PART IV: ISSUES AND TRENDS IN EDUCATION

1. PART IV: ISSUES AND TRENDS IN EDUCATION Contemporary Social Problems

2. School Problems Over the Past Decade Farris,Teaching, Bearing the Torch(Figure 8.4) Source: National Center for Education Statistics, U. S. Department of Education

3. Hurdles to Success for Teenagers Source: National Center for Education Statistics, U. S. Department of Education (1996) Digest of Education Statistics (NCES 96-133) U. S. Government Printing Office: Washington, DC.

4. War on Poverty Model Spring,American Education(Figure 1.1) Head Start & Compensatory Ed. Vocational and Career Ed. Public Housing Subsidies Low-Income Job Low-QualityHousing Low-Quality Education

5. Health Problems; Absent from School and Work Poor Diet Poor Medical Care Medicare and Medicaid Food Stamps War on Poverty Model (continued) Spring,American Education(Figure 1.1)

6. Child Abuse: Warning Signs Sadker/Sadker,Teachers, Schools, and Society Children who suffer physical abuse may • Exhibit signs of frequent injury—burns, black eyes, and other bruises • Refuse to change into gym clothes; wear long-sleeves even in very warm weather • Not want to sit down • Show unusually aggressive or unusually withdrawn behavior • Not show emotion—no joy, pain, or anger • Be frequently absent or tardy for no good reason • Be unusually eager to please • Complain about pain, beating, or other abusive treatment • Show a significant change in school attitude, behavior, or achievement Source: Adapted from Texas State Teaching Association for Instruction and Professional Development, The Abused Child Pamphlet (Austin, TX: TSTA/NEA, 1984).

7. Child Abuse: Warning Signs (continued) Sadker/Sadker,Teachers, Schools, and Society Children who suffer sexual abuse may • Complain of pain or itching in the genital area • Exhibit unusual odors or signs of trauma in the genital area • Wear bloody, torn, or stained undergarments • Create stories or drawings of an unusually sexual nature • Exhibit unusually sophisticated knowledge of sexual behavior • Have difficulty sitting or walking • Talk about sexual involvement with an adult • Try to run away from home • Be extremely mature or seductive in dress and behavior • Exhibit symptoms of sexually transmitted diseases • Become pregnant Source: Adapted from Texas State Teaching Association for Instruction and Professional Development, The Abused Child Pamphlet (Austin, TX: TSTA/NEA, 1984).

8. Dropout and Employment Rates in the United States Arends/Winitzky/Tannenbaum,Exploring Teaching: An Introduction to Education(Figure 10.2) Source: National Center for Education Statistics, 1995, 1998.

9. Stay In School! Dropout Prevention Sadker/Sadker,Teachers, Schools, and Society • Intervene early. • Identify and address the cause for dropping out. • Restructure school practices to reduce alienation. • Offer alternative programs. Source: Adapted from S. F. Hamilton, The Interaction of Family, Community, and Work in the Socialization of Youth (Washington, DC: William T. Grant Foundation Commission on Youth and America’s Future, 1988).

10. Violence in Schools Reported by Youth Arends/Winitzky/Tannenbaum,Exploring Teaching: An Introduction to Education(Figure 10.4) Source: U. S. Department of Education, 1993.

11. Laws Against Weapons Possession in School Reed/Bergemann/Olson, In the Classroom: An Introduction to Education(Table 10.5) Tough new laws are being enacted by states imposing new penalties for weapons possession on or near school grounds. These new laws include the following: • Gun-free school zones laws, modeled on the federal Gun-Free School Zone Act of 1990 that prohibits the possession or discharge of a firearm at or within 1,000 feet of a public or private school. • Drug-free school zone laws, which impose criminal sanctions for dealing drugs at or near a school. Minnesota has extended the zone to cover parks, housing projects, and school buses. • Automatic suspension/expulsion laws for students caught with firearms or other weapons. In 1993 California provided for automatic suspension leading to expulsion for students carrying guns on school grounds or to off-campus school activities, with backup provisions permitting education to continue in another setting. Source: L. McCart, Kids and Violence (Washington, DC: National Governors’ Association, 1994), p. 34.

12. Laws Against Weapons Possession in School (continued) Reed/Bergemann/Olson,In the Classroom: An Introduction to Education(Table 10.5) Other school violence prevention strategies include the following: • Safe passage plans to provide protection to students going to and from school, and safe haven projects establishing protected areas for youth activities. • Anonymous tip lines so students can report other students carrying weapons without fear of recrimination. • School dress codes prohibiting gang colors or styles. • Detection and search strategies such as metal detectors, security guards, and unannounced searches of students and their lockers. • Recreation and after-school programs. Source: L. McCart, Kids and Violence (Washington, DC: National Governors’ Association, 1994), p. 34.

13. What Teachers Need to Know About the Education of Homeless Children Sadker/Sadker,Teachers, Schools, and Society • No one needs a permanent address to enroll a child in school. • The child may remain at the same school he or she attended before becoming homeless or may enroll at the school serving the attendance area where he or she is receiving temporary shelter. • The homeless child cannot be denied school enrollment just because school records or other enrollment documentation are not immediately available. • The child has the right to participate in all extracurricular activities and all federal, state, or local programs for which the child is eligible, including food programs; before- and after-school care; vocational education; Title I; and other programs for gifted, talented, and disadvantaged learners. • The child may have a right to transportation services to and from school. • The child cannot be isolated or separated from the mainstream school environment solely due to homelessness. Source: Adapted from the National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty Fact Sheet: What You Should Know About the Education of Homeless Children (1998).

14. Fact Sheet on Adolescents Who Have Babies Sadker/Sadker,Teachers, Schools, and Society • Almost 1 million teenage women (11 percent) of those aged 15–19 become pregnant each year. • One in five sexually active teen women becomes pregnant. • Fifty percent of adolescents who have a baby become pregnant again within two years. • Teenage mothers and their babies are more likely to suffer medical complications and have higher mortality rates than mothers over 20. • Teen mothers are much more likely to come from low-income families (83 percent). • About one-third of 15-year-old mothers have partners who are over 21. • The children of adolescent mothers are at increased risk for being a teen parent themselves. Source: Alan Guttmacher Institute, Facts in Brief (1998); reports from the National Center for Health Statistics; reports from the U.S. Bureau of the Census; Children’s Defense Fund, A Vision for America’s Future (Washington, DC: Children’s Defense Fund, 1998); Fred M. Hechinger, Fateful Choices: Healthy Youth for the 21st Century. New York: Hill and Wang, 1992; Marianne E. Felice, M.D. Professor of Pediatrics & Psychiatry, Director of Adolescent Medicine, University of Maryland, Board of Directors, Campaign for Our Children. Facts, Figures and Statistics (Baltimore, MD).

15. Types of Sexual Harassment Experienced in School Reed/Bergemann/Olson,In the Classroom: An Introduction to Education (Figure 10.2) Sexual Comments, Jokes, Gestures, or Looks Touched, Grabbed, or Pinched in a Sexual Way Intentionally Brushed Up Against in a Sexual Way Flashed or Mooned Had Sexual Rumors All Students Spread about Them Girls Had Clothing Pulled At Boys in a Sexual Way 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% Source: From Louis Harris and Associates, Hostile Hallways: The AAUW Survey on Sexual Harassment in America’s Schools (AAUW Education Foundation, 1993), p. 2.

16. Types of Sexual Harassment Experienced in School (continued) Reed/Bergemann/Olson,In the Classroom: An Introduction to Education (Figure 10.2) Shown, Given, or Left Sexual Pictures, Photographs Illustrations, Messages, or Notes Had Their Way Blocked in a Sexual Way Had Sexual Messages/Graffiti Written about Them on Bathroom Walls, in Locker Rooms, etc. Forced to Kiss Someone All Students Girls Boys 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% Source: From Louis Harris and Associates, Hostile Hallways: The AAUW Survey on Sexual Harassment in America’s Schools (AAUW Education Foundation, 1993), p. 2.

17. Types of Sexual Harassment Experienced in School (continued) Reed/Bergemann/Olson,In the Classroom: An Introduction to Education (Figure 10.2) Called Gay or Lesbian Had Clothing Pulled Off or Down Forced to Do Something Sexual Other than Kissing Spied On While All Students Dressing or Showering Girls Boys 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% Source: From Louis Harris and Associates, Hostile Hallways: The AAUW Survey on Sexual Harassment in America’s Schools (AAUW Education Foundation, 1993), p. 2.

18. Cumulative AIDS Cases Reported Among Youths, 1981-1995 Sadker/Sadker,Teachers, Schools, and Society Source: House Select Committee on Children, Youth, and Families, A Decade of Denial: Teens and AIDS in America (Washington, DC: Government Printing Office, 1992), and data from National AIDS Clearinghouse.

19. Percentage of School-Age Children with Both or Only Parents(s) Working Sadker/Sadker,Teachers, Schools, and Society(Figure 13.4) Source: 24-Month Average April 1996 through March 1998, based on the CPS, Bureau of Labor Statistics

20. Percentage of School-Age Children with Both or Only Parents(s) Working (continued) Sadker/Sadker,Teachers, Schools, and Society(Figure 13.4) Source: 24-Month Average April 1996 through March 1998, based on the CPS, Bureau of Labor Statistics

21. When is a Latchkey Child in Trouble?: Warning Signs for Parents Sadker/Sadker,Teachers, Schools, and Society • When the parent comes home, lights are on everywhere and radios and television are at high volume. • The child keeps some form of weapon for protection. • The child stays in a single room, often the parents’ bedroom. • There are signs of drinking. • The child experiences one or more of the following: nightmares, depression, significant weight change, drop in school performance. Source: Interview with Lynette Long, psychologist and expert on latchkey children, May 1992.

22. When is a Latchkey Child in Trouble?: Warning Signs for Teachers Sadker/Sadker,Teachers, Schools, and Society • The child comes to school dressed inappropriately—slovenly, untidy, or in a manner that is too sexy and provocative. • Skips that require the parent’s signature are not returned to school. • Homework is typically not completed. • The child hangs around the classroom after school as if reluctant to go home. • The child exhibits more than ordinary attention-seeking behavior, unusual weight change, or significant drop in school performance. If teachers see these warning signs, they should schedule a conference with the parent as soon as possible. It may be important for the parent to explore other child-care arrangements. Source: Interview with Lynette Long, psychologist and expert on latchkey children, May 1992.