Education Reform Comes to Ohio: An Application of Mazzoni's Arena Models

Abstract

Many have noted the difficulty of policy innovation, yet sometimes innovations do occur. Mazzoni (1991) hypothesized that when the policy process shifts from the legislative subsystem to the macro arena, innovation becomes possible. Applying his theory to the passage of open enrollment in Minnesota, he found that the policy process shifted to the leadership and commission arenas and revised his model. This study applied his models to Ohio's 1989 passage of a law that included an open enrollment policy. In Ohio, the macro arena was relatively inactive, but a shift from the subsystem to the leadership arena occurred, partially validating Mazzoni's revised model.