Transcript Chapter 5 Education in the United States: Its Historical Roots

Chapter 5
Education in the United
States: Its Historical Roots
Kauchak and Eggen, Introduction to Teaching: Becoming a Professional, 3rd Ed.
© 2008 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
1
The Colonial Period (1607-1775)
 Historical,
geographical, and demographic
differences in the 13 original colonies led
to different approaches to education.
 Religion played a major role in colonial life
and also strongly influenced schooling.
 European educational thinkers
emphasized more humane and childcentered educational practices.
Kauchak and Eggen, Introduction to Teaching: Becoming a Professional, 3rd Ed.
© 2008 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
2
Current Religious Controversies
from the Colonial Period
 Should
prayer be allowed in schools?
 Should federal money be used to provide
instruction in religious schools?
 What role should religion play in character
and sex education?
Kauchak and Eggen, Introduction to Teaching: Becoming a Professional, 3rd Ed.
© 2008 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
3
Early National Period (1775-1820)
 Established
a major educational role for
states (Tenth Amendment to Constitution)
 Also established the idea that the federal
government should use education to
improve people’s lives and help the nation
grow
Kauchak and Eggen, Introduction to Teaching: Becoming a Professional, 3rd Ed.
© 2008 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
4
Common School Movement
(1820-1865)






Established the trend of education available to
all, NOT just the rich
Influenced by Horace Mann
Taxes used to support public schools
State education departments created to
coordinate statewide efforts
Curriculum standardized and schools organized
by grade levels (versus one-room schools)
Teacher preparation improved
Kauchak and Eggen, Introduction to Teaching: Becoming a Professional, 3rd Ed.
© 2008 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
5
The Evolution of
the American High School

The comprehensive high school attempts to
meet the needs of all students.
 Latin grammar school (1635) was designed to
help boys prepare for the ministry or law.
 Academy (1751) focused on practical subjects
such as math, navigation, and bookkeeping;
open to boys and girls.
 English classical school (1821) was a free
secondary school for students not planning to
attend college.
Kauchak and Eggen, Introduction to Teaching: Becoming a Professional, 3rd Ed.
© 2008 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
6
Junior High and Middle School

Junior high schools, popular in the early and
mid-1900s, were miniature versions of high
schools with emphasis on individual academic
subjects.
 Middle schools, popular from the 1970s,
attempted to address adolescents’
developmental needs.
 Currently, some districts, dissatisfied with both
junior highs and middle schools, are
experimenting with K–8 schools.
Kauchak and Eggen, Introduction to Teaching: Becoming a Professional, 3rd Ed.
© 2008 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
7
The Education of Native Americans

Mission schools in the 1700s and 1800s, run by
religious groups, were the first educational
attempt to assimilate Native Americans.
 Federally funded and run boarding schools
attempted to “Americanize” Native American
students.
 Currently, most (91%) of Native American
students attend public schools, but problems
persist:



Underachievement
High dropout rates
Low rates of college attendance
Kauchak and Eggen, Introduction to Teaching: Becoming a Professional, 3rd Ed.
© 2008 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
8
Education of African Americans

Before the Civil War, education participation and
literacy rates were abysmally low.
 Literacy rates increased dramatically after the
Civil War, but education efforts were plagued by
substandard funding and resources.
 Booker T. Washington, who endorsed separate
but equal, clashed with W.E.B. Dubois, who
advocated integration and social activism.
 A “separate but equal” policy was supported by
federal courts until 1954.
Kauchak and Eggen, Introduction to Teaching: Becoming a Professional, 3rd Ed.
© 2008 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
9
Education of Hispanic Americans
 Education
of Hispanic Americans began in
the Southwest with Catholic mission
schools.
 Early emphasis on Hispanic American
education was on assimilation.
 Language has been a major controversial
issue in the education of Hispanic
Americans.
Kauchak and Eggen, Introduction to Teaching: Becoming a Professional, 3rd Ed.
© 2008 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
10
Education of Asian Americans
 Asian Americans
experienced
discrimination, both in schools and society
at large.
 Asian Americans are a diverse group of
students from many different countries and
cultures.
 In general, Asian American students do
well in school, excelling in achievement.
Kauchak and Eggen, Introduction to Teaching: Becoming a Professional, 3rd Ed.
© 2008 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
11
The Modern Era: Schools as
Instruments for National Purpose and
Social Change

The Cold War with the Soviet Union during the
1950s and 1960s focused federal educational
efforts on math and science.
 President Lyndon B. Johnson’s War on Poverty
attempted to use schools to eliminate the
pervasive poverty in the U.S.
 Compensatory education programs like Title I
and Head Start attempted to provide enriched
experiences to the children of poverty.
Kauchak and Eggen, Introduction to Teaching: Becoming a Professional, 3rd Ed.
© 2008 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
12
The Federal Government’s Role
in Pursuing Equality

The Civil Rights movement, culminating in the
Civil Rights Act of 1964, attempted to eliminate
discrimination based on race, color, or national
origin.
 Title IX, passed in 1972, attempted to eliminate
gender bias in schools.
 Segregation, especially in large urban districts,
continues to be a persistent problem.
 Magnet schools are designed to attract and
integrate students from diverse social and
cultural backgrounds.
Kauchak and Eggen, Introduction to Teaching: Becoming a Professional, 3rd Ed.
© 2008 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
13
Federal Government Reform

Federal attempts to reform schools:




Setting standards
Creating testing programs
Offering (or withholding) financial incentives
Major issues with federal reform efforts:



Federal versus state and local control of educational
standards
State versus federal control of testing programs
Incentive programs that increase the influence of the
federal government on education
Kauchak and Eggen, Introduction to Teaching: Becoming a Professional, 3rd Ed.
© 2008 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.
14