SCHOOL
CONTEXT
THE R
OLE O
F SEC
ON
DA
RY E
DU
CAT IO
N I
N
AD
OLES
CEN
CE
SECONDARY EDUCATION
+ includes middle/junior high school and high school
+ most kids attend, even in poorest parts of the world
+ typical U.S. student spends more than 1/3 of their waking hours on school (or related activities)
ROLE IN
ADOLESCENCE Education (obviously) Defining social world
Shaping psychosocial development
Learning to think as individuals
Learning about sexuality
SECONDARY EDUCATION ON THE RISE
o Lack of work for kids
o
o Social reformerso
o Improve quality of life
o
o Social controlo
o Americanization
BIRTH OF COMPREHENSIVE
HIGH SCHOOLAN EDUCATIONAL
INST ITUTION THAT EVOLVED DURING THE F IRST HALF OF
THE 20 T H CENTURY, OFFERING A VARIED
CURRICULUM AND DESIGNED TO MEET THE NEEDS OF A DIVERSE POPULATION OF
ADOLESCENTSNumber of individuals enrolled in school jumped from 32% in 1920 to 73% in 1940
NO CHILD LEFT BEHIND Passed by George W. Bush in 2002
States must ensure students achieve academic proficiency, regardless of socioeconomic status
Measured through annual standardized tests
(although these are not uniform across states)
Consistent failure can lead to decreased funding *addressed problem of social
promotion
WHAT’S NEXT. . . ?Common standard
across
the states Relevance vs. rigor
(standards-based reform)
Reform in inner-city schools
12% of high schools in the U.S. produce half of the country’s dropouts and nearly half of the nation’s Black and Latino students attend these schools
WAITING FOR SUPERMANhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZKTfaro96dg
SOCIAL
ORGANIZAT
ION
OF SCHOOLS 5 K E Y A S PE CT S
S C H O O L S I Z E A N D C L A S S S I Z E
A G E G R O U P I N G
T R A C K I N G
E T H N I C C O M P O S I T I O N
P U B L I C V S . P R I VAT E
SCHOOL SIZE AND CLASS SIZE- Class size does not appear to have much impact.
- Equal learning in classes of 20 vs. 40 students.- School size, however, does seem to matter.
- Large schools: - more athletics and other extracurricular organizations- exposed to more people
- Small schools:- more participation in organizations- sense of community- more likely to be in leadership roles- consistent curriculum more feasible
Do you agree that smaller vs. bigger classes do not affect learning? Could there be differences between the impact of class
size on adolescents (middle and high school) and college students?
AGE GROUPING
Grades seem to drop when students transition from one school to another (specifically middle to high school)
however……
Scores on standardized tests do not show similar trends.
WHY?
+ preconceptions and misconceptions
+ adjusting to grading practices
+ changes in motivation
TRACKING (A.K.A. ABILITY GROUPING)
Remedial, average, and giftedLabeling issues
“Rich get richer, poor get poorer” How could this phrase apply to tracking?
Separation vs. mainstreamBig fish-little pond effect
What differences did you notice between “regular” and “gifted” classes?
ETHNIC COMPOSITION
Desegregation had little effect on academic achievement
Minority students’ self esteem is higher when they attend schools where they are the majority safer, less lonely, less harassed teacher attitudes
Cultural environment of neighborhood = cultural environment of school
PUBLIC VS. PRIVATE SCHOOLS
Private schools
Parochial- religious affiliationAdvantages for students who attend Catholic schools
Could be due to social capital
Coulld be due to existing background characteristics of students
Independent- charter or magnet
What goes on in schools seems to be more important than how they are funded
or organized
CLASSROOM
CLIMAT
E
NAME 5 ADJECTIVES OF CLASSES YOU HAVE ENJOYED
QUALITIES OF SUCCESSFUL SCHOOLS
MODERATE DEGREE OF STRUCTURE
HIGH INVOLVEMENT
HIGH TEACHER SUPPORT
CLEAR FEEDBACK
AMPLE PRAISE
FEEL TEACHERS CARE ABOUT
AND RESPECT THEM
COOPERATION VS. COMPETITION
HALF OF ALL HIGH
SCHOOL SOPHOMORE
S SAY DISRUPTIVE STUDENTS GET IN THE
WAY OF THEIR
LEARNING
POST-SECONDARY EDUCATION
Grew dramatically between 1950 and 1970
Today, 2/3 enroll right after high school
What about the other third??