|
| Description: |
|
Prerequisites: Doctoral standing or approval of instructor. A systematic survey, of the theory concepts and approaches associated with empirical analysis of public educational policies in a multicultural environment. Topics include quantitative and qualitative tools and methods of analysis. The case studies approach is utilized. |
| Texts: |
1. |
Kraft, Michael E. and Scott R. Furlong. 2006. Public Policy: Politics, Analysis, and Alternatives 2 nd ed. Washington, DC: CQ Press. |
| |
2. |
Bardach, Eugene. 2004. A Practical Guide to Policy Analysis: The Eightfold Path to More Effective Problem Solving 2 nd ed. Washington, DC: CQ Press. |
| Instructor: |
|
Gerald A. "Jerry"
Merwin Jr., Ph.D. <gamerwin@valdosta.edu>
(Link
to contact information.) |
| Web Site: |
|
http://www.valdosta.edu/mpa/classes/padm9090/ |
| Office Hours: |
|
This class is offered online through WebCT. There will be no formal office hours, but I will be available for meetings by appointment. We can arrange a meeting in the office, by telephone, or through online chat. Send an E-mail to suggest an appointment. |
| |
|
Expected Outcomes:
This course has two basic objectives:
|
| 1.
|
|
The first, and most important, is that each student gains a basic understanding of policy analysis in an educational setting–its purposes, procedures, and politics. The objective is not to teach detailed procedures of policy analysis, but rather to develop an understanding of and an appreciation of that process. Through this course the student, as citizen, teacher, public official, or school administrator, should be able to |
| |
a. |
knowledgeably follow and interpret educational policy developments at the national, state, and local levels, |
| |
b. |
more effectively influence the results of the policy process, |
| |
c. |
critically evaluate and effectively manage a variety of planning and control procedures, and |
| |
d. |
outline his or her own program of study for more specialized training in policy analysis. |
| 2. |
|
The second objective is to develop competence in each student in some of the qualitative and quantitative analytic techniques now being applied in policy analysis. The objective is not to train systems analysts or even to provide mastery of a few selected techniques. It is to give the student enough understanding of the powers and problems of these techniques |
| |
a. |
that the student can identify when specialized analytic skills might be usefully applied, |
| |
b. |
that the student gains an ability to utilize selected techniques in his or her own analysis, and |
| |
c. |
most importantly, that the student will not be intimidated, and is less likely to be misled, by analytic techniques and by those using them. |
| |
| ADA: |
| Valdosta
State University complies fully with the requirements of the Americans
with Disabilities Act (ADA). If you believe that you are covered under
this act, and if you have need for special arrangements to allow you to
meet the requirements of this course, please contact the personnel at
the VSU Access Office. You may contact that office by telephone at 912-245-2498,
FAX 912-245-3873. Learn more on the VSU web site at: http://www.valdosta.edu/ssp/
You may also reach them via email at access@valdosta.edu.
Also, please discuss this via email with your instructor(s) at the start
of each class. |
| |
| Web Readings: |
| Additional
readings for the class are identified on the class web site. The readings
are available on the web. We have no control over these web sites, so
the instructor, the MPA program, and the University are not responsible
for their content. If a participant has difficulty accessing material
at one of the identified web addresses, please contact the instructor
ASAP. Additionally, if any material on a web site is found to be objectionable,
please contact the instructor. Readings may be assigned from additional
sources as they are identified. |
| |
| Syllabus in PDF: If you wish to print the syllabus, you may want to access the Adobe Acrobat version (PDF*) by right-clicking and selecting "Save-as" to copy the file. Follow this link to the "padm9090_syllabus.pdf" file. |
* PDF files require the Adobe Acrobat Reader. It is available free from:  |
| |
| Reference http://www.valdosta.edu/mpa/classes/padm9090/index.html |
| Updated 01/04/2007, contact Jerry Merwin |
|
