Download or read book Debating the Future of American Education written by Diane Ravitch and published by Brookings Institution Press. This book was released on 2010-12-01 with total page 191 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: What is the outlook for educational reform in the United States? One of the most striking proposals has been to establish a system of national standards, which has raised many complex questions: Is it possible for the United States, with its history of extreme decentralization, to establish and enforce national standards for what students should know? Who will create these standards? What would be the role of the federal, state, and local governments? While the idea of national standards has been widely supported, many respected educators doubt their value from fear that such standards will institutionalize the lowest common denominator. Others cite the poor performance of U.S. students on international tests and insist that the U.S. will suffer because of this poor performance. The debate becomes even more intense when the question of assessment is posed. Is it possible to develop a national examination system tied to new standards? Should such tests be used to influence entry to colleges and jobs? Would the motivation of students to learn be increased if they knew that their performance would be reviewed by colleges and employers? Is it fair to set standards for students without setting standards for schools? To address these and other questions, this book, the result of a Brookings conference, brings together representatives of various viewpoints on the utility and equity of increasing the use of tests for students, teachers, and schools. The contributors are Chester Finn, Jr., the Edison Project; Daniel Koretz, RAND; Andrew Porter, Wisconsin Center for Education Research; Lauren Resnick, University of Pittsburgh; Roy Romer, Governor of Colorado; Albert Shanker, American Federation of Teachers; Theodore R. Sizer, Brown University; Marshall C. Smith, U.S. Department of Education; and Donald M. Stewart, The College Board. Brookings Dialogues on Public Policy

Download or read book Debating the Future of American Education written by Diane Ravitch and published by Brookings Institution Press. This book was released on 2010-12-01 with total page 196 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: What is the outlook for educational reform in the United States? One of the most striking proposals has been to establish a system of national standards, which has raised many complex questions: Is it possible for the United States, with its history of extreme decentralization, to establish and enforce national standards for what students should know? Who will create these standards? What would be the role of the federal, state, and local governments? While the idea of national standards has been widely supported, many respected educators doubt their value from fear that such standards will institutionalize the lowest common denominator. Others cite the poor performance of U.S. students on international tests and insist that the U.S. will suffer because of this poor performance. The debate becomes even more intense when the question of assessment is posed. Is it possible to develop a national examination system tied to new standards? Should such tests be used to influence entry to colleges and jobs? Would the motivation of students to learn be increased if they knew that their performance would be reviewed by colleges and employers? Is it fair to set standards for students without setting standards for schools? To address these and other questions, this book, the result of a Brookings conference, brings together representatives of various viewpoints on the utility and equity of increasing the use of tests for students, teachers, and schools. The contributors are Chester Finn, Jr., the Edison Project; Daniel Koretz, RAND; Andrew Porter, Wisconsin Center for Education Research; Lauren Resnick, University of Pittsburgh; Roy Romer, Governor of Colorado; Albert Shanker, American Federation of Teachers; Theodore R. Sizer, Brown University; Marshall C. Smith, U.S. Department of Education; and Donald M. Stewart, The College Board. Brookings Dialogues on Public Policy

Download or read book Finding Superman written by Watson Scott Swail and published by Teachers College Press. This book was released on 2015-04-17 with total page 129 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In Finding Superman, some of the most prominent educational thinkers of our time examine the pressing issues of educational equity and excellence brought to light in Davis Guggenheim's popular documentary, Waiting for Superman. The film's portrayal of urban public schools as uniform failures and charter schools as the only viable alternative for our nation's youth demands a closer look. Across the chapters of this important book, the contributors reveal the film's untold stories. These include the many public schools that are doing an excellent job of educating students, as well as the many charter schools that are doing no better than most public schools, despite their monetary advantages.

Download or read book Will Standards Save Public Education written by Deborah Meier and published by Beacon Press. This book was released on 2000-04-24 with total page 110 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Somewhere. . . there is a place of sanity where education is intense and substantive. . . . It's in that place that Deborah Meier has been working all these years. Her voice conveys a life of struggle in the front lines-victories and losses, hopes and disappointments. . . . It's a voice our nation needs to hear. --Jonathan Kozol, from the Foreword Acclaimed educator Deborah Meier offers a fresh take on standardized tests. While others have criticized standards and what they measure, Meier rejects the very idea of a centralized authority that dictates how and what teachers teach. Standardization, she argues, prevents citizens-including teachers-from emerging as thoughtful, responsible adults, seriously engaged with shaping their own schools, classrooms, and communities. As a result, young people can't learn from them how to be thoughtful, responsible adults and good citizens, the primary goal of public education in a democracy. The New Democracy Forum is a series of short paperback originals exploring creative solutions to our most urgent national concerns. "A civic treasure. . . . A truly good idea, carried out with intelligence and panache." --Robert Pinsky

Download or read book The Future of American Higher Education written by Joseph L. DeVitis and published by Taylor & Francis. This book was released on 2023-07-03 with total page 181 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "This impressive anthology presents the reader with an introduction to a gallery of public intellectuals through the critical eyes of a wide array of contributing writers from various academic fields. Both the latter and the public intellectuals themselves are responding to the state of American higher education. Importantly, most of them (there are a few public intellectuals in the book who cling closer to the status quo) do not separate colleges and universities from the political, economic, and social currents of American society. They attack the realities of growing social inequality, the intractable presence of institutional racism, and the recurrent reliance on the free market as the arbiter of value. Public intellectuals assess the impact of these social factors on the organization and practices of contemporary American higher education. They force the reader to consider serious challenges to the current arrangement of higher learning and, as such, they ask us to assess the efficacy of their respective perspectives. Do they present the reader with insight or idealism, pathways or dead ends? This compendium provides an abundance of ideas for higher education leaders, policy makers, faculty members, trustees and governmental officials as well as social theorists and graduate students interested in higher education careers."—Richard Guarasci, President Emeritus of Wagner CollegeJust as our society is polarized, higher education is no less divided as to its mission and purpose, whether it should be preparing students for employment or for engagement as citizens, whether it should be corporatist and profit-driven or promote intellectual curiosity and independent thinking, and whether it should pursue a neoliberal agenda or promote a liberal education. Whose scholarship, culture and epistemologies should be validated? Should it be a private or a public good? Preserve tenure or erode it? What role should colleges and universities play in addressing economic inequality and systemic racism? The answers to these questions are critical for the future of our society as our universities and colleges are the nurseries of the values and philosophies that shape it.The chapters in this book review the contributions of seventeen public intellectuals who have been at the forefront of these issues and significantly contributed to these debates. Each describes the genesis of each scholar’s ideas and presents and critiques his or her core insights and arguments. The seventeen public intellectuals represent a spectrum of opinion, from the conservative to the progressive.At this pivotal moment when much of higher education is in economic crisis, and public trust in it has been eroded, this book offers a robust entry point for considering the options and directions ahead for anyone in a leadership position. The book will also be valuable for higher education courses to stimulate debate about these critical issues and introduce readers to the seminal thinkers in the field.Public Intellectuals PresentedStanley AronowitzMichael BérubéMarc BousquetPatricia Hill CollinsLori Patton DavisWilliam DeresiewiczStanley Fish Marybeth GasmanHenry GirouxSara Goldrick-RabbAmy GutmannRussell JacobyRandall KennedyDavid KirpDavid F. LabareeChristopher NewfieldMichael Roth

Download or read book The Three Waves of Reform in the World of Education 1918 2018 written by Ami Volansky and published by Springer Nature. This book was released on 2023-01-01 with total page 488 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book reviews one hundred years of educational reforms worldwide. Characterized by a tension between governing public and professional forces, the waves of educational reform reflect myriad efforts to define and fulfill professional and public expectations for the world of education. The first wave of reform, based on “progressive” ideals, spread across the globe after World War I, striving to place the student at the center of the education process and respond to the diverse needs of children and youth in a world that included massive population shifts. The second wave nearly obliterated the ideals of the progressive movement that had prevailed for sixty years. Drawing its principles from the business world, the second wave imposed competition, uniform standards, and measurable outputs on students, teachers, and schools, even at the cost of harming at-risk populations and encouraging the infiltration of private sector values into public education systems.The third wave was launched at the turn of the twenty-first century. Seeking to adjust instructional methods to modern reality, this reform rejected standardized curricula in favor of developing skills such as independent thinking, curiosity, innovation, collaboration among learners, and the ability to mine and process information. Book I reviews the three waves of reform in the United States, England, Canada, Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong, Australia, and Finland. Book II focuses on Israel’s education system — past, present, and future.

Download or read book The Future of American Higher Education written by Joseph L. DeVitis and published by . This book was released on 2021 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Moderating the Debate written by Michael J. Feuer and published by Harvard Education Press. This book was released on 2006-01-01 with total page 152 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Moderating the Debate is a major statement on education research, policy, and reform that will be required reading for everyone with a stake in improving America's schools. This eloquent book examines the complex—and often problematic—relations between education research, policy, and practice, and proposes ways to improve those relationships in the interest of meaningful education reform. Based on the Burton and Inglis Lectures, which Michael Feuer delivered at the Harvard Graduate School of Education in 2004 and 2005, the book begins with an examination of how recent developments in cognitive science have fundamentally changed the way we understand human decisionmaking and rational judgment. It then proceeds to a consideration of how the lessons of cognitive science might inform a more rational—and reasonable—approach to education research, policy, and reform. Moving deftly and with great insight through the worlds of education research and policymaking, Feuer offers practical solutions to the impasses and disconnections that have chronically thwarted workable, sustained education reform.

Download or read book Education and the American Dream written by Harvey Holtz and published by Praeger. This book was released on 1989 with total page 264 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Conservatives, liberals, and radicals alike see education as a pivotal forum for the struggle over the fulfillment of American Dreams. Eleanor Smeal, Phyllis Schlafly, Russell Kirk, and Henry Giroux, among others, vie for acceptance of their theories on major issues in American education. The essays, which are by well-known authors, are written with clarity, honesty, and authority. . . . The book will make an excellent supplementary text for graduate or upper-division undergraduate courses in the social foundations of education. Choice Conservatives, liberals, and radicals alike see education as a pivotal forum for the struggle over the fulfillment of American Dreams. Eleanor Smeal, Phyllis Schlafly, Russell Kirk, and Henry Giroux, among others, representing contrasting points of view, vie for acceptance of their theories on the major issues in American education: religion in public schools; computers in the classroom; sex education; the proper role of teachers (technician, professional, or intellectual); vocationalism versus critical education. This rare opportunity to examine the divisions, and the surprising overlaps, between the perspectives of this country's policy makers and idea formulators brings a major and important perspective to the current educational debate and the future of education, for scholars and students alike.

Download or read book The End of Education written by Neil Postman and published by Vintage. This book was released on 2011-06-01 with total page 225 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this comprehensive response to the education crisis, the author of Teaching as a Subversive Activity returns to the subject that established his reputation as one of our most insightful social critics. Postman presents useful models with which schools can restore a sense of purpose, tolerance, and a respect for learning.

Download or read book The Great Curriculum Debate written by Tom Loveless and published by Brookings Institution Press. This book was released on 2004-05-13 with total page 380 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Since the early twentieth century, American educators have been engaged in a heated debate over what schools should teach and how they should teach it. The partisans—"education progressives" and "education traditionalists"—have usually kept their disagreements within the walls of the nation's schools of education. Periodically, however, arguments have erupted which have generated headlines and attracted public attention, making clear the potential for bitterness and rancor in education politics. In the 1990s, progressives and traditionalists squared off in a dispute over reading and mathematics. Arguments over how best to teach these two subjects is detailed in The Great Curriculum Debate: How Should We Teach Reading and Math? This book includes contributions from distinguished scholars from both sides of the debate, as well as influential nonpartisans. The proponents of "whole language" and "phonics" present their opposing views on reading. Advocates and opponents of "NCTM math reform"—the agenda of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM)—discuss their differing opinions about math. Although the authors disagree on many of the most important aspects of learning, they agree on one point: the school curriculum matters. Decisions made now about the content of reading and mathematics will have long term consequences, not only for students and schools, but for society as a whole. Contributors include E. D. Hirsch Jr. (University of Virginia), Gail Burrill (Mathematical Sciences Education Board), Michael T. Battista (Kent State University), David C. Geary (University of Missouri, Columbia), Roger Shouse (Penn State University), Adam Gamoran (University of Wisconsin, Madison), Richard Askey (University of Wisconsin, Madison), Diane Ravitch (New York University), Catherine E. Snow (Harvard University), Margaret Moustafa (California State University, LA), Richard L. Allington (University of Florida), William Lowe Boyd (Penn State University), a

Download or read book Democracy s Schools written by Johann N. Neem and published by JHU Press. This book was released on 2017-08 with total page 257 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The unknown history of American public education. At a time when Americans are debating the future of public education, Johann N. Neem tells the inspiring story of how and why Americans built a robust public school system in the decades between the Revolution and the Civil War. It’s a story in which ordinary people in towns across the country worked together to form districts and build schoolhouses and reformers sought to expand tax support and give every child a liberal education. By the time of the Civil War, most northern states had made common schools free, and many southern states were heading in the same direction. Americans made schooling a public good. Yet back then, like today, Americans disagreed over the kind of education needed, who should pay for it, and how schools should be governed. Neem explores the history and meaning of these disagreements. As Americans debated, teachers and students went about the daily work of teaching and learning. Neem takes us into the classrooms of yore so that we may experience public schools from the perspective of the people whose daily lives were most affected by them. Ultimately, Neem concludes, public schools encouraged a diverse people to see themselves as one nation. By studying the origins of America’s public schools, Neem urges us to focus on the defining features of democratic education: promoting equality, nurturing human beings, preparing citizens, and fostering civic solidarity.

Download or read book A Search for Common Ground written by Frederick M. Hess and published by Teachers College Press. This book was released on 2021 with total page 193 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "At a time of bitter national polarization, there is a critical need for leaders who can help us better communicate with one another. Written as a series of back-and-forth exchanges, this engaging book illustrates a model of civil debate between those with substantial, principled differences. It is also a powerful meditation on where 21st-century school improvement can and should go next"--

Download or read book Transforming Schools written by Peter W. Jr. Cookson and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2014-04-23 with total page 630 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Government policies at the state, local, and federal levels have always shaped the daily lives of U.S. schools. Issues of equity and access dominate, and the newer issue of global competition is also important. This volume of essays by noted theorists and practitioners considers current educational policy issues. Topics and contributors include: Achievement and Mobility-Aaron Pallas; Tracking-Maureen Hallinan; Dropouts-Gary Natriello; Governing the Big-City School System-Kenneth Wong; International and Comparative Analysis-Rolland Paulston; Politics of a National Curriculum-Michael Apple; School Leadership-James Cibulka; Parental and Community Involvement-Mary Driscoll; Advocacy-Judith Cohen; Reform and Policy-Kathy Borman, et al. An index is provided.

Download or read book The Great School Debate written by Beatrice Gross and published by New York : Simon & Schuster. This book was released on 1985 with total page 554 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The editors of "Radical School Reform" offers a timely overview of the status of and controversies, issues, and trends in American educational systems.

Download or read book Ronald Reagan written by United States. President (1981-1989 : Reagan) and published by . This book was released on 1982 with total page 1338 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book The Great School Debate written by Thomas L. Good and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2014-04-08 with total page 274 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book examines reform in American education over the past fifty years and against this backdrop presents a compelling analysis of why contemporary voucher plans and charter schools have yet to fulfill the expectations of their advocates. It is the only book to date to attempt a comprehensive synthesis and analysis of the emerging research base on vouchers and charter schools. Suitable for courses in school policy, school reform, school leadership, or educational issues, it will also be of interest to anyone (parents, teachers, policymakers) directly involved with the charter school movement. Key features of this timely new book include the following: * A Historical Perspective--The early chapters look at American educational reform over the past fifty years and analyze why these efforts have fallen short of their goals. * Student Achievement--Chapter 3 provides an insightful assessment of American students' school achievement from 1970 to the present and, in the process, counters the widely held myth that, overall, student achievement has deteriorated. * Voucher Plans and Charter Schools--Chapter 4 looks specifically at choice and vouchers in American education while chapters 5-7 provide a comprehensive and balanced examination of the charter school movement. * Policy Recommendations--The book concludes with explicit policy suggestions that attempt to balance the educational needs of children and youth against the rights of schools to experiment. Suggestions for developing broader coalitions to support public education, particularly in the inner cities, are also offered.