1. Chapter 4 Changes in American Society: Their Influences on Today’s Schools
Kauchak and Eggen, Introduction to Teaching: Becoming a Professional, 3rd Ed. © 2008 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

2. Changes in American Families
Traditional family—husband as primary breadwinner, stay-at-home mother, and 2 children—makes up only 6% of U.S. families.
68% of families composed of married couples.
70% of women with children work.
32% of children live with single parent or some other caregiver.
Poverty rate for single-parent families 7–8 times higher than for families of married couples.
Kauchak and Eggen, Introduction to Teaching: Becoming a Professional, 3rd Ed. © 2008 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

3. Influence of Socioeconomic Status on Education
Fulfillment of basic needs
Family stability
School-related experiences
Interaction patterns in the home
Parental attitudes and values
Kauchak and Eggen, Introduction to Teaching: Becoming a Professional, 3rd Ed. © 2008 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

4. Student Sexuality
U.S. teenage pregnancy rate highest among Western industrialized countries
Almost half of teenagers report being sexually active.
Controversies in sex education center on abstinence-only versus more comprehensive approaches.
Many students, especially homosexual ones, report sexual harassment in schools.
Kauchak and Eggen, Introduction to Teaching: Becoming a Professional, 3rd Ed. © 2008 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

5. Alcohol and Drugs
Over half of all students tried an illicit drug by the time they finished high school.
75% of high school seniors reported alcohol use, 47% in the last 30 days.
45% of seniors experimented with marijuana or hashish.
50% of seniors, 39% of 10th-graders, and 26% of eighth-graders reported smoking cigarettes.
Kauchak and Eggen, Introduction to Teaching: Becoming a Professional, 3rd Ed. © 2008 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

6. Obesity Becoming a national epidemic that starts during school years
Exacerbated by multiple factors:
Sedentary lifestyle focused on TV and computers
Diet
Lack of exercise
School soft-drink policies
Kauchak and Eggen, Introduction to Teaching: Becoming a Professional, 3rd Ed. © 2008 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

7. Crime and Violence
While a serious problem, incidence of crime and violence has decreased in recent years
Students safer in schools than in their neighborhoods
Crime and violence related to poverty in neighborhoods
Student concerns highest at middle school level
Kauchak and Eggen, Introduction to Teaching: Becoming a Professional, 3rd Ed. © 2008 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

8. School Uniforms One school-wide effort to combat crime and violence
Popular in many districts and supported by courts
Critics claim
Violates students’ individual rights
Unsubstantiated effectiveness
Kauchak and Eggen, Introduction to Teaching: Becoming a Professional, 3rd Ed. © 2008 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

9. School Uniforms (continued)
Advocates counter with these claims
Improved discipline and classroom behavior
Increased school attendance and respect for teachers
Better school performance
Lower clothing costs and social stratification
Decreased crime and violence
Kauchak and Eggen, Introduction to Teaching: Becoming a Professional, 3rd Ed. © 2008 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

10. Bullying More common than many adults realize
74% of 8- to 11-year-olds and
86% of 12- to 15-year-olds reported bullying in their schools.
Often occurs in places in schools outside the classroom
Often ignored by teachers
Requires a school-wide effort by all teachers
Kauchak and Eggen, Introduction to Teaching: Becoming a Professional, 3rd Ed. © 2008 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

11. Zero-Tolerance Policies
Students automatically suspended for offenses involving weapons, threats, or drugs
Mandated by Congress and enforced by 75% of all schools
Supported by teachers (70%) and parents (68%)
Kauchak and Eggen, Introduction to Teaching: Becoming a Professional, 3rd Ed. © 2008 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

12. Zero-Tolerance Policies (continued)
Advocates claim they work, making schools safer.
Critics question their effectiveness and find flaws in implementation, especially for minority students.
Kauchak and Eggen, Introduction to Teaching: Becoming a Professional, 3rd Ed. © 2008 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

13. Suicide
Third leading cause of teen death (after accidents and homicide)
500,000 youths each year attempt suicide, and 5,000 succeed
Related to
Family conflicts
Drug use
Peer harassment
Failed peer relationships
Teachers often in the best position to notice danger signs
Kauchak and Eggen, Introduction to Teaching: Becoming a Professional, 3rd Ed. © 2008 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

14. Potential Suicide Indicators
An abrupt decline in the quality of schoolwork
Withdrawal from friends or classroom and school activities
Neglect of personal appearance or radical changes in personality
Changes in eating or sleeping habits
Depression, as evidenced by persistent boredom or lack of interest in school activities
Student comments about suicide as a solution to problems
Kauchak and Eggen, Introduction to Teaching: Becoming a Professional, 3rd Ed. © 2008 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

15. Child Abuse Teachers required by law to report
Teachers protected by law if they report
Possible signs include
Neglected appearance
Sudden changes in either academic or social behavior
Disruptive or overly compliant behavior
Repeated injuries such as bruises, welts, or burns
Kauchak and Eggen, Introduction to Teaching: Becoming a Professional, 3rd Ed. © 2008 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

16. Dropout Problem Can have a significant effect on subsequent earnings
High school graduates earn 34% more than dropouts
High school dropouts earn $260,000 less over a lifetime
Closes the door to college
Influenced by student ethnicity and SES
Individual teachers can influence through caring and effective classroom practices.
Kauchak and Eggen, Introduction to Teaching: Becoming a Professional, 3rd Ed. © 2008 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

17. Urban Schools and Students Placed At-Risk
Urban schools tend to be larger and more impersonal.
Urban students often commute from geographically diverse neighborhoods, making access to friendships and extracurricular activities more difficult.
Teachers are crucial for student success because they are often the major human link between schools and students.
Kauchak and Eggen, Introduction to Teaching: Becoming a Professional, 3rd Ed. © 2008 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

18. Full-Service Schools
Serve as a family resource center for a range of social and health services
James Comer’s School Development Program
Provides a comprehensive web of outreach services to students and their families
Produced increased achievement, improved self-concepts, and decreases in absences, suspensions, and management problems
Requires redefined teacher roles
Kauchak and Eggen, Introduction to Teaching: Becoming a Professional, 3rd Ed. © 2008 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.

19. Effective Practices for Students Placed At-Risk
Schools are safe and orderly with an emphasis on community and student responsibility.
Teachers are personal and caring, emphasize student responsibility, and have high expectations for students.
Effective instruction is interactive with increased structure, support, and feedback.
Kauchak and Eggen, Introduction to Teaching: Becoming a Professional, 3rd Ed. © 2008 Pearson Education, Inc. All rights reserved.