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FINDING 3 JIGSAW ((What is Elite Boarding School? Gaztambide- Fernandez…

- - - - "Yet, it is important to remember that just because a school has an impressive record of sending students to elite colleges or just because two thirds of its families make more money than the large majority of the population does not make it an elite boarding school." (Gaztambide-Fernandez, 2009, p.22)
    - - Scholastically Elite
        
        “The curriculum offered by elite boarding schools is not a response to state mandates or policies developed by economists or politicians. Rather, it is negotiated between the educators who deliver the curriculum, the expectations of parents who pay the high tuition, the demands of students who take the courses, and - of course - the requirements of elite colleges and universities that expect to admit students with particular academic background” (Fernández 2009 p.1102).
        
        “To satisfy these goals, elite boarding schools offer sophisticated courses of study, and students are able to choose from a wide range of offerings in a diversity of disciplines.” (Gaztambide-Fernández, 2009, 1101)
      - Demographically Elite
        
        "While there is no doubt that these measures of achievement are wrought with inadequacies, these are the indicators that elite boarding schools use to determine the academic aptitude of their students, and they are therefore an important status marker” (Gaztambide-Fernández, 2009, 1110)
      - Geographically Elite
        
        “Parents preferred that their sons be educated in a pristine rural environment rather than in the city. In a rural environment their children would be far removed from the contaminating aspects of city life, including the dangerous habits and ideas of working-class children whom they were likely to meet on their way to and from school.” (Gaztambide-Fernández, 2009, 1108)
      - Typologically Elite
        
        6 characteristics along independent schools
        
        self-governance, self-support, self-defined curriculum, self-selected students, self-selected faculty, and small size
      - Historically Elite
        
        "it can also be argued that elite boarding schools share a history that points to their expansion along with the public school system that is premised on their elite status defined by their wealth of social, cultural, and economic capital” (Gaztambide-Fernández, 2009, 1107)
        
        “ only wealth and social connections can explain the spread and success of elite boarding schools” (Fernández 2009 p.1107).
      - Independent and self selected communities
        
        Average of 543 Students
    - - • The curriculum offered by elite boarding schools is not a response to state mandates or policies developed by economists or politicians. Rather, it is negotiated between the educators who deliver the curriculum, the expectations of parents who pay the high tuition, the demands of students who take the courses, and - of course - the requirements of elite colleges and universities that expect to admit students with particular academic backgrounds
        
        Parents and students have a large part in the education that they receive
      - • What makes elite boarding schools scholastically elite is also the whole range of opportunities in areas like athletics, the arts, and extracurricular activities. These schools do not typically subsume athletic and artistic opportunities as extracurricular activities. Rather, students are expected to engage in both the arts and sports as a fundamental part of their educational experience
        
        A diverse option of classes, you'll find something for every student
      - • Most elite boarding schools today still offer a curriculum that mirrors the early academics, at least in their commitment to both classical and English approaches to the curriculum.
      - “Although Americans were ambivalent about the classic curriculum that was the model of early academies, they also realized the symbolic power that such skills had and retained the belief that these skills were important
    - - “the prep school tradition must always be considered in the context of such privilege and in relation to the social system that encourages the gross inequality that these schools represent“ (Fernández 2009 p.1111).
      - “Powell largely ignores privilege in his analysis. Instead, he draws a distinction between understanding "the education that privileged schools provide" and "the social system that permits independent schools to exist” (Fernández 2009 p.1111).
  - - - Public
        
        “Charter schools are public schools with a special charter granted to a lay board of directors. They are, however, a hybrid form. Charter schools are ‘released from compliance with many local and state regulations ... [o]n the assumption that over-regulation of traditional schools has stultified educational innovation and responsiveness’.” (Ford, 2005, 23)
        
        “The late Mr. Shankar’s previous endorsement notwithstanding (and for all the reasons noted), the results were that, statistically, charters did not do as well as public schools. ‘The data shows fourth graders attending charter schools performing about half a year behind students in both reading and math.’[65] This finding held up when the data was disaggregated.” (Ford, 2005,25)
        
        This quote shows how statistically charter schools had significantly were doing worse than public schools academically possibly due to underfunding of charter schools. With charter schools being a year and a half behind students who attend public schools that is concerning, something should be done about it. No matter where you go to school every student should have the same educational opportunities
      - Private
        
        “In other words, it is assumed that there are great problems that the schools are fated not to solve, and ‘that the phrase “high standards” by definition refers to standards that everyone won’t be able to meet’.[56] While the initial acceptance of the ‘Texas Miracle’ may indicate that the press and public’s credulity is not to be underestimated, the point stands nonetheless. Standards are not always what they purport to be, often as not they are a stalking horse for privatization.” (Ford, 2005, 25)
        
        The author did explain how there is much debate between public and private charter schools and the differences between them. How there are state laws of charter schools not being able to become a private school even though most of their funding comes from investments rather than taxpayers.
    - - Charter Schools: •
        “Although charter school laws vary considerably by state, all laws attempt to incorporate elements of flexibility and accountability. In exchange for considerable flexibility in operation and design of curriculum, pedagogy, and other aspects of running a school, charter operators agree to uphold certain standards of accountability through a written contract with an authorizing body. Similar to magnet schools, public money supports charters,” (Shober, Manna, & Witte, 2006, p. 567).
      - Accountability
        
        Too much accountability can lead to not enough flexibility that is needed by the teachers to meet the students needs
        
        Charter schools often operate within the same accountability of public schools
        
        Since charter schools are public institutions that rely on tax dollars, they must remain accountable to to the political community not just the students and families that they serve.
      - Flexibility
      - Traditional public schools can often become charter schools so they can adopt more innovative educational programs
        
        NCLB incorporates option to convert to charter status for traditional public schools that fail to meet yearly progress targets.
- - - - The High School Dropout Problem
        
        High School Graduates and the Transition to Work
        
        Unprepared College Students
        
        The Importance of Non-College Careers
        
        What Employers Really Want
        
        The Promise of CTE
        
        1 more item...
        
        Employers value academic skills, but they also place great value on job specific and experience specific skills.
        
        "Only 21% of jobs require a bachelor's degree or higher" (Cohen, 2007, p.7)
        
        Students enter college because it's socially acceptable, not because they want to or are prepared to do so.
        
        The relationship between factors at home and what students can be taught can affect the drop out rates by helping students get engaged in school.
    - - History
        
        “CTE, originally known as “vocational education,” or “voc ed,” arose in response to the need for skilled workers in manufacturing industries and the entry of working-class students into high school” (Cohen, 2004, p. 15).
        
        Current Programs
        
        “In 1998, about 25 percent of high school graduates completed three or more credits in a single vocational area, which is the Department of Education’s definition of concentration in vocational education” (25).
        
        “The specific labor market preparation categories used by NCES are agriculture and renewable resources, business, marketing and distribution, health care, public and protective services, trade and industry, technology and communications, personal and other services, food service and hospitality, child care and education, and “unidentified subject.””(Cohen, 2004, p. 23)
        
        Public Attitudes
        
        “Despite the desire of most parents that their children go to college, a majority of the public seems to believe that too many unqualified students are entering four-year institutions” (30).
        
        “In Oregon, a 1995 poll showed that 56 percent of the general public and 53 percent of parents agreed that high school students should be ‘divided into a college-bound track and a professional-vocational track’” (28).
        
        CTE in Other Countries
        
        "It is instructive to look at the experience of European systems and Japan, which have been much more rigidly “tracked” than the American system. "(36)
- - - - “This challenge, however, goes far beyond the specialized world of selective high schools. It's evident from multiple studies that our K-12 education system overall is doing a mediocre job of serving its "gifted and talented" youngsters and is paying too little attention to creating appealing and viable opportunities for advanced learning." (Finn. 2012, p. 16)
      - • “The schools’ principals hailed from various backgrounds. As a group, however, they exhibited traits that one would expect of leaders of successful high schools that in some cases are the pride of their communities and in every case are closely watched: extraordinarily dedicated and hard-working individuals who are also politically astute.” (Finn and Hockett, 2012, p. 12)
      - • “The term "exam school" typically refers to schools that admit applicants mainly on the basis of their scores on entrance exams developed by the school itself.” (Finn, 2012, p. 11)
        
        • “That a private school-quality education at parents strongly believe the schools provide safety (physical, emotional, intellectual), short- and long-term academic and career opportunities, and social benefits for their children will likely go a long way toward ensuring the survival of the schools, if not their expansion or replication.” (Finn, 2012, p. 14)
      - "Some school officials are uneasy about the practice of selectivity, given possible allegations of "elitism" and anxiety over pupil diversity. (Finn, Pg. 10)
        
        The schools actually rely on the applicants' prior school performance and test scores.
        
        "Some schools, we expected, would enroll many Asian American youngsters, but we were struck when they turned out to comprise 21 percent of the schools' total enrollment, though they make up only 5 percent of high schools. More striking still: African Americans are also "overrepresented" in these schools, comprising 30 percent of enrollments versus 17 percent in the larger high-school population." (Finn, Pg. 10)
        
        Many exam schools qualify as racially imbalanced.
      - • “At a time when American education is striving to customize its offerings to students' interests and needs, and to afford families more choices among schools and education programs, the market is pointing to the skimpy supply of schools of this kind.” (Finn, 2012, p. 16)
      - “Behavior problems (save for cheating and plagiarism) were minimal and students attended regularly, often even when ill. The kids wanted to be there and were motivated to succeed” (10).
        
        the kids were focused on their grades and how well they do in school and don't feel the need to copy others work just to finish their work on time
        
        they are there to learn
      - “Nearly two-thirds of those surveyed accept fewer than half of their applicants. About one-quarter also reported rising numbers of applications in recent years, perhaps due to media attention, awards, school performance, population growth, and the closing of underperforming schools in the area” (9-10).
        
        it's not a private school, yet they still have to take tests to be accepted.
      - “The schools we visited were serious, purposeful places: competitive but supportive, energized yet calm. Behavior problems (save for cheating and plagiarism) were minimal and students attended regularly, often even when ill. The kids wanted to be there, and were motivated to succeed." (Finn, 2012, p. 10)
      - • “A handful of responding schools said either that they are not required to hire teachers with state certification, or that other credentials (e.g., PhD in relevant field) preempt certification, at least for several years. In general, however, routine regulations and contract provisions prevail. We were struck by how few schools reported explicit freedom from them. Principals did say, however, that they could usually “work things out” as needed.” (Finn and Hockett, 2012, p. 13)