From Politics to Policy: A Case Study in Educational Reform

This collection of essays is a case study of a major educational reform enacted in Texas in 1987: an effort to test all entering college students to gauge their basic skills. The contributors were involved in implementing this reform, which aims to remedy academic deficiencies among college students and to retain students through graduation. The book chronicles how legislators, staff and educators designed the test, program, and necessary policies to support the reform.

The essays in this book chronicle the work of legislators, staff, and educators in implementing House Bill 2182, which requires testing for all entering college students and mandates developmental education for students who fail to meet the established criteria. Among the issues discussed are test development, minority concerns, prevention of bias, handicapped needs, and program evaluation. From Politics to Policy presents a model for other states to emulate, and is valuable to students and teachers of education, policy analysis and psychometric testing, as well as to agencies and legislators involved in state-level educational reform.

JOAN M. MATTHEWS is a psychologist in San Marcos, Texas. She is also Director of Special Projects for the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. She has co-authored several publications and numerous articles on education.

RONALD G. SWANSON is the Associate Director of the Texas Academic Skills Program of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board.

RICHARD M. KERKER is a Program Director at the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board.