Issues Carousel: Flexible Pathways and Dual Enrollment in the Journey to Vermont Act 77

Abstract

When the State of Vermont passed Act 77 of 2013, it ushered in personalized learning (also referred to as student-centered learning) as its official statewide public education policy. The Vermont law moved the State to an educational paradigm that incorporates each student’s interests, strengths, and needs including student voice and choice in what, how, when, and where they learn to achieve the goals of active student engagement in the education process (State of Vermont Agency of Education, 2019, p. 1). This dissertation analyzes how an education policy change occurred in the State of Vermont; how the power structure within the state’s education ecosystem influenced and effectuated a radical departure from traditional public education. Using an exploratory case study approach based on historic policy analysis of the development of Act 77, interviews, a focus group, and document review this study explored key influencers and dynamics in policy discourse, problems solved through student-centered learning, policy opportunities that elevated this pedagogy to the issues agenda, and what influenced the cycle leading to enactment of Vermont Act 77 of 2013. The study identified factors that states, cities, school districts and communities should consider in relation to education policy shifts. Findings include: 1) Vermont’s education ecosystem was motivated by a progressive education history. The power structure within the ecosystem was made up of influencers who had a variety of synergistic professional experiences and expertise within the student-centered education ecosystem in particular; 2) Vermont’s education ecosystem shaped a series of policy changes leading to Act 77; and 3) Relational dynamics and networks (the power structure) are key outcome determinants for addressing concerns about education equity leading to policy change.