Type of Document	Dissertation
Author	Hovanetz Lassila, Christy Lyn
Author's Email Address	christy.hovanetz@fldoe.org
URN	etd-10272005-211856
Title	Education Policy Adoption at the Local Governance Level: An Empirical Analysis of Factors Influencing the Adoption of Reading First in Florida School Districts
Degree	Doctor of Philosophy
Department	Public Administration and Policy, School of
Advisory Committee	Advisor Name Title Frances Stokes Berry Committee Chair Lance deHaven-Smith Committee Member Rick Feiock Committee Member Sande Milton Committee Member
Keywords	Reading First Innovation Event History Analysis Diffusion Florida
Date of Defense	2005-10-06
Availability	unrestricted
Abstract This research examines Florida school districts’ adoption of Reading First legislation passed into law as part of the federal No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. This research attempts to answer the fundamental question pertinent to the policy adoption process: Why do some school districts readily adopt the Reading First innovation while others do not adopt it? This research will test key factors based on the following explanations: 1) Political Institutions, 2) Need and District Characteristics, 3) Education Ideology, 4) Policy Entrepreneurs and Networks, and 5) Diffusion. A multivariate model representing the five competing explanations was created to determine what drives local governments (school districts) to adopt Reading First policy using Event History Analysis. The results show two significant variables, reading scores (need) and diffusion. School districts with fewer proficient readers are more likely to be early adopters of Reading First. The diffusion variable was also significant but unexpectedly had a negative relationship finding that districts with fewer contiguous districts that have adopted Reading First are more likely to be early adopters. While unexpected, it may be the result of the short timeline of the adoption process and the pressure by the media, political actors, and district personnel to be an early adopter.
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