Social Problems, 13eD. Stanley EitzenMaxine Baca ZinnKelly Eitzen Smith

Chapter 16Education

Education

CH

AP

TE

R 1

6

Learning Objectives

16.1 Understand the consequences of having schools under local control.

16.2 Assess the ways that schools perpetuate class and race inequality.

16.3 Discuss possible solutions to address the inequities in our education system.

16.1 - Characteristics of Education in the United States

• Education as a Conserving Force

• Mass Education

• Preoccupation with Order and Control

• A Fragmented Education System

• Local Control of Education

• A Lack of Curriculum Standardization

• “Sifting” and “Sorting” Function of Schools

LO 16.1 - Education as a Conserving Force

• Schools indoctrinate students in culturally prescribed ways – Patriotism– U.S. heritage and heroes

• Support the status quo

Children are taught to be patriotic as part of their culturalindoctrination.

LO 16.1

LO 16.1 - Mass Education

• Faith in education for the public good

• Compulsory education– School for the wrong reasons– Increasing numbers with higher education

LO 16.1 - Video: Current Issues in Education

http://media.pearsoncmg.com/ph/hss/SSA_SHARED_MEDIA_1/sociology/videos/Apcontent/obama_ed_speech.html

LO 16.1 - Preoccupation with Order and Control

• Constraints on individual freedom– Time– Discipline– Dress codes– Athletics – Conformity in answers

• Is the regimented factory-based school system the best educational approach in the new information age?

LO 16.1

LO 16.1 - A Fragmented Education System

• Private schools

• Home schooling

• Charter schools

• Voucher plans

Seventy percent of Black charter students attend schools where at least 90 percent of students are minorities.

LO 16.1

LO 16.1 - Local Control of Education

• Financing of schools through local taxes

• Local taxes as outlets for taxpayers' revolt

• Unequal representation of school boards

• Intrusion of religious views of the majority

LO 16.1 - A Lack of Curriculum Standardization

• Local control means different curriculums across districts and states

• Push for Common Core

• 2001 No Child Left Behind Act

The No Child Left Behind Act was signed by President Bush in 2002.

LO 16.1

LO 16.1 - “Sifting” and “Sorting” Function of Schools

• Education prepares for careers

• Are we preparing everyone the same or are we sifting and sorting by social class?

LO 16.1

A main reason for lack of a standard curriculum in U.S. education is that districts are under __________.

A. federal mandates

B. state proficiencies

C. local control

D. corporate sponsorship

LO 16.1

A main reason for lack of a standard curriculum in U.S. education is that districts are under __________.

A. federal mandates

B. state proficiencies

C. local control

D. corporate sponsorship

LO 16.1

According to the textbook, the “free market” education system will further segment schools.

A. True

B. False

LO 16.1

According to the textbook, the “free market” education system will further segment schools.

A. True

B. False

16.2 - Education and Inequality

• Financing Public Education • Family Economic Resources

• Higher Education and Stratification

• Segregation

• Tracking and Teachers' Expectations

LO 16.2

LO 16.2

LO 16.2

LO 16.2 - Financing Public Education

• 49.5 million students in public schools– 9% federal government– 47% state government– 44% local taxes

LO 16.2 - Explorer Activity: Education: High School Dropouts and Educational Funding

http://www.socialexplorer.com/pearson/plink.aspx?dest=http%3a%2f%2fwww.socialexplorer.com%2fSpiceMap%2f%3fv%3d78f97ff1b5ab4709

Please log into MySocLab with your username and password before accessing this link.

LO 16.2

LO 16.2 - Family Economic Resources

• Average SAT scores are linked to family income and race

• Economic privilege:– Healthcare– Nutrition– More school resources– Community resources

LO 16.2 - Higher Education and Stratification

• A college degree is an avenue to success

• Where the degree comes from also matters– Wealth leads to prestige and more wealth

America's elite schools, like Harvard, have a distinguished list of alumni, from former presidents to U.S. ambassadors.

LO 16.2

LO 16.2

LO 16.2 - Segregation

• Schools are segregated by race and class– Within the school, by ability

• Colleges and universities use race-conscious admissions

LO 16.2 - Tracking and Teachers' Expectations

• Ability Grouping• Criticisms:

– Low-level tracks given low-level work– Superior attitudes in upper-levels– Low-level students are tracked to fail

• Stigma• Self-Fulfilling Prophecy• Future Payoff• Student Subculture

LO 16.2

Educational attainment is strongly linked to __________.

A. social class

B. gender

C. religion

D. locale

LO 16.2

Educational attainment is strongly linked to __________.

A. social class

B. gender

C. religion

D. locale

LO 16.2

School tracking by ability improves a student's chance of success.

A. True

B. False

LO 16.2

School tracking by ability improves a student's chance of success.

A. True

B. False

16.3 - Possibilities for Promoting Equality of Opportunity

• Provide Universal Preschool Programs• Offer Free Education• Set National Education Standards• Reduce Funding Disparities across States and

Districts• Reduce Class and School Size• Attract and Retain Excellent Teachers• Extend the School Day and Year• Hold Educators Accountable• Reform the Educational Philosophy of Schools• Restructure Society

LO 16.3 - Provide Universal Preschool Programs

• Most important variable affecting school performance is socioeconomic status– We need to invest in disadvantaged children

in preschool

Studies have shown that investing in preschool-age children results in positive life outcomes.

LO 16.3

LO 16.3 - Offer Free Education

• Don't make families pay for supplies, admission to events, extracurricular participation and more

• Extend this college

LO 16.3 - Set National Education Standards

• No Child Left Behind Act – Left standards to the states

• Federal guidelines and curriculum

LO 16.3 - Reduce Funding Disparities across States and Districts

• Spend federal monies unequally to equalize differences among the states

• Federal government as Robin Hood

LO 16.3 - Reduce Class and School Size

• Students in smaller classes:– Better grades– Higher graduation rates– More likely to attend college– Less violence– Less alienation– More participation

LO 16.3 - Attract and Retain Excellent Teachers

• Higher salaries

• Mentoring

• Bonuses for teaching in dangerous situations

LO 16.3 - Extend the School Day and Year

• School year and day are based on farm life from the nineteenth century.

• United States has the shortest day/year of any advanced nation

LO 16.3 - Hold Educators Accountable

• Standards and evaluation backed by investing in early education

• Invest in preschool, have standards in high school

LO 16.3 - Reform the Educational Philosophy of Schools

• Those skills include:– Knowing more about the world as global

citizens– Thinking outside the box– Becoming smarter about new sources of

information– Developing good people skills

The demands of the twenty-first century require students to work cooperatively, to be knowledgeable about technology, and to think outside the box.

LO 16.3

LO 16.3 - Restructure Society

• If equality of opportunity is truly the goal, education cannot accomplish it alone. – Society must rid itself of racism and poverty.

LO 16.3

The U.S. school time and structure is no longer relevant because it is based on __________.

A. the perpetuation of urban blight

B. restructured sociological ideals

C. historical standardized test scores

D. agricultural and industrial economic systems

LO 16.3

The U.S. school time and structure is no longer relevant because it is based on __________.

A. the perpetuation of urban blight

B. restructured sociological ideals

C. historical standardized test scores

D. agricultural and industrial economic systems

LO 16.3

Students in classes with fewer students have better educational outcomes than those with more students.

A. True

B. False

LO 16.3

Students in classes with fewer students have better educational outcomes than those with more students.

A. True

B. False

LO 16.3 Question for Discussion

Discuss the costs of the proposed possibilities for equality in education presented in the text.