PADM 9090 Assignments

PADM 9090 Educational Policy Analysis

Assignments

Spring 2007

Readings

All students are expected to keep up with the assigned readings. In addition to the two required textbooks, there are a number of articles that have been placed online. The outside readings are drawn from a variety of sources and cover a variety of topics. While some deal directly with issues related to education, some do not focus on educational issues. Students are expected to draw generalizations concerning policy analysis from these readings, and then to apply those to education.

Group Project Overview

Students will complete one case analysis as a group project. The class will be divided into groups with no more than five (5) students in a group; each group will be responsible for preparing an appropriate presentation to be presented online, as well as a written analysis of the case. Each group will identify a problem affecting a school or school system in South Georgia. The group will conduct an analysis of the problem using the policy analysis model developed in class, and will present the results of that analysis in the form of a position paper addressed to a relevant decision maker or decision making body. More information will be provided in the specific assignment instructions.

Examinations

Each student will complete two take-home examinations. The examinations are designed to measure the student's grasp of the material presented and discussed in the class through your readings and unit notes.

Class Participation

Discussion/participation grades will be based upon your threaded discussion participation and any additional e-mail communications. For the threaded discussions, grades will be determined as follows:

Respond to each question

C = 70 to 79

Above, plus demonstrate awareness of & analytic ability in applying readings/lectures to answer

B = 80 to 89

Above, plus interact/comment on at least three
other students' submissions

A = 90 to 100

Project Submission: All project files and assignments will be submitted as attachments to E-mail and formatted as outlined below unless another format is negotiated with the instructor. These files will follow the formatting and file naming conventions listed and explained below:

	Text documents will be formatted as Microsoft Word documents (or if some problem exists, then Adobe Acrobat).
	Data files (if needed) will be Excel files (for spreadsheet data) or Access files (if database information is required).
	Presentations will be PowerPoint files.
	File Names: Be sure to indicate your ownership of files and the content, use your first and last names with either a dot (.) or underscore (_) between the parts and the assignment. For example: gerald_merwin_case.doc
	Questions: Please ask questions if any part of this information is unclear.

Reference http://www.valdosta.edu/mpa/classes/padm9090/assignments.html

Updated 01/03/2007, contact Jerry Merwin