EDU 210.02
Foundations of US Education
(note: this syllabus is posted on the University Web Site)
Fall 2003
Instructor: Dr. Richard Reynolds Phone: (h) 423-5329
Office: Webb Hall, Room 152 (w) 465-5323
Class Meetings: 02: Webb Hall, Rm. 216 email: reynolds@easternct.edu
Office Hours: M: 11.00-4:00 p.m. Class Time: 02: T/R, 9.30-10.45 am.
T: 11.00-4.00 p.m.
R: 11.00-12.30 & 2.00-4.00 p.m.
or by appointment
Credit Hours: 3
Catalog Description: An introduction to US education through a study and analysis
of the historical, sociological, philosophical, ethical, legal, and financial
factors basic to the governance and practice of American education. Field experience
required. For Elementary, Secondary and Physical Education certification students.
Course Prerequisite: Sophomores. Because of the strong interdisciplinary nature
of this course, students are expected to have completed one or more of General
Education Requirement (Core) courses in such areas as U.S. History, Introductory
Philosophy, Sociology and Political Science.
Purpose of the Course: To provide students with knowledge of the philosophical
theories, historical circumstances, political influences and sociological elements
which have uniquely shaped the educational system and the governance and operation
of schools in America.
Course Objectives: By the end of the course students will:
1. Understand the discipline of education as it relates to schooling and the
profession of teaching.
2. Demonstrate a knowledge and critical understanding of the American Public
School System.
a. Know and understand the governance of schools at the local, state and federal
levels.
b. Understand how the organization of districts and schools has an impact on
the individual teacher.
c. Understand the rights and responsibilities of students, parents and teachers.
3. Understand and assess the impact of historical events and ideas on the practice
of education.
4. Develop and formulate his/her own philosophy of education based on the critical
evaluation of the major philosophical principles of education and thoughts of
distinguished educators.
5. Develop objectivity and sensitivity in understanding one's own society and
culture as well as the multicultural realities of the national and world community
as they relate to education.
6. Develop and demonstrate competency in autonomous critical analysis of educational
issues.
7. Instill in his/her life a sense of global awareness and a world view of the
purpose and practices of education.
Class Text: Newman, J. W. (2002) (4th ed.) America's Teachers. New York: Longman.
Suggested Texts and
References: Ballantyne, J. & Spade, J. (2001). School and Society. Belmont,
CA Wadsworth
Hlebowitsh, P. (2001) (2nd. ed.). Foundations of American Education. Belmont,
CA: Wadsworth.
Hlebowitsh, P. & Tellez, K. (1997) American Education: Purpose and Promise.
Belmont, CA: West/Wadsworth.
Johnson, J., Dupuis, V., Musial, D., Hall, G. & Gollnick, D. (1996) (10th.
ed.) Introduction to the Foundations of American Education. Boston, MA: Allyn
and Bacon.
Kozol, J .Death at an Early Age: The Destruction of the Hearts and Minds of
Negro children in the Boston Public Schools. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company,
1967.
Kozol, J .Savage Inequalities: Children in America's Schools. New York: Crown
Publishers Inc.,1991.
Levine, D. & Levine, R. (1996) (9th. ed.) Society & Education. Boston,
MA: Allyn & Bacon.
Lortie, D. C. Schoolteacher: A Sociological Study. Chicago: University of Chicago
Press,1975.
McNergney, R. & Herbert, J. (2001) (3nd. ed.) Foundations of Education.
Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon.
Morrison, G. (2003) (3rd. ed.) Teaching in America. Boston, MA: Allyn &
Bacon.
Ornstein, A. (2003) Teaching and Schooling in America, Boston, MA: Allyn &
Bacon.
Ornstein, A. & Levine, D. (1997) (6th. ed.) Foundations of Education. Boston,
MA: Houghton Mifflin.
Parkay, F. & Stanford, B. (1998) (4th. ed.) Becoming a Teacher. Boston,
MA: Allyn & Bacon.
Ryan, K. and Cooper, J. (2000) (9th. ed.) Those Who Can, Teach. Boston, MA:
Houghton Mifflin.
Sadkar, M.P. and Sadkar, M.D. (5th. ed.) (2000) Teachers, School and Society.
New York: Random House.
Spring, J. (2004) American Education. (11th. ed.) Boston, MA: McGraw Hill.
Travers, P. & Rebore, R. (2000) (4th. ed.) Foundations of Education. Boston,
MA: Allyn & Bacon; Bacon.
Education Journals
o Phi Delta Kappan
o Educational Leadership
o Journal of Teacher Education
Newspapers/News Magazines
o Education Week
o Hartford Courant
o New London Day, Norwich Bulletin, Manchester Journal Inquirer, East Hartford
Gazette, Willimantic Chronicle
Useful Web Sites: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD)
www.ascd.org
American Educational Research Association (AERA) www.aera.net
American Association of School Administrators (AASA) www.aasa.org
National School Board Association (NSBA) www.nsba.org
Connecticut State Department of Education (CSDE) www.state. ct. us/sde
U. S. Department of Education Office of Research www. ed. go v/ offices/0 ERI/Res
Ctr. htm1
Connecticut General Statutes (CGS) www. csinet. cts ta teu. edu/ sta tutes/
National newspapers www. ajr. news link. orglnews. html
Connecticut newspapers www. microzoo. com/ ctnews. html
Massachusetts newspapers www. microzoo. com/manews. Html
The Boston Globe www.boston.com
The New York Times www.nytimes.com
The Hartford Courant www.ctnow.com
The Washington Post www.washingtonpost.com
Phi Delta Kappa (PDK) www.pdkintl.org
Education Week www.edweek.org
Teachers College Record www.tcrecord.org
Sharp, Richard M. (2001). The Best Web Sites for Teachers, 2001
Course Outline: 1. Motivation for entering the teaching profession and the state
of the teacher job market Motives for teaching. Teacher satisfaction. The teacher
job market. The supply of teachers. The demand for teachers. Read Newman Ch.
1.
2. Earning a Living
Teachers' salaries. Comparisons with other occupations. Merit pay. The Accountability
Movement. Evaluation of Teachers. Career ladders. Newman Ch. 2.
3. Teacher training; Teacher competence
The traditional route to teaching. Undergraduate education. Non traditional
routes. Raising standards in teacher education. Teacher testing. Newman Ch.
3.
4. History of American Education
History is an interpretation of the past. Colonial education. The Common School
Reform. Liberal and Progressive school reform. Competition for control of the
schools. Newman Ch. 6.
5. Education and Philosophy
The "Why" questions. Basic philosophies: Idealism, Realism, Pragmatism,
Existentialism. Educational philosophies born of these basic positions: Perennialism,
Essentialism, Progressivism, Social Reconstructionism, Constructivism, Behaviorism.
Newman Ch. 7.
6. Sociology of Education
Social class structure. Ability grouping and tracking. Race and ethnicity. African-American,
Hispanic-American, Asian-American, native American students. Magnet schools.
Bilingual education. Gender, bias and Title IX. Newman Ch. 8.
7. The Governance and Finance of Education
LOCAL: Boards and Superintendents. The myth of local control. Demographics of
board membership. STATE: Governors, legislators, commissioners, boards and Departments
of Education. A many layered bureaucracy. FEDERAL: Federal money; Federal influence.
The changing emphases over the decades. National education goals. FINANCE: Local
property tax, State funds, lawsuits and reform. Newman Ch. 9.
8. Teacher Organizations
NEA and AFT. Collective bargaining. Strikes and political action. A teaching
profession? The new professional unionism. Professionalism, Feminism, Unionism
Newman Ch. 4.
9. Teachers' Rights and Responsibilities; Ethical Considerations
Contracts, tenure, dismissal. Teacher liability. Academic freedom and forms
of expression. Codes of Ethical Responsibility from NEA, AFT, Connecticut State
Department of Education. Newman Ch. 5.
10. Teachers and the Curriculum
“Back to Basics.” The Testing Phenomenon, The measurement-driven
Curriculum. The NAEP Alternative. Everybody gets a Report Card. A National Curriculum?
. Newman Ch. 11.
Attendance and An attendance check will be made for each class session. You
are
Participation: expected to be in attendance and to be punctual. If for some
reason you are unable to attend class, then I would appreciate knowing this
PRIOR to the event.
As future teachers, both punctuality and attendance will be required of you
and you, in turn, will require it of your students. Habits of punctuality and
regular attendance can be both learned and taught.
The attendance policy for this class allows for two unexplained/unexcused absence.
A third absence will occasion the loss of a grade from a student's final course
grade. A further grade will be deducted for each additional unexplained/unexcused
class absence.
Your participation in class will be judged in terms of your ability to answer
questions posed in the Chapter Reading Guides and your contribution to class
discussions. Please speak up, you are among friends!
Written
Assignments: A good deal of emphasis will be placed on written assignments.
To assist you in preparing your scripts the instructor will offer guidance during
class sessions and individual assistance.
As classroom practitioners you will serve both as models and instructors in
the use of written language. In neither role can you afford mistaken or 'sloppy'
usage.
NO LATE WRITTEN ASSIGNMENTS WILL BE ACCEPTED.
Lest you consider this stricture too harsh, consider the reasons why the vast
majority of requests are made for (time) extensions.
All written work submitted for correction should be typed. Typed papers should
be doubled spaced, 12 point font (23 lines/page) on standard 8 1/2" x 11"
paper with a one inch margin all round. Papers should be stapled. Please ensure
that your paper carries a title page on which your name, the course name and
number, the date and the title of the assignment are clearly marked.
Deductions will be made for grammatical and/or mechanical errors.
Keep in mind that copies of your written assignments should be kept for inclusion
in the Portfolio that you will be expected to put together as you complete your
certification program. It is suggested that you make the necessary corrections
to your script and keep ‘clean’ copies both on paper and on your
hard drive
A Pocket Style Manual (3rd ed.) (2000) by Diana Hacker may prove to be a useful
reference when checking for correct grammar and syntax.
Students with Disabilities: If you are a student with a disability and believe
you will need accommodations for this class, it is your responsibility to contact
the Office of AccessAbility Services at 465-5573. To avoid any delay in the
receipt of accommodations you should contact the Office as soon as possible.
Please note that I cannot provide accommodations based upon disability until
I have a letter from the Office of AccessAbility Services. Your cooperation
is appreciated.
Reading Guides: Reading Guides are provided for each chapter in the Newman text
and are designed to encourage you to focus and gain as much as possible from
the readings. These guides are posted on the university web site and are accessible
as follows:
Go to ECSU home page
click Faculty and Staff
click Reynolds, Richard Education
click on the EDU 210 link
click on Reading Guides
Marking & Grading:
General Participation 30 points
First set of Assignments 60 points
Second set of Assignments 90 points
In class quizzes 60 points
Final 60 points
-------------
TOTAL 300 points
Your total mark will be converted to a % score and grades will be awarded as
follows:
92% - 100% A
88% - 91% A-
84% - 87% B+
80% - 83% B
76% - 79% B-
72% - 75% C+
68% - 71% C
64% - 67% C-
62% - 63% D+
60% - 61% D
EDU 210.02
Fall, 2003
SCHEDULE OF CLASSES
T/R: 9.30-10.45 p.m.
Week
1 September 2
4
2 9
11
3 16
18
4 23
25
5 30
October 2
6 7
9
7 14
16
8 21 First set of assignments due
23
9 28
30 no class
10 November 4
6
11 11
13
12 18
20
13 25
27 Thanksgiving
14 December 2
4
15 9 Second set of assignments due
11 Last day of class
16 18 Final 210.01 9-11 am.