LAWS 845 - Race and Class in American Public Education Seminar

Credits: 2/3

Education plays a crucial role in sustaining a democratic society. As such, it is critical that we understand and are able to critique the legal and public policy choices that shape our education system. This course will explore issues of equity, access, and reform in American public education, particularly as it pertains to race and class. It will examine the right to equal educational opportunity and will consider the various state and federal legal efforts to improve K-12 education and to increase accessibility to institutions of higher education. Topics that will be discussed include, among other things, school desegregation, school finance litigation, school choice, and affirmative action. We will scrutinize a variety of reform efforts, which may include the federal government's expanding role in education, single-sex education, magnet programs, and charter schools. We will also examine higher education admissions policies such as racial preferences, percentage plans, and reliance on standardized test scores. In addition to examining legal authority and the work of legal scholars, we will examine the writings of historians, social scientists, and education policy experts.

Note: GRADUATION REQUIREMENT:
Perspective Course Requirement AND
Writing Course Requirement, if taken for 3 credit hours, must earn a grade of C or better if taken for the writing requirement

Basis of Grade: Paper(s)

Form of Grade: Letter

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