Answer Key about Schools Part 2

61. Under current federal law, children with learning disabilities must be: A) mainstreamed whenever possible. B) educated by tutors at home. C) enrolled in special schools. D) placed in after-school “catch-up” programs. Answer: A 62. Which adolescent would be expected to have the most positive academic self-concept? A) Anne Marie, a gifted student who takes special classes for gifted students B) Claudia Jean, a gifted student who is integrated into the regular classroom C) Patricia, a student with a learning disability who is integrated into the regular classroom D) Cassie, a student with a learning disability who takes special education classes with other learning disabled students Answer: B 63. Susannah’s school psychologist has recently determined that Susannah has a learning disability. Her parents are concerned about the effects this will have. Which effect should the psychologist warn her parents about? A) Susannah may have trouble making friends. B) She is more likely to drop out of school. C) She will have more trouble coping with school. D) All of the above Answer: D 64. By the 1960s, after Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, schools were called on to: A) offer more courses in math and science. B) implement desegregation programs. C) provide opportunities for work-study programs. D) become more academically demanding. Answer: B 65. Samantha attends a public school that has a great deal of freedom to set its own curriculum. This type of school is referred to as what in your text? A) public school B) private school C) parochial school D) charter school Answer: D 66. As a follow-up to the Supreme Court rulings in Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka (1954, 1955), in which the Court found that it was unconstitutional to maintain separate schools for children on the basis of race, the Supreme Court rule in 2007 that school districts may no longer: A) use race as a factor in deciding how to assign students to schools B) renew employment contracts with teachers who are written up for racial biasness in the classroom C) be fully funded if one ethnicity comprises more than 65% of the entire student body D) draw students from different neighborhoods (bus students to school). Answer: A 67. Beth attends a multiethnic school. Compared to schools that are less well balanced, Beth is most likely to feel: A) safer B) less lonely C) less harassed D) Beth is likely to feel all of the above. Answer: D 68. Kelly’s parents are disappointed with the education she is receiving in her public high school, so they have been investigating alternative options. Assuming Kelly’s parents are financially strapped but want to send her to a private school, which of the following should they do? A) obtain government-subsidized school vouchers to use for private school tuition B) send her to a less expensive inner-city public school C) refuse to send her to school at all D) tell her to make do with her current school situation Answer: A 69. According to the textbook, why do private school students academically outperform students at public schools? A) private school teachers are better trained and are generally better teachers than public school teachers B) teachers at private schools are more committed to the students than the teachers at private schools C) because of the characteristics of the students who attend private schools D) private schools have more rigorous lesson plans and are in school more days a year than public schools Answer: C 70. The recent, get-tough approach to dealing with violence in schools that has been hotly debated among researchers is known as: A) the total intolerance approach. B) the complete prevention approach. C) the zero-tolerance approach. D) the absolute zero approach. Answer: C 71. As discussed in your text, the major characteristics of good schools include all but which of the following? A) being integrated into the community (e.g., with local colleges or businesses) B) an emphasis on intellectual activities C) emphasizing rote memorization and passive listening in classrooms D) employing committed teachers and giving them the freedom to plan their curricula Answer: C 72. According to the textbook, which of the following explanations support why some researchers believe the availability of private schools in urban areas has contributed to racial segregation? A) many White students who would otherwise attend their neighborhood public school attend private school instead B) many White teachers choose to work at private schools C) there are no regulations prohibiting private schools from using ethnicity in admission decisions D) Black families have negative stereotypes about private schools. Answer: A 73. All of the following are factors associated with higher performance of students as a result of the social capital in Catholic schools relative to other schools, except: A) close links between the schools and the students’ families. B) more discipline. C) more homework. D) better use of academic tracking. Answer: D 74. Which of the following is most important in influencing adolescents’ learning and psychosocial development? A) school climate B) size of the school C) amount of money spent on extracurricular activities D) racial composition of the school Answer: A 75. Which aspect of the school climate is the least important in influencing psychosocial development during adolescence? A) class size B) teacher-student interactions C) use of classroom time D) standards and expectations Answer: A 76. Ms. Willingham sets high standards for her students but is very responsive to their needs. What type of teaching style is this characteristic of? A) autocratic B) authoritarian C) authoritative D) permissive Answer: C 77. What kind of family environment most closely resembles the optimal classroom environment? A) authoritarian B) authoritative C) indifferent D) autocratic Answer: B 78. Which of the following has the least effect on student achievement? A) families B) peer groups C) the classroom D) neighborhoods Answer: C 79. According to a national survey, how many students in American public schools have been victims of violence? A) 1 out of 4 B) 2 out of 4 C) 1 out of 40 D) 2 out of 40 Answer: A 80. With respect to violence in schools: A) the number of school shootings has been steadily increasing since the 1990s. B) although there has been a decrease in the number of school shootings since the 1990s, there has been an increase in the number of student deaths as a result of school violence. C) homicide in schools involves primarily white students. D) school officials are becoming more skilled at identifying which students are most likely to be involved in school shootings. Answer: B 81. Which boy is most likely to commit an act of lethal violence? A) Mitchell, who has mental health problems B) Miguel, who has easy access to guns C) Martin, who has recently dropped out of school D) It is virtually impossible to predict which student will commit a lethal crime. Answer: D 82. Research has shown that teachers tend to favor high-achieving students by providing extra cues for answers and more positive nonverbal behaviors than for lower-achieving students. Such evidence provides support for the notion that teachers’ expectations may contribute to: A) superior performance of lower-achieving students. B) better performance of all students. C) lower performance of all students. D) the self-fulfilling prophecy. Answer: D 83. One potential explanation for the finding that gifted students who are integrated into regular classrooms have more positive academic self-conceptions than those in special classes is: A) the standing-on-the-shoulders-of-giants effect. B) the big-fish--little pond effect. C) the upward-social-comparison effect. D) the bird-in-the-hand effect. Answer: B 84. Kerry and Kristie’s teacher accidentally got their test scores mixed up and mistakenly thought that Kerry was the more intelligent of the two girls. At the end of the year, her records demonstrated that, indeed, Kerry had gained more and performed at a higher level than Kristie. This is best thought of as an example of: A) goodness-of-fit. B) the self-fulfilling prophecy. C) mainstreaming. D) higher-order thinking. Answer: B 85. The extent to which students are psychologically committed to learning and mastering the material rather than simply completing the assigned work is called: A) self-fulfilling prophecy. B) student engagement. C) tracking. D) desegregation. Answer: B 86. Generalizing from the text, who would benefit most from summer school? A) Ron, an adolescent living in a low SES neighborhood B) Bill, an adolescent living in a high SES neighborhood C) both Ron and Bill D) neither Ron nor Bill Answer: A 87. Today, approximately _____ of high school graduates enroll in college immediately after graduation. A) three-fourth B) one-third C) one-half D) two-thirds Answer: D 88. What two dominant characteristics distinguish the development of postsecondary education in contemporary America from that in other parts of the world? A) diversity and accommodation B) diversity and accessibility C) diplomacy and accessibility D) democracy and accommodation Answer: B 89. Based on the textbook, which of the following statements is NOT an accurate description of most other industrialized nations? A) postsecondary education is likely to be monopolized by monolithic public universities B) individuals are often separated into college- and non-college-bound tracks early in adolescence C) postsecondary education systems are composed of a wide variety of public and private two-and four-year institutions, some emphasizing a liberal arts education and others focusing more on technical, vocational, and pre-professional training D) all high school students are not housed in a comprehensive high school Answer: C 90. Of the students who enter college, what percent complete their degrees within six years? A) a little more than 20% B) fewer than 40% C) fewer than 60% D) just about 75% Answer: C 91. President George W. Bush’s 2002 mandate that all children, regardless of economic circumstance, achieve academic proficiency is called the: A) All Children Learn Together Act. B) Stay In Public School Act. C) No Child Left Behind Act. D) Teach The Test Act. Answer: C 92. Research suggests that creating “schools within schools” in larger high schools is associated with all except which of the following? A) the development of a more positive social environment B) inadvertently creating “schools” within the school that differ in their educational quality C) maintaining a more intimate emotional climate for students D) improving students’ mental and physical health outcomes Answer: D 93. What is the paradox of dropping out of school? A) Students who drop out are often more successful than students who graduate. B) Students who drop out are typically the ones who are most harmed by doing so. C) There is little correlation between later success in the workplace and finishing high school. D) Students who drop out develop a better sense of what life is all about. Answer: B 94. During the school year, the rate of academic progress was equal between students with higher socioeconomic status and disadvantaged students. During the summer months: A) higher socioeconomic students’ scores declined. B) disadvantaged students’ scores declined. C) Both high- and low-income students’ scores declined. D) Both high- and low-income students’ scores remained the same. Answer: B 95. According to adolescents, what is the best thing about school? A) learning new information B) being with friends C) interacting with the teachers D) participating in extracurricular activities Answer: B Essay 96. Tracking is an important and controversial issue in today’s classrooms. Define this issue and illustrate three reasons why this can be problematic. Answer: Tracking is the process of separating students of differing academic abilities into different levels of classes (e.g., high/advanced, normal/average, and low/remedial) within the same school. Some are identified as more challenging and rigorous and are reserved for students who are seen as being especially capable (e.g., the honors classes, advanced placement track classes). Three major problems have been associated with tracking in high schools. 1. Although some have argued that tracking students allows teachers to design lessons that match students’ actual abilities, others argue that students placed in the lower tracks or in low-ability groups within classrooms sometimes receive a markedly inferior (not just a different type of) education than those in the higher tracks or groups. 2. Being tracked also has an impact on an adolescent’s friendships—they tend to socialize with peers only from the same track or academic group. This can polarize the student body of a school and contribute to the development of different subcultures among the students that feel hostile toward one another. 3. Once a student is placed in a lower track, it is very difficult for the student to move up, and there have been research studies that suggest some placement into remedial tracks is racially or economically prejudiced. Additionally, middle-class and White students initially placed in lower tracks are more likely to be moved into higher ones Key Points a) Tracking is the process of separating students into different levels of classes within the same school. b) The problems exist most among the low-tracks or low-ability groups who may receive an inferior education, rather than just a different education. c) It is very difficult for students to move to a higher track once they have been placed, especially if they are an ethnic minority. d) Tracking can contribute to polarization of the students within a school, creating subcultures that do not overlap and may feel hostile toward one another. 97. One of your friends has a daughter who will be entering 7th grade next year at a new middle school. Your friend has heard that in general, students’ academic motivation, selfimage, and school grades all decrease as they leave elementary school and enter middle school. He wants to know why this might happen, and seeks your advice on what to expect and how to help his daughter through this transition. What do you tell him? Answer: Assure your friend that these changes are normal, and may be related to changes adolescents go through in puberty, or to differences in the way teachers grade, or to other issues the adolescents are going through as they move from familiar settings to larger, more anonymous schools. If it’s possible for him to decide which school his daughter should attend, he could look for schools that are divided into “schools within schools” (units of between 200 and 500 students) that help reduce students’ feelings of anonymity and that have close ties to the community in which they are located, as well as schools that hire teachers with special training in adolescent development. By talking with the teachers he can get a sense of their training, confidence in their teaching ability, dedication to teaching and their students, whether they hold cultural or gender stereotypes, and whether they encourage students to become actively engaged in their own education. With respect to his daughter, her transition will be easier if she has close friends who do well in school who are going to the same school with her. Assure him that generally the changes are temporary and that not all students experience them. He can especially help her if he has a good understanding of adolescent development and good parenting skills. Key Points a) Drops in motivation, grades, and self-image are normal when transitioning from elementary school to middle school or high school and are usually temporary. b) Schools with smaller units of students (200–500; “schools within schools”) reduce students’ feelings of anonymity, as do school with close ties to their community. c) Teachers with special training in adolescent development help adolescents make the transition to middle or junior high school. d) Teacher traits such as confidence in their teaching ability, dedication, lack of cultural and gender stereotypes, and ability to engage students help make the transition to middle or junior high school smoother for adolescents. e) Having close friends who do well in school helps ease the transition to middle or junior high school. f) Understanding adolescent development and good parenting skills helps parents assist their children with smooth transitions. 98. When it comes to school size, is bigger better? Discuss what you know about research on school size and extracurricular activity participation among high school students. Answer: According to research studies, students may benefit from attending smaller schools (ideal size: 600–900 students). Although large schools are able to offer a more diverse curriculum and a more varied range of extracurricular activities, the greater number of students attending large schools makes participation in school activities more difficult. In fact, the actual rates of participation in different activities are only half as high in large schools as in smaller schools. As such, in larger schools, students tend more often to be observers than participants in school activities. Students in small schools are more likely to feel needed, more likely to be placed in positions of leadership, and more likely to have had experiences that they feel have helped them to develop their skills and abilities. For academically marginal students, especially, large schools can be quite alienating. Some evidence also suggests that there is more inequality in students’ educational experiences in larger schools, where students may be sorted into tracks of differing quality. In small schools, in contrast, it is more likely that all students are exposed to the same curriculum, if only because the school cannot afford to offer more than one. Key Points a) Smaller schools are better than larger schools. b) Easier to participate. c) Lower ratios of interested students per activity. d) Students in smaller schools feel needed, have positions of leadership, and are better able to participate in extracurricular activities. 99. You’ve just received a frantic phone call from one of your cousins whose son will soon be “graduating” from elementary school. Your cousin has to make a decision about where to send the boy next year and, of course, wants him to have the best education possible— within her financial constraints. Knowing you are studying adolescent development, she asks you what type of school you think is best and asks about school vouchers, wondering if they could help defray the potential costs of private schooling. How can you help her? What advice would you give your cousin about where to send her son to school, based on research findings? Answer: Begin by telling your cousin that she has a choice of type of school, including public, private, and charter (independent public schools that may operate outside some state-imposed constraints). Education vouchers may be available to help defray the expense of sending her son to a private school, but she would have to check this out with her local school district, with her tax consultant or financial advisor, or with a state agency. So far, evaluations of charter schools, privatization, and school vouchers have not provided consistent evidence that would favor one school type over any of the others. More important than type of school, however, is that the public school system in her area may be superior to the others as school quality is known to vary widely even in the same geographical area. Instead of worrying too much about school type, you advise her to check out all the schools she is considering, and to be sure they possess as many of the five specific characteristics of good schools as possible. The five characteristics of a good school are emphasizing intellectual activities as their priorities, employing committed teachers who are given enough freedom to plan their own lessons, being well integrated into the surrounding community and forging ties with local universities or employers, having teachers who have received specialized training in teaching adolescents, and finally, ensuring that students actively participate in their own education by providing a warm and orderly classroom atmosphere that relies as little as possible on rote memorization of information. Key Points a) Educational options include public, private (independent or parochial), and charter schools. b) School vouchers may be available to help pay some costs of private schools. c) Research concerning charter, public, and private schools is inconclusive in terms of their success. d) More important than school type, however, is school quality. List and describe the five characteristics of a good school: an emphasis on intellectual activities, committed teachers, teachers with specialized training in adolescent development, being well integrated into the community they serve, and ensuring that students actively participate in their education. 100. Kate is a new teacher for adolescent students and wants to know what she can do to maximize her students’ learning and achievement. Based on research discussed in the textbook, what can Kate do to establish a classroom climate most conducive to learning and academic achievement? Answer: Most social scientists and educators now agree that the most important schoolrelated influences on learning and psychosocial development during adolescence are those seen in more immediate environments of the school and classroom. Specifically, how teachers interact with students, how classroom time is used, and what sorts of standards and expectations teachers hold for their students are all more important than the size of the school, the way age groups are combined, or the ethnic composition of the school. Students achieve and are engaged more in school when they attend schools that are responsive and demanding. Many research studies have indicated that positive school climates—where relationships between students and teachers are positive and teachers are both supportive and demanding—enhances adolescents’ psychological well-being as well as their achievement. Additionally, both students and teachers are more satisfied in classes that combine a moderate degree of structure with high student involvement and high teacher support. In these classes, teachers encourage their students’ participation but not let the class get out of control. Classes that are too task oriented—particularly those that also emphasize teacher control—tend to make student anxious, uninterested, and unhappy. Students do best when their teachers spend a high proportion of time on lessons (rather than on setting up equipment or dealing with discipline problems), begin and end lessons on time, provide clear feedback to students about what is expected of them and about their performance, and give ample praise to students when they perform. Key Points a) How teachers interact with students, how classroom time is used, and what sorts of standards and expectations teachers hold for their students are all more important than the size of the school, the way age groups are combined, or the ethnic composition of the school. b) Students achieve more when teachers are supportive and demanding. c) Both students and teachers are more satisfied in classes that combine a moderate degree of structure with high student involvement and high teacher support. d) Students do best when teachers spend a high proportion of time on lessons, begin/ end lessons on time, provide clear feedback and expectations, and give ample praise.