Chapter 2
What Is a School and What Is It For?
Multiple Choice
1.	Which of the following is the best definition of education, according to the text? Education is
a.	technical proficiency that allows one to maneuver throughout the world.
b.	a continual growth process whereby a person gains greater understanding of himself or herself and the world.
c.	extensive knowledge of several discrete areas that allows one to become a productive member of society.
d.	a formal process of instruction and learning by which one learns to read, write, compute, problem-solve, and think critically about issues.
ANS:  b
2.	Schooling is most generally defined as
a.	a process of human growth that leads to greater self-control.
b.	a formal arrangement designed so that students will achieve their creative potential.
c.	a specific, formalized process aimed mostly at the young.
d.	an experience over a set period of time spent in an institution.
ANS:  c
3.	Social reconstructionists believe that
a.	the world is fine as it is.
b.	the young are agents of change.
c.	everyone should learn about the nation's culture in the same way.
d.	the wisdom of the past is very important.
ANS:  b
4.	In the model of school as a transmitter of culture, schools
a.	train students to be change agents.
b.	emphasize specific subject matter content.
c.	ensure that the young know and appreciate the dominant ideas and values of their society's culture.
d.	help students to critique their society's culture.
ANS:  c
5.	Paulo Freire was a(n)
a.	acculturist.
b.	social reconstructionist.
c.	economic reconstructionist.
d.	globalist.
ANS:  c
6.	Jacques Barzun preferred the following purposes of schools:
a.	social purposes.
b.	intellectual purposes.
c.	economic purposes.
d.	political and civic purposes.
ANS:  b
7.	Hildi has selected her courses for the academic year, but after one week she finds that two of the courses do not interest her. She plans a meeting with her guidance counselor to rearrange her schedule. If this school is accurately represented by the shopping mall model, her guidance counselor will most likely
a.	provide her with a series of forms to fill out and steps to complete so that her registration will be accurate.
b.	tell her that it is a poor habit to switch courses so early in the year; she should learn to apply herself and develop good work habits for the future.
c.	show her the course listings of numerous other courses available at her requested times and sign her drop-add sheet to expedite the process.
d.	encourage her to take courses that will best further her goals.
ANS:  c
8.	Reid Conrad firmly believes that the purpose of schools is to transmit dominant American culture. What might he do in class to further his educational goals?
a.	Emphasize the benefits of competition and consistently reward students who perform better than their classmates.
b.	Take his students on field trips to museums, theaters, and music halls.
c.	Frequently tell students that they must create their own meaning and search for their purpose in life.
d.	Emphasize cooperative learning and peer tutoring.
ANS:  a
9.	One drawback of using schools as vehicles for cultural transmission is that
a.	time limitations will prevent students from studying all the important works necessary for them to understand the culture.
b.	students may then not be able to recognize the merits of any other culture besides the dominant one of their society.
c.	teachers cannot both prepare students to go to college and impart the benefit of the culture to the students.
d.	schools have achieved limited success in cultural transmission.
ANS:  b
10.	Juan believes that schools can help students become actively involved in alleviating the problem of homelessness. Juan personifies the view of
a.	cultural transmission.
b.	human development education.
c.	social reconstructionism.
d.	the acculturator model of schooling.
ANS:  c
11.	Which of the following would an educator who is a democratic reconstructionist support?
a.	Student involvement in local government with the expressed intention of maintaining the security and the stability of the status quo
b.	The perspective that social problems are best solved by government officials whom citizens select
c.	Students single-mindedly preparing for their own individual success
d.	The notion that change happens most effectively when citizens are actively involved as change agents
ANS:  d
12.	Socialization is an important element of schooling. As a result of socialization, children learn how to
a.	succeed academically.
b.	become acceptable members of society.
c.	pursue their own interests.
d.	become more popular.
ANS:  b
13.	In his study, Philip Jackson noted that teachers engage in hundreds of interchanges a day. He found that most of these interchanges involved
a.	the teacher directing and controlling the discussion.
b.	the teacher sharing responsibility for the flow of the discussion with selected students.
c.	the teacher speaking to colleagues and administrators.
d.	the teacher seeking information from the students.
ANS:  a
14.	What could one reasonably conclude from Jackson's observations of elementary classrooms?
a.	The structure of the elementary classroom requires students to develop self-restraint and patience.
b.	Elementary classrooms are structured to fulfill the needs of every child.
c.	Classrooms are designed to make children resourceful with their time.
d.	The elementary classroom structure caters to precocious children, generally ignoring the particular needs of the other children.
ANS:  a
15.	A consistent similarity shared among schools teaching students in the middle school grades is that
a.	teachers work in teams, sharing the same body of students.
b.	those who teach students in grades fifth through eighth emphasize their students' personal growth and developmental issues.
c.	staffing for schools serving students in the middle grades is overwhelmingly departmentalized.
d.	few consistent similarities exist; the schools vary widely based on the grades included in the school and the goals of the administration.
ANS:  d
16.	Research has shown that each of the following school characteristics are influenced by the grade configuration of the middle school except
a.	school goals.
b.	course offerings.
c.	instructional practices.
d.	school size.
ANS:  d
17.	Which type of student would be most likely to be left out of consideration in the shopping mall high school?
a.	Barbara entered high school placed in the general studies track. However, after her sophomore year, she was able to switch rather easily into the college preparatory track upon the advice and encouragement of several of her teachers.
b.	Keisha is in the academic track at high school and wants to go to college. She consults with her friends about which courses to take rather than consulting with her guidance counselor or a teacher.
c.	Ellen is in the general studies track. Her teachers are well equipped to teach but are uninterested in the students in the general-level courses.
d.	Juanita wants to become a graphic designer.  Her counselor recommends vocational courses in graphic arts and design at the technical center.
ANS:  c
18.	Which of the following does not contribute to effective schools?
a.	High teacher expectations for all students
b.	Teacher autonomy and isolated practice
c.	Faculties with high degrees of task orientation
d.	High degree of academic engaged time
ANS:  b
19.	According to The Shopping Mall High School, how do many teachers deal with classroom management?
a.	They strictly monitor their classes, ruling with an iron fist.
b.	They make tacit agreements with their students that neither will push the other too hard.
c.	They have little classroom management. The students rule the classes.
d.	They provide, for the most part, engaging lessons with plenty of student involvement so that there is little time for students to become bored or distracted.
ANS:  b
20.	According to the authors of The Shopping Mall High School, average high school students
a.	are encouraged to achieve.
b.	enjoy a variety of school options.
c.	are ignored and poorly served.
d.	embody the lively spirit of the “mall.”
ANS:  c
21.	Among the characteristics of schools with records of great success in academics are
a.	high teacher expectations, strong instructional leadership, and orderly environments.
b.	strict rule enforcements, high levels of funding, and enthusiastic teachers.
c.	low-key teacher ambitions, a cooperative administration, and good textbooks.
d.	supportive parents, strict rules, and few extracurricular activities.
ANS:  a
22.	The characteristics of teachers in effective schools include
a.	high student expectations, methods focusing on individualization, and safe environment.
b.	a high percentage of academic engaged time, effective communication with the principal, and an orderly environment.
c.	high task orientation, high rates of parent participation, and principals as instructional leaders.
d.	high expectations of students, communication among teachers, and effective behavior management skills.
ANS:  d

Short Answer
23.	What purposes of schooling did Thomas Jefferson strongly support and why?
ANS:  (suggested answer)       Thomas Jefferson hoped that American schooling would help the infant nation become strong and unique (i.e., not a set of people who came over from England, but a unique nation). He thought schools could help people learn to govern themselves wisely and justly, so he favored the political and civic purposes of schooling.
24.	Explain curriculum as a “social bet.”
ANS:  (suggested answer)       What is taught in schools is what the older generation thinks the young will need in order to live well by the time they grow up. Because no one KNOWS exactly what is needed in the future, this is called a “social bet”–one's best guess of what will be needed for success in the future.
25.	The authors of The Shopping Mall High School conclude that "average” students are basically left to their own devices in high schools. Apparently such students are benignly ignored, by teachers and administrators alike. If this is, in fact, a common phenomenon among high schools, what does this mean for the quality of education that these students are receiving?
ANS:  (suggested answer)       The quality of education is most likely mediocre. Teachers negotiate a peaceful coexistence with these students in which each group causes little difficulty for the other. These students are not receiving a challenging or demanding education and are consequently not learning to their potential. The potential for a large segment of the population to be minimally educated with little motivation or drive is significant.
26.	Describe two characteristics of a school that is effective in promoting achievement measured in traditional terms.
ANS:  (suggested answer)       Criteria include high expectations of student success, high task orientation, lots of academic engaged time, good behavior management, strong instructional leadership from the principal, effective collaboration with parents, and a safe and orderly school environment. Students should identify and describe two of these criteria clearly.

Essay
27.	Explain the distinction made in this chapter between education and schooling. Give some examples of each. Describe the limitations of schooling, and explain its advantage over less formal types of education.
ANS:  (suggested answer)       The broad term education refers to the process of human growth by which one gains greater control over oneself and one's world. Education involves mind, body, and relations with others and with the world. Its end is learning. The term schooling refers to the specific, formal process by which one gains certain limited bits of knowledge. Schooling is more reliable in transmitting essential content and skills than is education, which is less formal. Education can include many experiences that lead to learning. Schooling usually involves enrolling for credit and following the course set by a teacher.
28.	Schools have been defined as socialization agents that can teach children to be compliant, competitive, creative, cooperative, or curious. Define socialization, and give examples of school routines or practices that might nurture the development of the traits just listed.
ANS:  (suggested answer)       Socialization is the general process of social learning whereby a person learns what must be known in order to be an acceptable member of society and learns what rules must be followed and how to follow them. Compliance can be nurtured by offering rewards to children who follow rules and cooperate with orderly behavior.       Competitiveness is nurtured by grading or recognition systems that honor students at the top only, rather than all who meet the standard of excellence. Creativity is nurtured in activities that call for divergent thinking and brainstorming. Cooperation is nurtured by reward systems or task structures that are most productive when students help each other. Curiosity is nurtured by lessons that end with questions, by research activities, and by attention to critical thinking.