Term Paper on "American Educational System and Solutions Major"

Term Paper 8 pages (2231 words) Sources: 8

[EXCERPT] . . . .

American Educational System and Solutions

Major educational challenges in the United States devolve around curriculum, funding, and control.

The first problem, curriculum, deals with the fact that educational curricula varies widely from state to state with public schools offering a range of topics that offer different quality material, and religious private schools, oftentimes, including religion as mandatory and some excluding several secular subjects (or provide them limited attention) on the rationale that they are secondary -- or contradictory - to religion. This raises the argument over the question of government funding vouchers as well as arguments over the standardization of curricula and to which degree. The No Child Left Behind Act, has, indeed, instituted standardized curricula, but this is not always followed through and attempts to monitor this program are weak.

Critics also contend that several subjects such as geography and astronomy are accorded insufficient attention.

A second issue contends itself over the teaching of English as a language. English is spoken by over 95% of the nation and there is a strong national tradition of maintaining English as the de facto national language. Nonetheless, approximately 9.7 million children speak a language other than English in their home, and of these about 1.3 million children speak English poorly or not at all (United States Census, 2000). A few groups (mainly Hispanics) want bilingual education, but the school system is attempting to solve this problem by introducing English as a Second Language in the system.

Thirdly, the educational level of achievement seems to be slowing. 44% of college faculty believes that incoming students are ill equipped as college level material particularly as regards reading and writing (Ibid.). This may have slowed down since the 1980s, although progress is imperceptible. School programs, some to a greater extent than others, attempt to deal with this problem on an ongoing structure.

The teaching of Intelligent Design or creationism poses another challenge. The School Board decision of the State of Kansas in 1999 (CNN.com, 1999) to eliminate evolution from its state assessment tests caused outrage. The conflict continues today with scientists and lay people pressing for evolution to be taught in schools whilst religious and family groups claim that evolution is simply a theory (rather than fact) and as such should be taught alongside creationism in state schools. The U.S. legal system has judged it illegal to teach creationism or intelligent design as fact in the educational system since it presupposes specific religious content (not all religions e.g. Buddhism or Hinduism etc. necessarily see creationism as fact).

Sex education is another controversial issue. Many schools attempt to limit the subject to health or physical education classes. There are few sex education classes in existence, and George W. Bush had called for abstinence-only sex education further limiting the offering. However, the American public is widely divided over the issue with a 2004 poll showing that a majority of the 1001 parents surveyed sought complete sex education in the schools (NPR/Kaiser/Harvard survey, 2004).

Textbooks are another issue. The choice of textbooks, in effect, determines the tenor and content of the teaching material taught in the classes. States select the textbooks, and these decisions are, often, said to be partisan in nature reflecting the particular state's ideology. Not all of the state's residents may feel content with the state's choice of textbook or selected material.

Controversy over funding maintains that despite increased and high rates of educational funds, U.S. schools have consistently shown little improvement in academic outcome. Funding for schools is complex. Various groups push for more funding, whilst others maintain that funding should be better appropriated and more wisely disseminated. Users of private schools, too, have grumbled about paying for an education that they claim their children are not receiving.

Mean whilst at the college and university level, student loan funding is split in half. The Department of Education pays half, whilst commercial entities such as Sallie Mae affect others. Some schools accept both. Others accept either, and a few accept none.

The Changing American Educational Profession

The first American schools opened in the 17th century. Boston Latin School is the first public school and oldest existing school in the U.S. At first it was parents who taught rudiments of literacy and arithmetic, but these were later taught by the schools.

The New Colonies required towns to set up schools, and many did so making education compulsory. The schools were all male with few faculties for girls. Grammar schools were the forerunner of today's high schools.

In the South most hired tutors, whilst Virginia was the first state that provided free education for paupers. The public school system in the south was segregated and under funded for the blacks. High schools became available to whites (and to some blacks) in the cities after the 1900s. Few rural Southerners of either race, however, went beyond 8th grade until 1945.

Optional tax-supported schooling for girls began in 1767 in New England with some towns adopting the system later than others. By the 1840s, reformers such as Lydia Maria Child, Catharine Maria Sedgwick, and Lydia Sigourney, pushed for expanded education for females, and by the late 19th century women had taken their place as educators in the American system.

Non-English private schools were also being set up around this time exemplified by German Catholics and Missouri Lutherans who established their own systems.

As regards, colleges and universities, Harvard was established in 1646, at first training men for the ministry, and later focusing on law, medicine, government, and business. Yale was founded in 1701, and Princeton in 1747. The impact of colleges in the 19th century was vast: it helped rural graduates make the transition from rural existence to urban living as well as promoting mobility. Unfortunately, its distribution of education (mainly focused on the affluential) led to and encouraged existence of an elite.

Horace Mann was the initiator of public schooling urging that one system of education should be granted to all. By 1900, 31 states had adopted compulsory education whilst the progressive era showed a huge influx in the number of schools opened and states that impelled education.

William Wirt set up the night school system that later became too expensive to maintain. John Dewey, one of America's most famous educational theorists linked education to social reform and his ideas were widely accepted in private experimental schools.

Booker T. Washington initiated education for blacks and was a strong proponent of scientific, industrial, and agricultural education.

Schools changed in other ways too. The curriculum altered to meet the demand of immigrants and to adjust to the progressivisit sprit of reform. More pragmatic studies reflected that of the classics; high schools started preparing students for universities; and French replaced German as second language of choice until the 1960s, when Spanish took its place. The National Education Association was implemented in 1917, whilst following World War II, the GI Bill opened up college education for all classes making it less elite and swelling the ranks. By the end of the century, women had reached parity in numbers to males on the campuses. Finally the Supreme Court in 1954 with its Brown v. Board of Education declared segregation to be unconstitutional.

In 1975, Congress passed Public Law 94-142, Education of the Handicapped Act where education became free and appropriate for all children with a disability. No Child Left Behind was an amendment to this polity.

Effective research techniques for educational environments.

Educational research is conducted in a variety of ways mostly along two strata: qualitative (that is descriptive in nature and involves studies centered around free-lancing methodology such as observation, reports, interviews, document analysis and analysis of participator's products such as journals) and quantitative (i.e. The experimental / laboratory method based on statistical data) or a mixture of both called Mixed methods (or triangulated) methodology. Disciplines such as psychology, sociology, philosophy, and anthropology overlap in educational research methodologies and rigor -- scientific validity and reliability -- are insisted upon.

Educational research follows two main approaches. The first is a basic, or academic research, approach. The other is applied research, or a contract research approach. Both influence the nature of the study.

1. The Basic Approach focuses on the development of theory or explanatory 'truth' underlying system. Researchers following this approach test, refine, create, or modify existent or developing educational theories.

2. The applied approach seeks solutions to already existent educational problems. Researchers are often employed by sponsors from particular institutions and are hired to find solutions to problems given to them by their sponsors.

Personal philosophy and vision

A poem on child education expresses it thusly:

"If a child lives with criticism he learns to condemn

If a child lives with hostility he learns to fight

If a child lives with ridicule he learns to be shy.."

On the other hand,

"If a child lives with encouragement, he learns confidence

If a child lives with praise, he learns to appreciate

If a child lives with acceptance and friendship, he learns… READ MORE

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