CHAPTER 12: EDUCATION

Educational Achievement

How well a student performs in school based on grades and test scores

Educational Attainment

The highest level of education a person has completed

Hidden Curriculum

Informal lessons in schools that teach norms values and behaviours such as obedience punctuality and competition

Correspondence Principle (Bowles & Gintis)

The idea that school structures mirror workplace structures, training students to accept hierarchy discipline and competition

Postsecondary Education

Education beyond high school including college and university

Non-Completion Rate

The proportion of people who do not complete high school

Socioeconomic Status (SES)

A measure of social class based on income education and occupation and the strongest predictor of educational outcomes

Summer Setback

The loss of academic skills over summer, especially among lower SES students

Cultural Capital (Bourdieu)

Non-financial resources such as knowledge behaviours and skills that provide advantages in education

School Entry Gap

Differences in school readiness between children from different SES backgrounds before schooling begins

Fundraising Gaps

Inequalities in school resources due to differences in parental ability to raise funds

Streaming

The practice of grouping students based on ability or expected educational path

Pygmalion Effect

When teacher expectations positively influence student performance

Stereotype Threat

Anxiety about confirming a negative stereotype that leads to lower performance

Stereotype Promise

Improved performance due to positive stereotypes about one’s group

Human Capital Theory

The idea that education develops skills that increase productivity and earnings

Credentialism (Randall Collins)

The emphasis on degrees as requirements for jobs regardless of actual skills

Overqualification

When a worker has more education or skills than their job requires

Social Reproduction

The process by which inequality is reproduced across generations through education

Meritocracy

The belief that success is based on ability and effort rather than social background

Socialization (education)

The process by which schools teach norms values and behaviours necessary for society