1. SCHOOL CONTEXT THE ROLE OF SECONDARY EDUCATION IN ADOLESCENCE

2. 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)

3. ROLE IN ADOLESCENCE Education (obviously) Defining social world Shaping psychosocial development Learning to think as individuals Learning about sexuality

4. SECONDARY EDUCATION ON THE RISE o Lack of work for kids o o Social reformers o o Improve quality of life o o Social control o o Americanization

5. BIRTH OF COMPREHENSIVE HIGH SCHOOL AN EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION THAT EVOLVED DURING THE FIRST HALF OF THE 20 TH CENTURY, OFFERING A VARIED CURRICULUM AND DESIGNED TO MEET THE NEEDS OF A DIVERSE POPULATION OF ADOLESCENTS Number of individuals enrolled in school jumped from 32% in 1920 to 73% in 1940

6. 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

7. 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

8. WAITING FOR SUPERMAN http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZKTfaro96dg

9. SOCIAL ORGANIZATION OF SCHOOLS 5 KEY ASPECTS  SCHOOL SIZE AND CLASS SIZE  AGE GROUPING  TRACKING  ETHNIC COMPOSITION  PUBLIC VS. PRIVATE

10. 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?

11. 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

12. TRACKING (A.K.A. ABILITY GROUPING)  Remedial, average, and gifted  Labeling issues  “Rich get richer, poor get poorer”  How could this phrase apply to tracking?  Separation vs. mainstream  Big fish-little pond effect What differences did you notice between “regular” and “gifted” classes?

13. 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

14. PUBLIC VS. PRIVATE SCHOOLS Private schools  Parochial- religious affiliation  Advantages 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

15. CLASSROOM CLIMATE NAME 5 ADJECTIVES OF CLASSES YOU HAVE ENJOYED

16. 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 SOPHOMORES SAY DISRUPTIVE STUDENTS GET IN THE WAY OF THEIR LEARNING

17. POST-SECONDARY EDUCATION Grew dramatically between 1950 and 1970 Today, 2/3 enroll right after high school What about the other third??