| Beginning in the late 1960s, collective bargaining research has studied the extent and impact of teacher collective bargaining on public education. Collective bargaining research supports that school districts and teachers unions are bargaining into contracts language governing critical educational policy variables. The extent of bargaining over areas of educational policy has caused debate as to whether collective bargaining enhances or constrains school districts in successfully implementing policies that improve student achievement.; Most recently, this debate has made its way to state legislatures. In an attempt to reduce the extent of bargaining over educational policy, some states have modified public-sector bargaining laws to narrow the subjects for which school districts must bargain with teacher unions. There is little research, however, to support that changing the scope of bargaining will result in different bargaining outcomes. This study undertakes this quest.; In 1995, the Oregon legislature passed the first major changes to the Oregon Public Sector Collective Bargaining Act, including substantive changes to narrow the scope of bargaining. Employing a collective bargaining contract-content analysis of two sets of collective bargaining contracts (1995 and 2000), supplemented by interviews and legislative history, this study examines whether 5 years after the passage of the legislation, changes to the scope of bargaining were reflected in changes to the content of Oregon teacher collective bargaining contracts.; The study findings indicate that statutory changes to the scope of bargaining had little impact on Oregon teacher contracts. Prior to the passage of the legislation, school districts were agreeing to language over subjects for which they had no duty to bargain, and this pattern continued after the passage of the legislation. Interviews suggested that school districts were reluctant to refuse to negotiate over issues of importance to teachers, regardless of whether the law requires bargaining over the issues.; The findings also supported certain theorists that predicted the course of policy bargaining and the course of policy implementation. Finally, based on the findings, the study considered the competing arguments regarding policy bargaining and whether it supports or impedes school-improvement efforts. |
