About this course: Urban school reform in the United States is characterized by contentious, politicized debate. This course explores a set of critical issues in the education and educational reform space, with a focus on aspects of the field that have sparked controversy and polarized views. We will dig into these debates, situating them within the larger history of public education and school reform, and considering the viewpoints, the evidence, and translation of issues into educational policy. We will consider three broad topics in this course: 1. Federal Strategies in School Reform: How has the federal government legislated and incented public school reform? 2. School Choice: How does school choice aim to improve schools? 3. Accountability: What is the history of accountability in American public schooling? What are the policies and practices associated with accountability? Learning Goals This course will enable participants to: 1. develop an informed historical perspective about public schooling in the United States; 2. understand the unique contextual elements of the American approach to public schooling; 3. analyze and assess divergent viewpoints about American public school history and school reform policy. Teachers may be able to receive continuing education credit for successful completion of this course. To earn continuing education credits students must purchase and earn the Course Certificate, which they can then submit to the credit-issuing agency in their state. Students should also fill out the requisite paperwork stating that the affiliated provider is the Graham School at the University of Chicago, and that average time for certificate-level course completion is 18 hours. Students outside of Illinois should contact their state’s accreditation board to determine whether this course is eligible for continuing education credit. Note that it is up to the schools or districts that employ teachers to decide whether this course meet their requirements.
Created by: The University of Chicago
Taught by: Sara Ray Stoelinga, Sara Liston Spurlark Director and Clinical Professor
Urban Education Institute
| Language | English |
| How To Pass | Pass all graded assignments to complete the course. |
| User Ratings |
Syllabus
WEEK 1
American Public Education: Critical Issues & Historical Context
As we launch the course, we will explore the history of public schooling and school reform in the United States. The approach to public education in the United States is unique, with governance, quality, and approach residing at the state and local level. As a result, efforts to improve and reform public schools in the United States are complex. Together, we will unpack these critical foundational characteristics of American public schooling, and explore the ways in which these contextual factors influence topics explored throughout the course.
5 videos, 3 readings
- Reading: Welcome to the Course!
- Video: Course Overview
- Video: Public Schooling & Local Control
- Video: American Public School Funding
- Video: Concepts of American School Reform, pt. 1: The Theories Behind Reform
- Video: Concepts of American School Reform, pt. 2: The History of Reform
- Reading: Glossary for Historical Context of American Public Education
- Discussion Prompt: Think & Share: What are your impressions of the local control character of American public education
- Reading: Optional Further Readings
Graded: Historical Context of American Public Education
WEEK 2
The No Child Left Behind Act
This week, we will examine federal strategies to improve public schooling, beginning with the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB). NCLB is the 2001 reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. Enacted during the presidency of George W Bush, NCLB emphasized accountability, choice and flexibility. Discussion of the goals and intentions of NCLB will naturally lead us to consider the controversies around federal involvement in public education given the nature of the locally controlled approach to the American system. We will explore divergent opinions about NCLB theory of action and effectiveness.
6 videos, 4 readings
- Video: NCLB: Overview
- Video: Building Up to NCLB, 1965-2001
- Reading: Glossary for NCLB Historical Lens
- Discussion Prompt: Think & Share: Does the federal government have a responsibility to ensure equal funding in public education?
- Video: Part 1: Accountability and Choice
- Video: Part 2: Flexibility and Literacy
- Reading: Glossary for NCLB Summary Lens
- Video: Part 1: The Aftermath of NCLB
- Video: Part 2: Arguments For and Against NCLB
- Reading: Glossary for NCLB Analytical Lens
- Discussion Prompt: Think & Share: Would you vote for NCLB?
- Reading: Optional Further Readings
Graded: No Child Left Behind
WEEK 3
The Common Core State Standards
As we continue our exploration of federal involvement in public education, we will discuss the Common Core State Standards (CCSS), the creation of a shared set of common standards and assessments for public education. We will examine the history of the creation of standards in the United States, revealing the fact that the concept of standards has been evident for decades. What can we learn from this history? How is the Common Core like or not like these previous efforts? We will consider the goals and intentions behind the Common Core, as well as the divergent opinions about its effectiveness.
5 videos, 5 readings
- Video: Overview: Common Core State Standards
- Reading: Glossary for CCSS Overview
- Video: American Schooling Standards, 1892-2015
- Reading: Glossary for CCSS Historical Lens
- Discussion Prompt: Think & Share: Does the Common Core State Standards improve urban public schooling?
- Video: Part 1: Developing the Standards
- Video: Part 2: Implementing the Standards
- Reading: Glossary for CCSS Summary Lens
- Video: Arguments For and Against CCSS
- Reading: Glossary for CCSS Analytical Lens
- Discussion Prompt: Think & Share: What key conditions must be in place for the Common Core State Standards to be successful?
- Reading: Optional Further Readings
Graded: The Common Core State Standards
WEEK 4
Interlude 1: Interview and Panel Discussion on NCLB and CCSS
We had the pleasure of interviewing several experts in the education space from around Chicago and the Urban Education Institute. Listen as they discuss topics surrounding NCLB and CCSS. They will have a variety of perspectives from that of a researcher to a practitioner. Which do you identify with? Did any of the participants resonate with you?
7 videos
- Video: Meet the Experts
- Video: NCLB Interviews
- Video: CCSS Interviews
- Video: Federal Intervention Interviews
- Discussion Prompt: Think & Share: Should the federal goverment get involved in public education?
- Discussion Prompt: Think & Share: How should the federal government be engaged in public education?
- Video: Panel 1, part 1: School Improvement at Scale
- Video: Panel 1, pt. 2: Standardized Tests
- Video: Panel 1, pt. 3: School-level Reform
- Discussion Prompt: Think & Share: What is the optimal starting point for school reform?
- Discussion Prompt: Think & Share: What data are most compelling to you to measure effectiveness of schools?
WEEK 5
Summarizing Debates around School Choice
School choice includes a set of practices and policies that aim to provide new educational options for students, to improve individual, school and school system outcomes. The concept on the surface sounds simple and logical and yet school choice is complex in implementation and has sparked much debate. What are the reasons for this controversy? Together, we will examine the history, types of school choice, the debates about effectiveness, and the ways in which this theory of action has become highly politicized and controversial.
5 videos, 3 readings
- Video: Overview: School Choice
- Reading: Glossary for School Choice Overview
- Video: School Choice from 1955 Onward
- Reading: Glossary for School Choice Historical Lens
- Discussion Prompt: Think & Share: Can school choice help to improve individual outcomes?
- Video: Part 1: Open Enrollment and Magnet Schools
- Video: Part 2: Tax Credits and Homeschooling
- Reading: Glossary for School Choice Summary Lens
- Video: Arguments For and Against School Choice
- Discussion Prompt: Think & Share: What information will parents need to make informed school choices?
Graded: School Choice
WEEK 6
Charter Schools
This week, we will focus our attention on charter schools. We will explore the history of charter schools in the United States, examining fundamental questions about their theory of action and effectiveness. In these lectures, we will gain critical knowledge about how charter schools came to be, whether they are effective, and why they are so controversial.
5 videos, 4 readings
- Video: Overview: Charter Schools
- Reading: Glossary for Charter School Overview
- Video: The History Behind Charter Schools, 1955-2015
- Reading: Glossary for Charter School Historical Lens
- Discussion Prompt: Think & Share: Can charter schools improve outcomes for individual students, schools, and school systems?
- Video: What makes charter schools different?
- Reading: Glossary for Charter Schools Summary Lens
- Video: Part 1: How do charter schools perform?
- Video: Part 2: Arguments For and Against Charter Schools
- Discussion Prompt: Think & Share: Should states and localities promote the expansion of charter schools?
- Reading: Optional Further Readings: School Choice and Charter Schools
Graded: Charter Schools
WEEK 7
Interlude 2: Interview and Panel Discussion on School Choice and Charter Schools
We had the pleasure of interviewing several experts in the education space from around Chicago and the Urban Education Institute. Listen as they discuss issues surrounding School Choice and Charter Schools. They will have a variety of perspectives from that of a researcher to a practitioner. Which do you identify with? Did any of the participants resonate with you?
6 videos
- Video: School Choice: Meet the Experts
- Video: The School Choice Debate Interviews
- Discussion Prompt: Think & Share: Is education a public good or private good?
- Discussion Prompt: Think & Share: Does school choice improve educational outcomes?
- Video: School Choice Interviews: Charter Schools
- Video: Part 1: The Theory Behind School Choice
- Video: Part 2: Teachers and Teachers Unions in Charter Schools
- Video: Part 3: Charter School Results
- Discussion Prompt: Think & Share: Should charter schools be part of teachers unions?
- Discussion Prompt: Think & Share: Are charter schools successful?
WEEK 8
School Accountability: History, Theory of Action, Policy
The idea of accountability, or holding students, teachers, schools and school districts responsible for school performance, has become a key focus for practitioners, policy makers, and citizens. Why did the concept of accountability emerge and why has it become so central, so controversial? This week, we will learn about the concept of accountability in schools, which emerged in the United States in the 1990s. We will examine the history of the accountability, and the many forms this idea has taken. In doing so, we will consider pressing questions about how we ensure high quality schooling while not making accountability an ends in itself.
5 videos, 4 readings
- Video: Accountability: Overview
- Reading: Glossary for Accountability Overview
- Video: Accountability, 1980-2001
- Reading: Glossary for Accountability Historical Lens
- Discussion Prompt: Think & Share: Does accountability improve public schooling?
- Video: Part 1: Assessments, Report Cards, and Help to Low-Performing Schools
- Video: Part 2: Turnaround and Rewards to High-Performing Schools
- Reading: Glossary for Accountability Summary Lens
- Video: How have Accountability Methods Changed over Time? 1999-2014
- Discussion Prompt: Think & Share: Should standardized tests be a component included in accountability systems?
- Reading: Optional Further Reading
Graded: Accountability
WEEK 9
Teacher Effectiveness and Evaluation
This week, we will dig more deeply into the concept of accountability, by examining teacher effectiveness and evaluation. In the process, we will learn about efforts to define and measure teacher effectiveness, and the push nationally to integrate teacher evaluation into individual teacher, school, school system and state accountability systems.
4 videos, 5 readings
- Video: Overview: Teacher Effectiveness and Evaluation
- Reading: Glossary for Teacher Effectiveness/Evaluation Overview
- Video: How and Why has Teacher Evaluation Changed over Time?
- Reading: Glossary for Teacher Effectiveness/Evaluation Historical Lens
- Discussion Prompt: Think & Share: How do we improve teacher effectiveness?
- Video: How Teacher Evaluation Systems Work
- Reading: Glossary for Teacher Effectiveness/Evaluation Summary Lens
- Video: The Teacher Pathway Perspective
- Reading: Glossary for Teacher Effectiveness/Evaluation Analytical Lens
- Discussion Prompt: Think & Share: What are the most important aspects or characteristics for teachers to have to be effective?
- Reading: Optional Further Reading
Graded: Teacher Effectiveness/Evaluation
WEEK 10
Conclusion and Final Assignment
In the last week, we interviewed several experts in the education space from around Chicago and the Urban Education Institute on their view of accountability. As a summary of your learning in this class, we ask you to write a short response paper.
4 videos, 2 readings
- Video: Meet the Experts
- Video: Accountability Interviews
- Video: High-stakes Testing Interview
- Video: Teacher Quality and Evaluation Interviews
- Discussion Prompt: Think & Share: Is accountability necessary for ensuring quality of public schools?
- Discussion Prompt: Think & Share: Which aspects of accountability have the highest likelihood of improving schools?
- Reading: Writing Resources
- Reading: Complete Glossary and Optional Further Reading Lists
Graded: Issue Response Paper
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Ratings and Reviews
I loved this course. A great introduction to so many facets and perspectives of urban education.
I thought the course was very interesting and the videos were great. One criticism I have, though, is that the name of the course is misleading; it really should have been called Educational Reform in the US. I don't think we studied specifically urban issues at all.
Logically organised, informative and enjoyable. This was an excellent introductory course to Urban Education Issues and provided me with a solid starting point for exploring the subject.
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I find this course very well done and particularly well explained for people like me who work in Education in the US but did not grow up here. Sara Ray Stoelinga is very clear and interesting. I am on week 2 out of 10 and decided to upgrade to get the certificate because her teachings are so worth it.
I am not sure that the course has been updated to include the new Trump administration. In any case, this is a great course and I recommend it.