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Volume Number

51

Issue Number

1

Abstract

When do governments borrow policy ideas from the private sector, and how do policy innovations spread from one jurisdiction to another? We examine these questions through a case study of public Montessori programs in South Carolina. Using a policy diffusion framework, we study the expansion of Montessori education, typically available in private schools, to public school districts. Analyzing both quantitative Cox proportional hazards models and qualitative content analyses of newspaper coverage, the study reveals South Carolina’s unique position as a national leader in public Montessori adoption. Results indicate a significant role for policy entrepreneurs, including state officials and local advocates, in driving the expansion of public Montessori. While proximity to existing public Montessori districts showed no significant relationship with adoption, the presence of private Montessori schools emerged as an important factor, with districts with more private Montessori programs being more likely to adopt public Montessori. Moreover, high-spending districts and those with a smaller proportion of low-income students were more likely to implement public Montessori, suggesting a link between financial resources, student demographics, and policy innovation. The findings underscore the complex interplay of factors shaping policy diffusion in education, emphasize the importance of considering both quantitative and qualitative analyses in understanding this process, and provide support for the notion that governments look to the private sector for policy innovation.

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