1. Chapter 14
Education

2. The State of Education: A Global Perspective
Education- social institution by which society transmits knowledge- including basic facts, job skills, and cultural norms and values- to its members
Schooling-formal instruction carried out by specially trained teachers
Schooling is more available in some parts of the world than others

3. Low-Income Countries: Too Little Schooling
All nations provide for primary education of at least some children
In the poorest nations many children do not go to school
Secondary education of children is even less common
Poor nations are agrarian and rural, and families take primary responsibility for education

4. Low-Income Countries Children work at an early age
Governments in poor nations are trying to increase literacy by extending school
Literacy is important for economic development in poor countries of the world
Gender also is related to education in poor countries
Patriarchy and education
Males have greater opportunities

5. Low-Income Countries
Low rates of literacy are related to a lower quality of life for the world’s poor
Poorer health
Fewer job opportunities
Slows economic development

6. High-Income Countries: Unequal Schooling
Higher rates of schooling and literacy
Mandatory education
Education is a necessity for jobs
Post-secondary education is made available to a larger segment of the population

7. Education in U.S. History
Thomas Jefferson
Literacy and democracy
Gender inequality and the lack of educational opportunities for women
Racism, slavery and African-American education
Plessy v. Ferguson (1896)
Industrialization and the need for a skilled labor force

8. Education in U.S. History
By 1918 all states had laws making education mandatory
Requiring students to attend school till the age of 16 or through the completion of the eight grade
The twentieth century saw the expansion of education

9. The Academic Performance of U.S. Schools
A larger share of the U.S. population earns a college degree than any other nation
Scholastic Assessment test scores are below the 1967 average for both men and women

10. The Effects of Race, Ethnicity and Class
Testing
African-American students score about 180 points below the average for white students on SAT
Hispanics 130 points below non-Hispanic whites
Native Americans 75 points less

11. The Effects of Race, Ethnicity and Class
African American children living in a single parent family
Racial stereotypes and educational bias
Hispanic children and language barrier
Native American children and cultural alienation
Poverty

12. Dropping Out Before completing high school is a major problem
About 10.9 percent of the population aged have left school before graduating (figure was 14 percent in 1960)
Dropping out is related to being socially disadvantaged
Economically and culturally
Dropping out puts one at risk for other social problems

13. Functional Illiteracy
Not being able to read and write or do basic arithmetic well enough to carry out daily responsibilities
About 20 percent or more of the population lack the necessary skills to function in society
Affects job opportunities
Source of embarrassment and shame

14. Segregated Schools and Busing
Segregated schools-post slavery through the twentieth century
Supreme Court case- Plessy v. Ferguson (1896)
Separate but equal
Law and educational segregation in the South
Supreme Court case- Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka (1954)

15. Segregated Schools and Busing
Residential segregation and continued educational segregation
Busing to achieve integration
Blacks reacted to busing with mixed opinions
White flight and the continuation of educational segregation
White opposition
The 1990’s and the end of busing

16. School Funding
Inequality in educational resources between states and within states
Public schools are funded by state and local taxes
Economic disparities between rich and poor communities in sources of income and educational spending for students

17. School Funding Cultural Capital
Differences in the home life of rich and poor children is a major factor in education
Families with more income are able to give their children more cultural capital
More conducive environment
Parental education

18. Tracking
A policy of assigning students to different educational programs
Supporters of tracking argue that tests will be used to assign students to tracks best suited to address each child's abilities
Critics argue that students are placed in tracks on the basis of culturally biased tests
Tracking transforms a social advantage into an educational advantage

19. Gender Inequality Reproduction of gender inequality in schools
Gender and educational steering by teachers and counselors based on cultural prescriptions of gender in society
Educational resources (books) and different images of the role of men and women
Gender role models in school and cultural learning

20. Gender Inequality
Congress (1972) and Title IX of the Educational Amendments to the Civil Rights Act
Increase in girls in gifted programs in elementary schools
Increase in the number of women going on to college

21. Immigration: Increasing Diversity
Educating the more than one million immigrants that enter the U.S. annually
English Immersion versus Bilingualism
English immersion- teaching immigrants using English
Bilingual education-policy by which schools offer classes in most subject areas in a student’s native language while also teaching them English
English as a second language

22. Schooling People With Disabilities
In 1975 Congress passed the Education for All Handicapped Children Act
Mainstreaming- integrating special students into the overall educational program
Special classes- for special students approach

23. The Teacher Shortage 200,000 teaching jobs remain unfilled
Causes larger classes and greater burden on staff
Low salaries a factor
Excessive bureaucracy and school violence are also a factor

24. School Violence
School violence has been a growing concern and includes:
Homicides
Aggravated assaults
Rape
Robbery

25. School Violence Type of school and violence
Larger schools are more likely to have violence
Urban schools are more likely to have violence
Poverty and school violence

26. School Violence
Reactions to school violence by schools and communities
Zero-tolerance policies
Dress codes
Conflict resolution programs

27. Structural- Functional Analysis: The Functions of Schooling
The focus is on the role of education in society
How education leads to transmitting knowledge and skills
How education leads to occupational roles
How education integrates someone into the larger society
Latent functions
Child care

28. Symbolic-Interaction Analysis: Labels in the Schools
The focus is on how individuals experience education
How educational labels shape the student’s future
Labels and the self-fulfilling prophecy- situation in which people who are defined in one way, eventually think and act as if the definition were true

29. Social-Conflict Analysis: Schooling and Inequality
How education results in the reproduction of education
Class
Gender
Race
Education and the hidden curriculum and the teaching of conformity
Political
Economic
Cultural

30. Conservatives: Increased Competition
Charter Schools—public schools that are given more freedom in order to try out new policies and programs
Subject to less regulation if students perform well
Now 1.5% of public school students

31. Conservatives: Increased Competition
Magnet schools- public schools that offer special facilities and programs in pursuit of educational excellence
Private companies to engage in schooling for profit
School vouchers-funds to be used by parents for private school or out of school district

32. Liberals: Increase Special Programs
Support public education
Some free choice in schooling
Equalize school funding
Bilingual education
Expanded programs for minorities

33. Radicals: Attack Structural Inequality
Academic shortcomings are a function of structured inequality in society
Equalize school funding
Eliminate inequality throughout society