1. The Sociology of Education
1.1. Theoretical Perspective
1.1.1. Functionalism
1.1.1.1. -stresses the interdependence of the social sytem
1.1.1.2. -society is similar to a machine, one part works together with another to produce the end product: a working society
1.1.1.3. -earliest sociologist, Emile Durkheim
1.1.1.3.1. -came up with the sociology of education
1.1.1.3.2. -education is an essential element in the unity of society
1.1.1.3.3. -moral values serve as education's foundation
1.1.1.4. -Durkheim's view helped define how today's functionalists study education
1.1.1.5. - schools tend to socialize students based on values and abilities
1.1.1.6. -schools are supposed to create advanced curriculum to establish a sense of structure and social unity
1.1.1.7. -education does not have the power to solve social and economic problems without changing other components of the American society
1.1.2. Conflict Theory
1.1.2.1. -social order is based on dominant social groups using their will on subordinate groups
1.1.2.1.1. -force, cooptation, and manipulation
1.1.2.2. -economic, cultural, and military powers hold society together
1.1.2.3. -schools are like battlefields with students against teachers and teachers against administration
1.1.2.3.1. -silenced because the schools' authority and power and the ideal of achievement
1.1.2.4. - Karl Marx
1.1.2.4.1. -founder of the conflict school
1.1.2.4.2. -believed that class struggle was inevitable
1.1.2.4.3. - the poor would rise up and end capitalism and form a new society
1.1.2.5. GIntis and Bowles
1.1.2.5.1. -corresponding link between school organization and societal organization
1.1.2.5.2. -until society is fixed, schools have no chance to improve
1.1.2.6. Max Weber
1.1.2.6.1. -dominant and subordinate groups has the power to structure society
1.1.2.6.2. - the differences between classes could not explain why people establish hierarchies and how their beliefs make these hierarches are unavoidable and fair
1.1.2.6.3. -The goal of education: employment or thinking?
1.1.2.7. Willard Waller
1.1.2.7.1. -1st U.S. sociologists to use the concept of analyzing the organization and processes of education institutions
1.1.2.7.2. -If schools do not have proper vigilance, students are basically going to school because they have to
1.1.2.7.3. -students acting up against the rules and regulations of schools is a sign of resistance
1.1.2.8. Randall Collins
1.1.2.8.1. -the status of group struggles maintains the expansion of education
1.1.2.8.2. -believes that diplomas and other educational credentials are worthless and just are status representatives
1.1.2.8.3. -the expertise of society is not based on the increase of credentials, but rather dominant groups use education for their own benefit in society
1.1.2.9. -the importance of cultural and social capital is based off the recognition of people's characteristics that indicate status and class
1.1.2.10. -human culture can not be studied as a separate and enclosed subject so it must be observed as a large part of the social and cultural format
1.1.3. Internationalism
1.1.3.1. -the theories on interaction are simply critiques and expansions of the other theories
1.1.3.2. - explains what teachers and students do in the classroom
1.1.3.3. -pays particular attention on student-to-student and student-to-teacher behaviors
1.1.3.4. -the aspects that go unquestioned are the most troublesome
1.1.3.5. -Basil Bernstein
1.1.3.5.1. -aspects of both structure and interaction reflect one another and need to observed as a whole
1.1.3.5.2. - the speech patterns of students reflect their status and class backgrounds
1.1.3.5.3. -linked language with educational processes and results from his analysis on class and interection
1.2. Effects of Schooling on Individuals
1.2.1. 1. Knowledge and Attitudes
1.2.1.1. -education sociologists never agree about the relative significance of school when it comes to the knowledge and attitudes of students
1.2.1.2. -the higher the social class of a student, the higher the achievement and success level
1.2.1.3. - school differences in terms of programs in academic areas and policies affect student learning
1.2.1.4. -Ron Edmonds
1.2.1.4.1. -one of the first researchers that proved how differences in schools determine academic results
1.2.1.5. -the comparison of public and private schools indicate that students are forced to take core classes and have to follow a consistent discipline procedure to increase achievement level
1.2.1.6. -the amount of time spent in school determines how much a student learns
1.2.1.7. -more education means more people reading books, magazines, periodicals, newspapers, etc . . . and more people in political and public occupations and events
1.2.1.8. -the individual's self-esteem and well-being are also related to his or her education
1.2.1.9. - the more years of education leads to more knowledge and an increase in societal participation
1.2.2. 2. Employment
1.2.2.1. -majority of students believe that receiving a college degree will open doors to better job opportunities
1.2.2.2. -job performance is weakly related to the amount of schooling
1.2.2.3. -evidence proves that schools are simply gatekeepers to determine who will get the higher level jobs, but they do not teach job-related skills
1.2.2.4. -people do their jobs well by merely practicing
1.2.2.5. -the worth of an educational credential cannot be measured by its influence on job performance
1.2.2.6. -educational credentials are useful in getting higher level jobs while a college degree only helps to get a higher income
1.2.2.7. -men typically make more than women because women are more likely to work part-time or not at all for family commitments, gender segregation, and pay discrimination
1.2.2.8. -other factors besides education affect the amount of income graduates receive in their desired careers such as employer type, age, union membership, social class backgrounds
1.2.2.9. -receiving a college degree is essential for a higher paycheck, but education does not serve as the only explanation for the different income levels
1.2.3. 3. Education and Mobility
1.2.3.1. - the belief that occupational and social mobility start at the classroom door is a vital aspect of American ethos
1.2.3.2. -civil religion refers to the belief that education is the best and most qualified judge in the "great status race"
1.2.3.3. - economic and social mobility is gained by more and more education; individuals are held liable for their merit's rise or fall
1.2.3.4. - there is major difference in educational route and educational amount
1.2.3.4.1. -educational route is where students attend school
1.2.3.4.2. -educational amount is the number of years of education a student receives or earns
1.2.3.5. - for the middle class. education may be connected to upward mobility while for the poor and rich, education may have little effect on mobility
1.2.3.6. -having an educational credentials does not guarantee an exit out of poverty or the loss of a social class or status for the rich
1.2.3.7. -education is similar to a tournament where the players (students) can be taken out while the winners continue the competition
1.2.3.7.1. -the problem lies in the fact that the requirements for winning and losing consists of a student's social class, race, gender, background, GPA, and standardized testing scores.
1.2.4. 4. Inside the Schools
1.2.4.1. -large schools can offer more opportunities for advancement but may be bureaucratic and more strict
1.2.4.2. - smaller schools may be less lenient but have a lack of resources
1.2.4.3. -large or small, the courses schools teach is an important subject if study
1.2.4.4. -culture is reflected in the required curriculum, but who's culture?
1.2.4.5. - not every student studies the exact same curriculum
1.2.4.5.1. -curriculum placement is a huge determinant in college admission
1.2.5. 5. Teacher Behavior
1.2.5.1. -teachers have a huge influence on student learning and demeanor
1.2.5.2. - teachers are instructors, disciplinarians, employers, friends, confidants, educators. and more
1.2.5.3. -standards are set and student self-esteem and efficiency are influenced by certain expectations
1.2.5.4. -labeling by teachers affects student learning, academic performance, and achievement levels
1.2.5.5. -self-fulfilling prophecy refers to the major role of teachers' expectations that has positive and negative effects on students' potential
1.2.5.6. -teachers tend to have lower expectations for their minority students as well as their working-class students
1.2.5.6.1. -leads to a terrible cycle of low academic performance
1.2.5.6.2. -this continuous cycle of failure increases drop-out rates and grade retentions
1.2.5.7. -teachers do not need to be held accountable for the issues in society, but studies have shown that the attitudes of teachers towards students affects self-merit and achievement
1.2.5.8. -there are teachers who go above and beyond to make sure their students succeed in the classroom and out
2. Equality of Opportunity
2.1. Class
2.1.1. -Students who come from wealthy families will have no problems in paying for an education.
2.1.2. -Upper and Middle class students are expected to finish school whereas students of the working-class and lower class live up to lower-level expectations.
2.1.3. -The amount of books in a house also influences academic performance
2.1.4. -Middle and upper-middle class students will probably speak standard English
2.2. Race
2.2.1. -Hispanics and African Americans have had higher drop out rates in high school than White students
2.2.2. -White students also hold the higher percentage of reaching intermediate reading levels than Hispanics and African Americans.
2.3. Gender
2.3.1. -Females are more likely to perform better in school than males.
2.3.2. -Females are less likely to drop out of school than males.
2.3.3. -Males are known to score higher in mathematics.
2.3.4. -Males also tend to score higher on standardized tests than females.
2.4. Coleman Study Responses 1982
2.4.1. Round 2
2.4.1.1. -The differences between public and Catholic schools' achievement status.
2.4.1.2. -Private school are better suited for the low-income students
2.4.2. Round 3
2.4.2.1. -Coleman's Equality of Educational Opportunity
2.4.2.2. -Geoffrey Borman and Maritza Dowling both confirmed Coleman's orginal date from 1966
2.4.2.3. -A student's place of education is influenced by race and socioeconomic backgrounds, but the race and socioeconomic backgrounds of the school affect achievement levels.
3. Educational Reform
3.1. School-Based Reforms
3.1.1. 1. School-Business Partnerships
3.1.1.1. -came from the concern that schools were not producing graduates that will improve the economy
3.1.1.2. -Boston Compact in 1982
3.1.1.3. -a select group of foundations and entrepeneurs have chipped in to change the face of education
3.1.1.4. -no real evidence of improving schools
3.1.2. 2. Privatization
3.1.2.1. -Private school companies have become more involved in public education in multiple ways
3.1.2.2. -Edison Company saved failing schools and their districts
3.1.2.3. -for-profit companies hold numerous of tutoring contracts under NCLB
3.2. Reforms
3.2.1. -Full Service and Community Schools
3.2.1.1. -educating the whole community
3.2.1.2. -full service schools strive to meet every need of the students and their families through organized partnerships between school and community services
3.2.1.3. -prevent and support problems
3.2.2. -Harlem Children's Zone
3.2.2.1. -programs designed to help parents prepare their children for school
4. The Philosophy of Education
4.1. Pragmatism
4.1.1. -Generic Notions
4.1.1.1. -Dewey's version of pragmatism, instrumentalism and experimentalism, based its foundation on psychology, behaviorism, and the philosophy of pragmatism itself
4.1.1.2. -a better society was gained through education
4.1.1.3. -schools were "embryonic communities" where students learn visually through hands-on lessons and by regular book work
4.1.1.4. -Dewey's progressive ideas suggested that teachers needed to begin with the unique interests and needs of the children to effectively educate them, encourage student involvement in lesson planning, utilize projects and group work, and rely heavily on hands-on learning
4.1.1.5. -children are active humans who need a course of study based on their needs in growth and merit
4.1.1.6. -emphasis on freedom and responsibility for students
4.1.1.7. -schools should be a reflection of the community so seniors may take on the roles needed in society to maintain the democracy
4.1.2. -Goal of Education
4.1.2.1. -viewed schools as an a place that can produce, question, and reinvent ideas that offer students the knowledge needed to improve society
4.1.2.2. -schools need to provide "conjoint, communicated experience" to prepare students for a democratic, societal life
4.1.2.3. -schools need to balance the demands of society and the community and also the demands of the individual
4.1.2.4. -form a sense of cohesion and harmony by socializing diverse students into a democratic society
4.1.2.5. -children will be prepared for their future, adult roles to change society if given democratic and engaging values by schools
4.1.2.6. -growth
4.1.2.7. -schools are to be the central educational institutions that help improve societal and personal needs, "a lever of social reform"
4.1.3. -Key Researchers
4.1.3.1. -John Dewey
4.1.3.2. -Jean-Jacques
4.1.3.3. -John Locke
4.1.3.4. -Francis Bacon
4.1.3.5. -William James
4.1.3.6. - George Sanders Peirce
4.1.4. -Role of Teacher
4.1.4.1. -facilitator
4.1.4.2. - encourages
4.1.4.3. - suggests
4.1.4.4. - question
4.1.4.5. -plan out and utilize courses of study
4.1.4.6. - curriculum writing
4.1.4.7. -take charge of numerous disciplines to effectively write and use curriculum
4.1.5. -Method of Instruction
4.1.5.1. - children should start asking questions for their desired knowledge, known as problem-solving or inquiry method
4.1.5.2. -books written by students and teachers were read
4.1.5.3. -projects and field trips that were related to the content and material in the course of study were implemented
4.1.5.4. -desks and chairs were used for group or individual work
4.1.6. -Curriculum
4.1.6.1. -proposed an integrated curriculum
4.1.6.2. - a subject matter was investigated by students tp produce questions and problems for math, science, history, reading, writing, music, art, wood or metal working, cooking, and sewing
4.1.6.3. -"the curriculum of expanding environments" is beginning with contemporary issues and working towards the unknown from the known
4.1.6.4. -controversy on Dewey's integrated curriculum
4.1.6.4.1. - curriculum based on the needs of children seem as if Dewey is not in favor of the traditional subjects and is on the side of a child-centered curriculum based on imagination and creativity
4.1.6.4.2. -Howard Gardner felt that Dewey was trying to find a balance in the traditional curriculum and the interests of the children
4.1.6.5. -an integrated curriculum is deemed as the most effective way to balance traditional requirements and the demands of children
5. Schools as Organizations
5.1. Federal Stakeholders
5.1.1. -Senators
5.1.1.1. -Richard Shelby
5.1.1.2. -Luther Strange
5.1.2. -House of Representative: 4th District
5.1.2.1. -Robert Aderholt
5.2. State: 4th District
5.2.1. -Senator
5.2.1.1. -Paul Bussman
5.2.2. -House of Representatives
5.2.2.1. -Ed Henry
5.2.3. -State Superintendent
5.2.4. -School Board Representative
5.2.4.1. -Yvette M. Richardson, Ed.D.
5.2.5. -Local Superintendent
5.2.5.1. -Dr. Susan Patterson
5.2.6. -Local School Board Members
5.2.6.1. -President Suzanne Harbin
5.2.6.2. -Vice President Jason Neal
5.2.6.3. -Chris Branham
5.2.6.4. -Joey Orr
5.2.6.5. -Lee Powell
5.3. Elements of Change
5.3.1. -Conflict
5.3.1.1. - Schools need to have conflict in order to change or improve. The attempts made to democratize educational institutions do not create conflicts, but they permit prior issues and disagreements to arise. Faculty are expected to be prepared for any conflicts.
5.3.2. -New Behaviors
5.3.2.1. -In order to change, schools must learn new behaviors. This includes the construction of communication, establishment of trust, enablement of true leadership, and the learning of new strategies to communicate, work together, and solve problems.
5.3.3. -Team Buildings
5.3.3.1. -This element of change does not apply just to students or teachers. Team building needs to include everyone in the school. The faculty and staff need to have continuous shared decision making as well as giving attention to the relationship status with the other members of the school.
5.3.4. - Process and content
5.3.4.1. - These two elements interchange with each other. The process a team make to function as a unit is just as important as the content of the attempts made to establish academic changes.
6. History of Education
6.1. Reform Movement: The Progressive Era
6.1.1. The emergence of the public high schools to offer education for all minds seems like it had a huge impact on education. Most teenagers attended private schools that were very traditional, college prep, or career prep for their secondary education
6.1.1.1. -'"whereas once it was altogether voluntary, and for this reason quite selective, it is now, at least for those sixteen and under, compulsory and unselective" (Hofstadter, 1966, p. 326)'(Savovnik 72)
6.1.1.2. - The Committee of Ten, headed by the President of Harvard University Charles Eliot, was created by the National Education Association.
6.1.1.2.1. -'purpose of secondary education was to prepare students for the "duties of life" (quoted in Ravitch, 1983, p. 138)' (Savovnik 72)
6.1.1.2.2. -provided a 5 model curricula of classical and modern language, English, mathematics, history, and science
6.1.1.2.3. -all students need to be taught in an equal manner
6.1.1.2.4. -their recommendations were enforced by two ways: through the NEA's new committee for college admission requirements and through the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching's suggestion for the same core classes
6.1.1.3. Principles of the Cardinal Principles
6.1.1.3.1. 1. Health
6.1.1.3.2. 2. Command of fundamental processes
6.1.1.3.3. 3. Worthy home-membership
6.1.1.3.4. 4. Vocation
6.1.1.3.5. 5. Citizenship
6.1.1.3.6. 6. Worthy use of leisure
6.1.1.3.7. 7. Ethical character
6.1.1.3.8. -helped to develop a solution to educate the students who were not planning on attending college
6.2. Historical Interpretation: The Democratic-Liberal School
6.2.1. -consists of the progressive evolution to provide a sense of equality and opportunity for all students
6.2.2. - supportive historians: Ellwood Cubberly, Merle Curti, and Lawerence A. Cremin
6.2.3. -Cubberly and Curti focus more on the Common School Era while Cremin studies on the Progressive Era
6.2.4. -Cremin notes that the American Education's history developed from expanding opportunity and a sense of purpose
6.2.4.1. -the more schools became bigger with diverse students, the more diverse the curriculum must become
6.2.5. -school system and its evolution is flawed
6.2.6. -equality and excellence are just ideals
6.2.6.1. -school system in U.S. must move closer to each without sacrificing one or the other
7. Politics of Education
7.1. Purposes
7.1.1. 1. The intellectual purposes: -to teach students the basics (reading, writing, and math) -deliver particular information ( literature, history, the sciences, etc...) -assist students develop analysis, evaluation, and synthesis skills.
7.1.2. 2. The political purposes -to teach allegiance to the nation -educate potential citizens who help define the American democracy -take in foreign cultures -teach the young generation the basic laws of society.
7.1.3. 3. The social purposes: -help find solutions to society's conflicts -work as a single unit to ensure the unity and strength of society -to teach kids the important roles society has to offer including the behaviors and values.
7.1.4. 4. The economic purposes: -to prepare students for their future careers and roles -choosing, training, and distributing individuals into the workforce.
7.2. Perspective
7.2.1. Role of the School
7.2.1.1. The Conservative Perspective
7.2.1.1.1. -Individuals are responsible for their own success or failure
7.2.1.1.2. -believes that the role of the school should offer the right tools to ensure the brightest succeed
7.2.1.1.3. -teach children to socialize for their future adult roles as productive citizens to maintain society
7.2.2. Explanations of Unequal Performance
7.2.2.1. The Conservative Perspective
7.2.2.1.1. -individuals are given opportunities to succeed, but it is their choice to use them
7.2.2.1.2. -failure to use the given opportunities defines the individual as a deficient student
7.2.3. Definitions of Educational Problems
7.2.3.1. The Conservative Perspective
7.2.3.1.1. -the decline of standards is their definition of the decrease of academic expectations and the quality of education itself for trying to reach the demands of greater equality
7.2.3.1.2. -the decline of cultural literacy refers to simplified curriculum that has weakened schools for trying to reach the demands for multicultural education
7.2.3.1.3. -the decline of values or of civilization is the loss of the traditional role of passing down the moral expectations to students for trying to reach the demands for cultural relativism
7.2.3.1.4. -the decline of authority is the chaotic result from losing the schools' traditional discipline structure by trying to meet the demands for freedom and individuality
8. Curriculum & Pedagogy
8.1. Developmentalist Curriculum
8.1.1. -This curriculum focuses on the needs and interests of the students rather than the demanding needs of society. It revolves around the student to fit their unique learning styles.
8.2. Traditions
8.2.1. Transformative
8.2.1.1. -This tradition refers to the effect teaching has on the students. When they can feel a change inside themselves from the learning, they are transformed by the new knowledge bestowed on them.
8.2.2. Mimetic
8.2.2.1. -The easiest and most familiar way of teaching where the teacher just simply teaches the material and the students copy what is on the board or what the teacher does.
9. Educational Inequality
9.1. Cultural Differences Theories
9.1.1. 1. John Ogbu-African American perform less due to their submission to adapt to their dominant White environment
9.1.2. 2. Students of the working-class and of the minor races are resisting the primary culture of schools.
9.2. School-Centered Explanations
9.2.1. 1. School Financing
9.2.1.1. -Public schools get their money from local, state, and federal sources
9.2.1.2. -Funding is based on property tax
9.2.2. 2. Effective School Research
9.2.2.1. -Teachers are not to be blamed if student differences are more important than school differences.
9.2.2.2. -Schools and teachers cannot do anything if the school's effects are unimportant.
9.2.3. 3. Between-School Differences and Pedagogic Practices
9.2.3.1. -Bernstein argued that schools for the working-class are more likely to have authoritarian and teacher-directed pedagogic practices
9.2.4. 4. Within-School Differences: Curriculum and Ability Grouping
9.2.4.1. -In Elementary schools, students are grouped into reading groups and separate classes based on different characteristics such as race, gender, class, teacher recommendations, test scores, and the like.