12.3 Conflict Perspective Meritocracy: a society in which social status is based on ability and achievement. -based on competition Is America really a meritocracy? -what about barriers such as gender, race and ethnicity? -schools in wealthy neighborhoods are significantly better than in economically disadvantaged areas. -social class clearly affects SAT performance.

-SAT was originally used in 1926 to identify talented youth regardless of social class background. However, social class still plays a significant role in who goes to the best schools. Educational Equality: condition in which schooling produces the same results for lower class and minority students as other children. Is Intelligence Inherited? The Bell Curve says humans inherit 60-70% of their intelligence level. Implies that programs such as Head Start are futile. Head Start is US program designed to help children from birth to age five, who come from families with incomes below or at the poverty level. The goal of Head Start is to help these children become ready for kindergarten, and also to provide needed requirements like health care and food support. President Lyndon Johnson approved Head Start in 1965 as part of his more comprehensive program that he termed the War on Poverty.

Counterarguments: Intelligence testing: city dwellers score higher than rural areas, higher-status African Americans score higher than lower status African Americans, middle-class AA score about as high as middle-class whites. Cultural Bias: the unfair measurement of the cognitive abilities of people in some social categories. A symphony is to composer as a book is to what: A. paper B. a musician C. a sculptor D. a man E. an author More likely to have been exposed to information about classical music.

Multicultural Education: -A recent SAT question used a Bentley in the question. -Low income students with poor diets may do less than their best on tests as well. School Desegregation: the achievement of a racial balance in the classroom. -desegregated classrooms with an atmosphere of respect and acceptance improve academic performance. Multicultural Education: Curriculum that emphasizes differences among gender, ethnic, and racial categories. Minority students who attend desegregated public schools get better jobs and earn higher incomes than minority students who attend segregated schools. ME: curriculum that accents the viewpoints, experiences and contributions of minorities. attendance and performance increases. Break down stereotypes.