Social Problems: Community, Policy, and Social Action
Video and Multimedia
Video
Learning Objective: Compare how the sociological perspectives examine the social problems related to education. Describe the educational inequalities related to social class, gender and race and ethnicity.
Description: Frontline (30 min.) on the move by middle-class, majority white communities to establish independent school districts, leaving low-income, majority black city schools with fewer resources and segregating both districts in the process.
Learning Objective: Compare how the sociological perspectives examine the social problems related to education. Describe the educational inequalities related to social class, gender and race and ethnicity.
Description: PBS Newshour presentation looks at the achievement gap between low and middle income families and the affect preschool has on reducing it.
Learning Objective: Compare how the sociological perspectives examine the social problems related to education. Summarize the history of U.S. educational reform.
Description: Tuition loan debt and the increase in student jobs segment of Obama’s 2012 State of the Union address. Higher education is not a “luxury,” but an “imperative.” Also addresses non-documented youth “American through and through.”
Learning Objective: Compare how the sociological perspectives examine the social problems related to education. Describe the educational inequalities related to social class, gender and race and ethnicity
Description: Division between people on who is “American” focuses on the children who have grown up as Americans but are undocumented. The act allows these students access to funds that would get pay for higher education.
Learning Objective: Summarize the history of U.S. educational reform. Assess whether school choice has improved educational outcomes.
Description: The way we try to educate students beginning in elementary school is a one-size-fits-all approach. Educator Geoffrey Canada says this means all students won’t be successful and we need to investigate and innovate.
Preventing Violence in Schools
Learning Objective: Describe the educational inequalities related to social class, gender and race and ethnicity.
Description: PBS presentation on the ways troubled youth are drawn to violence and ways we might prevent this. Columbine and other school shootings have
Learning Objective: Describe the educational inequalities related to social class, gender and race and ethnicity. Summarize the history of U.S. educational reform.
Description: Interview with the founder of Teach for America, on the program to recruit bright graduates to teach in low-income schools for two years. The program is as much about informing these teachers as it is providing education for their students.
Learning Objective: Describe the educational inequalities related to social class, gender and race and ethnicity.
Description: Only 37 percent say they are happy. They are harassed, and bullied by others. A panel challenges the ways to tolerance.
Audio
Learning Objective: Summarize the history of U.S. educational reform.
Description: All Things Considered looks at the college completion rate in the global economy. Too many US students are dropping out, often because of the need to earn an income, but too many because of their poor education in K-12. It’s a problem for the future of the U.S. economy, as jobs leave for citizens in better educated countries.
Learning Objective: Describe the educational inequalities related to social class, gender and race and ethnicity.
Description: In NC school district students are no longer bused to achieve diversity. Growth in the region inspired the change, but defacto segregation based on residence and economic status has resulted.
Learning Objective: Summarize the history of U.S. educational reform.
Description: Some adults use elaborate schemes to mask their inability to read or complete basic forms necessary in daily life. Interview with a man who taught social studies for 17 years who couldn’t read past a second grade level.
Learning Objective: Summarize the history of U.S. educational reform.
Description: Education gets a proposed 6% increase in education, but is that enough to make our education system better? Race to the Top is Obama’s effort to improve our opportunity to create college and career ready high school graduates.
Web Resources
International Student Achievement
Learning Objective: Summarize the history of U.S. educational reform.
Description: Tests of 15 year-old students in 50 nations are ranked. US achievement is mid-level despite its expenditures, inspiring concern over economic competitiveness and U.S. world leadership.
Legislating school improvement
Learning Objective: Describe the educational inequalities related to social class, gender and race and ethnicity. Summarize the history of U.S. educational reform.
Description: Article lists the elements that were funded in order to improve lowest performing schools in the state of California. The legislation reduced class sizes, funded teacher time spent planning and created individualized plans for individual students who needed it. The resulting increase in scores met education goals.
Learning Objective: Describe the educational inequalities related to social class, gender and race and ethnicity.
Description: Study examines how universities may be abandoning the needs of victims in favor of protecting their reputations and enrollment.