1. Politics of Education
1.1. Conservative
1.1.1. We must adapt to changes around us.
1.1.2. Human progress is dependent on individual initiative and drive.
1.1.3. Free market is the most economically productive economic system.
1.2. Traditional
1.2.1. School is necessary.
1.2.2. School should pass on the best of what was and what is.
2. History of U.S. Education
2.1. The Rise of the Common School
2.1.1. First fight for free public education.
2.1.2. First call for a state board of education.
2.1.3. Mann's arguments helped establish the "common school".
2.2. Historical Interpretation
2.2.1. Without early reforms, we would not have many educational groups and boards we do today.
2.2.2. The early reforms started the climb for where we are today with education
3. Sociology of Education
3.1. Relationship between School and Society
3.1.1. Functional Theory
3.1.2. Conflict Theory
3.1.3. Interactional Theory
3.2. Three effects of Schooling on Individuals
3.2.1. Knowledge and Attitudes - More years of schooling leads to greater knowledge and social participation.
3.2.2. Employment -Schooling increases your chances of employment.
3.2.3. Education and Mobility - Education opens the doors for opportunities.
4. Philosophy of Education
4.1. Pragmatism Philosophy
4.1.1. Role of a teacher is viewed as a facilitator and an encourager.
4.1.2. Methods of instruction is very hands on and student centered.
4.1.3. Goals of education include teaching students knowledge and things they will use every day in real life situations.
4.2. John Dewey
4.2.1. He believed teachers should create curriculum based on students needs in society.
4.2.2. One of the most influential to pragmatism. Many of his beliefs are the foundation of pragmatism.
4.2.3. Students should learn based on real life experiences and hands on activities.
5. Schools as Organizations
5.1. Stakeholders in Alabama
5.1.1. Alabama State Senators- Jeff Sessions and Richard Shelby
5.1.2. Alabama District 4 representative - Robert Aderholt
5.1.3. Alabama State Superintendent- Tommy Bice
5.1.4. Representative on Alabama State School Board- Jeffery Newman
5.1.5. Arab City Schools Superintendent- John Mullins
5.1.6. Arab Board of Education member- Chuck Reynolds
5.2. Europe's Education System
5.2.1. Schooling is based on International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED)
5.2.2. ISCED levels range from 0-7.
6. Curriculum and Pedagogy
6.1. Historical Curriculum- social efficiency curriculum
6.1.1. Has a pragmatism approch
6.1.2. Different groups of students and different sets of needs require different types of schooling
6.1.3. John Dewey's progressive vision
6.2. Sociological Curriculum- Neo-Marxist conflict theory
6.2.1. One will learn skills for the workplace once in the workplace
6.2.2. Schooling gives students skills needed to be successful in the workplace.
6.2.3. What is taught in school is part of a larger process.
7. Equality of Opportunity
7.1. Educational Achievement for Women
7.1.1. Historically, academic success was related directly to gender.
7.1.2. More women attending post secondary institutions than men.
7.1.3. Throughout the years, research has shown that women are catching men in all categories of academic success.
7.2. Response to Coleman: Round One
7.2.1. Produced a number of studies that when all settled, more or less substantiated what Coleman and his colleagues found.
7.2.2. Sociologists examined and reexamined Coleman's date.
7.2.3. A group of minority scholars, led by Ron Edmonds set about the task of defining those characteristics of schools that made them effective.
8. Educational Inequality
8.1. School- Centered Explanation
8.1.1. School financing- Not all schools bring in the same amount of money for its students.
8.1.2. Effective School Research- Monitoring and having a strong leader in the school system help make schools effective.
8.1.3. Teachers and administrators must stay flexible for its students and adapt to new problems and situations within the school every day.
8.2. Student-Centered Explanation
8.2.1. Students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds do not perform as well as students from higher socioeconomic backgrounds.
8.2.2. Genetic Differences- Human behavior, environmental and social factors, and mental illness.
8.2.3. Cultural Differences- Students may arrive at schools without the proper skills and attitudes required by the school.
9. Educational Reform
9.1. Charter Schools
9.1.1. First state legislated charter law- Minnesota 1991.
9.1.2. Public schools free from many of the regulations applied to traditional public schools, but held accountable for student performance.
9.1.3. Paid for by tax dollars and open to all students within the district.
9.2. No Child Left Behind
9.2.1. Annual testing required for grades 3-8 in reading and math at least one test in grades 10-12, science test to follow.
9.2.2. Schools require highly qualified teachers for the core academic subjects.
9.2.3. State set adequate yearly process goals for every school.