Apr 20, 2018  
2017-2018 Saint Joseph's College Online 
2017-2018 Saint Joseph’s College Online
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ED 545 - American Education: the Search for the Public Good

Examines the U. S. educational system from a critical perspective, exploring the social, political, and ideological factors that have shaped the development of schools and school practices. With a focus on debates about the purposes of education, the proper organizing and financing of schools, and the consequences of school practices for the broader society, the course traces the history of educational thought and policy in the United States. The course investigates, in detail, the causes and consequences of racial inequality and standardized testing.

Assignment Overview
Assignments: 5 Units

Interactivity: None

Final Assessment: None

Course Learning Objectives

  • Understand the social and political implications of the knowledge taught in schools.
  • Expand your knowledge of the complex historical and cultural forces that have shaped the development of American public schools.
  • Discuss the ongoing tension between issues of freedom and social control in American public schools.
  • Recognize the history of the philosophy of education.
  • Describe the influence of social Darwinist thought on the development of public education and the resulting influence of the industrial and/or corporate elite on educational goals.
  • Compare and contrast the views of Washington and Du Bois over the education of African-Americans.
  • Analyze the causes and consequences of race, gender, and class inequality in schools.
  • Evaluate the impact of contemporary school reforms, including standardized testing and other educational mandates.
  • Assess the current challenges to American schools, such as equitable funding, multiculturalism, resegregation, school choice, homeschooling, school violence, etc.
  • Predict the future of American education in the twenty-first century.

Credits: 3

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