The Structure of State Oversight of K-12 Education Oversight and Regulatory Capture

Nathaniel Smith * and Joshua Hall, John Chambers College of Business and Economics, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV 26506

Field (Broad Category): Economics (Human Engagement) 

Student’s Major: Finance 

State Boards of Education regulate primary and secondary education within each U.S. state. This consists of setting standards, rules, and examinations for local boards of education to follow in order to ensure educational standards are being met. These educational standards are driven by broad educational goals to create a uniform output. Boards are comprised of members and a Chief State School Officer. The method of selection for both positions vary across states between appointment or election. The economic theory of regulation posits that while the stated purpose of most regulation is to correct market failures, sometimes regulators end up being captured by those they are regulating. Regulators then are dominated by the interests they regulate and not of the public. Using data from 1970, Toma (1983) argues and presents empirical evidence that elected Boards and Chief State School Offers are more likely to be captured by local school boards. We replicate and extend her work and find little empirical evidence of regulatory capture. 

Funding: 

Program/mechanism supporting research/creative efforts: WVU's Research Apprenticeship Program (RAP) & accompanying HONR 297-level course