EDUC1301 CH 6

Schools are described as social systems. Of the following, which is the best definition of a social system?

• Systems that help people work together to promote the general well-being of the system

• Systems with components that interact with each other to promote social ends

• Organizations designed to promote the social development of its members

• Organizations with established structures and rules designed to promote certain goals

Amanda, a first grader, is a beginning reader in a class of 20 students, whereas Courtney, a fifth grader, is a fluent reader and writer in a class of 22 students. Differences in Amanda’s and Courtney’s abilities to read best illustrate which of the following influences on the way schools are organized?

• Teachers’ abilities at different levels

• Developmental characteristics of students

• Economics of school systems

• Political factors that influence school organization

Liam is responsible for teaching all the content areas, such as reading, math, science, and social studies, in his work with his students. He also sets his own schedule, such as deciding how many minutes per day he will allocate to each of the content areas.

Liam most likely teaches at which of the following?

• A middle school

• An elementary school

• A junior high school

• A high school

Which of the following best describes the difference between a comprehensive high school and a career technical school?

• A comprehensive high school attempts to meet the needs of all students attending it, whereas a career technical school attempts to provide students with job skills usable immediately after graduating from high school.

• A comprehensive high school provides an array of extracurricular activities, such as music, clubs, and athletics, whereas a career technical school focuses exclusively on the academic curriculum.

• A comprehensive high school attempts to promote the development of the “whole student,” such as emotional and social development in addition to academics, whereas the career technical school focuses on basic skills, such as reading, writing, math, and computer literacy.

• A comprehensive high school places primary emphasis on “learning-to-learn” abilities, such as critical thinking and the ability to work with others, whereas a career technical school focuses on abilities immediately useful in the real world, such as word processing, the ability to create spreadsheets, and the ability to access information on the Internet.

Eva Gonzalez works with three other teachers on an interdisciplinary team. Each member of the team has the same group of students, long-term relationships between the teachers and the students they teach are strongly emphasized, and the emotional development of the students is an important goal. Each of the teachers on the team works hard to involve their students in their instruction, and they avoid simple lectures as much as possible.

Eva most likely teaches in which of the following schools?

• A junior high school

• A high school

• An elementary school

• A middle school

Effective schools have several characteristics. Which of the following is not a characteristic of an effective school?

• Emphasis on extracurricular activities

• A safe and orderly environment

• Strong school leadership

• Continuous monitoring of student progress