1. Politics of Education
1.1. Liberal Perspective
1.1.1. Solving social problems.
1.1.2. School is a vehicle for upward mobility.
1.1.3. Essential to the development of individual potential.
1.1.4. Integral part of a democratic society.
1.2. Progressive
1.2.1. Equality of opportunity.
1.2.2. Fair treatment to all citizens.
1.2.3. Social problems must address group dynamics rather than individuals alone.
2. History of U.S. Education
2.1. Educator for all
2.1.1. High school used to be voluntary.
2.1.2. High school is now mandatory.
2.1.3. Course study for all or course study to fit an individual.
2.2. Democratic-Liberal
2.2.1. Expansion of opportunity.
2.2.2. Cremin - necessary compromises.
2.2.3. The ideals of equality and excellence are just that: ideals. (p. 83)
3. Sociological Perspectives
3.1. Functional Theories
3.1.1. Functionalists view society as a kind of machine, all parts work together.
3.1.2. Durkheim - moral values were the foundation of society.
3.1.3. School's socialize students into the appropriate values, and sort and select students according to their abilities.
3.2. Effects of School on Individuals
3.2.1. Knowledge & Attitudes
3.2.1.1. More years of schooling leads to greater knowledge and social participation.
3.2.2. Education & Mobility
3.2.2.1. The complex interplay between merit and privilege creates a tournament where the rules are not entirely even-handed and not everyone has the opportunity to set the rules.
3.2.3. Teacher Behavior
3.2.3.1. The findings on teacher expectations do indicate that the attitudes of teachers toward their students may have a significant influence on student achievement and perceptions of self.
3.2.4. Student Peer Groups & Alienation
3.2.4.1. In a sense, the adult culture of the teachers and administration is in conflict with the student culture. This conflict can lead to alienation and even violence. (p. 125)
4. Philosophy of Education
4.1. Generic Notions
4.1.1. Pragmatism
4.1.1.1. Educators start with the needs and interest of the child.
4.1.1.2. School should reflect the community.
4.1.1.3. Education can continually reconstruct and reorganize society.
4.1.2. Existentialism
4.1.2.1. Individualistic philosophy.
4.1.2.2. This choice is up to the individual.
4.1.2.3. Existence precedes essence.
4.2. Key Researchers
4.2.1. Pragmatism
4.2.1.1. George Sanders Peirce
4.2.1.2. William James
4.2.1.3. John Dewey
4.2.2. Existentialism
4.2.2.1. Soren Kierkgaard
4.2.2.2. Martin Buber
4.2.2.3. Karl Jaspers
4.2.2.4. Jean Paul Sartre
4.3. Goal of Education
4.3.1. Pragmatism
4.3.1.1. Ideas are not separate from social conditions.
4.3.1.2. The primary role of education is growth.
4.3.1.3. Growth leading to more growth.
4.3.2. Existentialism
4.3.2.1. Needs of individuals both cognitively and effectively.
4.3.2.2. Stresses individuality.
4.3.2.3. Activity liberating.
4.4. Role of Teacher
4.4.1. Pragmatism
4.4.1.1. Teacher assumes the peripheral position of facilitator.
4.4.1.2. Teacher writes curriculum and must have command of several disciplines.
4.4.1.3. Teachers encourage, offer suggestions, questions, and helps plans and implement course of study.
4.4.2. Existentialism
4.4.2.1. Teachers must take risk.
4.4.2.2. Teachers expose themselves to resistant students.
4.4.2.3. Role of the teacher is intensely personal.
4.5. Method of Instruction
4.5.1. Pragmatism
4.5.1.1. Children learn both individually and in groups.
4.5.1.2. Books are used.
4.5.1.3. Children learn in nontraditional, yet natural ways.
4.5.2. Existentialism
4.5.2.1. Teacher discovers what method works best for each child.
4.5.2.2. Student and teacher learn cooperatively from each other.
4.5.2.3. Help students understand the world.
4.6. Curriculum
4.6.1. Pragmatism
4.6.1.1. Working from the known to the unknown.
4.6.1.2. Progressive educators are not webbed to a fixed curriculum.
4.6.1.3. Child-centered curriculum based on imagination.
4.6.2. Existentialism
4.6.2.1. Humanities
4.6.2.2. Art, drama, and music encourages personal interest.
4.6.2.3. Exposing students at early ages to problems as well as possibilities.
5. Schools as Organizations
5.1. Five Structures of U.S. Education
5.1.1. Governace
5.1.1.1. Decentralized to school district level.
5.1.1.2. Mandates must be carried out by citizens of a particular school district.
5.1.2. Size and Degree of Centralization
5.1.2.1. There has been consolidation and centralization in the last 80 yrs. in the U.S. public education.
5.1.2.2. Large institutions are more bureaucratic than smaller schools.
5.1.3. Student Composition
5.1.3.1. U.S. schools are becoming more diverse.
5.1.3.2. Student composition can be viewed as gender, class, ethnicity, and ability.
5.1.4. Degree of "Openness"
5.1.4.1. U.S. schools are quite open.
5.1.4.2. School system is designed to give students opportunity for advancement.
5.1.5. Private Schools
5.1.5.1. Private schools are protected by series of decisions made by U.S. Supreme Court.
5.2. Comparison of Districts
5.2.1. Winston County
5.2.1.1. State Representative: Robert B. Aderholt
5.2.2. Decatur City Schools
5.2.2.1. State Representative: Mo Brooks
6. Curriculum and Pedagogy
6.1. Historical Curriculum
6.1.1. Developmental Curriculum
6.1.1.1. Needs and interest of the student.
6.1.1.2. Relating curriculum to needs and interest of the student.
6.1.1.3. Relating schooling to life experiences.
6.2. Sociological Curriculum
6.2.1. Funcianalist
6.2.1.1. Give students the knowledge, language, and values to ensure social stability.
6.2.1.2. Teaching general cognitive skills.
6.2.1.3. Values that are essential to a modern society.
7. Equality of Opportunity
7.1. Educational Achievement and Attainment
7.1.1. Achievement
7.1.1.1. Females have outperformed male in reading since 1973.
7.1.1.2. Males have outperformed females in math and science since 1973.
7.1.1.3. There is still a stead gap in the differences in Blacks and Hispanics compared to the white population, despite efforts to reduce that gap.
7.1.2. Attianment
7.1.2.1. The SAT has become the unofficial college entrance exam.
7.1.2.2. The significant sociological question is how to explain the reasons why these differences exist and persist.
7.2. Coleman Study
7.2.1. Study the relationship between the organizational characteristics of schools and student achievement.
8. Educational Inequality
8.1. Sociological Explanation of Unequal Achievement
8.1.1. Functionalist believe that unequal educational outcomes are the result, in part, of unequal educational opportunities.
8.1.2. Conflict theorists do not believe that equal of opportunity is a sufficient goal.
8.1.3. Both functionalist and conflict theorist agree that understanding educational inequality is a difficult task.
8.2. School-Centered Explanation
8.2.1. A completely individualistic explaination atates that these differences are the result of individual differences in intelligence or initiative.
8.2.2. School-centered explanations suggest that school processes are central to understanding unequal educational performances.
9. Educational Reform
9.1. School Based Reform
9.1.1. Choice is controversial because it is deeply political.
9.1.2. Intersectional choice plans to include public and private schools.
9.1.3. Intrasectional choice policies include only public schools.
9.2. Community
9.2.1. Examine and plan to educate not only the whole child, but also the whole community.
9.2.2. Schools service as community centers within neighborhoods.
9.2.3. Full-service schools aim to prevent problems, as well as to support them.