ootrey Wall, seventeen, of Tempe, will raduate this week from ‘Arizona Connections Academy. He will enter Arizona State University inthe fal as an art major. “What | Iiked wes the freedom because I had the ability to use my time the way I wanted to use it. he seid ‘Asa former ie skater Wall spent alot of tie practicing inthe rink He said the vitual school helped him full is Arizona education ‘requirements and taught hima lot about working independently. "1 was picking up on something realy quickly | could just keep going," Wall sid. Taking dasses ouside of dassroms require some adjustments. Art students send drawings to teaches by mail or create them on comptes. Some students enter “discussions” in virual dases that are similar to chat roams. Science students conduct experiments in their kitchens, The system works for Shawntae Swart, iften, ofTempe. Swart takes online classes through Primavera while enrolled in the 3.0 ‘animation program at East Valley Institute of Technology in Mesa “in anything there's going to be ups and downs but I can get credits faster and at my own pace,” she sai. QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION 1. Have you ever taken online courses? How did you like them? What were the advantages and disadvantages ofthis mode of dlvery of instruction? 2. What are some of the limitations of virtual schools like Primavera Online High School? 3, Do you have any interes in teaching in a virtual school or online courses? Why or wy ‘The schools have ried to create extracurricular activities by for: ing online dubs and other programs, such as science fais with proj ‘ects posted on school websites ly 24, 208,© Te Ina erdanement. MyEducationLab™ PURPOSES OF SCHOOLS Wisitthe MyEducationlab privare schools and academies were first established in colonial days forthe children of the lite. However, that did not mean that other children were not being educated as they worked with adults. When possible, low-income families were sending their children to the homes of neighbors where mothers or other women in the home would teach them how to read. It was American Education +o enhance your | understanding oF | not util the 1800s that public schools began tobe built for the commoner, Even so, children peercarceis wih er ot ered 0 ate school for one ater cent The fost of ths ely om i apersonalzed Study jon schools was o teach children tread the Bible, develop high morals, and become & good HH the opportunity tohone — “itizen. ‘Today's schools play many roles in society beyond those for which the common schools were designed. They teach the basic skills of literacy and computation, but they also reflect s0- ciety's high ideals such as universal education forall children. What should students be taught? ‘Should we prepare students with the knowledge and skills they will need for their future jobs? ‘Should they learn to think for themselves, even questioning some of what they are taught? Should wwe teach them the dispositions that will help them be good citizens, be respectful of others, and ‘make sound decisions about their life? Should they learn to appreciate the arts, be healthy and active adults, and live effectively in a global, interdependent world? ur own philosophical and political perspectives help determine how we view the roles of schools and what good education is. Should schools primarily support democratic equality, social efficiency, social mobility, or some other goal? Advocates of democratic equality view education as a public good through which all students should be exposed to a liberal arts educa- tion and leam to be productive citizens in a democracy. Proponents of social efficiency believe that schools should serve the private sector by preparing students for their optimal role in society as determined by testing or other measures. People who support social mobility view education as an asset that can be accumulated and used for social competition. Achieving these credentials provides us 2 competitive advantage in securing a desirable position in society as can be sea in the higher salaries and prestige that most college graduates receive. School boards, educators, parents, and communities have their own beliefs and perspec- tives about the basic roles of schools. Their beliefs may draw on national reports calling for the reform of education. Through such reports as well as discussions and debates among educators, policy makers, and others, U.S. society continually refines and redefines its ideas about schools. ‘The five roles described in the following section are a sample of those most often mentioned by through video- and case- based Assignments and Activities and Building Teaching Skils and Dispositions lessons. | | your teaching skils | social efficiency A theory thatthe primary purpose of schools isto prepare stu dnt for their optimal role in society as determined by tests or other measures. social mobility The movement of an individual or family up or down in social clas, such as moving from the lower clas to the middle class as one finishes | college and ears a larger i} income. | 40 a=educators and the public. Most schools address each of these roles, but in any given school or community, one goal may receive prominence aver others. As you read the roles outlined below, think about your own views regarding the roles of schools in society. JOURNAL FOR REFLECTION 6.1 | Which ofthe following ideals do you think schools should mirror? Why? ‘+ Bea model of our best hopes for society and mechanism for remaking sctety in the image of those hopes. *+ Adapt students tothe needs of society by preparing them for specific roles and jobs. | ‘+ Serve the individual hopes and ambitions of ther students and parents, Academic Achievement ‘The focus of accountability for academic achievement is performance on test scores. Parents and students know when esting days are scheduled. Teachers and principals know that their future employment could depend on how their students score on the state tests. Television stations and ‘news reporters cover a school’s preparation forthe testing days. Teachers prepare students to take | the tests, sometimes teaching to tests and neglecting subjects that are not being tested such as social studies, science, and the ars Media reports of student scores on achievement tests highlight a school's ability to offer students a strong academic background, Some school districts base their reputations on how well | their students perform and how many are admitted to colleges. In some communities, parents ‘camp out overnight to be first in line to enroll their children in a preschoo! that will hopefully provide the jump start needed for success on future tests to ensure later admission to prestigious colleges and universities. State and national standards provide the framework for what students should know and be able o do to be academically proficient. Standards exist not only in academic areas, but also for the arts, health, and physical education. The Common Core Standards, wich had been adopted bby most states in spring 2012, identify the essential required levels of knowledge and skills in | English language arts and literacy in history/social studies, science, and technical subjects as ‘well as mathematics. The National Governors Association and the Council for Chief State School Officers (2010) have developed these standards to help students become successful in college GO TO «> and careers. National tests will assess students’ attainment of those proficiencies. Schools have Amore detailed discussion revised their curricula to be standards based, knowing that their students will be tested annually _ofstandards and to determine if they are at grade level. School systems’ reputations and their state funding are accountability can be found