1. History of U.S. Education
1.1. Reform Movement: Education for Women
1.1.1. This movement changed education for the better in so many ways. Until this point, education for women was seen as harmful or stressful. It wasn't until the early 1800's that women began to get a fair shot at a decent education. Although this education was still not seen as "equal" to a man's education, it was an important step in women's equality.
1.2. The Democratic-Liberal School
1.2.1. The democratic-liberals believed that the school was committed to providing equality of opportunity for all. Conservatives pushed for schools to be viewed as an elite institution, however the democratic thought that school should be available for all students, not just the privileged. Lawrence Cremin believed that "more students from diverse backgrounds went to school for longer periods of time, the goals of education became more diverse, with social goals often becoming as or more important than intellectual ones" (p.83).
2. Sociological Perspectives
2.1. Theoretical Perspective
2.1.1. Society tends to shape children into active and valuable members of the community. Theoretical perspective is the theory that asks the question how do school and society coincide with one another. There are three main types of theories associated with this perspective; functional, conflict, and interactional. Functional theories view society as a kind of machine, where one part articulates with another to produce the dynamic energy required to make society work. Conflict theories see the glue of society as being economic, political, cultural and military power. Interactional theories are primarily critiques and extensions of the functional and conflict perspectives.
2.2. Impact Schooling has on Students
2.2.1. Employment: Most believe that having a better education leads to a better job, and in some cases this is true. However, research shows that job performance is often more important. When it comes to pay, the higher education tends to receive more.
2.2.2. Knowledge and Attitudes: Research shows that a child's attitude can be directly related to how much knowledge they have obtained from school. When students are compelled to take academic subjects and where there is consistent discipline, student achievement levels go up. With this, students are more likely to read the paper, books, and take an active part in society.
2.2.3. Mobility: People view education as a way to go somewhere or do something and while this can be true it is important to keep in mind that some schools will be more beneficial. Private school versus public school is one example. Even though they are the same length of time, some could be the private school as being more educational therefore giving them the upper hand.
3. Curriculum and Pedagogy
3.1. Historical Curriculum Theory
3.1.1. The developmentalist curriculum is related to the needs and interest of the student rather than the needs of society. It stressed flexibility in both what was taught and how it was taught, with the emphasis on the development of each student's individual capacities. It also stressed the importance of relating schooling to the life experiences of each child in a way that would make education come alive in a meaningful manner.
3.2. Sociological Curriculum Theory
3.2.1. Modern functionalist theory: stressed the role of the schools in preparing students for the increasingly complex roles required in a modern society. Functionalist also believe that schools teach the general values and norms essential to a modern society. It says that modern society is a more cosmopolitan and tolerant one than traditional society, and schools teach students to respect others, to respect differences, and to base their opinions on knowledge rather than tradition.
4. Equality of Opportunity
4.1. Educational Achievement and Attainment:
4.1.1. Women achieve at higher levels than men in reading ages 9, 13, and 17. Women have higher levels than men in mathematics at age 9 and lower levels at age 13 and 17. Women have lower levels than men in science at age 9, 13, and 17.
4.2. Coleman Study 1966
4.2.1. A study to show the relationship between the organizational characteristics of schools and student achievement. Coleman discovered that the organizational differences between schools were not particularly important in determining student outcomes when compared to the differences in student-body compositions between schools. He argued that where a student goes to school has little effect of their cognitive growth or educational value.
5. Educational Inequality
5.1. Sociological explanation of functionalist
5.1.1. Functionalist believe that the role of school sis to provide a fair and meritocratic selection process for sorting out the best and brightest individuals, regardless of family background. They believe that results should be based on individual differences not within a group. Believe that unequal educational outcomes are the result, in part, of unequal educational opportunities.
5.2. School Financing
5.2.1. There is a huge difference in funding between lower class districts and upper class districts as well as public school vs. private school. Public schools are finances mainly through state and local taxes through property taxes. Since property values are significantly higher in more affluent communities, these communities are able to raise significantly more money for schools than poorer communities with lower property values. This allows more affluent communities to provide more per-pupil spending than poorer communities. School financing should be equalized by using federal aide to insure all students receive the same education no matter they social class.
6. Politics of Education
6.1. Radical Perspective
6.1.1. a socialist economy that builds on the democratic political system would more adequately provide all citizens with a decent standard of living.
6.1.2. radicals place their primary emphasis on the analysis of inequality under capitalism, the economic and power relationships that are central to the perpetuation of inequalities, and policies that seek to reduce these inequities under the existing capitalist system.
6.1.3. believes that social problems are structural in nature-that is, that they are caused by the structure of U.S. society and therefore the solutions must be addressed to this structure, not as individuals.
6.2. Traditional
6.2.1. view the schools as necessary to the transmission of the traditional values of U.S. society, such as hard work, family unity, individual initiative, and so on.
6.2.2. sees the role of education as balancing the needs of society and the individual in a manner that is consistent with a democratic and meritocratic society.
6.2.3. envision a society in which citizens participate in decision making, in which adult opportunity for economic wealth, political power, and social status.
7. Philosophy of Education
7.1. Generic Notations
7.1.1. The school is a embryonic community where children could learn skills both experimentally as well as from books, in addition to traditional information, which would enable them to work cooperatively in a democratic society.
7.1.2. Dewey believed that school should reflect the community in order to enable graduation students to assume societal roles and to maintain the democratic way of life.
7.2. Key Reasearchers
7.2.1. George Sanders Pierce, William James, John Dewey, Frances Bacon, John Locke, and Jean-Jacques Rousseau.
7.3. Goal of Education
7.3.1. The importance of the school as a place where ideas can be implemented, challenged, and restructured with the goal of providing students with the knowledge of how to improve the social order.
7.3.2. Primary role of education is growth.
7.4. Role of Teacher
7.4.1. The teacher encourages, offers suggestions, questions, and helps plan and implement courses of study.
7.4.2. The teacher is no longer the authoritarian figure from which all knowledge flows, rather the teacher assumes the peripheral position of facilitator.
7.5. Method of Instruction
7.5.1. Students learn both individually and in groups.
7.5.2. memorization of traditional schools was replaced with individualized study, problem solving, and project method.
7.6. Curriculum
7.6.1. Support staring with contemporary problems and working from the know to the unknown, or what is now called in social studies education, "expanding environments"
7.6.2. Curriculum should be related to the needs and interest of the child, but should maintain a balance between traditional disciplines and the needs of the student.
8. Schools as Organizations
8.1. Stakeholders
8.1.1. Senator Clay Scofield, Rep. Kerry Rich, Rep. Will Ainsworth, Rep. David Standridge, Rep. Randall Shedd, Rep. Ed Henry, Tommy Bice, Rick Ayer
8.2. Comparison between Marshall County and Madison County
8.2.1. Marshall County Alabama demonstrates it has 76% percent high school graduates or better which is the 2nd smallest percent high school graduates or better of all the other counties in the area. The county with the highest percent high school graduates or better in the local area is Madison County with a high school graduates of 90% which is about the same size.
8.2.2. Marshall County Alabama has the largest proportion of percent enrolled in a Public gradudate or Professional school at 84% of the total and is ranked #1.
8.2.3. The county with the highest Total population enrolled in school in the local area is Madison County with a Total population enrolled in school of 92,940.
9. Educational Reform
9.1. School to Work Program
9.1.1. Intent was to extend what had been vocational emphasis on non-college-bound students regarding skills necessary for successful employment and to stress the importance of work-based learning. Clinton signed the School-to-Work Opportunities Act in 1994 with provided seed money to states and local partnerships of business, labor, government, education, and community organizations to develop school-to-work systems. Using this seed money, states and their partnerships were encouraged to design the school-to-work system that made the most sense for them.
9.2. Community Based Reform
9.2.1. Geoffrey Canada created the Harlem Children's Zone because he wanted to leave children where they are, simultaneously changing them and their neighborhood, instead of removing them from the neighborhood. He provides a program called "Baby College" for parents in Harlem before their children are born in attempt to infuse all knowledge that middle-class parents know they should do for their fetuses and infants in a sensitive way and helps to purchase needed items.