1. Politics of Education Ch. 2
1.1. Identify and describe the four purposes of education.
1.1.1. Intellectual – cognitive skills in math, reading, science , history, language Political – to indoctrinate people into a particular order of patriotism Social – to help people be socialable, productive members of society Economic – prepare students for their occupation
1.2. Choose and describe a perspective for each of the following: 1) the role of the school; 2) explanations of unequal performance; and 3) definition of educational problems.
2. Sociological Perspectives Ch. 4
2.1. Define each of the theoretical perspectives concerning the relationship between school and society: functionalism, conflict theory, and interactionism.
2.1.1. 1. Functionalism: poses that society is best when a consensus rules. Education creates the moral unity for social cohesion and harmony. Conflict is a breakdown of shred values.
2.1.2. 2. Conflict Theory: poses that influential groups impose their will on subordinate groups. Schools are oppressive and students are rebellious. They are forced to attend. College degrees are primarily status symbols and do not indicate actual achievement. Where you go to school can determine your success more than achievement.
2.1.3. 3. Interactionism: poses that society develops as a result of interactions between students and teachers.
2.2. Identify and describe 5 effects of schooling on individuals that you think have the greatest impact on students as explained in the book (there are 10 between pages 121-128).
2.2.1. 1. Knowledge and Attitudes: The higher the social class of a student the higher level of educational achievement. Academically oriented schools have higher levels of student achievement.
2.2.2. 2. Employment: More education results in better jobs and opportunities. Do schools determine who gets the good jobs? Schools don’t prepare workers for job performance
2.2.3. 3. Education and Mobility: Education is the great equalizer in the status race. Where you attend has great impetus. Poor and rich people see no effect on their social status as a result of their education attainment. Competition is not fair. Winners win with exceptions and losers are dropped from the competition. Rules are not always fair.
2.2.4. 4. Teacher Behavior: Teachers may have as many as 1000 interactions with students on a daily basis. Teacher expectations directly influence student achievement. Self-fulfilling prophecy has a direct impact on student success. The more teachers demanded from their students results in higher student self esteem and success.
2.2.5. Student Peer Groups and Alienation: Rebellious students and violence in schools. Nerds, coolness and athletes Four major types of college students includes; Careerists which are middle and upper middle class and do not have a good college experience. Intellectuals come from highly educated families, earned academic honors, and are politically motivated. Strivers come from middle and lower class hard workers and did not have great academic success but had a sense of accomplishment with their degree. The Unconnected came from all backgrounds and did not participate or achieve any success and were dissatisfied.
3. Schools as Organizations Ch. 6
3.1. Identify and describe the elements of change within 1. school processes and 2. school cultures.
3.1.1. Changes in the school process and cultures. Teachers are in conflict with students. Curriculum v. social goals of students. Administrators and teachers are in conflict. Structure v. teaching. Communities are in conflict with administration. Studies show that the principal establishes the goals levels of academic and social expectations and the effectiveness of disicipline
3.2. Identify major stakeholders in YOUR district by name (Federal Alabama senators and House of Representative, state senator and house of representative, state superintendent, representative on state school board, local superintendent, and all members on local school board)
3.2.1. Richard Shelby, Mo Brooks, Martha Roby, Terri Sewell, Bradley Byrne, Gary Palmer, Robert Aderholt, Michael D. Rogers, Michael Sentence, Oscar S. Mann, Martha Bouyer, Jacqueline Smith, Ronnie Dixon, Donna Pike, Warren Pouncey
4. Equality of Opportunity Ch. 8
4.1. What were the two responses to the Coleman Study from 1982? (There are several but focus on 1982 responses.)
4.1.1. As a result lower class students should attend schools with the middle and upper class to improve their educational success.
4.2. Describe how class, race, and gender each impact educational outcomes.
4.2.1. Evidence shows that highly segregated schools have lower achievement levels than integrated schools and minorities do better in integrated schools.
5. Educational Reform Ch. 10
5.1. Describe two school-based reforms (school-based, school-business partnerships, privatization, school-to-work programs, teacher education or teacher quality) p 520
5.1.1. School Choice
5.1.2. Charter Schools
5.1.3. Tuition Vouchers
5.1.4. Intersectional Choice Plans (public to private)
5.1.5. Intrasectional Choice Plans (any public school in district)
5.2. Describe at least two societal, economic, community, or political reforms that impact education.
5.2.1. School Finance Reforms p. 538 Where you are born or live determines your advantage for a good education.
6. History of U.S. Education Ch. 3
6.1. 1. Choose and describe a reform movement that you think has had the most influence on education.
6.1.1. The No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), which passed Congress with overwhelming bipartisan support in 2001 and was signed into law by President George W. Bush on Jan. 8, 2002, is the name for the most recent update to the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965
7. Philosophy of Education Ch. 5
7.1. 2. Choose and describe one historical interpretation of U.S. Education.
7.1.1. Curriculum supports the needs of the child and thus gives knowledge/insight to human history and promotes impetus for change and betterment of society. P.71
7.2. Describe the particular world view of one of student-centered philosophy of education (pragmatism or existentialism). Include the following information: generic notions, key researchers, goal of education, role of teacher, method of instruction, and curriculum.
7.2.1. Pragmatism John Dewey George Sanders Pierce William James John Locke Jean-Jacques Rousseau Learning through experience (experiential learning “What is practical has meaning and value” The approach to learning is by scientific inquiry. Pragmatism encourages people to find processes that work to achieve their desired outcome. Ex. Problem – speculative thought – action - results
8. Curriculum & Pedagogy Ch. 7
8.1. Explain a curriculum theory which you advocate (humanist, social efficiency, developmentalist, or social meliorist).
8.1.1. (also called person-centered education) is an approach to education based on the work of humanistic psychologists, most notably Abraham Maslow and Carl Rogers.
8.2. Identify and describe the two dominant traditions of teaching.
8.2.1. Teacher centered
8.2.2. Student centered
9. Educational Inequality Ch. 9
9.1. Explain at least two types of cultural differences theory (page 424-427)
9.1.1. Functionalist Theorists support the idea that each students’ success is determined by their own hard work and desire to succeed.
9.1.2. Conflict Theorists support the idea that student success is affected by their environment.
9.1.3. Interactionists Theorists support that student success is determined by a combination of factors such as family, social class schools and environment.
9.2. Describe at least four school-centered (not student-centered) explanations for educational inequality.
9.2.1. School Financing p. 428
9.2.2. Effective Schools p. 431
9.2.3. Curriculum and Pedagogic
9.2.4. Curriculum and Ability Grouping p. 434-436S
10. Limits and Promises of Education (Ch. 1)
10.1. Educational Problems
10.1.1. The Achievement Gap
10.1.1.1. 1. Elementary Secondary Education Act 1965
10.1.1.2. 2. Tried to erase discrepancies in opportunities
10.1.1.3. 3. NCLB re-established these efforts in 2001
10.1.1.4. 4. Because of testing, teaching gaps have widened
10.1.1.5. 5. Causes are due to funding, environment, teacher quality, parents, etc.
10.1.2. Crisis in Urban Education
10.1.2.1. 1. Demographic Trends
10.1.2.2. 2. Social Stratification
10.1.2.3. 3. Socioeconomic/ Academic Achievement
10.1.2.4. 4. Inequalities in School Systems
10.1.2.5. 5. School Choice is an Issue
10.1.3. Decline in Literacy
10.1.3.1. 1. Basic Skills of Fundamentals
10.1.3.2. 2. Teaching to the Test
10.1.3.3. 3. Pass them on due to age and no place to go
10.1.3.4. 4. Schools become over-crowded
10.1.3.5. 5. Raising Academic Standards (for whom)
10.1.4. Assessment issues
10.1.4.1. 1. Teaching to the test
10.1.4.2. 2. Authentic/ True Assessments
10.1.4.3. Questions to Ask Ourselves:
10.1.4.3.1. 1. What have we measured?
10.1.4.3.2. 2. How do we use our data?
10.1.4.3.3. 3. What does the curriculum look like?
10.2. Four Elements of
10.2.1. History of Education
10.2.1.1. 1. Our purpose then? To read the Bible to save our souls (Old Deleuter Act 1642)
10.2.1.2. 2. Our Purpose Now?
10.2.2. Philosophoy of Education
10.2.3. Politics of Education
10.2.4. Sociology of Education