The Experts: Redefining Democracy

 

I. Early decades of 20th C. = Many reforms. All shared key characteristics

II. The New Role of the Schools: to be “Modern”

          A. But modern meant different things

          B. Key was how to differentiate

          C. Enter junior high school (spread rapidly after 1910)

III. Redefining Democracy

A. Requiring everyone to take an academic (college-prep) curriculum was “elitist”

          B. Key themes

1.  “Development courses”

2. Immigrants

3. Experts

          C. Data do not match the reformers’ claims

II. Making their case

A. The School Survey Movement: to increase the cost-effectiveness and efficiency of school practices

B. Survey & study schools (surveyors were progressive reformers)

C. Unanimous recommendations

III. Education for African-American Children

A. “Negro Education”: 1917 report

B. Roundly criticized by WEB DuBois

IV. Despite criticisms (the classicists & liberal ed advocates), Commission on Reorganization of Secondary Education (NEA)

          A. The New Goals of a High School Education

1. Unlike Committee of Ten:  dominated by educational experts & professors

2. Three reasons, CRSE said, that high school curriculum needed to change

a. social and economic trends (esp. industrialization)

b. Student bodies were becoming larger and more diverse

c. “Advances” in educational psychology

B. Identified seven objectives for secondary education

C. CRSE also endorsed junior high school, so 12-13 yr olds can explore future vocation

D. Overall aim: socialization & social efficiency

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