Applied Sociology of Education (SOC
292)
Spring 2010
Dr. John S. Rice
SBS 208D; 910-962-7313; ricej@uncw.edu
Office Hours: MWF 11:30-12:30; R 2:00-3:15
If you would prefer a
PDF version of this syllabus, click here.
I. Course Description
This
course is organized as an exercise in Applied Sociology: that is, it will give
you practical experience in using sociological theory, concepts, and methods to
identify and define the nature, origins, and consequences of a real problem in
the community in which you live, and to design and implement a solution to that
problem. The approach we will take is designed to give you hands-on experience
in thinking and working as sociologists do when we are engaged in research. We
will begin with a social problem (one that we know is a problem because all of
the data tell us so); and proceed from there. The next paragraph explains this
approach in more detail.
The problem we will be
addressing is the long-standing and troubling disparity between and among
racial and ethnic groups in terms of their educational attainment/achievement
(aka, “the achievement gap”). Although this is a national issue, and we will
discuss some of the national implications and efforts, we will focus especially
on North Carolina and, even more especially, on New Hanover County and the gap
between black and white students. Our collective work will be divided between
class meetings on campus and participation, as tutors, in the Hillcrest Reading
Program. For the first 6-7 class meetings, we will meet on campus (in SBS 209,
from 4:00-5:00 p.m., MWF): Those initial meetings will be devoted to: (1)
identifying the nature (using key sociological theory and concepts in
the sociology of education) and scope of the problem; (2) examining what the
existing sociological and educational research tells us about why the problem
exists (its origins); and, (3) examining what the existing sociological
and educational research tells us about the consequences of the
achievement gap (i.e., what is the relationship between educational attainment
and what Max Weber referred to as a person’s “life chances”).
Armed with that information,
we will spend the rest of the semester focusing on the design of a program to
help improve educational outcomes, and on actually implementing that program.
II. Texts,
Grading and Course Requirements,
and “Learning Objectives”
A. Texts: As
part of our focus on examining the origins, nature, and consequences of this
problem, we will focus on some of the sociological factors contributing to the
problem. There are two required texts for the course, each of which addresses
one of the many variables associated with the achievement gap:
Amazing Grace,
by Jonathan Kozol. This book focuses on poverty and its devastating impact of
the educational and life chances of poor children. (Mr. Kozol, a
highly-distinguished writer on education and poverty in the United States, will
also be visiting UNCW on Monday, February 15th. You will be required
to attend his lecture [admission is free for UNCW students, but you should get
tickets ASAP]. There are also opportunities to be involved as volunteers to
help with the event, as ushers, at the book signing, etc.)
Ed School
Follies, by Rita Kramer. This
book focuses on teacher preparation programs, and the impact that teacher
training can have, for ill and for good, in confronting the achievement gap.
(There will also be additional readings assigned. These will
be on-line readings which can be easily accessed by using the hot links on the
on-line syllabus for this course.)
B. Grading and
Course Requirements: It will be possible to earn 100 points over the course of the semester, divided among the
following criteria:
Ø 25 points: Journal/Log (Must be typed and
submitted electronically, via email attachment.)
o In addition to the other course requirements, as
described below, one key goal of the class is to collectively write an article
documenting your experiences throughout the semester. (If we succeed in getting
it published, you will all be named as contributors.) Community-engaged
sociological research has become one of most important and fastest-growing
developments in the discipline; as such, chronicling our work together can make
a contribution in that area.
o Each Friday class, you will bring your journal entries
to our in-class meeting. I will read them over the weekend and return them to
you the following week. You will be expected to have daily entries recording
such things as:
§ Your impressions of Hillcrest (space; location;
community; residents)
§ Your thoughts about and interactions with your tutee
§ Her or his progress &/or problems with lessons;
state of mind and behaviors on that day (Be sure to make note of the lesson
your child starts on when tutoring begins)
§ How you spent your time together that day (other
than the lessons)
Ø 25 points: Tutoring & Attendance/Participation
o Attendance is mandatory (barring illness or
emergency). We have learned that an absolutely essential factor in the success
of the program is the relationship and bond that emerges between the tutors and
the children. They quickly come to count on their tutors being there for them.
The trust and social connection between tutor and child helps the children to
make important progress in learning to read.
§ If for some reason you cannot meet your tutoring
responsibility on a given day, you must contact either me or the onsite
coordinator (this semester, Jess MacDonald) to let us know.
§ The flip side to this is that sometimes the children
fail to show up for tutoring. This, I
know from first-hand experience, is frustrating for you, as well. If your child
does not show up on a particular day, stay at Hillcrest and help in any way you
can (observe other tutors; take field notes about what is happening on that day
[I’ll say more about this in class]; tutor a child whose tutor has not shown up
on that day; help with snacks, pickles, etc.)
Ø 30 points: Early-term essay exam and final essay
paper (15 points each)
o Because so much of the emphasis in this class is on applied
learning, it will not be a traditional testing arrangement (early exam,
mid-term, and final). We will focus on the two dominant theoretical approaches
and four of the most essential concepts in the sociology of education. Much of
your learning about the theory and concepts will occur in the first weeks of
the semester, before the reading program begins again on January 25th.
As such, your early-term exam will be due on January 29th.
(It will be a take-home exam, and I will distribute the exam on the 22nd,
the day of the tutor training,)
o The Final Essay Paper will be due on the last day of
class, Monday April 26th.
Ø 20 points: Assignments
o There will be a series of relatively short,
straightforward assignments, as identified on the course outline below. These
are designed to give you a clearer understanding of the steps involved in
identifying, designing, carrying-out, and evaluating the results of
sociological research.
C. “Learning Objectives”
By the end of the semester, students will understand and
have gained hands-on experience in:
Ø Identifying
a social problem on the basis of empirical data
Ø Using
sociological theory and concepts to formulate the nature of the problem
Ø Using the
sociological research base to examine the origins and the consequences of the
problem
Ø Using
sociological methods (in this course, experimental design) to both understand
and design a means of addressing the problem via a targeted intervention
program
Ø Gathering
pre- and post-test data to assess the efficacy of the intervention
III. Course Outline and Schedule of Events
|
Jan. 6 |
Introduction and Course Overview The
Problem Assignment 1:
Go to the NCDPI web site http://disag.ncpublicschools.org/2009/ ·
When prompted, select the
following options: o “School
System”: New Hanover County o “School”:
LEA o “Subject”:
Math and Reading Composite o “Grade”:
Composite, Grades 3 – 8 o “Type
of Assessment”: All ·
Create a pie chart that
visually summarizes the Percentage of Black and White, Female and Male
children scoring “At or Above Level III” for 2008-2009 Assignment 2:
Go to DPI link below. Read the overview of the problem of the achievement gap ·
http://www.ncpublicschools.org/racg/resources/strategies/movement/perspectives ·
http://www.rethinkingschools.org/archive/15_04/Race154.shtml
“Race & the Achievement Gap” Readings for
Jan. 8-11: Collins, "Functional & Conflict
Theories"; Coleman, “Schools” |
|
Jan. 8-11 |
Nature of the Problem Sociological Perspectives on Education and Status
Attainment ·
Conflict and Functionalist
Theories on Education ·
Four Central Concepts in
Sociology of Education o Human
Capital o Social
Capital Assignment
3: Complete online Institutional Review
Board Training. Go to the following site and follow the instructions. http://www.uncw.edu/orssp/conduct-human-training.html Readings for
Jan. 13-15: Blau
“Stratification”; Durkheim, Education |
|
Jan. 13-15 |
Sociological Perspectives on Education and Status
Attainment ·
Four Central Concepts in
Sociology of Education o Human
& Social Capital (cont’d) o Socialization o Stratification |
|
|
No Class
January 18th – Martin Luther King Day |
|
Jan. 20-22 |
Finish Four Central Concepts Tutor
Training, Watson School of Education
Auditorium |
|
Jan. 25-27 |
Tutoring Assignment 3:
In teams of 3-4, search research base (internet and electronic
databases; Do NOT use Wikipedia as a source), and find, for
each team, 3-4 (depending on the
number of team members; one each), empirically research-based articles on the
role of each of the following variables related to the achievement gap: Ø Family Ø Socio-economic
status Ø Race Ø School
Factors o Each
of you must read and summarize the key findings in the article you take on
(1-2 paragraphs, maximum) o You
each must provide a complete citation of the article you summarize Assignment 4:
Click on the following links, and, based on what you learn at each page,
answer the following questions: http://www.uncw.edu/wha/hillcrest/program.html Q1:
What are the five essential skills that non-readers must master to become
proficient readers? http://www.uncw.edu/wha/hillcrest/ResearchBaseforDIand100Easy.html
(then click on the link for (“Project Follow Through”) Q1:
What are the main features of Direct Instruction? Q2:
What was Project Follow Through? What was it for? What did it compare? (A
couple of paragraphs is sufficient) Q3:
What did Follow Through find, and how and why should those
findings guide policy and practice? |
|
Jan. 29 |
Origins & Consequences of
the Problem Designing/Implementing an
Intervention Effective Curriculum and Instruction Ø Guest:
Dr. Martin Kozloff, Professor of Sociology (at Boston University) and
Professor of Education (Watson Distinguished Professor), Watson School of Education,
UNCW (and Co-Founder, Hillcrest Reading Program) o Project
Follow Through o Direct
Instruction/100 Easy Lessons Ø Assignment 5: Based
on your readings and our first guest lecturer’s visit, submit a brief (1-2 pg.) design of a research/intervention
program that is best suited to positively contributing in some way to
closing, or at least narrowing, the achievement gap, focusing especially on
acquiring literacy skills. Specify: o What
program and program features will you select, and why? o Who
will be the population to whom you would offer the program and why? o How
will the program be structured? o Who
will you enlist to help you implement the program? o How
will you ensure that those helping you are qualified to do so? o What
material resources will you need to implement the program, and how will you
get those resources? o How
will you determine whether your program is effective? o To
whom will you seek to present the findings from your program? |
|
Feb. 1-3 |
Tutoring |
|
Feb. 5 |
Choosing a Research and Community Intervention
Methodology Ø Guest:
Dr. Kristen DeVall, Assistant Professor of Sociology and Research Team Member
(Statistical Analysis, among many other roles), Hillcrest Reading Program o The
Logic of Experimental Research Design o Methodology
and Analysis of Experimental Data Ø Assignment
6: Click on the following link and
answer the following questions http://www.uncw.edu/wha/hillcrest/FirstYearResults.html
(Then click “End of Year Testing”) Q1:
What are DIBELS? Q2:
Which DIBELS measures are used at Hillcrest? Q3:
Based on those measures, and relative to the specific benchmarks for each
test, was the first year of the Hillcrest Reading Program effective? Why/Why
not? Readings for
Feb. 8-12: Kozol, Chapters 1 and 2 |
|
Feb. 8-10 |
Tutoring |
|
Feb. 12 |
Pre-, Progress-, and Post-Testing Using DIBELS Ø Guest:
Eric Irizarry, Assistant Principal, Roger Bacon Academy & Co-Founder and Testing
Coordinator, Hillcrest Reading Program Human and Social Capital, Socialization and
Stratification (Revisited) Ø Discussion
of Kozol Reading for
Feb. 15-19: Kozol, Chapters 3 & 4 |
|
Feb. 15-17 |
Tutoring Required:
Attend Jonathan Kozol talk: Monday, the 15th, 7:00 p.m., Kenan
Auditorium (Tickets are free to students) Ø Assignment
7: In 2-4 typed, double-spaced pages,
write a brief summary of Kozol’s talk, focusing especially on the four
central concepts: i.e., how did his remarks address (illustrate/highlight)
the concepts of human and social capital, socialization, and stratification? |
|
Feb. 19 |
NO CLASS: Attending the Kozol talk will replace
class this week Readings for
Feb. 22-26: Kozol, Chapter 5 – end |
|
Feb. 22-24 |
T utoring |
|
Feb. 26 |
Human and Social Capital, Socialization and
Stratification (Revisited) Ø
Discussion of
Kozol Ø
The
Relationship Between Culture and Social Structure & Why it Matters o
Ideas Matter:
Assumptions About Human Nature & Their Impact on How We Think About
Teaching and Learning Readings for
Mar. 1-5: http://coreknowledge.org/CK/about/articles/Romancingthechild.htm;
Kramer, Chapters 1 – 4 Ø Assignment
8: In 2-4 typed, double-spaced pages,
write an essay that addresses the following points: o What
does Hirsch say are the key differences between Romantic and Classical
cultural orientations? o Which
orientation is most evident in Kramer’s summaries of teacher preparation
programs in the Northeast and Southeast? Give specific examples from Kramer
to support your answer. |
|
Mar. 1-3 |
Tutoring Readings for
March 15-19: Kramer, Chapters 5-11 |
|
Mar. 5 |
Professional Socialization: A New Dimension to Human
and Social Capital Ø Culture
and Teacher Preparation |
|
NO TUTORING
OR CLASS THE WEEK OF MARCH 6TH: HAVE A GREAT
SPRING BREAK! |
|
|
Mar. 15-17 |
Tutoring (Welcome Back!) |
|
Mar. 19 |
Professional Socialization: A New Dimension to Human
and Social Capital Ø Culture
and Teacher Preparation (cont’d) Readings for
March 22-26: Kramer, Chapters 12-15 |
|
Mar. 22-24 |
Tutoring |
|
Mar. 26 |
Professional Socialization: A New Dimension to
Human and Social Capital Ø Culture
and Teacher Preparation (cont’d) |
|
Mar. 29-31 |
Tutoring Readings for
April 5-9: http://conservablogs.com/joeenge/2007/07/23/don%E2%80%99t-practice-whole-language-on-my-kids-history-of-the-phonics-vs-whole-language-debate/ Whole
Language Debate in California, parts 1 and 2 |
|
NO CLASS
APRIL 2ND – STATE HOLIDAY |
|
|
April 5-7 |
Tutoring |
|
April 9 |
Culture and Teacher Preparation: The Rise of
“Whole Language” Readings for
April 12-16 http://www.u.arizona.edu/~kgoodman/Afterward.htm http://people.uncw.edu/kozloffm/goodman.html Ø Assignment
9: Read the articles linked above
(Goodman and Kozloff) and answer the following questions: o What
is the “false binary opposition” to which Kozloff refers? o What
three logical fallacies does Kozloff say underlie Goodman’s claims? o What
is the “fallacy of hasty generalization” that Kozloff argues defines
Goodman’s position? o What
does Kozloff mean by the logical fallacy of “affirming the consequent”? |
|
April 12-14 |
Tutoring |
|
April 16 |
Culture, Teacher Preparation, Human/Social Capital
and Socialization Ø Assignment
10: In 2-4 typed, double-spaced pages,
write an essay that addresses the following points: o How
are Hirsch’s observations about Romanticism in American culture (above) and
Kramer’s observations in Ed School Follies related: § To
Kozloff’s critique of Goodman and whole language § to
the professional socialization of teachers (focus on the roles of human and
social capital in the professional socialization process) § to
the rise of whole language (again, focus on human and social capital in
professional socialization) § to
the achievement gap |
|
April 19-21 |
Tutoring |
|
April 23 |
Video: “A Tale of Two Schools” |
|
April 26-28 |
Post-testing the kids Ø The
last two days we will combine tutoring, hanging out with the children and
DIBELS testing |
|
April 30 |
Last Day of Class: Dinner at Rice’s house Ø Turn
in journals Ø Summary
and Review Ø Get
final essay assignment Ø Enjoy
a meal and each other’s company |
|
|
|
