William Wraga
Lifelong Education, Administration, and Policy (Faculty)
Professor
309 River’s Crossing
Phone: 706.542.4166
Email: wraga@uga.edu
Program in Educational Administration and Policy
Education
Ed.D in Social and Philosophical Foundations of Education, Rutgers University
Research Interests
Curriculum Theory, Development, Policy, and History.
Courses Typically Taught
EDAP 7070 Curriculum Development and Evaluation
EDAP 8010 Curriculum Foundations and History
EDAP 9015 Curriculum and Educational Policy
EDAP 9040 Curriculum Theory
EDAP 9060 Historical Perspectives on Curriculum Reform
Selected Publications
Books
Wraga, W. G. (2007). Progressive Pioneer: Alexander James Inglis (1879-1924) and American Secondary Education. NY: Peter Lang.
Wraga, W.G., & Hlebowitsh, P.S. (Eds.). (2000). Research review for school leaders, volume III. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. Sponsored by the National Association of Secondary School Principals and the National Association of Elementary School Principals.
Wraga, W. G. (1994). Democracy’s high school: The comprehensive high school and educational reform in the United States. Lanham, MD: University Press of America.
Chapters
Wraga, W. G., & Hlebowitsh, P. S. (2008). Toward a renaissance in curriculum theory and development in the United States. In M. L. Kysilka & B. Slater Stern (Eds.). Readings in contemporary curriculum (pp. 69-74). Thousand Oakes, CA: Sage Publications. (Originally published as a journal article.)
Wraga, W.G. (2005). The Inglis surveys: Social efficiency thesis anomalies. In S.L. Field & L. Burlbaw (Eds.), Explorations in curriculum history (pp. 13-38). Greenwich, CT: Information Age Publishing, Inc.
Wraga, W. G. (2005). Dogma, democracy, and education. In D. A. Breault & R. A. Breault, (Eds.). Experiencing Dewey: Insights for today’s classroom (pp. 100-102). West Lafayette, IN: Kappa Delta Pi.
Contribution to a Monograph
Wraga, W. G. (2009). Incentivizing American educational ingenuity: Problem-solving as federal and state education policy. In E. DeBray-Pelot (Ed.). Critical perspectives on federally driven assessment policy (pp. 6-35). Athens, GA: Georgia Education Policy and Evaluation Center. Available: http://archive.coe.uga.edu/EPEC
Refereed Journal Articles
Wraga, W. G. (2011). Curtail accountability, cultivate attainability. Kappa Delta Pi Record, 47(4), 149-151.
Wraga, W. G. (2011). What’s the problem with a ‘rigorous academic curriculum’?: Setting new terms for students’ school experiences. The Clearing House: A Journal of Educational Strategies, Issues and Ideas, 84(2), 59-64.
Wraga, W. G. (2010). From slogan to anathema: Historical representations of life adjustment education. American Journal of Education 116(2), 185-209.
Wraga, W. G. (2009). Toward a connected core curriculum. Educational Horizons, 87(2), 88-96.
Wraga, W. G. (2009). Latin literacy redux: The Classical Investigation in the United States, 1921-1924. History of Education, 38(1), 79-98. (England)
Wraga, W. G. (2008). ‘Trying our own medicine’: The case method of instruction in the United States in historical perspective. International Journal of Case Method Research and Application, 20(3), 299-311. [On-line serial] Available: www.wacra.org
Wraga, W. G. (2008). The assault on ‘The assault on humanism’: Classicists respond to Abraham Flexner’s ‘A Modern School.’ Historical Studies in Education/Revue d’histoire de l’education, 20(1), 1-31. (Canada)
Wraga, W.G. (2006). Curriculum theory and development and public policy making. Journal of Curriculum and Pedagogy, 3(1), 83-87.
Wraga, W.G. (2006). Progressive pioneer: Alexander James Inglis (1879-1924) and American secondary education. Teachers College Record, 108(6), 1080-1105.
Wraga, W. G. (2006). The heightened significance of Brown v. Board of Education in our time. Phi Delta Kappan, 87(6), 424-428.
Wraga, W.G. (2004). Making educational leadership ‘educational.’ Journal of School Leadership, 14(1), 105-121.
Wraga, W.G. (2003-04, December-January). The posthumous redaction of a progressive classicist. The Classical Journal, 99(2), 169-175.
Wraga, W.G. (2003). The progressive classicism of Alexander James Inglis. The Classical Journal, 99(1), 59-69.
Wraga, W.G., & Hlebowitsh, P.S. (2003). Conversation, collaboration, and community in the US curriculum field. Journal of Curriculum Studies, 35(4), 453-457.
Wraga, W.G., & Hlebowitsh, P.S. (2003). Toward a renaissance in curriculum theory and development in the United States. Journal of Curriculum Studies, 35(4), 425-437.
Wraga, W.G. (2002). Recovering curriculum practice: Continuing the conversation. Educational Researcher, 31(6), 17-19.
Wraga, W.G. (2002). Renewing the comprehensive high school. Principal Leadership, 2(8), 33-37. Selected for condensation as Wraga, W.G. (2002). Renewing comprehensive high schools for student unity. The Education Digest, 68(1), 20-24.
Wraga, W.G. (2001). Democratic leadership in the classroom: Lessons from progressives. Democracy & Education, 14(2), 29-32.
Wraga, W.G. (2001). A progressive legacy squandered: The Cardinal Principles report reconsidered. History of Education Quarterly, 41(4), 494-519.
Wraga, W.G. (1999). The educational and political implications of curriculum alignment and standards-based reform. Journal of Curriculum and Supervision, 15(1), 4-25.
Reviews
Wraga, W.G. (2005). [Review of The science education of American girls by Kim Tolley]. History of Education Quarterly, 45(1), 150-153.
Wraga, W.G. (2003). [Review of The untested accusation: Principals, research knowledge, and policy making in schools by Bruce J. Biddle and Lawrence J. Saha] NASSP Bulletin, 87(636), 83-85.
Wraga, W.G. (2002). [Review of Interdisciplinary education in K-12 and college: A foundation for K-16 dialog ed. by Julie Thompson Klein] NASSP Bulletin 86(633), 68-70.
Wraga, W.G. (2001). Left out: The villainization of progressive education in the United States [Essay review of Left back: A century of failed school reforms by Diane Ravitch]. Educational Researcher, 30(7), 34-39.
Wraga, W.G. (2000). [Review of The failed promise of the American high school, 1890-1995 by David L. Angus and Jeffrey E. Mirel]. History of Education Quarterly, 40(2), 226-229.
Contributions to Scholarly Reference Works
Wraga, W. G. (2010). Cardinal principles of education. In C. Kridel, (Ed.). Encyclopedia of curriculum studies(Vol. 1, pp. 97-98). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
Wraga, W. G. (2010). Life adjustment curriculum. In C. Kridel, (Ed.). Encyclopedia of curriculum studies (Vol. 2, pp. 545-546). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
Wraga, W. G. (2010). Secondary school curriculum. In C. Kridel, (Ed.). Encyclopedia of curriculum studies (Vol. 2, pp. 772-775). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
Wraga, W. G. (2008). Common school. In D. Crook and G. McCulloch, (Eds.). International encyclopedia of education (pp. 109-110). London: Routledge.
Wraga, W. G. (2008). Curriculum development. In D. Crook and G. McCulloch, (Eds.). International encyclopedia of education (pp. 154-156). London: Routledge.
Wraga, W. G. (2006). Curriculum, theories of. In F. W. English (Ed.). Encyclopedia of educational leadership and administration (Vol. 1, pp. 251-255). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
Wraga, W. G. (2006). High schools. In F. W. English (Ed.). Encyclopedia of educational leadership and administration (Vol. 1, pp. 459-463). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
Wraga, W. G. (2006). Spencer, Herbert. In F. W. English (Ed.). Encyclopedia of educational leadership and administration (Vol. 2, pp. 950-951). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
Wraga, W. G. (2003). Bestor, Jr., A. E. (1908-1994). In J. W. Guthrie (Ed.). Encyclopedia of education (Vol. 1, pp. 172-173). Second Edition. NY: Macmillan Reference, USA.
Wraga, W. G. (2003). Charters, W. W. (1875-1952). In J. W. Guthrie (Ed.). Encyclopedia of education (Vol. 1, pp. 263-265). Second Edition. NY: Macmillan Reference, USA.
Wraga, W. G. (2003). Kandel, Isaac L. (1881-1965). In J. W. Guthrie (Ed.). Encyclopedia of education (Vol. 4, pp. 1363-1365). Second Edition. NY: Macmillan Reference, USA.
Wraga, W. G. (2003). Zacharias, Jerrold (1905-1986). In J. W. Guthrie (Ed.). Encyclopedia of education (Vol. 7, pp. 2745-2747). Second Edition. NY: Macmillan Reference, USA.
Commentary
Wraga, W. G. (2010, August 18). Dangerous blind spots in the Common-Core Standards. Education Week online. Available at: www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2010/08/18/01wraga.h30.html
Wraga, W. G. (2010, January 11). Charter schools: Vehicles for privatization [Op-ed column]. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. A7.
Wraga, W. G. (2010, January 6). Incentivizing educational ingenuity. Education Week, 29(16), 22, 23.
Wraga, W. G. (2009, November 1). Students’ NEAP data biased [Letter-to-the-editor]. Athens Banner-Herald, D3.
Wraga, W. G. (2008, October 15). How does business-style accountability look now? [Letter-to-the-editor]. Education Week, 28(8), 34.
Wraga, W. G. (2008, September 8). Vouchers serve private interests while draining funds from public schools [Letter-to-the-editor]. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, A11.
Wraga, W. G. (2008, August 17). The current uncritical preoccupation with testing . . . [Letter-to-the-editor]. The New York Times, Week In Review, 9.
Creative Contributions other than Formal Publications
Wraga, W. G. (2011, April 8). Medley: Academic recession rag-Charter petitioner blues [Musical performance]. 15th American Educational Research Association Triennial Travesties, New Orleans, LA.
Wraga, W. G. (2008, October 23). Nothing is sacred: A song set of academic satire [Musical performance]. 9th Annual Curriculum and Pedagogy Conference, Decatur, GA. [Listen to “Kiss My (Cl)ass: The School Reform Blues” from this performance at www.myspace.com/billwraga]
Wraga, W. G. (2008, March 24). Kiss my (cl)ass: The school reform blues [Musical performance]. 14th American Educational Research Association Triennial Travesties, New York, NY.
Wraga, W. G. (2005, April 12). Tenure-track line: An academic prayer [Musical performance]. 13th American Educational Research Association Triennial Travesties, Montreal, Canada. Available on Triennial travesties of 2005 [compact disc no. 250411-280, AERA 2005]. LaCrescenta, CA: Content Management Corp.
Wraga, W. G. (2002, April 2). Extreme postmodernist blues [Musical performance]. 12th American Educational Research Association Triennial Travesties, New Orleans, LA. Available on Triennial travesties of 2002 [cassette recording no. 220401-21.80, AERA 2002]. LaCrescenta, CA: Audio Archives International, Inc.
Selected Recent Presentations
Wraga, W. G. (2011, April 7). ‘The agreements were more remarkable than the disagreements’: Tentative insights into the deliberations of the NSSE’s Committee on Curriculum-Making. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Society for the Study of Curriculum History, New Orleans, LA.
Wraga, W. G. (2008, July 2). ‘Trying our own medicine’: The case method of instruction in the United States in historical perspective. Paper presented at the 25th International Conference on Case Method Research and Application, Napier University, Edinburgh, Scotland.
Wraga, W. G. (2008, June 15). Real educational solutions for real educational problems [Invited Keynote Address]. Pioneer RESA Twentieth Annual Leadership Conference, Brasstown Valley Resort, Young Harris, GA.
Wraga, W. G. (2007, July 27). Life adjustment education in the US: A historiographical assessment. Paper presented at the 29th Session of the International Standing Conference on the History of Education, University of Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany.
Wraga, W. G. (2007, April 9). Our confused education policies. Paper presented at the John Dewey Society Annual Symposium: The Way Out of Educational Confusion. Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association, Chicago, IL.
Wraga, W. G. (2006, August 18). Latin literacy redux: The Classical Investigation in the US, 1921-1924. Paper presented at the 28th Session of the International Standing Conference for the History of Education, Umea University, Umea, Sweden.
Wraga, W. G. (2006, April 8). From ‘A Modern School’ to The Classical Investigation: Abraham Flexner, the General Education Board, and the American Classical League. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association, San Francisco, CA.
Wraga, W. G. (2005, November 12). ‘A Nation At Risk’: The disintegration of the comprehensive ideal in the United States during the Reagan era. Paper presented at a conference on “The United States in the 1980s: The Reagan Years,” Rothermere American Institute, University of Oxford, Oxford, England.
Major Service
Research Associate, A Vision for Public Education in Georgia, A Joint Venture of the Georgia School Boards Association and the Georgia Superintendents' Association, 2010.
President, Society of Professors of Education, 2009, 2010; President-Elect and Program Chair of the 2008 and 2009 annual meetings, 2007, 2008. (elective positions)
Member, Editorial Board, History of Education Quarterly, 2004-2008
Chair, Section on Historical and Philosophical Perspectives on Curriculum, Division B (Curriculum Studies) Program Committee, 2007 Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association, 2006-2007.
Member, Executive Board, Society of Professors of Education, 2003-2005 (elective position).
Member, Board of Directors, John Dewey Society, 2000-2002 (elective position).
President, Society for the Study of Curriculum History, 2001-2003, President-Elect, 2000-2001 (elective positions).
Factotum (president), Professors of Curriculum, 1998-1999 (elective position).
Member, Editorial Board, Education and Culture (John Dewey Society), 1998-2003.
Member, Editorial Board, Journal of Curriculum and Supervision, 1998-2001.
Member, Editorial Review Panel, The Educational Forum, 1995-1998.
Consultant, Review of the Louisiana Education Consortium (Louisiana Tech University, Grambling University, University of Louisiana at Monroe) Ed.D. Program in Educational Leadership. Louisiana Board of Regents, March 1, 2005 to June 30, 2005.
Consultant, “Teaching the Holocaust in Latvian Schools Project,” conducted by the College of Education, University of Iowa. November 2004.
Consultant, Review of Proposed Ed.D. in Leadership at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette and Southeastern Louisiana University. Louisiana Board of Regents, December 22, 2003 to April 1, 2004.
Consultant, “Civic Education Curriculum Development Project and Teacher Training for the Republic of Georgia,” conducted by the College of Education, University of Iowa. Funded by the United States Department of State. Spring 2001.
Links
Center for Dewey Studies
Phi Delta Kappa
Society for the Study of Curriculum History
John Dewey Society
History of Education Society
American Educational Research Association
National Board on Educational Testing and Public Policy
Society of Professors of Education