Homeschooling in the state of Missouri : how advocacy coalitions influence regulation of the home school
Abstract
The state of Missouri has no justiciable regulations for homeschooling, which leaves some Missouri children without their guaranteed state protections. Utilizing the Advocacy Coalition Framework (ACF), this qualitative study analyzed the narratives of two homeschooling advocacy coalitions, the Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA) and the Coalition for Responsible Home Education (CRHE), to identify any consistencies or inconsistencies between coalition narratives and those of actual homeschoolers. This study applies the ACF to contribute to literary scholarship using the ACF in qualitative research on homeschooling policy and the educational practice of Missouri public school teachers and leaders who may benefit from an improved understanding of the parental right to homeschool. Study outcomes reveal how the policy narratives of the HSLDA are likely to keep Missouri homeschooling unregulated and how their resources compare to the counter-narratives and operations of the CRHE as part of the process of keeping homeschooling unregulated. Also identified are the discrepancies between coalition and participant policy positions. Following the ACF, this study seeks to provoke policyoriented learning that may induce policy change and ensure all Missouri children benefit from their state-authorized protections and rights.
Degree
Ed. D.