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U.S Secondary Education
Social Organization of Schools
Classroom Climate
Beyond high school
Schools & Adolescent Development
100
In America today, what percentage of individuals between the ages of 14 & 17 are in school?
virtually all individuals 1930 only 50% were in school at the turn of the 20th century only 10% were in school
100
Why is adolescent achievement lower in crowded schools
stress on both students and teachers, the use of facilities for instruction that were not designed to serve as classrooms (such as gyms) and inadequate resources
100
Most social scientists & educators now agree that the most important school-related influences on learning and psychological development during adolescence are those seen in more immediate environments of the school and classroom. Explain
Students are more engaged and do better with a responsive and demanding (authoritative) atmosphere, where teachers are warm and firm and maintain high standards
100
What is the number of high school graduates that enroll in college immediately after graduation in the U.S? How many of those students drop out each year?
Two-thirds One-quarter of students who enter college in the U.S drop out after just one year
100
What are the characteristics of good schools?
Good schools: 1. emphasize intellectual activities 2. have teachers who are committed to their students and who are granted autonomy in their classrooms 3. are well integrated into the surrounding community 4. have good classrooms in which students are active, not passive, participants in the process of education 5. are staffed by teachers who have received specific training in teaching adolescents.
200
Explain the growth of secondary education. What economic and social changes occurred during this time?
High school attendance was not made compulsory for adolescents until well into the 20th century. The growth of secondary education can be traced back to; increased industrialization, urbanization, and rates of immagration
200
How do school transitions affect students? What problems cause difficult transitions?
Research demonstrates that students' academic motivation and school grades drop as they move from elementary to middle/junior high school. Features of the middle school/junior high environment such as mismatch between the middle school environment and the developmental needs of adolescents makes the transition more difficult
200
According to your book there is a strong correlation between teacher expectations and student performance. Two pathways are responsible, list those pathways.
1) teachers' expectations are often accurate reflections of their student's ability 2) teacher expectations actually create self-fulfilling prophecies
200
What is the number of students in the U.S who do not go on to college?
one-third of adolescents do not go on to college
200
Explain the paradox of dropping out of school
Staying in school is preferable to dropping out in terms of future earnings but also in terms of cognitive development. The adverse effects of dropping out are most intense among socioeconomically disadvantaged youth (which is paradoxical considering students who are most likely to leave school prior to graduation may be most harmed by doing so)
300
What is the No Child Left Behind Act? Explain in reference to standardized testing, social promotion and low achieving students
NCLB was introduced in 2002 due to the increasing concern over students ability to compete for high-skills jobs. The law mandates that all states ensure that all students receive academic proficiency. Students are no longer able to be socially promoted.
300
Explain tracking. Provide an argument against tracking and why it is generally not supported in educational research for average achieving students, low achieving students/learning disabled students, and gifted students
Tracking: grouping students according to their academic abilities Students placed in lower tracks receive inferior education than the higher track groups. Tracking may contribute to the polarization of students into different subcultures. It establishes an environment where the rich get richer and the poor get poorer. Gifted children have more positive self concepts (big fish-little pond effect) learning disabled students are more likely to have more social and behavioral difficulties and more problems coping in school
300
Explain the reciprocal relationship between teachers and students and student engagement. What are the best ways to engage students?
Effective teachers can engage & excite their students, and engaged and excited students can motivate their teachers to be more effective. The best way to engage students in school is to provide opportunities for students to genuinely display their competencies, facilitate students' feelings of belonging to their school, assign authentic work (that is interesting, fun, and relevant to the real world)
300
What do experts suggest to address the problem of individuals who do not go on to college that are in low paying jobs or unemployed?
Experts agree that the links between high school and the world of work need to be strengthened. Schools and communities should provide training, career counseling, and job placement services throughout high school
400
Explain that standards based reform and problems that arose for educators with this reform. Explain how this affected parent's choice of schools for their children.
1) Educators could not agree on the body of knowledge and skills that comprised what high school graduate should know and be able to do 2) large numbers of students did not fully acquire the knowledge and capabilities on standardized graduation examinations. Parents disappointed with the public school system charter schools & school vouchers became more popular during the late 1990's
400
Explain the Brown v. Board of education (1954,1955) Supreme Court ruling. Explain how this affects student attachment to school.
The Supreme Court ruling that segregation in schools was unconstitutional. This had little short-term impact on student achievement. Evidence shows minority youths' self-esteem is higher when they attend schools where they are the majority. Student's attachment to school is higher when they attend a school where relatively more of their classmates are from the same ethnic group
400
School violence is a prevalent feature of the school climate. How many students have been a victim of violence in or around school? Explain the zero tolerance policy and it's influence on students
One out of every four students has been a victim of violence. Zero-tolerance policies are a get tough on violence prevention in schools approach where students are arrested for violent acts. Zero-tolerance policies make situations worse in cases where students end up with arrest records and it has a disproportionate impact on black students who are more likely to report that school rules are inconsistently envorced
500
According to your book, what are the reasons that school reform has failed inner-city youth?
Poverty, inefficient administrative bureaucracies, declining job opportunities in inner-city markets, and urban students feel less of a sense of "belonging" to their school
500
What are the alternatives to public school? Explain what research says about each. What is most important to consider in schools?
During the late 1980's policy makers suggested that giving parents a choice in their students schools would improve schools. Parents were provided with vouchers to "purchase" education at the school of their choosing (public or private). States also permit the development of charter schools. Although students test scores are higher at private schools, it is more likely due to the characteristics of the students who attend them. Catholic schools are similar in values and attitudes. What takes place within schools is more important than how they are funded or organized.