School Satisfaction Survey  Complete the “School Satisfaction Survey”  Answer truthfully and be prepared to discuss your answers  Follow the link:

Social Institutions Education

Sociology of Education  Education: System of roles/norms that ensures the transmission of knowledge, values, and patterns of behavior from one generation to the next  In small preindustrial societies, education is informal and occurs mainly as socialization within the family  Ex: Mothers teach daughters to cook and fathers teach sons to hunt  Schooling: Formal education, which involves instruction by specially trained teachers who follow officially recognized policies

Functionalist Perspective on Education  Functions performed by education work to maintain stability and smooth operation of society  Latent Function of schooling = offer custodial care for children and keeping the young out of the job market  Most important function  Transmission of Culture  Social Integration  Creation of Knowledge  Occupational Placement  We will discuss these functions in the next few slides

Transmission of Culture  Schools teach curriculum, but also patriotism, loyalty, and socially accepted forms of behavior  Patriotism is taught through songs, rituals, plays, and stories  Ex: Pledge of Allegiance  Sense of pride is strengthened by teaching subjects  Ex: US History and Civics  History books emphasize accomplishments and downplay less positive aspects of country  Children learn behaviors: punctuality, obeying rules, and respect for authority by giving rewards and punishments  Ultimate goal of schools: Produce citizens who have internalized cultural norms and have learned to control their behavior in the social world

Social Integration  Believe education serves to produce a society of individuals who share a common unity  Ex: Melting pot  Mandatory Education: Enforced schooling  Came about during the early 20 th century when large number of immigrants were entering the US and schools were expected to assimilate them  Today many schools are teaching a multicultural curriculum to help students understand how their heritages contribute to a richer American culture  Schools still teach a core set of skills and values common to the American way of life

Creation of Knowledge  Generate new knowledge and technology  Education provides a means with which individuals may develop new approaches and new solutions to problems  Schools stimulate intellectual inquiry and the critical thinking skills necessary to serve the needs of the future

Occupational Placement  Schools serve to screen and select the members of societies according to the work they will do as adults  Schools very early identify students who show special talents and abilities and train them to occupy the important positions in society  Children are tested and evaluated as to their achievements and abilities; the results are used to steer students toward the right “path/track”  Occupational selection function is highly evident in Japan

Conflict Perspective on Education  Believe educational system serves to limit the access of individuals and groups to power and social rewards  Achievement in schools tends to reflect existing inequalities in society tied to SES  Evidence that education helps to maintain inequality  Social Control  Tracking  **We will discuss these in the next 2 slides**

Social Control  View school as an agent of social control and that this control serves to produce citizens who largely accept the basic inequalities of the social system and who do not question the existing order  Hidden Curriculum: Transmission by schools of cultural goals that are not openly acknowledged  Involves teaching a conservative set of values that center around obedience to authority  Goal is believed to be the creation of a cooperative adult work force who will accept things the way they are  Serves dominate groups in society by helping them maintain their positions of power

Tracking  Tracking: Assignment of students to different types of educational programs (general, vocational, college-prep)  Students are assigned to tracks on basis of: intelligence and aptitude test scores, grades, and teacher evaluations  Goal: Allow students to progress at their own pace by grouping them with other students of similar abilities  Functionalists view tracking as means to ensure that people of differing abilities are trained to take over the wide variety of jobs that exist in society  Conflict view tracking as means through which the wealthy and powerful maintain their positions in society, while keeping down the disadvantaged and poor  Methods of teaching differ according to track  Higher track: independent thinking, self-direction, creativity, active participation  Lower track: Drill and memorization, forming behavior, cooperation, and getting along with others  Types of instruction mold behavior to fit future jobs

Tracking  You may change tracks, but highly unlikely because of the self-fulfilling prophecy (prediction that leads to behavior that makes predictions come true)  Tracking creates ranking system in schools  Effects self-esteem

Symbolic Interactionist Perspective  We behave in accordance with how we think others see us, therefore teacher expectations play a key role in classrooms  Pygmalion Effect: Impact of a teacher’s expectations on student performance  Expectations do influence teachers’ behavior which directly affects students  Impact of this can be seen through tracking

SES (Socioeconomic Status) and Education  Education is key to social mobility  Achievements in school reflect existing inequalities in society  Educational achievement appears to be tied strongly to SES  Race and SES overlap, so minority groups tend to have less educational experiences and less access to social mobility  SES affects distribution of educational achievement:  Expectations families have for children differ  Higher-status families are better able than lower-status families to provide a home environment designed to enrich learning  Expense involved in keeping a child in school is high, particularly when child’s potential income is needed to help family survive

School Dress Codes  This segment focuses on fashion trends and school dress codes. Parents and students are caught between strict school dress codes and popular fashions that do not conform to school rules. High school principal Doe Kirkland points out that some boys in the school complained that scantily clad girls distracted them from their schoolwork. Though Kirkland supports students’ individual expression, she believes students can express themselves within a set of rules in an orderly environment for learning. Reporter Kathy Slobogin points out that some experts believe uniforms help to decrease problems in school, and others believe uniforms do nothing to improve students’ behavior. Parents, too, are split on the issue of school uniforms. Regardless of such differing opinions, almost all schools continue to write and enforce dress codes to control what students wear

School Dress Code  Before viewing the segment we are going to look at some dress code policies from around the nation  Pay attention to any similarities or differences  What types of trends do you notice?

School Dress Codes  While viewing the segment:  Summarize the rules of the dress code of the suburban Atlanta school in the segment  Note why some people support school uniforms  Explain why some people object to school uniforms  State one or more reasons why people interviewed in the segment support the idea of school dress codes  After viewing:  Decide whether to support or refute the idea of uniforms as a way to improve student behavior and performance.  Do you think the current dress code should change or stay the same.

Dress Codes Around America

Issues in American Education  Educational Reform  Skills of American youth are not keeping pace with nation’s own increase in technology  Recommendations  Swift and considerable reforms:  More demanding curriculum  Emphasis on achievement  Stricter requirements for graduation  More homework  More discipline in schools  Better attendance  Longer school year

Issues in American Education  School choice or voucher plans  Provide parents with funds to send children to schools they choose  Advocates argue that vouchers would subject public schools to needed competitive pressures  Critics fear they would increase racial and ethnic segregation and violate the separation of church and state  Homeschooling  Movement is growing  Parents that choose this practice fundamentalist religion or are upset at the schools’ poor academic standards  Critics say this children a deprived of opportunity to interact with their peers  They generally perform better on tests and have a better change of getting admitted to top colleges

Issues in American Education  Violence in Schools  Americans believe lack of discipline in the chief problem  Some educators believe best approach to curbing violence in schools lies in education programs that teach young people how to resolve disputes peacefully instead of violence- prevention programs

Issues in American Education  Bilingual Education: System in which non-English speaking students are taught in their native languages until they can attend classes taught in English  Supporters believe best way to ensure non-native speaking students can progress in school while becoming familiar with English  Opponents believe this system interferes with assimilation of students into mainstream society and it may take too much time.

The Perfect School  With your group, create your “Perfect School”  You will either create a booklet/pamphlet/brochure or a poster  Take into consideration how your schooling experiences have been and things you liked as well as things you would like to change  ADHS Mission Statement: The mission of ADHS is to educate every child with a relevant, rigorous curriculum which fosters positive relationships and prepares every student to be responsible and productive world citizens, able to manage future