Chapter 16

Education
Chapter Outline
 Schooling and Society: Theories
of Education
 Does Schooling Matter?
 Education and Inequality
 School Reform
Education in the U.S.
 1900 - education was established by law
in all states except for a few Southern
states, where Black Americans were
denied formal education.
 1910 - less than 10% of White 18 year
olds graduated from high school.
Education in the U.S.
 1930 - less than half of 18 year olds
had attended high school.
 1960 - the number of young adults
with a diploma approached 50%.
Expansion of Education
School Drop Out Risks
Theories of Education
Education in Society
Fulfills certain needs for
Functionalism
socialization
Reflects other inequities in
Conflict Theory
society
Emerges depending on the
Symbolic
interaction between groups
Interaction
in schools
Theories of Education
Schools
Inculcate values needed by
Functionalism
the society
Reflecting conflict and
Conflict Theory
power in society
Sites where social
Symbolic interaction between groups
Interaction influence chances for
success
Theories of Education
Social Change
Schools take on functions that
Functionalism other institutions, (the family)
originally fulfilled
Threatens to put some groups
Conflict Theory at disadvantage in the quality
of education
Symbolic Can be positive as people
Interaction develop new perceptions of
stereotyped groups
Polling Question
 What is the highest level of education
completed by your mother?
A.) Below high school
B.) High school graduate
C.) Some college or postsecondary training
D.) College degree
E.) Graduate or professional degree
F.) Don't know
Polling Question
 What is the highest level of education
completed by your father?
A.) Below high school
B.) High school graduate
C.) Some college or postsecondary training
D.) College degree
E.) Graduate or professional degree
F.) Don't know
Median Income, By Education and
Gender

Level of Schooling Men Women

Less than 9th grade $14,139 $8,404

9th to 12th grade 18,952 9,995

High school graduate 27,669 15,120

Some college 33,035 20,181

Median Income, By Education and
Gender
Level of Schooling Men Women

Associate degree 37,956 23,270

Bachelor’s degree 49,180 30,489

Master’s degree 59,376 40,246

Doctorate degree 71,732 48,885

Social Class, Race–Ethnicity,
Education, Occupation, and Income
Average SAT Scores, By Family
Income
No. of SAT SAT
Family Income
students Verbal Math
<$10K 34,890 421 443
$10–$20K 70,696 442 456
$20K–$30K 86,414 468 474
$30K–$40K 101,692 487 489
$40K–$50K 86,637 501 503
Average SAT Scores, By Family
Income
No. of SAT SAT
Family Income
students Verbal Math
$50K–$60K 89,620 509 512
$60K–$70K 77,020 516 519
$70K–$80K 72,298 522 527
$80K–$90K 95,656 534 540
>$100K 152,191 557 569
Average SAT Scores, By Ethnicity
and Gender
SAT Verbal Mean Scores
SAT Test Takers Who
Described Themselves as: 2003 2003 2003
Male Female Total
American Indian or Alaskan
482 481 482
Native
Asian, Asian American or
502 498 499
Pacific Islander
African American or Black 433 436 435
Average SAT Scores, By Ethnicity
and Gender
SAT Verbal Mean Scores
SAT Test Takers Who
Described Themselves as: 2003 2003 2003
Male Female Total
Mexican/ Mexican American 460 500 455
Puerto Rican 460 452 456
Latin American, South
American, Central
467 457 461
American, other Hispanic or
Latino
White 530 528 529
Literacy Around the World
Criticisms of Standardized
Tests
1. Measure limited ranges of ability.
2. Designed by middle class, white
males, and include cultural and
gender biases.
3. Do not predict school performance
very well.
The Bell Curve Theory
 The distribution of intelligence in
the population approximates a bell-
shaped curve.
 Intelligence is 70% inherited and
30% related to the environment.
Criticism of the Bell Curve
1. Studies show standardized tests do not
measure intelligence as accurately for:
 minorities as whites

 women as men

 individuals of lower status as those of

higher status
Criticism of the Bell Curve
2. There is evidence that environment
contributes more to intelligence than
genes.
3. Conclusions about women versus men,
minority versus White, and lower class
versus upper class on heritability results
attained on White men.
Tracking
 Students in high tracks receive positive
effects, while low track students suffer
negative effects.
 Less is expected of lower-track students.
 Once a student is labeled, the label
sticks, regardless if it is accurate.
Teacher Expectancy Effect
 What the teacher expects students to do
affects what they will do.
 The self-fulfilling prophecy shows that
merely applying a label has the effect of
justifying the label.
The Self-Fulfilling Prophecy
Research on Gender and
Education
Findings from report commissioned by
AAUW:
1. Teachers pay less attention to girls and
women.
2. Women lag behind in math and science
ability and achievement scores.
3. Some standardized math and science
tests retain gender bias.
Research on Gender and
Education
4. Standardized math tests tend to under-
predict women’s actual grades in
mathematics.
5. Teachers tend to treat Black women and
White women differently.
6. Textbooks ignore or stereotype women.
7. As girls approach adolescence, their
self-esteem tends to drop.
Polling Question
 Rate yourself on academic ability
compared with the average person your
age.
A.) Highest 10 percent
B.) Above average
C.) Average
D.) Below average
E.) Bottom 10 percent
Stereotype Threat, Race and
Test Performance
Stereotype Threat
 Two common stereotypes in the United States:
1. Blacks perform less well than Whites on
tests of math and verbal ability so they have
inherent math and verbal deficiencies.
2. Women perform less well than men on
math tests so they have an inherent math
deficiency.
 If Black students believe these stereotypes,
they may perform less well on a test if they are
told “this is a genuine test of your true ability.”
School Reforms
 Back-to-basics movement stresses a return to
the three R’s and stricter discipline, stiffer
grading standards, and combating grade
inflation.
 Multiculturalism movement seeks to reform the
curriculum by adding courses in African
American and Black Studies, Hispanic or Latino
Studies, Native American Studies, Women’s
Studies, and Gay and Lesbian Studies.
Quick Quiz
1. "Education in society reflects other
inequities in society, and perpetuates
such inequalities by tracking practices."
This statement is most closely related to:
a. functionalism
b. conflict theory
c. evolutionary theory
d. symbolic interaction
Answer: b
 "Education in society reflects other
inequities in society, and perpetuates
such inequalities by tracking practices."
This statement is most closely related to
conflict theory.
2. "Schools are sites where social
interaction between groups influences
chances for individual and group
success." This statement is most closely
related to:
a. evolutionary theory
b. conflict theory
c. functionalism
d. symbolic interaction
Answer: d
 "Schools are sites where social
interaction between groups influences
chances for individual and group
success." This statement is most closely
related to symbolic interaction.
3. "Schools inculcate values needed by the
society." This statement is most closely
related to:
a. functionalism
b. symbolic interaction
c. feminist theory
d. conflict theory
Answer: a
 "Schools inculcate values needed by the
society." This statement is most closely
related to functionalism.
4. The ________ stresses a return to a
traditional curriculum delivered with
traditional methods.
a. good-old-days movement
b. back-to-basics movement
c. redemptive movement
d. NTE movement
Answer: b
 The back-to-basics movement stresses
a return to a traditional curriculum
delivered with traditional methods.