1. Politics of Education
1.1. The Purpose of Schooling
1.1.1. Intellectual purpose of schooling is to teach basic cognitive skills and help students achieve a higher education.
1.1.2. The political purpose of schooling is to teach students basic laws of society as well as make students aware of existing political orders.
1.1.3. The social purpose of school is to help students socialize and be aware of how to solve social problems. The key to a stable society is socialization.
1.1.4. The economic purpose of schooling is to prepare student for the work force and later occupations in life.
1.2. General Issues
1.2.1. Conservative perspective develop by William Graham Sumner, views that social evolution is a process that enables people to survive and adapt to change in the environment.
1.2.2. The liberal perspective believes that if free market is left unregulated it is prone to significant abuses to disadvantaged political and economical groups.
1.2.3. The radical perspective believe that the capitalist system is central to the United States social problem and this problem is structural in nature.
1.2.4. Neo-liberal reform is a synthesis of conservative and liberal perspectives often times.
1.3. Traditional
1.3.1. Traditional views where based on hard work , family unity, individual initiative, and etc.
1.4. Progressive
1.4.1. Believe that schools should be part of a steady process to make things better.
1.4.2. They also believe that staying positive is essential for development of individual potential.
2. History of U.S. education
2.1. In 1636 Harvard University was created.
2.2. In 1779 Thomas Jefferson passed a "Bill for the More General Diffusion of Knowledge". This provided free education to all children.
2.3. In 1783 Noah Webster's American spelling book was published.
2.4. In 1837 Horace Mann became secretary of the board of education in Massachusetts.
2.5. 1896 Plessy v. Ferguson
2.6. The Industrial Revolution was from 1820-1860. Children worked in cheap labor factories and did not go to school.
2.7. The new deal education programs in 1932,where put into place by Franklin D. Roosevelt. Building schools to provide education for children also led to jobs for construction worker, teachers, and much more.
2.8. In 1944 the G.I. Bill of Rights was passed allowing servicemen the chance to go back to school.
2.9. In 1975 the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act was passed, requiring that public school provide special assistance where needed.
2.10. 1983 A Nation at Risk - a study that stated that the U.S. was behind other countries and stated ways to help the U.S. become more educated.
2.11. In 2002, The No Child Left behind Act was passed by Georgia W. Bush.
3. Sociological Perspectives
3.1. Effects of Schooling on Individuals
3.1.1. Knowledge and Attitudes states the generally students that come from a higher social class background, tend to have a higher achievement level.
3.1.2. Employment - In today's society graduating from college does not mean you will get paid more than someone that does not have a degree. Graduating does not guarantee a job either.
3.1.3. Schools, parents, church, and other members of society shape children's perceptions in the world by socialization.
3.2. Inside the schools
3.2.1. Larger schools offer more teachers but more bureaucratic.
3.2.2. Smaller schools lack resources, but allow more student and teacher freedom.
3.3. Teacher Behavior - A teachers behavior has effect on their students. Teachers need to inspire students.
3.4. Student Peer Groups :Students have various social groups "nerds, "jocks",and "bullies" to name a few.
3.5. Inadequate Schools lack in materials and funds needed to educate children. These schools are insufficient in there purpose.
3.6. De Facto Segregation - School came up with a plan to desegregate and give whites and blacks a chose on where to go to school.
3.7. Gender is unequal in the U.S, society. Men are generally paid more than women. Occupations are normally different as well depending on gender.
4. Philosophy of Education
4.1. The philosophy of education gives meaning to what is being taught.
4.2. Teacher-Centered Philosophies
4.2.1. Essentialism is the idea that less is more.
4.2.2. Perennialism is rooted from idealism.
4.2.2.1. It prepare students for life.
4.3. Student-Centered Philosophies
4.3.1. Progessivism teaches how to think.
4.3.1.1. It teaches problem solving and critical thinking.
4.3.1.1.1. It can be used with group based work such as: scientific inquiry, and scientific method.
4.3.2. Social Reconstructionism is rooted from pragmatism.
4.3.2.1. Its main focus is to make the world a better place.
4.3.3. Existentialism focuses on students individual growth
5. Schools as Organizations
5.1. Student Composition in U.S schools is becoming more diverse well at the same time there is a trend toward increasing segregation.
5.2. Private school- A private school involves tuition and fee for the student to go to school.
5.3. School Processes & School Cultures, schools are social organizations because:
5.3.1. They have definite population.
5.3.2. They have a clearly denfined political structure, arising from the mode of social interaction characteristics of school, and influenced by numerous minor processes of interaction.
5.3.3. They represent the nexus of a compact network of social relationships.
5.3.4. They are pervaded by "we feeling".
5.3.5. They have a culture that is definitely their own.
5.4. Who becomes a teacher- Teachers are high qualified with three conditions:
5.4.1. A college degree
5.4.2. Full certifacation or licensure
5.4.3. Demonstrable content knowledge in the subject they are teaching.
6. Curriculum and Pedagogy
6.1. What do schools teach? They focus on teaching curriculum.
6.2. The humanist curriculum reflects the idealist philosophy that knowledge of the traditional liberal arts is the cornerstone of an educated citizenry .
6.3. Social efficiency curriculum is a philosophically pragmatist approach developed in the early twentieth century.
6.4. Developmentalist Curriculum is related to the needs and interests of the student rather than the needs of the society.
6.5. Social meliorist curriculum was philosophically social reconstruction.
6.6. Politics of curriculum analyzes the struggles over different concepts that should be taught.
6.7. Scopes Trial
6.8. The sociology of curriculum is concerned with both formal and informal curriculum.
6.9. Hidden curriculum teaches character traits, behaviors, and attitudes.
6.10. Hidden curriculum
7. Equality of Opportunity
7.1. Caste Stratification defines social level as a strict criteria of race or religion in agrarian societies.
7.2. Estate Stratification occurs in agrarian societies where social level is defined as the hierarchy of family worth.
7.3. Class Stratification happens within an industrial society where social level is defined of a hierarchy of differential achievements by individuals.
7.4. Social Stratification in the United States
7.4.1. Upper Class 1-3% of the population
7.4.2. Upper Middle Class 15% of the population
7.4.3. Lower Middle Class 25% of the population
7.4.4. Working Class 40% of the population
7.4.5. Underclass/Lower Class 20% of the population
7.5. Achievement Gaps
7.6. The Coleman Report
7.7. The Coleman Report was based on a survey of educational opportunity, and directed by sociologist James Coleman.
8. Educational Inequality
8.1. Interactionist theory suggest that we must understand how families and schools interact on a daily basis.
8.2. Student centered explanations of educational inequality
8.2.1. Genetic or Biological differences theory
8.2.2. Cultural Deprivation Theories
8.2.3. Cultural Difference Theories
8.3. Characteristics of Effective Schools
8.3.1. High expectations for students
8.3.2. Accountability for both students and teachers
8.3.3. Engaging students
8.3.4. Effective leadership
8.3.5. Close monitoring of student learning
8.3.6. Flexible teachers and staff
9. Educational Reform
9.1. A Nation at Risk: 1st wave of education reform
9.1.1. The need for excellence and equity in schools.
9.1.2. The need to clarify educational goals
9.1.3. the need to develop a common core curriculum.
9.1.4. The need to eliminate tracking programs.
9.2. 2nd Wave
9.2.1. Parental involvement and choice in schools.
9.2.2. Student readiness for school.
9.2.3. School facilities being fully utilized.