maximum of 12 hours.

Cross-disciplinary, critical analysis of relationships between public schools and school districts and their urban environments, with attention to implications for school improvement.

Advanced investigation of historical and emergent themes in philosophy of education, with specific attention to competing perspectives on human nature and knowing, methods of philosophic inquiry, and the nexus of democratic and educational theory.

Investigates competing theoretical perspectives in the social foundations of education, addressing the evolution of social and educational theory. 

Methodology course providing students with basic understanding and skills in assessing, interpreting and representing quantitative and qualitative evidence in educational policy studies research. Students study research design and critique.

Alternative research design models and evaluation methodologies; quantitative and qualitative approaches; ethnography; historiography; experimentation and quasi-experimentation; institutional and practitioner research designs and methods.

Examine theory and practice of social justice teaching in schools, including: history liberatory pedagogies, culturally relevant and critical pedagogies, funds of knowledge, critical multiculturalism and anti-racist pedagogy, critical race theory. Same as CI 549.

Introduces an integrated model of school assessment practices that bridges the gap between internal and external assessment; introduces descriptive statistics, data representation and cycles of inquiry as core drivers of continuous improvement. Extensive computer use required.

Leadership and management responsibilities of system-level administrators in urban school districts. Theory and research on system level leadership using case study analysis and field work with system administrators.

Instructional improvement role of educational leaders of urban schools. Human resource development, parent/community support, supportive organizational contexts. Strategic planning, implementation, and evaluation.

Leadership understandings that promote high quality mathematics instruction with particular attention to student and adult learning for early childhood, intermediate, middle school and high school levels.

Cross-disciplinary examination of issues related to gender, sexuality, and sexual orientation in education, with critical attention paid to educational policy and practice. Same as GWS 563. 

Examines origins, evolution, and current frameworks of cultural studies, with a focus on educational policy and practice.

Legal rights, responsibilities, and authority of students, parents, teachers, administrators, boards, and government units in relation to schools. Legal issues in education policy and practice.

Influences on the processes of educational policy making, adoption and implementation, with a focus on the school leader?s role.

Budget and finance, strategic planning and decision making, communication, use of data and technology, parent/community relations, student support services. Different sections will focus on school-level and system-level administration. May be repeated. 4 hours is required for the Illinois Type 75 certificate. Additional hours may be needed for students to satisfy local school system administrator certification requirements (such as Chicago Public School's 1019 requirement).

Organizational effectiveness and organizational improvement in education. Multi-disciplinary and historical perspectives and their application to understanding the nature and function of educational organizations.

Social philosophical analysis of the theory of cultural pluralism, its relation to the liberal-experimentalist tradition in educational thought; selected equal educational opportunity policies; recent federal and state legislation on multicultural education.

Development and application of systems and protocols that support progressive cycles of formative assessment and institutional problem-solving; leadership development strategies for taking these systems to scale. May be repeated to a maximum of 8 hours. Extensive computer use required.

Examines theories of race and racism in education within the interdisciplinary construct of Critical Race Theory.

Students design, implement, and analyze results of a research problem in this area of specialization. Completed study is reviewed by faculty. Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory grading only. May be repeated to a maximum of 12 hours.

Students design, implement, and analyze results of a research problem in this area of specialization. Completed study is reviewed by faculty. May be repeated to a maximum of 8 hours.

Students carry out independent study in Educational Policy Studies under the direction of a faculty member. May be repeated to a maximum of 12 hours. Students may register in more than one section per term.