This article seeks to analyse how epistemic work (Alasuutari, 2018; Alasuutari and Qadir, 2019) in Portuguese parliamentary education debates develops through externalisation to world situations (Schriewer, 1990) whose references are used as epistemic capital (Alasuutari, 2018). The study explores debates occurring during Legislature X…

The purpose of this study is to investigate policy coalitions of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) at U.S. congressional hearings. This study is grounded in the advocacy coalition framework, which argues that advocacy coalitions are forged by policy actors who have similar policy preferences. To identify the coalitions, according to the policy…

Beginning in 2010, more than 40 states adopted the Common Core State Standards. In the years immediately following their adoption, educators, parents, and policymakers familiar with the standards strongly supported them. Both Republicans and Democrats heralded the Common Core as one of the most promising school reforms in decades. Fast forward to…

One of the most misunderstood issues in pre-K-12 education today is how to educate children who are not yet proficient in English. When policymakers refer to these students as English language learners (ELLs)--as many school district officials presently do--or as limited English proficient students (LEPs)--as federal legislators did in the No…

This paper isolates four research perspectives that have guided analyses of state legislatures and education policy in the past, and it presents research judgments that it believes will help the Law and Government Program of the National Institute of Education identify promising research directions in the future. While it acknowledges that few…

A literature-based model of the legislative politics of policy innovation is examined in light of Minnesota's experiences with the school choice issue. A revised model, reflecting case-study findings, is presented. The leadership area is identified as the arena where lawmakers can exert leverage on restructuring public education. (SLD)

Examines present lack of judicial restraint by analyzing "Missouri v. Jenkins," a case upholding a court-ordered tax increase to fund school desegregation. Maintains that elected representatives placate interest groups and abdicate power in favor of the courts when political decisions are unpopular. Questions the implications for future…