1. Politics of Education
1.1. 4 Purposes of Education
1.1.1. Political
1.1.1.1. The political purposes of schooling are to inculcate allegiance to the existing political order (patriotism); to prepare citizens who will participate in this political order (e.g., in political democracies); to help assimilate diverse cultural groups into a common political order; and to teach children the basic laws of society.
1.1.2. Social
1.1.2.1. The social purposes of schooling are to help solve social problems; to work as one of many institutions, such as the family and the church (or synagogue) to ensure social cohesion; and to socialize children into the various roles, behaviors, and values of the society.
1.1.3. Economic
1.1.3.1. The economic purposes of schooling are to prepare students for their later occupational roles and to select, train, and allocate individuals into the division of labor.
1.1.4. Intellectual
1.1.4.1. The intellectual purposes of schooling are to teach basic cognitive skills such as reading, writing, and mathematics; to transmit specific knowledge (e.g., in literature, history, the sciences, etc.); and to help students acquire higher-order thinking skills such as analysis, evaluation, and synthesis.
1.2. The role of the school
1.2.1. Conservative perspective
1.2.1.1. To provide the necessary educational training to ensure that the most talented and hard-working individuals receive the tools necessary to maximize economic and social productivity
1.2.1.2. To socialize children into the adult roles necessary to the maintenance of the social order
1.2.1.3. To transmit the cultural traditions through what is taught
1.2.2. Liberal Perspective
1.2.2.1. To provide the necessary education to ensure all students have an equal opportunity to succeed in society
1.2.2.2. To teach children to respect cultural diversity so that they understand and fit into a diverse society
1.2.2.3. To enable the individual to develop his or her talents, creativity, and sense of self
1.2.3. Radical Perspective
1.2.3.1. To perpetuate the society and to serve the interests of those with economic wealth and political power
1.2.3.2. To prepare children from different social backgrounds for different roles within the economic division of labor
1.3. Explanations of unequal educational performance
1.3.1. Conservatives believe that to be successful an individual or group of students must rely on their own intelligence, hard work, and initiative.
1.3.2. Liberals believe that some individuals or groups of students have less advantages than other students and society must attempt to to give these students the same advantages through different policies and programs
1.4. Definition of educational problems
1.4.1. Conservative perspective
1.4.1.1. Decline of standards
1.4.1.2. Decline of cultural literacy
1.4.1.3. Decline of values or of civilization
1.4.1.4. Decline of authority
1.4.1.5. Stifled by bureaucracy and inefficiency
1.4.2. Liberal perspective
1.4.2.1. Limit the life chances of poor and minority children
1.4.2.2. Place too much emphasis on discipline and authority
1.4.2.3. Differences in quality and climate between urban and suburban schools with students of low and high socioeconomic backgrounds
1.4.2.4. The curriculum leaves out the diverse cultures of the groups that comprise the pluralistic society
1.4.3. Radical perspective
1.4.3.1. The system has failed the poor, minorities, and women through classist, racist, sexist, and homophobic policies
1.4.3.2. Schools have stifled critical understanding of the problems of the American society through a curriculum and teaching practices that promote conformity
1.4.3.3. The curriculum is classist, racist, sexist, and homophobic and leaves out the cultures, histories, and voices of the oppressed
1.4.3.4. The system promotes inequality of both opportunity and results
2. History of U.S. Education
2.1. Most influential reform movement
2.1.1. Civil Rights Movement
2.1.1.1. Desegregation of schools
2.1.1.1.1. Brown v. Topeka Board of Education
2.2. Historical interpretation of U.S. Education
2.2.1. Conservative Perspective
2.2.1.1. Believed that the historical pursuit of social and political objectives resulted in significant harm to the traditional academic goals of schooling
2.2.1.2. Using education to solve social problems has been ineffective and has led to erosion of educational excellence
2.2.1.3. Progressive reforms of the twentieth century denigrated the traditional role of schools in passing on a common culture and produced a generation that know little about their Western heritage
2.2.1.4. Political movements intended to move us closer to a fair and just society have led to putative decline of educational standards
2.2.1.4.1. Watered down curriculum lead to a dilution of academic excellence.
3. Sociological Perspectives
3.1. Functionalism
3.1.1. Emile Durkheim (1858-1917- invented the sociology of education
3.1.2. Is supposed to create structures, programs, and curricula that are technically advanced, rational, and encourage social unity
3.2. Conflict Theory
3.2.1. The glue of society is economic, political, cultural, and military power
3.2.2. Intellectual justifications created by the powerful are designed to enhance their position by legitimizing inequality and the unequal distribution of material and cultural goods as an inevitable outcome of biology and history
3.3. Interactionalism
3.3.1. Primarily critiques and extensions of the functional and conflict perspectives
3.3.2. the structural aspects of the educational system and the interactional aspects of the system reflect each other and must be viewed wholistically
3.4. 5 effects of schooling on individuals
3.4.1. Knowledge and attitudes
3.4.1.1. The higher the social class background of the student, the higher his or her achievement level
3.4.1.2. Academically oriented schools do produce higher rates of learning
3.4.2. Employment
3.4.2.1. The level of education is unrelated to job performance
3.4.2.2. Academic credentials help individuals to obtain higher-status jobs early in their careers
3.4.3. Education and Mobility
3.4.3.1. Most Americans believe that more education leads to more economic and social mobility
3.4.3.2. Diplomas from private schools and prestigious colleges and universities are considered to be more of a "mobility escalator"
3.4.3.3. Education opens the doors of opportunity
3.4.4. Teacher Behavior
3.4.4.1. Teachers are models for students
3.4.4.2. Teachers set standards for students
3.4.4.3. Teachers influence student self-esteem and sense of efficacy
3.4.5. Inadequate Schools
3.4.5.1. The way in which children are educated today will not prepare them for productive and fulfilling lives
3.4.5.2. Students who attend suburban and private schools receive a better educational experience
4. Philosophy of Education
4.1. Pragmatism
4.1.1. Encourages people to find processes that work in order to achieve their desired ends
4.1.2. Generic Notions
4.1.2.1. Children can learn skills both experientially as well as from books, which would enable them to work cooperatively in a democratic society
4.1.3. Key Researchers
4.1.3.1. George Sanders Peirce (1839-1914) and William James (1842-1910) are considered the founders of this school of thought
4.1.3.2. John Locke (1632-1704) believed the mind was a blank tablet and that one acquires knowledge through one's senses
4.1.3.3. Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712-1778) believed that individuals were naturally good and that society corrupted them
4.1.3.4. John Dewey (1859-1952) was a British naturalist, whose theory of natural selection emphasized the constant interaction between the organism and its environment
4.1.3.4.1. Instrumentalism refers to the pragmatic relationship between school and society
4.1.3.4.2. Experimentalism refers to the application of ideas to educational practice on an experimental basis
4.1.4. Goal of Education
4.1.4.1. Provide students with the knowledge of how to improve the social order
4.1.4.2. Schools should function as preparation for life in a democratic society
4.1.5. Role of the Teacher
4.1.5.1. The teacher assumes the peripheral position of facilitator
4.1.5.1.1. The teacher encourages, offers suggestions, questions, and helps plan and implement courses of study
4.1.5.1.2. The teacher writes curriculum and must have command of several disciplines in order to create and implement
4.1.6. Methods of Instruction
4.1.6.1. Students learn both individually and in groups
4.1.6.2. Problem-solving or inquiry method
4.1.6.3. Field trips and projects that reconstruct some aspect of the child's course of study
4.1.6.4. Replace rote memorization with individualized study, problem solving, and the project method
4.1.7. Curriculum
4.1.7.1. Core curriculum or an integrated curriculum
4.1.7.1.1. A particular subject matter would yield problems to be solved using all the academic and vocational disciplines
4.1.8. Goal of
4.2. Pragmatism focuses on preparing students to be able to function in a democratic society. Educators instruct students on how to solve real life problems by using an integrated curriculum. Students are taught individually and in groups. They learn skills through books and hands-on experiences to help them work cooperatively in a democratic society.
5. Schools as Organizations
5.1. Alabama State Senators
5.1.1. Tim Melson
5.1.2. William L. Holtzclaw
5.1.3. Arthur Orr
5.2. District 5 Representative
5.2.1. Danny Crawford
5.3. State Superintendent
5.3.1. Michael Sentance
5.4. State school Board Representative
5.4.1. Kay Ivey
5.4.2. Michael Sentance
5.4.3. Matthew Brown
5.4.4. Betty Peters
5.4.5. Stephanie W. Bell
5.4.6. Yvette Richardson
5.4.7. Ella B. Bell
5.4.8. Dr. Cynthia S. McCarty
5.4.9. Jeff Newman
5.4.10. Mary Scott Hunter
5.5. Local Superintendent
5.5.1. Dr. Tom Sisk
5.6. Local School Board
5.6.1. Charles Shoulders
5.6.2. Bret Mcgill
5.6.3. Ronald R. Christ, Jr.
5.6.4. Edward Winter
5.6.5. Bradley Young
5.6.6. Antony Hilliard
5.6.7. Earl Glaze
5.7. The elements of change within school processes and school cultures
5.7.1. They have a definite population.
5.7.2. They have a clearly defined political structure, arising from the mode of social interaction characteristics of the school, and influenced by numerous minor processes of interaction.
5.7.3. They represent the nexus of a compact network of social relationships.
5.7.4. They are pervaded by a "we feeling."
5.7.5. They have a culture that is definitely their own.
6. Curriculum and Pedagogy
6.1. Developmentalist Curriculum
6.1.1. The developmentalist approach relates to the needs and interests of the student rather than the needs of society. This philosophically progressive approach is student centered and is concerned with relating the curriculum to the needs and interests of each child at particular developmental stages.
6.2. The Mimetic Tradition
6.2.1. The mimetic tradition gives a central place to the transmission of factual and procedural knowledge from one person to another, through an essentially imitative process.
6.3. The Transformative Tradition
6.3.1. The transformative tradition accomplishes a transformation of one kind or another in the person being taught. These changes include all those traits of character and personality most highly prized by the society at large.
7. Equality of Opportunity
7.1. Class
7.1.1. Families from the upper and middle class are more likely to expect their children to finish school, whereas working-class and underclass families have lower levels of expectation for their children.
7.2. Race
7.2.1. An individual's race has a direct impact on how much education he or she is likely to achieve. Minorities do not receive the same educational opportunities as whites, and their educational attainment are significantly less.
7.3. Gender
7.3.1. Historically, an individual's gender was directly related to his or her educational attainment. Although the disparity has been reduced in recent years, women are still at a disadvantage in terms of educational attainment.
7.4. Coleman Study
7.4.1. Two major responses
7.4.1.1. Sociologists examined and reexamined Coleman's data.
7.4.1.2. A group of minority scholars set about the task of defining those characteristics of schools that made them effective
8. Educational reform
8.1. School-based reforms
8.1.1. Privatization
8.1.1.1. Failing schools and districts are taken over by the state due to low student achievement.The state then hires for-profit companies and/or local universities to mange the schools.
8.1.2. School-Business Partnerships
8.1.2.1. In an effort to be good stewards of the community, businesses form partnerships with schools and provide an additional source of funding for the schools and more opportunities for students.
8.2. School Finance Reforms
8.2.1. In an effort to provide a thorough and efficient education, many states have passed reforms to equalize funding to all schools. Many states are now required to provide supplemental programs such as social services, increased security, full day kindergarten, preschool for all 3- and 4-year-olds, a technology alternative education, school-to-work, after-school, and summer-school programs.
8.3. Community Reforms
8.3.1. Full Service and Community schools are implemented to educate the whole community. Full service schools focus on meeting students' and their families educational, physical, psychological, and social needs in a coordinated and collaborative fashion between school and community services. Schools service as community centers that are open extended hours to provide a multitude of services such as adult education, health clinics, recreation facilities, after-school programs, mental health services, drug and alcohol programs, job placement and training programs, and tutoring services.
9. Educational Inequality
9.1. Cultural Deprivation Theory
9.1.1. Cultural deprivation theory suggests that working-class and nonwhite families often lack the cultural resources, such as books and other educational stimuli, and thus arrive at school at a significant disadvantage.
9.1.2. Cultural deprivation theorists assert that the poor have a deprived culture that lacks the value system of middle-class culture. according to this perspective, middle-class culture values hard work and initiative, the delay of immediate gratification for future reward, and the importance of schooling as a means to future success. The culture of poverty eschews delayed gratification for immediate reward, rejects hard work and initiative as a means to success, and does not view schooling as the means to social mobility.
9.2. Four School-centered Explanations for Educational Inequality
9.2.1. School Financing
9.2.1.1. Schools are not equitably and adequately funded. This leads to some schools have more resources available to them than other schools
9.2.2. Effective School Research
9.2.2.1. A climate of high expectations Strong and effective leadership Accountability processes Monitoring of student learning A high degree of time on task Flexibility to experiment and try new things
9.2.3. Between-School Differences: Curriculum and Pedagogic Practices
9.2.3.1. School climate…authoritarian or more student-centered Different school environments allow students to dream different dreams, different life expectations
9.2.4. Within-School Differences: Curriculum and Ability Grouping
9.2.4.1. Functionalist perspective—tracking is valuable tool if it is fair and meritocratic Conflict theorists see tracking based on ascriptive characteristics reproducing inequalities “Tracking has a significant effect on educational attainment at both elementary and secondary levels.”