The Influence of Local Politics on Educational Decisions

This ex post facto, causal-comparative research study examined student reading performance data within a school district before and after a school district-wide decision to alter the reading curriculum in response to local political pressure from parents.  Data analysis revealed that test scores...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Gary Bigham, Jan Ray
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Arizona State University 2012-08-01
Series:Current Issues in Education
Subjects:
Online Access:https://cie.asu.edu/ojs/index.php/cieatasu/article/view/996
Description
Summary:This ex post facto, causal-comparative research study examined student reading performance data within a school district before and after a school district-wide decision to alter the reading curriculum in response to local political pressure from parents.  Data analysis revealed that test scores dropped to a significantly lower level, especially for students who were economically disadvantaged, after the reading curriculum was altered.  This study underscores the importance of making data-driven, rather than politically-influenced, decisions related to pedagogy, curriculum, instruction, and assessment by educational leaders.     
ISSN:1099-839X