Education Problems Lecture OutlineKey Group Discussion points:

Equal Opportunity for Education as a US Ideal VS Unequal Ed. Opportunities in Practice (Money et al. Ch. 8, Kozol web rdg.)

Link between Ed. level & economic outcomes (jobs & earnings) (Mooney Ch. 8)

FamilySocio-Economic Status (SES) strongest predictor of Student Ed. Performance -- Factors outside classroom (in families and communities) that affect student performance(& closely associated with social class/ SES) -- in families and communities (poverty, family troubles, unsupportive social networks, etc.) (Nocera et al. web rdg.; Brown & & Ravitch wed rdg., Mooney et al. ch. 8)

Role ofPoverty as trauma for kids & affects schools -- & how to improve their schools & help poor kids with lots of problems (Nocera et al. web rdg.)

Short Video--Importance of place (poem from teacher in southeast DC, on obstacles his students have to overcome)

Unequal School funding(Money et al. Ch. 8, Kozol web rdg.)

School Funding Inequalities – Sources of Ed funding (Fed., State, Local) national, NYC, Texas cases / examples, esp. NYC cases with details (Kozol web rdg., Money et al. Ch. 8)

Affects Quality of Ed. and Ed. Opportunities…

MD example of increasing spending helping stu. performance (Bowie part of McGee et al. web rdg.) –

Tracking / Labeling of kids abilities (Money et al. Ch. 8) affects teacher expectations.

Teacher Expectations key role in Ed. & realted to Self-fulfilling prophesy -- kids internalize labels (Money et al. Ch. 8)

Importance of teacher-student relationships as means to promote student success and lower achievement gaps (Brown& Ravitch web rdg. [Ravitch part])

Rios text great examples of this, with his one teacher who really cared and reached out to him…

Racial and Ethnic Achievement Gap in education & how to reduce it

  • Achievement gap data (Mooney et al. Ch. 8 & some additional in lecture)
  • Drop Out rates – key problem in some areas & for some groups more than others (Money et al. Ch. 8)
  • Montgomery County Changes way Kids Evaluated for “gifted” enrichment programs to make fairer for all groups (esp. low-income African Americana dn Hispanic students very under-represented)
  • Raleigh, NC case of “good schools” for all / reduced achievement gap (class & race) – How did they achieve that? What were key factors and steps taken? (Grant web rdg.)
  • STARS afterschool program to lessen achievement gaps for low-income students, & results of it; funding cuts for such programs, in spite of being effective and important… (McGee et al. web rdg.)
  • Increased State Aid, esp. for teachers in poor schools & working with struggling students (McGee et al. web rdg.)
  • How Asian Americans nurture ed. success, even those from more modest economic backgrounds (importance of family expectations and assistance) (McGee et al. web rdg.)
  • Importance of early childhood ed., like head start program, but lack of funding for compared to elite preschool for rich (Mooney et al. Ch. 8, Kozol web rdg.)
  • Mixed results of Voucher programs (Brown & Ravich web rdg.)

Over-testing of students & problems with that

Higher Ed.-- Increasing tuition costsStudent debt problems & move toward free tuition in some places (for community college or four-year degree). Growing Student debt problems and aggressive, unjust collections. (Holland et al. web rdg.; Mooney et al. Ch 8 on some general problems of higher cost, etc.)

International Comparison of College degree achievement -- US vs. Other Wealthy countries, changes over time (Lecture only)

Other things to know but not discussed in class, or not much:

  • “Education reformers” vs. “anti-reformers” – what are central points of each side (teacher role & lots of testing Vs. lots of social factors like poverty and unequal school funding and efforts of teachers to overcome -- and which view is more supported by resch. data (Brown & Ravitch web rdg., Ravitch part)
  • Key elements of the “No Child Left Behind” Law (& Common Core) Critiques / problems of the law & how it has been implemented (Nocera & Ravitch web rdg.; Money et al. Ch. 8)
  • Sociological Theories of Education – Functionalism (4 functions of ed.—not discuss in class much), Conflict Theory (Ed & Class inequalities--discussed in class quite a bit), Symbolic Interactionism (teacher-student interactions, role of social skills, self-fulfilling prophesy & tracking – discussed in class). (Mooney et al. Ch. 8)