My Foundations for Education

1. Philosophy of Education "Pragmatism"

1.1. Generic Notations

1.1.1. Encourages people to find processes that work in order to achieve their desired ends.

1.1.2. School is an "embryonic community" where children learn skills by experiment, from books, and traditional information.

1.2. Key Researchers

1.2.1. Sanders Peirce (1839-1914)

1.2.2. William James (1842-1910)

1.2.3. John Dewey (1859-1952)

1.2.4. European philosophers Frances Bacon, John Locke, and Jean-Jacques Rousseau

1.3. Goal of Education

1.3.1. Stresses the importance of the school. The function of the school is to prepare students for life in a democratic society.

1.3.2. Providing students with the knowledge of how to improve the social order.

1.4. Role of the Teacher

1.4.1. Teacher assumes the peripheral position of facilitator.

1.4.2. Encourages, offers suggestions, questions, and helps plan and implement courses of study.

1.5. Curriculum

1.5.1. Integrated balance of traditional disciplines and the student's interests and needs.

1.5.2. Curriculum changes as the social order changes and as interests and needs change.

1.6. Method of Instruction

1.6.1. Problem-solving or inquiry method.

1.6.2. Individual and group instruction.

1.6.3. Students initiate inquiries by posing questions about what they want to know.

2. Curriculum and Pedagogy

2.1. Historical Curriculum Theroy

2.2. Sociological Curriculum Theroy

3. Politics of Education

3.1. Perspective

3.1.1. Conservative

3.1.1.1. Economic productivity and social stability

3.1.1.2. Free Market Capitalism

3.1.1.3. Individual Liberty

3.2. Vision

4. Schools as Organizations

4.1. Governance

4.1.1. Senators

4.1.1.1. Bills relating to education, higher education, and certificated educational personnel. http://sedn.senate.ca.gov/

4.1.2. House of Representatives

4.1.2.1. pressing for enhanced flexibility and local control in education; modernization of outdated federal rules that stifle job growth and innovation; and affordable access to health care, retirement security, and training for American workers. http://edworkforce.house.gov/committee/welcomemessage.htm

4.1.3. State Superintendent

4.1.4. State School Board Representative

4.1.4.1. Setting statewide curriculum standards;

4.1.4.2. Establishing high school graduation requirements;

4.1.4.3. Determining qualifications for professional education personnel;

4.1.4.4. Establishing state accountability and assessment programs;

4.1.4.5. Establishing standards for accreditation of local school districts and preparation programs for teachers and administrators.

4.1.4.6. Implementing the No Child Left Behind Act and administering federal assistance programs;

4.1.4.7. Developing rules and regulations for the administration of state programs.

4.1.5. Local Superintendent

4.1.6. Local School Board

4.2. Comparison to One Country

4.2.1. Dual systems of education in Great Britain

4.2.1.1. State-run schools controlled by (LEAs)

4.2.1.2. Church-run schools funded by the state through the LEAs.

4.2.2. Great Britain 1988 Reform Act

4.2.2.1. Established a national curriculum

4.2.2.2. Set national assessment goals

5. History of U.S. Education

5.1. Reform Movement

5.1.1. The National Commission for Excellence in Education (1983). Education excellence movement / Repudiation of progressive education

5.1.2. Civil Rights Act (1964) "forbade discrimination on the basis of sex as well as race in hiring, promoting, and firing." (https://www.archives.gov/education/lessons/civil-rights-act/)

5.1.3. Brown v. The Topeka Board of Education (1954) "U.S. Supreme Court rules that separate but equal schools for black and white children is unconstitutional." (Sadovnik, Cookson, Jr., Semel, 2013, p. 88)

5.2. Traditional

5.2.1. Development of individual potential and initiative

5.2.2. School transmission of values, eg. hard work, family unity.

5.2.3. Schools central to solving social problems

5.3. Historical Interpretation

5.3.1. "Ironic pattern of cycles of reform about the aims, goals, and purpose of education on one hand, and little change in actual classroom practice on the other." (Sadovnik, Cookson, Jr., Semel, Exploring Education, 2013, p. 82)

5.3.2. "One of conflict, struggle, and disagreement." (Sadovnik, Cookson, Jr., Semel, Exploring Education, 2013, p. 82)

5.3.3. "The historical pursuit of social and political objectives results in significant harm to the traditional academic goals of schooling." (Sadovnik, Cookson, Jr., Semel, Exploring Education, 2013, p. 85)

6. Sociological Perspectives

6.1. Relationship between School and Society

6.1.1. http://scholarworks.gvsu.edu/

6.1.2. The educational and social advantages derived from merely attending particular schools, not necessarily because of curricular content, but because of their reputations (i.e., elite/prep versus public)

6.1.3. A selective curriculum and attendant values (hidden curriculum) that speak less and less to the life experiences of many, if not most, students than to those from a suburban middle class non-minority existence

6.2. Three Effects of Schooling on Individuals

6.2.1. Preparation for future employment

6.2.2. Development of social and cognitive skills

6.2.3. Development of the capacity for personal achievement and active citizenship

7. Equality of Opportunity

7.1. Educational Achievement & Attainment

7.1.1. For persons of both sexes 25 and older; 84% of African-Americans graduated high school. 19.9% received bachelor's degree.

7.1.2. 677,000 African-Americans with advanced degree in 1995. Increased to 1.6 million in 2011. http://blackdemographics.com/education-2/education/

7.1.3. 2 million black students enrolled in college in 1993. Increased to 3.9 million in 2011. http://blackdemographics.com/education-2/education/

7.1.4. Gaps in reading and mathematics increased from 1986-1999 for African-American 17 year-olds.

7.1.5. Blacks enter kindergarten with lower reading and mathematics than whites due to income levels and the level of education of parents.

7.2. Response to the Coleman Study

7.2.1. "Where an nidividual goes to school has little effect on his or her cognitive growth or educational mobility (p. 367 text). Peer group association could be more important than the number of books in the library (p. 367 text)."

8. Educational Inequality

8.1. Sociological Explanations of Unequal Achievement

8.1.1. Functionalist theories & vison

8.1.1.1. Believe that the role of schools is to provide a fair selection process for sorting out the best and brightest students regardless of family background.

8.1.1.2. Individual talent and hard work are more important than ascriptive characteristics.

8.1.1.3. Expect that the schooling process will produce unequal results. Results should be based on individual differences, not on group differences.

8.1.1.4. Believe that unequal educational outcomes are the result, in part, of unequal educational opportunities.

8.1.2. Conflict theorist

8.1.2.1. Believe that the role of schooling is to reproduce rather than eliminate inequality.

8.1.2.2. Concerned with both equality of opportunity and results.

8.2. School Centered Explanation

8.2.1. School processes are central to understanding unequal educational performance.

8.2.2. SCHOOL FINANCING: More affluent communities are able to provide more per-pupil spending than poorer districts.

9. Educational Reform

9.1. School-Based Reforms

9.1.1. School-to-Work Programs: A vocational emphasis to non-college-bound students to stress the importance of work-based learning.

9.1.2. School-to-Work Opportunities Act 1994: Provided seed money to states and local partnerships of business, labor, government, education and community organizations.

9.1.3. Provision a of a relevant education allowing students to explore different careers and skills needed for their working environment.

9.2. Societal, Community, Economic, or Political Reforms

9.2.1. Goals 2000: Reform agenda of the 1980's which included increasing high school graduation requirements, instituting statewide testing programs, offering more AP courses, promoting technology in the classroom, and new teacher evaluation programs.

9.2.2. Title I codified school readiness, school completion, academic achievement, leadership in math & science, adult literacy, and safe and drug-free schools.

9.2.3. Supporters of systematic reform like to describe it as "top-down support for bottom-up reform."