Date of Award

2023

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Education

Abstract

This study analyzed the vision, operations, and governance structure of state legislature on the College and Career Readiness (CCR) education policy to identify the decision-making process and opportunities and gaps for an equitable K-12 education pathway that challenges a more inclusive implementation of readiness at the state level. I endeavored to do the following in order to complete this qualitative research study: (a) identify if Indiana General Assembly decision-making on CCR priority focus of readiness serves the best interests of students or the economy, (b) gain an understanding of what influences Indiana to embark upon the education policy reforms they do, and when they do, (c) learn how issue agendas congeal, solutions transpire, and dilemmas galvanize attention before Indianas General Assembly, and (d) gauge whether Indiana legislature can identify the ramifications of the various ways of conceptualizing change in effective policy advocacy. The purpose of this qualitative social constructivism case study was to explore the driving force for Indianas legislative focus on CCR and why the focus was on one objective area of readiness more than others in order to examine the opportunities and gaps for an equitable K-12 education pathway and better understand inclusive implementation at the state level. This research design included data collection from one-on-one semi-structured interviews with eight current or former Indiana General Assembly members. The one-on-one interviews included Indiana State Senator(s) and State House of Representative(s) from urban, suburban, rural, and metropolitan districts. Through the examination of qualitative data, I looked for any themes that emerged among the participants responses. To find recurring themes in the participants experiences as members of the Indiana General Assembly, the semi-structured interviews responses were recorded, transcribed and coded. Themes identified included the participants perceiving decision-making focus serving both student interest and the economy through economic purpose using student interest, discernibly filtering education policy reforms through evidence-based research, attention being galvanized listening to organized intentional communication of common interests from those that exercise their influential power, and acknowledging a lack of equity and biases occurring even when working to hear the collective voice. The findings of this study provide direction for individuals who want to shape Indianas CCR education policy focus toward a more balanced inclusive structure and practice by helping them understand the influence tactics. In order to engage in meaningful communication with students, educators, associations, interest groups, constituents, and lobbyists about how the changes in CCR education policy would influence them, this study gives legislators some material for consideration. This studys overarching outcome is to have given decision-makers, professional educators, the labor force, higher education professionals, students, and citizens tools to foster collaboration and harness conflict for fruitful exploration of an equitable K-12 education pathway that examines a more inclusive implementation of readiness at the state level.

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