Of problems, policies, and politics: Using multiple streams to describe and explain state reading policy development.
DeYoung, David Andrew
2004
Abstract
Following the National Commission on Excellence in Education's report, <italic>A Nation at Risk</italic>, in 1983, the states' role in education decision making increased substantially resulting in multiple educational reforms. In recent years, the reform movement has focused heavily on efforts to improve the often dismal reading achievement of our youngest citizens. As a result, reading has become an area of passionate interest and policy activity in every state, and in some, a source of intense controversy. Despite the importance of early literacy and the fervent activity of many policymakers, how reading policy is made is largely unknown and descriptions of this process are needed to adequately understand why our children are being taught reading the way they are as well as how decisions are reached in a politically charged policy domain. Therefore, this study investigates the development of reading policy in nine states---Alabama, California, Connecticut, Indiana, Maine. Michigan, North Carolina, Texas, and Utah. Over the last decade or more, these states have passed numerous pieces of legislation, launched statewide reading initiatives, and made improving reading achievement a policy priority. An interview survey of 364 state-level reading policy actors from the nine states serves as the primary source of data. John Kingdon's Multiple Streams Model of policymaking provides a narrative structure for case studies of reading policy in the nine states. Kingdon conceives public policymaking as being composed of three independent streams of problems, politics and policies. At opportune moments---policy windows---the streams couple and policy change is possible. The cases presented in this study provide extensive descriptions of the development of reading policy in the nine states and substantially advances our understanding of the development of state reading policy specifically and state education policy generally. Inquiry into the problem stream showed that test results were the primary avenue for policy actors to define the reading problem. The political stream was highlighted by consensus among governmental actors, and limited participation among interest groups. In the policy stream, accountability through state standards and assessments and the use of phonics in reading instruction were among the most consistently discussed policy alternatives.Subjects
Describe Education Policy Explain Multiple Streams Model Policies Policy Development Politics Problems Reading State Policy Using
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