Sociology Chapter 16

What is predictive validity?

Ability to accurately predict school performance

Define education, formal education, and informal education

Education - a social institution through which a society's children are taught basic academic knowledge, learning skills, and cultural norms Formal education - the learning of academic facts and concepts Informal education - education that involves learning about cultural values, norms, and expected behaviors through participation in a society

What are the 3 major criticisms of standardized ability tests?

- They tend to measure only limited ranges of ability - They possess cultural and gender bias (only focus' on the dominant culture) - Their predictive validity (ability to accurately predict school performance) is unreliable, especially for minorities and women. (MOST IMPORTANT) - College is 99% hard work and 1% intelligence. Predictive validity is terrible....

What are the functions of education for a society? Which are manifest and which are latent functions?

- socialization (includes morals, values, beliefs, and norms) - MANIFEST - social control is the conformity to law and respect for authority - MANIFEST - social placement refers to upward social mobility offered by education - MANIFEST - social networks - LATENT - ability to work with others in small groups - LATENT - fostering self-esteem - LATENT - individualism - LATENT

Explain school tracking (ability grouping).

A formalized sorting system that places students on "tracks" (advanced versus low achievers) that perpetuate inequalities While educators may believe that students do better in tracked classes because they are with students of similar ability and may have access to more individual attention from teachers, conflict theorists feel that tracking leads to self-fulfilling prophecies in which students live up (or down) to teacher and societal expectations The majority of both secondary and elementary schools currently use some kind of tracking or ability grouping. This is believed to lead to higher achievement for all students. Its' use is decreasing.

What is the difference between a standardized ability test and an achievement test?

An achievement test is an exam which tests knowledge of a specific topic that is previously learned. Standardized ability test is a test that attempts to predict how well you will do in the future.

What is credentialism?

Credentialism is the emphasis on certificates or degrees to show that a person has a certain skill, attained a certain level of education, or has met certain job qualifications. (get job for having a degree, or credentials, not experience

Explain the functionalist view of education

Functionalists believe that education equips people to perform different functional roles in society. Serves to unify and stabilize society They contend that education contributes two kinds of functions: manifest (or primary) functions, which are the intended and visible functions of education; and latent (or secondary) functions, which are the hidden and unintended functions

Define universal access

People's equal ability to participate in an education system. - On a world level, access might be more difficult for certain groups based on class or gender (as was the case in the United States earlier in the nation's history, a dynamic we still struggle to overcome) - The modern idea of universal access arose in the United States as a concern for people with disabilities. - In the United States, one way in which universal education is supported is through federal and state governments covering the cost of free public education

Explain the Symbolic Interactionist view of education.

Symbolic interactionism sees education as one way that labeling theory is seen in action. A symbolic interactionist might say that this labeling has a direct correlation to those who are in power and those who are labeled (ex: low standardized test scores or poor performance in a particular class often lead to a student who is labeled as a low achiever. Such labels are difficult to "shake off," which can create a self-fulfilling prophecy) Symbolic interactionists study the dynamics of the classroom, the interactions between students and teachers, and how those affect everyday life Focuses on what arises from the operation of the interaction process during the schooling experience.

Explain the conflict theory view of education

The educational system reinforces and perpetuates social inequalities that arise from differences in class, gender, race, and ethnicity. - Where functionalists see education as serving a beneficial role, conflict theorists view it more negatively. - To them, educational systems preserve the status quo and push people of lower status into obedience. - Conflict theorists view education as a means of widening the gap in social inequality. Emphasizes the power and inequality of the institution: - the disintegrative and disruptive aspects of education (driving children everywhere) - the unequal distribution of education causes it to separate groups (people get bad, good, and great educations that stratifies people within education) - reinforces cultural capital of the upper classes (more cultural capital you have the better off you and your children will be)

What are the 4 positive effects on high-track students

Tracking research consistently indicates that students in higher tracks receive positive effects whereas lower track students suffer negative effects. This is because higher-track students are: - Taught more - Consistently rewarded for their academic abilities - Have higher rates of attendance - Have higher educational and occupational aspirations

Describe the Head Start Program

developed to give low- income students an opportunity to make up the preschool deficit discussed in Coleman's findings. The program provides academic-centered preschool to students of low socioeconomic status

Describe the No Child Left Behind Act

requires states to test students in designated grades. The results of those tests determine eligibility to receive federal funding. Schools that do not meet the standards set by the Act run the risk of having their funding cut. Sociologists and teachers alike have contended that the impact of the No Child Left Behind Act is far more negative than positive, arguing that a "one size fits all" concept cannot apply to education.