Socialization – The Schools I.Introduction II.Determinants of effective versus ineffective schooling A.Some misconceptions about effective schooling 1.Monetary support 2.School and class size 3.Ability tracking 4.Classroom organization B.Factors that contribute to effective schooling 1.The composition of the student body 2.The scholastic atmosphere III.Do our schools meet the needs of all of our children? A.Ethnic differences in academic achievement 1.Parental attitudes and involvement 2.Patterns of parenting and peer influences 3.Teacher expectancies B.Making integration and mainstreaming work 1.Segregation and desegregation 2.Mainstreaming

Determinants of Effective Schools Characteristics of effective schools Promote academic achievement, social skills, polite and attentive behavior, positive attitudes towards learning, continuation of education beyond mandatory age, low absenteeism, acquisition of work-related skills (Rutter, 1983) Are some schools more effective than others? Observations of 12 high schools, serving lower to lower-middle class Upon entering school given battery of achievement tests End of high school, exam to assess academic progress, combined with attendance records, teacher ratings Found that schools differed in effectiveness – results shown here:

Academic Achievement and School Effectiveness More Effective Less Effective From Rutter, Maughan, Mortimore, & Ouston (1979)

Misconceptions About Effective Schools Monetary support Level of support generally unrelated to quality of education Amount of money spent per pupil, books in library, teachers’ salaries, etc., play minor role in student outcomes If there is adequate support, adding more dollars does not improve quality of education School and class size Average class size little to do with effectiveness Typical elementary size from 20 – 40 students Little or no effect on achievement Very small (15 – 20) are beneficial, particularly in primary grades (up to grade 3) School size affects participation in extracurricular activities

Misconceptions About Effective Schools, con’t Ability tracking Grouping together of students by academic achievement or IQ Rutter (1983), review of literature, found mixed evidence for and against More recent research qualifies conclusion Ability tracking could widen gap between high and low achievers Beneficial effects for high ability Classroom organization Traditional versus open classroom Benefits/limitations of traditional arrangement Benefits/limitations of open arrangement Differences in academic achievement?

Factors That Contribute to Effective Schooling Composition of the student body Effectiveness of schools as a function of what they have to work with Academic achievement in schools with preponderance of economically disadvantaged children The scholastic atmosphere Practices and values that characterize good schools Academic emphasis Clear focus on academic goals Classroom management How teachers spend their time in the classroom Student’s expectations about performance Discipline Teamwork Good schools as comfortable but business-like places in which academic success is expected, and children are motivated to learn

Ethnic Differences in Academic Achievement Differences in academic achievement as a function of ethnic background. Why do such differences exist? Parental attitudes and involvement Do parents of underachieving minority students not value education? Recent research with African-American communities Patterns of parenting and peer influences Parenting style and academic performance Authoritative parenting and school performance African-American parents and parenting style Asian-American parents and parenting style Teacher expectancies Underachievement rooted in stereotyping and discrimination by teachers Rosenthal & Jacobson’s (1968) Pygmalion Effect

Integration and Mainstreaming Integration US policies towards integration Effectiveness of integration Mainstreaming US/Canadian policies towards educating children with special needs Effectiveness of mainstreaming Cooperative learning methods