American education

A Guide with Chapter References to Discussions of no Child Left Behind Act of 2001

Preface

Part 1. School and Society

1. The History and Goals of Public Schooling

Historical Goals of Schooling

The Political Goals of Schooling

The Social Goals of Schooling

The Economic Goals of Schooling

Human Capital and the Role of Business in American Education

Conclusion

Suggested Readings and Works Cited in Chapter

2. Education and Equality of Opportunity

The Relationship Between Schools and Equality of Opportunity

School Models for Equality of Opportunity

The Common-School Model

The Sorting-Machine Model

The High-Stakes Testing Model

Education and Income

The Bias of Labor Market Conditions on Educational Attainment, Income, and Gender

White Privilege: Race, Educational Attainment, and Income

The Asian Advantage: Race, Household Income, and Education

Social and Cultural Capital: Child-Rearing and Equality of Opportunity

Social and Cultural Capital: Preschool and Equality of Opportunity

Schooling: Why Are the Rich Getting Richer and the Poor Getting Poorer?

Rich and Poor School Districts

Social Class and At-Risk Students

Poverty Among School-Aged Children

The End of the American Dream: School Dropouts

Tracking and Ability Grouping

Social Reproduction

Conclusion

Suggested Readings and Works Cited in Chapter

3. Equality of Educational Opportunity: Race, Gender, and Special Needs

How Courts and the U.S. Census Bureau Have Defined Race

Equality of Educational Opportunity: Race, Courts, and Legislation

School Segregation Today

Second-Generation Segregation

The Struggle for Equal Education for Women

Students with Disabilities

Public Law 94-142: Education for All Handicapped Children Act

Writing an IEP

Which Children Have Disabilities?

Inclusion

Inclusion and No Child Left Behind

An Inclusion Success Story

The Inclusion Debate

Commission on Excellence in Special Education

Conclusion

Suggested Readings and Works Cited in Chapter

4. Student Diversity

Global Migration and the Immigration Act of 1965

Mexican American Students and U.S. Schools

Asian American Students and U.S. Schools

Native American Students and U.S. Schools

Foreign-Born Population of the United States

The Changing Population of U.S. Schools

Educational Experiences of Immigrants to the United States

Languages of School-Age Children

Are U.S. Teachers Prepared for Language Diversity?

Immigration and the Social Construction of Racial Identity

Conclusion

Suggested Readings and Works Cited in Chapter

5. Multicultural and Multilingual Education

Cultural Differences in Knowing and Seeing the World

Biculturalism: Collectivist and Individualist Societies

The Difference Between Dominant, Dominated, and Immigrant Cultures

Dominated Cultures: John Ogbu

Empowerment Through Multicultural Education: James Banks, Sonia Nieto, and Critical Pedagogy

Empowerment Through Multicultural Education: Racism

Teaching About Racism

Empowerment Through Multicultural Education: Sexism

Educating for Economic Power: Lisa Delpit

Ethnocentric Education

Bilingual Education and English-Language Acquisition: No Child Left Behind

English Language Acquisition Act of 2001

Globalization: Language and Cultural Rights

Conclusion

Suggested Readings and Works Cited in Chapter

Part 2. Power and Control in American Education

6. Local Control, Choice, Charter Schools, and Home Schooling

The Education Chair

School Boards

School Choice

National Public School Choice Plan: No Child Left Behind Act of 2001

Charter Schools

Are Charter Schools Failing?

For-Profit Companies and Charters

Charter Schools and For-Profit Global Education Corporations

Home Schooling

Conclusion

Suggested Readings and Works Cited in Chapter

7. Power and Control at State and National Levels: Political Party Platforms, High-Stakes Testing, and School Violence

Source of Federal Influence over Local School Policies

No Child Left Behind as Categorical Federal Aid

Increasing State Involvement in Schools

Federal and State Control Through High-Stakes Tests and Academic Standards

Consequences of Federal and State Control Through High-Stakes Testing

Federal and State Mandated Tests and Equality of Opportunity

Problems in Federal Control: Testing Students with Disabilities and English-Language Learners

Does Federally Mandated High-Stakes Testing Work?

Does Federal Testing Policy Promote Unethical Behavior

The Federal Government Decides the Reading War: No Child Left Behind

A Case Study: Student Violence and Federal Action

What Should Be the Federal Role in Education? Republican and Democratic Platforms 2008

Conclusion

Suggested Readings and Works Cited in Chapter

8. The Profession of Teaching

The Changing Roles of American Teachers

No Child Left Behind: Highly Qualified Teachers

The Rewards of Teaching

Working Conditions

Teacher Turnover

Teachers' Unions and Teacher Politics

Differences Between the Two Unions

A Brief History of the National Education Association (NEA)

A Brief History of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT)

Should Teachers Strike?

Conclusion

Suggested Readings and Works Cited in Chapter

9. Textbooks, Curriculum, E-Learning, Cyber Bullying, and Global Models of Curriculum and Instruction

Censorship Issues

Textbooks

Curricular Standards and the Political Nature of Knowledge

Censorship of the Internet and E-Learning

Cyber Bullying

Conflicting Curriculum Goals

The Global Models of Curriculum and Instruction

Conclusion

Suggested Readings and Works Cited in Chapter

10. The Courts and the Schools

Drug Testing of Students

Students' Free Speech Rights

Gays, Boy Scouts, and the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001

Sexual Harassment and Discrimination

Students' Access to Books

Student Suspensions

Do School Authorities Have the Right to Paddle Children?

Compulsion and Religion

Vouchers and Religious Schools

Child-Benefit Theory

Can States Regulate Private Schools?

Religion and State School Requirements

School Prayer, Bible Reading, and Meditation

Student Prayers

School Prayer and the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001

Secular Humanism and the Religion of Public Schools

Evolution and Creationism

Parents' Rights

Teachers' Rights

Teachers' Liability

Teachers' Private Lives

The Language of the Schools

School Finances

Conclusion

Suggested Readings and Works Cited in Chapter

Credits

Index