Course:EDCP562/Chapter 5
Introduction
• “There exists no perfect, universal structure for a school or classroom.”
Allure of the technical fix
“Behind every technical fix, in fact, are cultural norms that make the fix seem sensible.”
• year-round-schooling
• Distance Ed.
• Age-graded classrooms
• Grade retention
• Gifted pull-out programs
• Tracking
• Serving special needs
• ESL
• School choice
• Small and large schools
Pull of policy Norms
• Efficiency, choice, and meritocracy are the three main norms that are constantly being used to justify policy.
• The division of the schools was based on efficiency, elementary, middle and high school.
• Also year round schooling and distance education.
• “It would be inefficient to educate a diverse group of children in the same classroom”. P.93
Persistent politics of stratification
• The parents that are schooled themselves tend to have more say as to where their child will attend school. More parents are looking at class size, school location and materials that the school has.
The loose connection between structural and instructional change
• Changing the size of a school or the number of students in a classroom does not ensure that it will be a better education.