Week 7 - Chapter 16

High School Graduation Rates in the U.S. (2015)

  • Graduation Rate:

    • Correct Answer: b (83% of public high school students earned a diploma within four years of entering ninth grade).

    • Demographics:

      • Blacks: 75% graduation rate.

      • Hispanics: 78% graduation rate.

      • Whites: 88% graduation rate.

      • Asians: 90% graduation rate.

  • Comparison with Other Nations:

    • In 2014, several Western countries had graduation rates above 90% (Denmark, Finland, etc.).

Motivations for Increasing Graduation Rates

  • Objectives:

    • Improve life chances for young Americans.

  • Consequences of Dropping Out:

    • Higher unemployment rates: 14.3% for dropouts, compared to 9.6% for graduates and 4.3% for college graduates.

    • Salary Comparisons: Median earnings of college graduates ($50,000) are 64% higher than those with a high school diploma ($30,500) and twice that of dropouts ($25,000).

    • Lifetime Earnings: High school dropouts earn an average of $331,000 less over their lifetime than graduates.

  • Societal Cost of Dropouts:

    • Estimated $7 billion annual savings in Medicaid if dropout rates were halved.

Basic Concepts of Education

Achievement Gap

  • Definition: Disparities in educational performance between different student groups (e.g., race, ethnicity, ability).

Sociological Theories of Education

  • Understand the social functions of schooling.

  • Major perspectives include:

    1. Assimilation Effects

    2. Credentialism

    3. Social Reproduction

Research on Education

  • Focus on whether education reduces or perpetuates inequality and cultural influences on achievement.

Factors Contributing to High School Dropout Rates

  • Statistics:

    • Students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds, poor performing schools, low attendance, and failing grades are more likely to drop out.

  • Case Study of Christine:

    • Personal experiences and environmental factors leading to her dropout include family issues, school environment, lack of advocates, economic pressures, and program availability.

Structures Influencing Educational Experiences

  • School Environment:

    • Dangerous or insufficiently supportive environments discourage student engagement.

  • Peer Influence:

    • The behavior of classmates and school order affect individual student performance and engagement.

The Role of Education in Society

  • Function: Teaches individuals about their society, social norms, and prepares them for various social institutions.

  • Reproduction of Inequality: Through hidden curricula, schools may perpetuate socioeconomic disparities.

Historical and Current Perspectives on Educational Inequality

  • Coleman’s Study: Investigated educational inequalities based on race, concluding that most differences were due to student backgrounds rather than school resources.

  • Kozol’s Findings: Compounding segregation and resource disparities lead to significantly different educational experiences across neighborhoods.

Tracking in Schools

  • Definition: Grouping students by perceived ability, often reinforcing existing inequalities.

  • Jeannie Oakes’ Research: Analyzed how tracking systems define student capabilities and opportunities.

School Discipline Impact

  • Shift towards punitive policies in poorly funded schools disproportionately affects minority students, contributing to a 'school-to-prison pipeline'.

Cultural and Social Factors

  • Racial and Gender Dynamics: Achievement gaps are explained through social conditioning, stigma, and self-perception differences among various demographics (e.g., stereotype threat).

Current Educational Policies and Reforms

  • No Child Left Behind: Focused on standardization and testing, raising concerns about its effectiveness in addressing systemic inequalities.

  • Race to the Top: Competitive reforms that prioritize testing and accountability, but criticized for not addressing fundamental socioeconomic issues.

Global Perspectives on Education

  • Disparities in literacy rates worldwide, linking historical factors, colonialism, and economic conditions.

  • The rise of technology in education: Emphasizes the importance of digital access and lifelong learning opportunities.

Unanswered Questions in Education

  • IQ Debate: Ongoing discussions about the influences of genetics versus environment on intelligence.

  • Homeschooling: Examining its effectiveness compared to traditional schooling.

  • International Education: Who benefits, and what are the implications of increasing global student exchanges?