Introduction to Education: Chapter 2

Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA)

A federal act that funds American education while not permitting a national curriculum. Originally signed into law in 1965, it is reviewed and reauthorized every 5 years.

National Defense Education Act (NDEA)

A federal law passed in 1958 in response to the launching of the Soviet satellite Sputnik in 1957. This act poured massive amounts of money into education to enhance math and science programs and to identify and encourage gifted and talented students to pursue majors in the hard sciences.

Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)

A federal law passed in 1990 that expanded the provisions of the Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1975.

Latin grammar school

A college preparatory school for boys in which Latin and Greek were core subjects; created during the American colonial era.

normal school

A 19th- and early 20th-century American institution that trained teachers in the "norms" (or accepted ways) of teaching. The first state-supported normal school was founded in 1839 in Lexington, Massachusetts.

existentialism

A philosophy that suggests that reality is what one makes of it. Its origins can be traced to the writings of 19th-century philosophers such as Søren Kierkegaard and Friedrich Nietzsche, and it gained popularity in the mid-20th century thanks to the work of French philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre and psychologist Carl Rogers.

Title IX

A provision of the Education Amendment Act, passed by Congress in 1972, that prohibits gender discrimination in educational settings receiving federal monies. Students can file civil suits against schools for sexual harassment.

individualized education plan (IEP)

A provision of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) that requires an individualized plan for each child who receives special education, detailing short-term and long-term learning objectives, services, and evaluative methods.

English grammar school

A school that provided a post-primary, practical education for boys not intending to attend college; created during the American colonial era.

academy

A school that provides an education beyond elementary grades. The curriculum includes an academic track for students preparing for college and a vocational track for those preparing for work. The first academy was established by Benjamin Franklin in 1751 and is considered a forerunner of today's secondary schools.

perennialism

An educational philosophy in which truth is absolute that seeks to develop student intellect and appreciation for classical literature, humanities, and the fine arts.

essentialism

An educational philosophy similar to perennialism (and also influenced by idealism and realism) that focuses on scholastic subjects (core knowledge) that will develop students' intellectual abilities and subsequently produce good citizens.

social reconstructionism

An educational philosophy that tries to ameliorate societal ills. The teacher's role is to raise students' political and social consciousness and to find ways to tackle social problems that plague the country such as crime, poverty, homelessness, inequality, and violence.

Race to the Top (RTTT)

An update of the NCLB Act. Requirements were made more flexible with states providing opportunities to create alternative routes to excellence.

Title I

Federal assistance made available to schools with a large number of children from low-income families. Title I (formerly Chapter J) is included in the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA).

compensatory programs

Federal programs that attempt to help schoolchildren overcome social and economic barriers such as poverty, neglect, and other forms of deprivation. Project Head Start, Title I, and school-at-work programs are examples of compensatory education programs.

progressivism

Refers to a holistic approach to education; the whole student with all of his or her interests and abilities must be taken into account when planning the curriculum or delivering instruction.

dame school

Primary-level education as taught at home by women, primarily during the American colonial period.

least restrictive environment (LRE)

Refers to the idea that students who qualify for special education are to remain in the regular classroom with peers as much as possible (i.e., inclusion) rather than being segregated in resource rooms or separate schools.

curriculum

Refers to the specific content of what students will be taught.

high-stakes testing

State-wide or national standardized tests given to students that determine the students' future placements, teachers' future hiring, and schools' future funding.

critical pedagogy

Teaching methodology and curriculum that encourages students to find their own meaning in learning through thinking critically. Seen by its proponents as a route to increased democracy and a more just society.

common school

The name for Horace Mann's concept of a network of publicly funded elementary schools that exposed students to a "common" culture and curriculum.

pedagogy

The systematic study of teaching and the application of teaching methods and instruction, that is, how to teach.

No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act of 2001

Update of the earlier Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). Required states to implement accountability standards and prescribe increasing penalties for schools that failed to meet their state's standards.