Overview

An essential read for rethinking and improving how education policy is made and implemented. In Deliberative Policymaking, Elizabeth Grant advances a fresh framework for making collective decisions about US schools. Grant argues that education policy itself can be made fundamentally better by improving education policymaking methods. Informed by accounts of recent policymaking actions as well as her own considerable experience as a federal-level policymaker, she offers a keen assessment of which components of existing education policy and policymaking have been effective and which have not. In this deeply reasoned work, Grant presents new approaches to the art and craft of policymaking—specifically, the processes by which policymakers define public problems, determine a theory of change, aid implementation, and test policy approaches. She endorses policy design thinking, including user-centered design; greater attention to education statecraft, such as reinforcing federal-state relations; and partnering with intermediaries who can help policymakers determine where the public interest lies. She underscores how these deliberative practices support democratized policymaking and implementation, which can lead to more inclusive and equitable policy. In a discussion of the implications of this deliberative approach, Grant notes that the success of policy work depends on civic capacity to initiate and sustain improvement efforts, and on policy's ability to meet the demands of the time. This book is essential reading for anyone who makes policy and anyone interested in how education reform is realized.

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9781682538838

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Reviews

“Grant thoughtfully lays out why current education policy has always been at risk of poor outcomes. Her introduction of deliberative policymaking opens the door for those in the position of creating and improving education policy to start with a new paradigm for more successful policy implementation.” - Denise Forte, president and CEO, The Education Trust “Elizabeth Grant draws on a long career in education policymaking. Her book melds this on-the-ground experience with deep insights drawn from many theoretical and practical perspectives to create a new approach to policymaking, built on far more open deliberation, turning policymaking into a learning exercise with lots of opportunities for testing approaches to improve the fit between what is needed and policies. She also puts implementation center stage—where it belongs—but is all too often neglected in today’s policy process.” - Mark Schneider, former director, Institute of Education Sciences, US Department of Education “At a time when Americans feel increasingly alienated from each other, and when consensus on key issues seems all but impossible, Elizabeth Grant has written a book that doubles down on the democratic process. Grant leverages decades of academic and practical experience to chart a course for education policymaking that is inclusive, humble, and grounded in collective learning. Deliberative Policymaking shows that the best policies are those that draw on diverse experiences, foster debate, and embed opportunities to test and revise our assumptions. Most importantly, Grant reminds us that politics need not be a dirty word, but a process by which we negotiate differences in a world that is increasingly interdependent.” - Joshua L. Glazer, associate professor of education policy, Graduate School of Education and Human Development, George Washington University

"""At a time when Americans feel increasingly alienated from each other, and when consensus on key issues seems all but impossible, Elizabeth Grant has written a book that doubles down on the democratic process. Grant leverages decades of academic and practical experience to chart a course for education policymaking that is inclusive, humble, and grounded in collective learning. Deliberative Policymaking shows that the best policies are those that draw on diverse experiences, foster debate, and embed opportunities to test and revise our assumptions. Most importantly, Grant reminds us that politics need not be a dirty word, but a process by which we negotiate differences in a world that is increasingly interdependent.""--Joshua L. Glazer, associate professor of education policy, Graduate School of Education and Human Development, George Washington University ""Elizabeth Grant draws on a long career in education policymaking. Her book melds this on-the-ground experience with deep insights drawn from many theoretical and practical perspectives to create a new approach to policymaking, built on far more open deliberation, turning policymaking into a learning exercise with lots of opportunities for testing approaches to improve the fit between what is needed and policies. She also puts implementation center stage--where it belongs--but is all too often neglected in today's policy process.""--Mark Schneider, former director, Institute of Education Sciences, US Department of Education ""Grant thoughtfully lays out why current education policy has always been at risk of poor outcomes. Her introduction of deliberative policymaking opens the door for those in the position of creating and improving education policy to start with a new paradigm for more successful policy implementation.""--Denise Forte, president and CEO, The Education Trust"

Author Information

Elizabeth Grant is the superintendent of schools for the Salt Lake City School District and former associate professor of education at George Washington University’s Graduate School of Education and Human Development.

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