Ch. 6 - Schools

zero tolerance

get tough approach to adolescent behavior

What is one unintended consequence of zero tolerance policies?

many students end up with arrest records and contact with the justice system for acts in the past would have been treated as disciplinary infractions by school officials

secondary education

middle schools, junior high schools, and high schools

charter schools

public schools that are given more freedom to set their own curriculum

Strength of small schools

-will do things that help develop their skills and abilities -allow them to work closely with others -make them feel needed/important -students feel a sense of involvement and obligation equal to that of more academically successful students

Pros of Tracking

1. allows teachers to design class lessons that are more finely tuned to students abilities 2. useful in high school; where students must master certain basic skills before they can learn such specialized subjects (science, foreign language, math)

2 dominant characteristics that distinguish the development of postsecondary education in contemporary America

1. diversity 2. accessibility

2 Reasons why implementing standards-based reform is more difficult

1. educators haven't been able to agree on the body of knowledge and skills that compromised what high school graduates should know and be able to do 2. large # of students did not fully acquire the knowledge and capabilities assessed on standardized graduation examinations

5 Characteristics of good schools

1. emphasize intellectual activities 2. have teachers who are committed to their students 3. well integrated into the communities they serve 4. composed of good classrooms 5. staffed by teachers who are well-qualified and who have received specific training in teaching adolescents

Students in the more advanced tracks receive more:

1. more challenging instruction and better teaching 2. more likely to engage in classroom activities that emphasize critical thinking rather than rote memorization

Why has school reform failed in so many urban schools? (4 reasons)

1. personal and situational problems 2. school districts are burdened with administrative bureaucracies that impede educational innovation 3. students report less sense of "belonging" 4. erosion of job opportunities has left students with little incentive to remain in school

Different types of ADHD

1. predominantly inattentive (30-40% of all cases) 2. predominantly hyperactive/impulsive (fewer than 5%) 3. combined (50-60%)

Cons of Tracking

1. receive poorer-quality education 2. only socialize with people in same group and become hostile towards other groups 3. discriminate against poor and ethic minority students

Being placed in a more advanced track has a positive influence on

1. school achievement 2. subsequent course selection (what curriculum that student is exposed to) 3. ultimate educational attainment (how many years the student takes to finish school)

5 aspects of school organization

1. school and classroom size 2. different approaches to age grouping 3. tracking 4. ethnic composition 5. public vs. private schools

3 factors that contributed to student engagement

1. teachers need to provide opportunities for students to display their competencies 2. schools should try to facilitate students feelings of belongingness to their school 3. teachers should assignments that are "authentic"

How common are learning disabilities?

1/5 school children is at risk; more common among boys

_/6 students are proficient in science in nations large inner city public schools?

1/6

Students who score ___ or higher on an intelligence test are considered gifted

130

__% of US Secondary schools are overcrowded

15%

General size for adolescent class?

20-40 students; for younger children needs to be less who need more individualized instruction

Ideal size of a high school?

600-900 students

One advantage/disadvantage of larger schools?

A: offer a more varied curriculum D: school performance and interest improve when schools are made less bureaucratic and more intimate

Pros and cons of mainstreaming

P: can be tailored to meet the specific needs of students and can target educational and professional resources in the most cost-effective way C: may foster socialization for being "stupid" or being a "braniac"

Who is more likely to disengage from school during early adolescence?

boys, ethnic minority students, and students from poor families

One benefit of summer school for disadvantaged students

diminishes decline in achievement that would otherwise occur between spring and fall semesters

Students academic motivation ____ as they move from elementary to middle or junior high

drop (motivation drops; not grades)

comprehensive high school

educational institution that promised to meet the needs of a diverse and growing population of young people -started in 1920s

Poor performance of middle and junior high schools is due to what?

failure to meet the particular developmental needs of young adolescents

school vouchers

government subsidized vouchers that can be used for private school tuition

big fish-little fish pond effect

high achieving peers feel worse about themselves than comparably successful individuals with lower achieving peers

dyscalculia

impaired ability in arithmetic

dysgraphia

impaired ability in handwriting

mainstreaming

integration of adolescents who have educational handicaps to be placed into regular classrooms

social capital

interpersonal resources available to an adolescent or family (give "richer" students more advantages over "poorer" ones)

What has been the most important change in the world of American education in the past 20 years?

movement toward performance based accountability (holding students, teachers, school districts and states accountable for the achievement of their students)

No Child Left Behind act

piece of legislation mandating that states ensure that all students, regardless of economic status, achieve academic proficiency

standard based reform

policies designed to improve achievements by holding schools and students to a predetermined set of standards by achievement tests

social promotion

practice of promoting students from one grade to the next automatically, regardless of school performance

tracking

practice of seperating students into ability groups, so they take classes with other students at the same skill level

Brown vs. Board of Education of Topeka

unconstitutional to maintain separate schools for children on basis of race