Chapter 6 Study Guide Test Answers – Flashcards

Educational politics refers to how people use power, influence, and authority to affect instructional and curricular practices within a school or school system -Political pressure from federal, state, and local levels -conflicting beliefs about what should be taught and how it should be taught -competition for educational resources -changing legal rights and responsibilities of teachers -push for higher standards, testing, and accountability

10 groups that shape educational policies: o Parents o Students o Teachers o Administrators o Taxpayers o Federal, state, and local authorities o Ethnic and racial groups o Educational theorists and researchers o Corporate sector o Special interest groups

Compare They both are a part of hiring school personnel including janitor and cafeteria worker. They both are a part of developing policies for the school (superintendent - placement and transportation of students within the district) (School board - organizational and educational policies) Contrast The school board is more powerful. Everything that the superintendent does, has to go through the school board. The superintendent is also more about talking with the community ad making sure that they know what the school board is doing.

Successful schools develop close working relationships with the parents Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) Parent-Teacher Organization (PTO) Parent advisory council (PAC) Communicate with teachers on matters of interest

To improve performance of schools, to decentralize the system of governance, to enhance the professional status of teachers Also known as: • shared governance • administrative decentralization • teacher empowerment • professionalization • bottom-up policy making • school-based planning • school-based management • distributed leadership • shared decision making Allowing those who know students best greater freedom in deciding how to meet students' needs

State: •Every state has statewide academic standards •Every state had mandated standardized tests to assess students •26 states require students to attain minimum scores on state assessments to graduate from high school •More than 20 states give BoE the authority to intervene in academically bankrupt school whose students score too low Federal: •Allocation of federal money to improve science, math, and foreign language after Soviet Union launched Sputnik •Lanham Act (1941) -training of workers in war plants by US Office of Education personnel -construction of schools in areas where military personnel and workers on federal projects resided -provision of child care for the children of working parents •GI Bill of Rights (1944) -Servicemen's Readjustment Act -FDR -payments for tuition and room and board at colleges and universities •Ways the govt influences education -exert moral suasion -provide categorical aid -regulate -fund educational research

American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (2009) -after Great Recession, $100 billion allotted for education -allowed schools to avoid thousands of scheduled teacher layoffs and to rehire laid off teachers Expenditures for educational services and facilities have been rising rapidly and expected to continue to rise through 2018 Total expenditures for public elementary and secondary schools in 2008 were $596.6 billion Expenditure per pupil was $10,297 Challenge of Equitable Funding -Dollars are distributed unequally across the states, districts, and schools -lack of financial support/funding/money was seen as number 1 problem

A combination of revenues from local, state, and federal sources is used to finance public elementary and secondary schools in US 48.3 % of 2008 funding from state -most state revenues come from sales taxes and income taxes -states contribute nearly 50% of resources 43.5% from local -most funding comes from property tax 8.2% from government -block grants -Education Consolidation and Improvement Act (ECIA) -entitlements -Elementary and Secondary Act (ESEA) -No Child Left Behind -Blueprint -Head Start Funding influenced by: •rate of inflation •health of national economy •size of national budget deficit •taxpayer revolts to limit use of property tax •changes in size and distribution of population •school-financed lawsuits

Fact that schools rely heavily on property taxes for support has resulted in fiscal inequities for schools Districts with high property wealth can generate more money per pupil than can districts with lower property values Poor families are less likely to have access to educational opportunities and resources Virulent form of institutionalized racism Tax Reform -1971 Serrano v. Priest successfully argued that the relationship between spending money and property wealth violated the state's obligation to provide equal protection and education -Court did not forbid use of property taxes to fund education -Full-funding programs: state sets same per-pupil expenditure level for all schools and districts -Level funding augmented by sales taxes, cigarette taxes, state lottery revenues, property taxes on second homes, and school-choice plans -Redistricting: redrawing district boundaries to reduce range of variation in ability of school districts to finance education •equalizes funding •reduces cost of maintenance •greater resources allow for broader curriculum

Privatization movement: umbrella term for reform initiatives that seek to run public schools as private enterprises St Paul City Academy first charter school (1992) Charter schools are independent, innovative, outcome-based, public schools -Must teach all students -Purpose to increase opportunities for learning create choice for parents and students provide system of accountability encourage innovative teaching practices create new professional opportunities for teachers encourage community and parent involvement leverage improved education broadly Shortcomings: -contribute to racial and ethnic isolation -less experienced and lower paid teachers -score no better than other students -not very innovative For-Profit Schools -more efficient -reduce costs -maximize student achievement

A school board is the stare agent. A school board is responsible for approaching teachers, administrators, and other school personnel hired by the superintendent; developing organizational and educational policies; determining procedures for evaluating programs and personnel.

In most communities school board members are elected in general elections, and in some urban areas the mayor selects board members. They typically serve a minimum of three to five years and their terms of office are usually staggered. School boards usually range form five to fifteen members with five or seven frequently suggested as the optimum size. Board members in urban area are paid, but in most other areas they are not. School board meetings are open to the public.

School boards play a critical role in the U.S., however they have been criticized for not seeking input from their communities, and not developing positive relationships with superintendents.

The community

a. Focus on student achievement. b. Allocate resources to needs, c. Watch the return on investment d. Use data and e. Engage the communities they serve

The superintendent

a. To serve as professional advisor to the board of education and to make policy recommendations for improving curricular and instructional programs b. To act as employer and supervisor of professional and non-teaching personnel (Janitors, cafeteria workers, etc.) c. To represent the schools in their relations with the community and to explain board of education policies to the community. d. To develop policies for the placement and transportation of students within the district. e. To prepare an annual school budget and adhere to the budget adopted by the school board.

a. A politician b. A manager c. And a teacher

Parents

A close working relationship with parents. Children whose parents or guardians support and encourage school activities have a definite advantage in school.

Through participation on school advisory and site-based councils, parents are making an important contribution to restructuring and school reform efforts around the county. Also through groups like PTS (Parent-teacher association, PTO (Parent teacher organization, or PAC (parent advisory council).

See Figure 6.3 in the book. (it's too confusing to type out)

a. Restructuring b. Other names: Shared governance, administrative decentralization, teacher empowerment, professionalization bottom-up policymaking, school based planning, school-based management, distributed leadership, and shared decision-making. c. This gives those who know students best the power to decide how to meet student needs.

School-based management (SBM)

a. Power and decisions formerly made by the superintendent and school board are delegated to teachers, principals, parents, community members, and students at local schools. At SBM schools, teachers can become involved directly in decisions about curriculum, textbooks, standards for student behavior, staff development, promotion and retention policies, teacher evaluation, school budgets, and the selection of teachers and administrators. b. At each school, a decision-making body (known as a board, cabinet, site-based team, or council) - made up of teachers, the principals and the parents - implements the SBM plan. c. SBM programs operate with the full support of the superintendent of schools.

City of Chicago Public Schools

In response to the Chicago Public Schools problems a 55-member committee of business, education, and community leaders developed a school reform proposal. Among their recommendation was a creation of the LSC for each of the city's more than 550 schools, with the majority of council members being being parents of schoolchildren.

The influence of the state.

a. Every state has statewide academic standards, and every state has mandated a standardized test to assess students' mastery of academic standards. b. 26 states require students to attain minimum scores on state assessments to graduate. c. More than 20 states give state boards of education the authority to intervene in academically "bankrupt" schools whose students score too low as a group.

a. Increased academic standards b. Greater accountability for teachers c. Testing students in teacher education programs prior to graduation d. Frequent assessments of students' mastery of basic skills e. Professional development as a criterion for continued employment of teachers f. Rectification of experienced teachers

a. The power to levy taxes for the support of schools and to determine state aid to local school districts. b. The power to set the curriculum and, in some states, to identify approved textbooks c. The power to determine minimum standards for teacher certification. d. The power to establish standards for accrediting schools e. The power to pass legislation necessary for the proper maintenance and support of schools.

a. The state legislature b. The state courts c. The governor

a. Establishing and maintaining public schools and for determining basic educational policies within the state. b. How the state boards of education will be selected and what their responsibilities will be c. How the chief state school officer will be selected and what his or her duties will be d. How the state department of education will function e. How the state will be divided into local and regional districts f. How higher education will be organized and financed g. How local school boards will be selected and what their powers will be

a. The state courts b. The state courts however must determine that this power does not conflict with the state constitution or the U.S. Constitution. c. The do not develop laws they only rule on the laws. d. KERA - Kentucky Education Reform Act

The governor

a. Governors can make educational budget recommendations to legislators and may elect to use any accumulated balances in the state treasury for education. b. They can also have a significant impact on matters related to curriculum and instruction within the state. c. NGA - National Governors' Association - active in education and school reforms.

State takeover

a. State board of Education b. Usually two separate boards - one for elementary through secondary education, the other for higher education.

a. Ensuring local school districts adhere to legislated educational policies, rules, and regulations. b. Setting standards for issuing and revoking teaching and administrative certificates c. Establishing standards for accrediting schools d. Managing state monies appropriated for education e. Developing and implementing a system for collecting educational data needed for reporting and program evaluation f. Advising the governor and/or the state legislature on educational issues g. Identifying both short - and long-range educational needs in the state and developing plans to meet those needs h. Hearing all disputes arising from the implementation of its educational policies.

By the State's department of Education under the leadership of the chief state school officer.

a. The federal government's Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1995 b. This act required that local applications for federal funds to be used for innovative programs and for the education of disadvantaged, disabled, bilingual, and migrant students first receive approval from state departments of education.

a. Certifying teachers b. Distributing state and federal funds to school districts c. Reporting to the public the condition of education within the state d. Ensuring that school districts adhere to state and federal guidelines e. Accrediting schools f. Monitoring student transportation and safety g. Sponsoring research and evaluation projects to improve education within the state

State Department of Education

Chief state school officer