The role of state departments of education in complex school reform

About this book

The Role of State Departments of Education in Complex School Reform uses in-depth case studies of two models of statewide school reform - Kentucky and Vermont - to examine the role of state departments in the reform process. Susan Follett Lusi's nearly 200 interviews and multiple site visits detail how these departments of education implemented their reform plans, and describe the effects of their choices on both the internal dynamics of the departments as well as on the external ability of schools and districts to implement reform. The efforts of these two departments are measured against the challenging demands of systemic reform, and data from the case studies provide a powerful basis for analysis and discussion. This well-researched study will be valuable reading for graduate courses in educational policy, administration, foundations, and school reform, and will be of interest to researchers and professors involved in those areas, as well as to state-level policy makers.