EDUCATION REFORM
Analyzing and evaluating proposals for fixing America's schools
The United States was the first country to proclaim that all children have a right to basic education. Although just one in ten children attended school in pre-revolutionary America, by the mid 19th century, most Americans had access to free public elementary and secondary schools. Throughout history, high expectations for what a good educational system could accomplish have been tempered by concerns about the quality and fairness of our nation’s schools.
Today, there are almost as many ideas about how to reform the United States' education system as there are people in the United States. Reformers address a wide range of issues: teacher evaluation, standardized testing, school choice, funding, and cultural attitudes toward education. Critics propose different strategies to make the system fairer, more efficient, more challenging, more accessible, or more relevant. Since the inception of the United States' public school system, however, people have contended that our education system can be better. This module will afford you the opportunity to analyze and evaluate proposed school reforms.
The learning targets for this unit are:
Today, there are almost as many ideas about how to reform the United States' education system as there are people in the United States. Reformers address a wide range of issues: teacher evaluation, standardized testing, school choice, funding, and cultural attitudes toward education. Critics propose different strategies to make the system fairer, more efficient, more challenging, more accessible, or more relevant. Since the inception of the United States' public school system, however, people have contended that our education system can be better. This module will afford you the opportunity to analyze and evaluate proposed school reforms.
The learning targets for this unit are:
- Read and comprehend complex information texts independently and proficiently (Power Objective #2)
- Write arguments (Power Objective #3)
- Initiate or or participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (Power Objective #6)
- Define the meaning of unknown words (Power Objective #8)
- Analyze issues through the critical use of credible sources (Power Objective #14)
- Engage in societal problems and contribute to the common good (Power Objective #15)
Lesson One |
Lesson TwoWaiting for Superman
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Lesson Three |
Lesson FourWorld Children's Day
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