The New Institutionalism in Education

Gives researchers and policy analysts conceptual tools and empirical assessments to gauge the possibilities for institutional innovation.

The New Institutionalism in Education brings together leading academics to explore the ongoing changes in K–12 and higher education in both the United States and abroad. The contributors show that current educational trends-including the increased globalization of education, the growing emphasis on educational markets and school choice, the rise of accountability systems, and the persistent influence of business groups like textbook manufacturers and test makers on educational policy-can best be understood when observed through an institutional lens. Because schools and universities are organizations that are stabilized by deeply institutionalized rules, they are subject to the enduring problem of substantive educational reform. This book gives researchers and policy analysts conceptual tools and empirical assessments to gauge the possibilities for institutional reform and innovation.