Sociology

Sociology Study Guide

this assertion. The Coleman report stated that student background and socioeconomic status is a more important indicator in determining educational outcomes than the amount of money spent per student. Lower class children often find it harder to succeed in school, because they do not believe they can and because they are less knowledgeable about how to succeed. Children raised in poverty, in single- parent homes, and with language barriers are the most at risk of dropping out of school. De jure segregation – segregation upheld by law – was declared unconstitutional during Brown v. Board of Education. De facto segregation – segregation based on geographic area – took its place. This did not reprieve any of the inequalities that existed. It simply highlighted the differences. Children would attend the school closest to them. In poor neighborhoods, income was low and thus schools were poorly staffed. Several options to overcome these adversities have been offered over the years to help establish success at every socioeconomic level and no matter the learning difficulty. Two such options were magnet schools and majority-to-minority transfer. Magnet schools are located in inner cities and offer special academic programs aimed at encouraging middle class, suburban students. Majority-to- minority tran fer refers to a free transportation program that helps students move from a school wherethey are a majority to one where they are a minority. These programs are helping to diversify the racial mix within many school systems in America. U.S. Educational Trends For at least the last 30 years, the American school system has been attacked by several different groups whose aim is noble; their aim is to improve what they perceive to be an inadequate or inept system. Declining scores on achievement tests seem to highlight these complaints. Teachers are being charged with not meeting the most basic of educational needs. In fact, math and science skills are seriously lacking in graduating students today. Tested against 41 other countries, American students only rank in the average range. According to the U.S. Department of Education, the top concerns expressed by citizens about the school system are: • Lack of discipline • Teaching quality • Violence • Lack of finances • Drug use • Overcrowding • Low academic standards • Weak curricula

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