Policy Report: Expansion of Philosophy Courses in Secondary Education

This report has been developed in order to present a policy prescription regarding the expansion of philosophy courses within the public education system of the United States, specifically in the area of secondary education. There are multiple segments within this report that address specific considerations regarding the policy prescription. The first major segment of this report provides an overview of the problem area that requires policy action. The report then advances to a discussion of the scope of the policy and its intended impact. 

Building upon the description of the scope of the policy, this report provides critical insight into the goals which have been set for the final implementation of said policy. A detailed description of the methods and strategies which will be applied in the implementation of the prescribed policy is also offered within this report. Finally, an overview of the assessment strategy that may be applied in relation to the prescribed policy is provided. 

Problem Identification and Conceptualization

Philosophy education consists of instruction in the areas of symbolic logic, ethics, metaphysics, epistemology, and other areas of study that are critical to the intellectual development of students (Millett & Tapper, 2012). Such education is commonplace throughout much of the developed world, including the majority of Europeans nations as well as many Asian nations (Goering, Shudak, & Wartenberg, 2013). Philosophy courses form the backbone of many of the best secondary level science and mathematics courses offered in the global education environment (Goering et al., 2013). 

In the United States, philosophy courses are very rarely offered at the second level of education. In those instances in which such a course is made available, an attempt is typically made to condense multiple areas of study into a single course thereby over-condensing critical information (Goering et al., 2013). The major gap in philosophy instruction at the secondary level within the United States has drastically limited the contextual development of intellectual training for American students. Rather than spending time establishing a strong foundation for effective reasoning, strong ethics, and an understanding of the origin of scientific thought, students in America are expected to advance into areas of study without the necessary contextual background. 

The exact impact of the lack of philosophical education within the United States is not fully understood, however, the benefits of philosophical training at the individual level are well-understood. For example, those individuals who receive instruction in philosophy are more likely to post above average scores on the major standardized tests for graduate education (Morris & Nisbett, 1993). For example, undergraduate students who major in philosophy typically post a high mean score in the Verbal component of the GRE (Morris & Nisbett, 1993).

In addition to higher standardized test scores, individuals who study philosophy are more likely to find success in leadership positions post-graduation (Goering et al., 2013). It is expected that the promotion of philosophy instruction at the secondary level of the American education system would lead to increased academic performance across the board, yet there has been limited support for the implementation of this type of instruction as a standard course. Much of the opposition to the implementation of philosophy as a standard course may be attributed to a general lack of understanding regarding the nature of philosophy instruction. Many of those who have not received instruction in philosophy consider the field to be of less value than other major fields of study (Goering et al., 2013). This could not, however, be further from the truth as philosophy itself forms the basis for many fields including science and mathematics. It is, therefore, necessary to address the gap in education policy as well as the lack of understanding of the value of philosophical instruction on the part of major stakeholders in the education system. 

In order to effectively address the gaps which have been identified, it is important to develop an understanding of the stakeholders involved in this policy issue. Major stakeholders include policymakers and the federal, state, and local level, as well as educators and students. Additionally, it is important to highlight the role of academia in establishing the basis for instructional designs through the development of policy prescriptions such as those outlined in this report. Without the proper support from education researchers and think tank organizations, it is unlikely that sufficient momentum will be placed behind the campaign to expand philosophy education. 

Goal Setting

The major goal of the policy effort is the establishment of philosophy education as a standard course within at least 85% of school districts within the United States. This percentage of adoption has been selected based upon data from previous efforts to promote supported education course adoption (Manthey, Goscha, & Rapp, 2015). Even if the policy effort does not successfully establish a rate of adoption of 85% of school districts, any significant expansion of philosophy education must be considered a step in the correct direction. 

The core focus of the policy effort will be placed on state departments of education, as well as educator organizations. The goal will be to emphasize the value of philosophy education at the secondary level. Furthermore, stakeholders must be made aware of the wealth of instructional resources which have been developed for immediate utilization in a classroom setting. The major hurdle to the expansion of philosophy education will not be a lack of materials, but rather a lack of space within the framework of the American education system. Many stakeholders will find it difficult to see the value in the implementation of a new instructional program that will require the hiring of more teachers and the expansion of the number of required courses. 

Policy Tools

The policy tools which have been selected for employment within the campaign effort are primarily of an educational variety. As it stands, there is no justifiable reason for the utilization of coercive measures in order to achieve wide adoption of the policy. As noted previously, much of the resistance to the expansion of philosophy education is the result of a lack of understanding regarding the value of this form of education. It is, therefore, necessary to create a platform for the open discussion of the benefits of philosophy education. 

There will be two primary methods of communicating the value of philosophy education, and each method will vary in applicability depending upon the campaign target. The first method of communication will be the provision of text-based materials to stakeholder. These materials will be delivered either digitally or through a physical medium. Examples of materials which will be included within the communication effort are policy briefings, formal reports on the benefits of philosophy education, and examples of course materials. These materials will be provided to policymakers, members of educator organizations, and relevant parties within the school district. 

The second method of communication that will be employed is the conducting of events that are designed to raise awareness of the importance of philosophy education. These events will vary in size and scope. Some events will consist of speaking engagements with a small number of attendees, while other events will serve as rallies in order to bring together a large number of supporters. Private meetings with key stakeholders will also be utilized in order to more effectively address important details concerning the prescribed policy. 

Implementation

An implementation may come at multiple levels and varying forms. School districts typically have the power to develop new courses so long as these courses conform to the legal standards governing the education system (Glatthorn., Boschee, Whitehead, & Boschee, 2018). It may be possible for some school districts to voluntarily adopt philosophy education as a central component of instruction. At the state level, it will be the duty of the departments of education in each state to see that philosophy instruction becomes a standard component of secondary education. Regardless of the level at which the policy is implemented, street-level bureaucrats must remain open to the adoption of these new courses in order to ensure that they will be a success. 

 It is important to note that the federal government may play an important role in the promotion of philosophy education. Specifically, the United States Department of Education (DOE) may act as a policy dissemination point from which state-level organizations develop specific operational mandates. The DOE has operated in this capacity in the past with great success (Goering et al., 2013). It is therefore of critical importance that the DOE is fully aligned with the policy promotion strategy outlined herein. 

Assessment

The likelihood of the successful implementation of the policy prescription is dependent upon the effectiveness of the strategic communication program. Cochran and Malone (2009) note that public policy efforts are typically more successful if the stakeholders involved in the implementation of the policy are willing to support its development. Resistance to implementation must be addressed to ensure the success of the program. It is therefore critical that support for implementation is monitored both during and after the strategic implementation process. So long as the education campaign is conducted effectively, it may be assumed that the policy effort will be a success. 

The assessment of the policy implementation effort will be rather simple in its design and execution. In order to determine whether or not the campaign has been a success, all that will be required will be the polling of school districts in order to determine whether or not a philosophy program is on offer. The implementation of such a program post-campaign will be considered a successful implementation. The polling effort must take place after a sufficient amount of time has passed in order to ensure that school districts throughout the nation have had enough time to implement an instructional program. 

In addition to the monitoring of implementation efforts within school districts, it will be necessary to monitor the policy developments at the state and federal level of government. The monitoring process in this regard will be far simpler than the monitoring of school districts as it will simply require scanning of congressional reports as well as DOE reports concerning standards of education. Once implementation has been achieved, the process of examining the efficacy of the newly established philosophy courses may begin. This process will require the combined efforts of researchers throughout the nation in order to conduct the necessary quantitative and qualitative analyses in order to confirm whether or not these courses contribute to the positive development of the American education system, thereby improving poor testing scores. 

Conclusion

This report has presented a policy prescription concerning the expansion of philosophy courses within secondary education in the United States. It has been noted within this report that there is currently a major gap in the education system concerning philosophy instruction. In order to address this gap, key stakeholders must be made aware of the value of philosophy instruction and the necessity of standards of instruction which may offer students a chance to experience meaningful philosophical education. The implementation process will employ various methods of communication as a means of expanding awareness regarding the benefits associated with philosophy instruction. The ultimate goal is the successful establishment of these courses through voluntary adoption, with limited employment of state-mandated implementation.

References

Cochran, C., & Malone, E. (2009). Public policy: Perspectives and choices. Lynne Rienner Publications. 

Glatthorn, A. A., Boschee, F., Whitehead, B. M., & Boschee, B. F. (2018). Curriculum leadership: Strategies for development and implementation. SAGE publications.

Goering, S., Shudak, N. J., & Wartenberg, T. E. (Eds.). (2013). Philosophy in schools: An introduction for philosophers and teachers. Routledge.

Manthey, T. J., Goscha, R., & Rapp, C. (2015). Barriers to supported education implementation: Implications for administrators and policymakers. Administration and Policy in Mental Health and Mental Health Services Research, 42(3), 245-251.

Millett, S., & Tapper, A. (2012). Benefits of collaborative philosophical inquiry in schools. Educational Philosophy and Theory, 44(5), 546-567.

Morris, M. W., & Nisbett, R. E. (1993). Tools of the trade: Deductive schemas taught in psychology and philosophy. Rules for reasoning, 228-256.