Bibliographic note KULESZA, Izabela A. PATH DEPENDENCE IN AMERICAN PUBLIC EDUCATION . Mater thesis. Charles University, Faculty of Social Sciences, Institute of Sociological Studies. Supervisor Prof. PhDr. Arnošt Veselý, Ph.D. Abstract This thesis is concerned with the study of public education in the United States as a path-dependent phenomenon. By reviewing the historical background of the institution of education, several key sequences emerge that are foundational principles. They are: a decentralized system, secular education, universal access, decreasing the achievement gap and global competition. Testing these sequences against school choice theories shows the foundational principles behind traditional public schooling in America are being challenged. The institutional reproduction of this pathway is likely to be interrupted in the utilitarian, functional, power and legitimation explanations of path dependence theory. Keywords public education, school choice, path dependence theory Range of thesis: 66

Authorities in early childhood education and child development point out the importance of the early years of a child's life in the development of habits and attitudes which are important as the basis of his mental and emotional health. / Typescript. / "January, 1960." / "Submitted to the Graduate Council of Florida State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science." / Advisor: Sarah Lou Hammond, Professor Directing Paper. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 39-40).

Charter schools have become a widely accepted and rapidly growing option for educational reform especially for low-income, inner-city students. In Los Angeles, the charter movement has promised teachers greater autonomy and collaboration than in the traditional public schools, yet the working conditions of teachers in charter schools have weakened the conditions for this movement to truly reform public education. By using a neoliberal theoretical framework and a qualitative case study design, this study captured the voices of charter school teachers and documented their beliefs and experiences in an environment shaped by a culture of choice. This study uncovered a) the culture and environment that led teachers to seek unionization, b) the relationships between teachers and management, and c) their model of unionism. The participants’ voices detailed a collaborative culture that lured teachers to escape the negative environment in the local district schools. Still, teachers faced an exhaustive workload and they chose to leave the charter school environment. Teachers valued their autonomy while not realizing that the true choice existed only for the management of the school that had the ultimate power over their working conditions. When teachers decided to unionize they faced antagonism from their school leaders, and a backlash for their involvement in the unionization. Teachers fell prey to the intimidation of the public’s perception on tenure and gave up this fundamental protection. They also moved away from the traditional model and were left without a clear understanding of what being a union meant.

Zhang, Xiaoyu. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2013. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 46-47). / Electronic reproduction. Hong Kong : Chinese University of Hong Kong, [2012] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Abstracts also in Chinese.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Uppsala Universitet, 2004. / Includes bibliographical references. Also available via the World Wide Web.

Thesis (M. Ed.)--University of Hong Kong, 1984. / Includes bibliographical references (leaf 73-75).

Thesis (M. Ed.)--University of Hong Kong, 1996. / Includes bibliographical references (leaf 102-106).

Thesis (M.Ed.)--University of Hong Kong, 1984. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 73-75). Also available in print.

Thesis (M.Ed.)--University of Hong Kong, 1996. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 102-106). Also available in print.

This study used descriptive phenomenology to address the research question: What is the experience of parents who have a child with any disability in selecting a school for their child? Nine parents of a child with any disability from the Greater Vancouver area participated in this study. Through one-on-one in-depth interviews, the parents shared their experiences in selecting a school for their child. Using Colaizzi's descriptive phenomenological method for analysis, six broad themes were revealed that described the parents' experience of finding a school: a) the school itself, b) the child's needs, c) the parent's own experience, d) the family's involvement in the decision, e) non-school supports; and f) availability or lack of choice. Findings were discussed in relation to relevant literature, implications for both parents and school systems were addressed, and further research options were offered. / Graduate