Journal of Educational Policy

For any educator, the policies set forth by school districts or government entities ranging from the local to the federal level can have a profound impact on the manner in which education is carried out. Limits on what can be taught, teaching methods that must be employed, and assessments that must be used are often handed out from above, far removed from the classroom itself. For educators, keeping abreast of these policy changes can enable one to effectively argue for or against a proposed policy; remaining current on these various policies is essential for this process. One particular publication, the Journal of Education Policy provides readers with peer-reviewed, scholarly works on various educational policies, incorporating, in many cases, their benefits, drawbacks, and implementation strategies.

While the journal naturally focuses on educational policies that impact nearly all readers, such as those that are created and implemented at the federal level, it also focuses on trends that may manifest at the state or local levels. Further, those written elements that focus on highly-specific policies can provide outside readers with a point of discussion for their own educational experiences; the successes or failures of policies in one small town might result in a more successful implementation of a specific policy in another small town. Such a resource is vital not only for the educators that deal with the immediate and long-term ramifications of these various policies, but also assists in the creation of later policies, as readers can learn from the mistakes and successes of other previously-implemented programs.