DSOC 6710 - Schools, Communities and Policy Reform

(crosslisted)
(also EDUC 6710)

Spring. 3 credits.

J. Sipple.

For individuals interested in the role of schools and their relationship to community and economic development. Attention is focussed on policy shaping school reform (including market-based, PreK, investment, and international comparisons) and its relation to community vitality. This seminar investigates the sociological functions of schooling in American society, including the remarkable stability of school organization given a long history of reform initiatives. The focus is K-12 public education, though issues of pre-K, private, and post-secondary education are covered as well as relevant comparative study.

Outcome 1: Explain, evaluate, and effectively interpret factual claims, theories and assumptions in the student’s discipline(s) (especially in one or more of the college’s prioirty areas of land grant-agricultural sciences, applied social sciences, environmental sciences, and/or life sciences) and more broadly in the sciences and humanities.

Outcome 2: Find, access, criticall evaluate, and ethically use information.

Outcome 3: Integrate quantitative and qualitative information to reach defensible and creative conclusions.

Outcome 4: Communicate effectively through writing, speech and visual information.

Outcome 5: Articulate the views of people with diverse perspectives.

Outcome 6: Demonstrate the capability to work both independently and in coorperation with others.