Deck 9: Education: Conflict in Policy Direction

Question 1

_____________ thought sees education as the means that enable the public to make choices consistent with democratic values and maintain stability of the republic.

A)Hamiltonian
B)Washingtonian
C)Jeffersonian
D)Franklintonian

Answer 1

C

Question 2

The Supreme Court has ruled that education is not a right granted in the United States Constitution.

Answer 2

True

Question 3

Federal education spending has increased in rapidly in recent decades.

Answer 3

True

Question 4

Which of the following constituted the largest source of U.S.public elementary and secondary education expenditures in 2001?

A)Federal Government
B)State Governments
C)Local Districts
D)Private Endowments

Question 5

Approximately _________ percent of the nation's college students attend public institutions of higher education.

A)33
B)40
C)60
D)80
E)95

Question 6

The consolidation of school districts was to ____________________.

A)Diminish the ability of parents influence education policy
B)To increase constituency size
C)Curtail interaction between the public and the school board
D)Increased operating efficiency and achieving economy of scale

Question 7

The case in which the Supreme Court,in 1973,refused to equate inequities in property values and the resultant difference in educational expenditures with a violation of the equal protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment was

A)Serrano v.Priest
B)San Antonio I.S.D.v.Rodriguez
C)Brown v.Board of Education
D)Plessy v.Ferguson

Question 8

Equalizing educational opportunities became a national educational policy priority due to

A)The Morrill Act
B)Elementary & Secondary Education Act
C)Plessy vs Ferguson
D)Brown vs Board of Education

Question 9

Local control of the schools:

A)is an important value in all democracies
B)insures that there will be great variation in the quality of education.
C)is not a major value in the United States.
D)does not produce much variation in educational quality.

Question 10

The disparity in per pupil expenditure among educational districts is a result of

A)The value of taxable property
B)The wealthy refusing to pay higher taxes
C)Seniors refusing to pay higher taxes
D)Racial segregation

Question 11

Brown v.Board of Education (1954)'s Supreme Court decision allowed separate education of black and white children to continue

Question 12

State education department are responsible for all educational policies except for

A)Curriculum models
B)Guideline for education programs
C)District staffing decisions
D)Teacher certification standards

Question 13

In the United States,elementary and secondary school revenues are generated mainly from __________.

A)payroll taxes
B)education taxes
C)state lotteries
D)property taxes

Question 14

The tradition of local control has been weakened due to the increase in state power over education policy.This increase in power is due to:

A)Politics
B)Funding
C)Parental demands
D)Teacher unions

Question 15

Because property taxes are the primary source of school financing,

A)financial inequity between school districts is likely.
B)school districts receive the same income per student.
C)states take money from poor districts and re-distribute it to wealthy ones.
D)property taxes have declined in recent years.

Question 16

_____________ provided federal funding to local public schools.

A)Elementary and Secondary Educational Act
B)Trickle-Down Education Act
C)Federal Aid for State Education Act
D)Public School Assistance Act

Question 17

The enactment of the Morrill Act in 1862 resulted in the rapid and extensive development of public higher education.

Question 18

Despite public support for more federal funding for education,legislators have failed to pass funding bills due to social conflict in two areas.Those are:

A)Integrated vs segregated schools
B)English immersion vs ESL
C)Public vs private sectarian education
D)A & B only
E)A & C only

Question 19

University students receive financial assistance to attend college through a variety of federal funding programs,these programs include:

A)Student loans, parents loans, & Pell grants
B)Work-study, loan programs, & veteran benefits
C)Veteran benefits, GI bill, & work study
D)Pell grants, work study, & student loans

Question 20

Which of the following statements is false?

A)Each school district decides its policy such as tax rates, school calendar and classroom material
B)The American educational system grew out of an English heritage where church and home were responsible for education.
C)Federal control over education was viewed as appropriate use of national power in the early years of the country.
D)Community control is a basic tenet of American education.

Question 21

Which of the following is a cause of lower quality in elementary and secondary school teachers in recent years?

A)lower esteem for the teaching profession
B)women's opportunities outside teaching
C)relatively low salaries for teachers
D)all of the above

Question 22

Which of the following are possible ways to help create financial equality among public school pupils?

A)total state funding of public schools
B)school district consolidation
C)greater reliance on property taxes for school financing
D)(A) and (B) only
E)(A) and (C) only

Question 23

The debate over the decline of standardized test scores centers on two viewpoints.

A)Poor test design vs departure from educational basics
B)Poor test design vs parental attitude & society change
C)Parents attitudes & societal change vs departure from educational basics
D)Departure from educational basics vs video games & social media

Question 24

Minimum competency tests are used by districts for all except

A)Diagnostic tool
B)Student diversity
C)assessments
D)criteria for student promotions

Question 25

Lower SAT score averages is the result of

A)Family instability
B)Increase in student participation from non-college families
C)Television viewing
D)All of the above

Question 26

Under which law did MCTs become national educational policy?

A)The Morrill Act
B)No Child left Behind
C)ESEA
D)None of the above

Question 27

The Coleman Report discovered that

A)racism was a major factor in poor student performance
B)the primary factor that affected student performance was family background
C)affirmative action programs were required to help minority students
D)racial equality was linked to higher SAT scores
E)none of the above

Question 28

Which factors complicates the issue of educational financial equity

A)Costs of providing instructional access to subjects
B)Cost of living
C)Minimum level of funding to support student achievement
D)All of the above
E)None of the above

Question 29

The ACT is designed to reflect high school curriculum.

Question 30

Possible solutions for the problem of teacher competency include

A)merit pay
B)higher salaries
C)master teachers
D)all of the above

Question 31

Educational environments provided to students are affected by the expenditures made.Wealthy districts spend their money differently than poor districts,such as they

A)Have lower student-teach ratio
B)Spend less on college preparatory electives
C)Spend less on capital improvement projects
D)All of the above
E)A & B only

Question 32

Educational equality is also an issue in other parts of the world.Western Europe educational opportunities tend to reflect the society's class structure.Studies have not found this educational pattern in this country.

A)France
B)Italy
C)England
D)Sweden

Question 33

Master teacher plans are used by states,local schools districts and universities and colleges,but they do not:

A)Identify exception teachers
B)Define merit-based financial rewards
C)Institute strict teacher discipline
D)Resource personnel in a supervisory capacity

Question 34

Which of the following is FALSE with regards to merit-based teacher pay?

A)salary may not be the main factor in recruiting and retaining high-caliber teachers
B)it is difficult to establish an unbiased operational definition of merit to be applied to teachers
C)merit-based pay is a substitute for an adequate salary scale
D)teachers may abandon their own creativity in order to comply with a rigid set of standards

Question 35

Which of the following states about merit pay is NOT true?

A)Merit pay may not be the main factor in recruiting and retention
B)Teachers may abandon their creativity in order to comply with the set standards
C)Merit pay is not a substitution for an adequate salary scale
D)An unbiased operational definition of merit has been established
E)none of the above

Question 36

White students have higher average verbal and math scores than all other demographic groups.

Question 37

Which of the following led to the creation of bilingual education programs?

A)Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964
B)Bilingual Education Act of 1974
C)Equal Educational Opportunities Act of 1974
D)Both A and C
E)none of the above

Question 38

The educational equality concept varies on the liberal-conservative continuum.The conservative side holds that individuals possess differing levels of ability,the liberal holds that

A)barriers should be removed for the complete development of individual potential
B)government should assure each child an equal education regardless of social background
C)equality of opportunity
D)all of the above

Question 39

Minimum competency tests (MCTs)

A)test teacher competency
B)test the capacity of students to go to high school
C)are sometimes used as a requirement for high school graduation
D)are sometimes used for hiring teachers
E)are used to fire incompetent teachers

Question 40

It is argued that MCT actually measures

A)achievement of basic education
B)mastery of certain levels of knowledge
C)impact of racial discrimination
D)the trend toward lower academic standards

Question 41

President George W.Bush's education policy centered around ____________.

A)Goals 2000
B)America 2000: An Education Strategy
C)No Child Left Behind
D)No Educational Opportunity Unturned
E)none of the above

Question 42

The charter school movement

A)has increased in popularity in the middle 1990s.
B)has not reached Texas yet.
C)is favored by conservatives.
D)(A) and (C) only
E)(B) and (C) only

Question 43

The percent of students attending private schools has ______________ since 1970.

A)Remained stable
B)increased
C)decreased

Question 44

"Choice" models in education reform include which of the following?

A)choice of college majors.
B)allowing students to choose vocational tracks
C)vouchers for private or parochial schools
D)all of the above

Question 45

Multiculturalism seeks to:

A)encourage assimilation of minority groups.
B)reinvigorate the American concept of the "melting pot" society.
C)eliminate linguistic cleavages in the United States.
D)embrace cultural and ethnic diversity in the United States

Question 46

The high school dropout rate is highest among __________.

A)African Americans
B)Hispanics
C)Whites
D)none of the above

Question 47

The average performance scores of American students in science and math is below that of which country?

A)India
B)Russia
C)Mexico
D)Canada

Question 48

Which of the following is true of President Obama's education policy?

A)There will be major increases in federal funding for education.
B)It eliminates NCLB.
C)Federal funding to states would require states and local school districts to encourage development of charter schools.
D)Teacher evaluation systems would remain the same.

Question 49

The 1983 report of the National Commission on Excellence in Education cites the problems in education quality was

A)the proliferation of remedial courses in college
B)the continued decline in achievement test scores
C)that educational skills of the current student generation will be lower than their parents
D)the functional illiteracy of twenty-three million Americans
E)all of the above

Question 50

Education vouchers or tax credits systems would NOT

A)allow parents to use them for tuition payment
B)have strong conservative support
C)allow parents to select the best schools for their children
D)prevent public and private schools

Question 51

The teaching of creation science or intelligent design is a violation of the constitution according to the Supreme Court

Question 52

The adoption of a system of vouchers and tax credits for reforming educational financing

A)would spur the movement toward private schools
B)would help parents with the financial expenses of educating their children
C)has strong conservative support
D)all of the above
E)none of the above

Question 53

Multiculturalism

A)is at odds with the view of America as a "melting pot."
B)appeals to many cultural groups.
C)tries to establish an appreciation for the contributions of various ethnic groups.
D)all of the above
E)none of the above

Question 54

The __________ movement focuses on reading,writing and arithmetic,as well as values of respect,obedience,and moral content.

A)traditional
B)back-to-the-basics
C)Education Plus
D)social awareness

Question 55

The failure of a significant portion of the population to earn a high school diploma encourages the development of an undereducated minority class.

Question 56

Which of the following is true of Outcome Based Education?

A)It is a controversial effort to improve education.
B)Conservatives tend to oppose it.
C)Liberals think that it minimizes academic content.
D)all of the above
E)(a) and (b)

Question 57

The No Child Left Behind Act contained which of the following features?

A)increased multicultural components
B)bilingual education support
C)new requirements for educational testing
D)reduced ability of parents to choose schools

Question 58

President Bush's "No Child Left Behind" Act includes which of the following?

A)required yearly math and reading standardized tests
B)additional federal financial aid to local school districts
C)allowing students to transfer from failing public schools to better public schools
D)all of the above
E)(A) and (C) only

Question 59

Multiculturalism is not defined by the AACTE as

A)Multilingualism & multidialecticism
B)Empowerment & equity
C)Cultural & individual uniqueness
D)Tolerance of cultural pluralism

Question 60

Other developed nations are more inclined than the United States to give students a "second chance" at success.

Question 61

•Do you agree with the Supreme Court decision that there is no longer a need for racial considerations in the admission process of colleges and universities?
•What are the roles of federal,state and local governments in education? What are 'unfunded mandates'? When do they occur and why are they a problem?
•What is the 'crisis in education'? Why do some people believe there is a crisis,what reforms have been tried to address the crisis and what problems have occurred when educational reform has been instituted?
•Is the United States the only nation to use high stakes testing? How do other countries use these tests to place students?
•What are the three unresolved issues in education and the three issues of higher education? What is your opinion on these six issues and why?
•How successful has the privation and charter school movements been in increasing student achievement?
•What has the Obama administration replaced the NCLB program with? Are there major differences between the two programs?
•How would you fix the school funding issue? How would fixing the funding issue benefit students and teachers?
•Why are there liberal and conservative viewpoints on educational policy? Shouldn't the education of children be a priority regardless of politics?
•How does the educational ranking of American students affect the ability of American to compete in the global marketplace? What can be done to improve the ranking of American students?

Question 62

_____________ grants a charter to either a public or private group to organize and operate a school

A)state legislators
B)Local school districts.
C)United States Department of Education
D)State Board of Education

Question 63

Which of the following is NOT true about affirmative action programs in colleges and universities?

A)Affirmative action programs have their greatest impact in highly selective colleges and universities
B)The impact of affirmative action in granting an advantage based on race or gender is relatively minor
C)The more selective institution will be unavailable to some ethnic groups
D)Hispanics will no longer be underrepresented in higher education

Question 64

Parents home school their children because

A)they want their children to develop their learning more naturally
B)they are dissatisfied with their local school
C)they want to provide religious education
D)all of the above
E)none of the above