Norfolk State University Short Research Paper

Norfolk State University
short Research paper
The Disparate Treatment of Public Education
By:
Adugna Desalegn
Course Name: INT 470
February 24, 2015
Professor Name: Dr. Miller
The disparate treatment in the public educational system is a persistent

problem in todays society that requires an interdisciplinary approach because there
are numerous factors that contribute to the cyclic issue. The components of these
issues can be approached in an economic, sociological, and psychological aspect.
The point of researching this topic is to develop a better understanding on the
allocation of funds to certain public schools and how it interconnects to the
graduation rate and overall academic success of the students. This is an important
societal issue that can be measured both nationally and locally, examined through
test scores and number of graduates. Depending upon the approach that is taken
some researchers may describe this problem as modern day racism in nature due to
the contrast of academic success in certain academic domains based on the
demographics. A point of emphasis of this theory can be examined in the public
educational system of Virginia Beach in comparison to the public educational
system of Norfolk. Multiple research questions thus emerges, should the allocation
of funds to public institutions be equal, why are they not equal, and who and how is
it negatively impacting?
When observing the educational system through an economic approach,

education is defined as a public good. The citizen or the tax payer is the consumer.
This idea causes controversy because if a citizen pays higher taxes than they would
be expecting more from the goods that they receive. This is why property tax plays
a large role in the public educational system. Individuals that view the educational
system through an economic standpoint would argue that the system is fair
because the higher the property tax that the citizen is paying then, the better the
public school system should be in that area. The issue with the economic approach
is that it is somewhat a system of self-degradation. Education has resulted in a

contradictory structure for the educational system that has sharply impaired its
effectiveness. More important still has been the growing domination of the social
mobility goal, which has reshaped education into a commodity for the purposes of
status attainment and has elevated the pursuit of credentials over the acquisition of
knowledge Labaree, D. (n.d.). Public Goods, Private Goods: The American Struggle
Over Educational Goals. American Educational Research Journal, 39-81. Essentially
if education is used as a means of upward social mobility but is unequal and favors
the already economically stable, then less privileged individuals in essence will
never be able to economically grow, thus symbolizing a failing system.
A study was conducted that examined how the educational system should be
used for social mobility. The market niches included parents who prioritized: (1)
workplace preparation, (2) citizenship and democracy, (3) high test scores, (4)
multicultural experiences, (5) arts and music, and (6) acceptance at a top-tier
college. Their analysis found that only 23% of parents ranked a focus on high-test
scores as most important. Thus, as these recent survey results show, goal
preferences in education vary a good deal and, therefore, likely influence
satisfaction levels with public education performance. Jacobson, R., Snyder, J., &
Saultz, A. (n.d.). Understanding Satisfaction with Schools: The Role of Expectations.
Retrieved from
http://jpart.oxfordjournals.org/content/early/2014/06/12/jopart.muu026.full. When
analyzing this approach to what is expected from the educational system it is safe
to say that not every public institution is capable of fulfilling those expectations
because they arent provided with equal resources. If a child
Better education equates to obtaining a better economic status. Although the

allocation of government funding towards public education is complex, Preston
[1984] suggests that such generational competition is part of the explanation for
the relative improvement in the economic status of elderly households in the U.S.,
and the decline in the well-being of children, during the 1960-1980 period. This
hypothesis is confirmed by at least anecdotal evidence on public support for various
government programs. Recent survey results suggest that support for increased
federal funding of public schools declines from 77 percent if the respondent is under
30, to 47 percent for those over age 70 [Business Week, 3 April 1995, p. 42].
The psychological approach to analyzing the disparate treatment in the

education system analyzes the student or the individual. If a student isnt aware of
a problem it will mentally chain and ultimately make a severe issue less than what it
is. The student is also groomed in poor education systems to not have higher goals
for their standard of living in relationship to jobs and higher education. An example
of this are some of the schools in the Norfolk Public School System. The causes of
academic underperformance are a major concern of the educational community and
policy makers in the United States. Of particular importance is the achievement gap
between at-risk minority students and European American students and its potential
remedies. Academically at-risk minority students, such as African Americans and
Latino Americans, perform almost a standard deviation below White American
students on intelligence tests and earn school grades below those of their European
American peers (Jencks & Phillips, 1998; Nisbett, 2009). Between the years 2004
and 2007, while 6 out of every 100 White American young adults had not received a
high school diploma or its equivalent, the corresponding figures for African
Americans and Latino Americans were, respectively, 10 and 22 out of every 100 in
their ethnic group (U.S. Department of Education, 2009). These achievement gaps
persist in spite of the local and national initiatives aimed at closing them (Dillon,
2006; Neal, 2005). In a society, such as that of the U.S., where economic
opportunity depends heavily on scholastic success, even a partial remediation of
the achievement gap would lead to a positive change in the lives of many at-risk
children.
In a sociological perspective the researcher would analyze the effects of poverty

and housing and how it relates to poorer education systems. Rent increases have
exceeded inflation and much low-income housing has been lost to decay,
gentrification, and urban development. The National Low-Income Housing Coalition
reported in 2004 that a full-time minimum wage income continues to be inadequate
to afford even the most modest two-bedroom home at fair market rent, and that it
would take nearly three times the federal minimum wage to afford such rent. Even
more discouraging are the data showing that "in only four counties in the U.S. can a
full-time worker earning minimum wage afford a typical one-bedroom apartment".
It is also reported that women, children, and the elderly are overrepresented among
those with housing problems. Children are present in 93% of overcrowded
households and 56 percent of households with multiple problems such as
overcrowding, malfunctioning heating or plumbing systems, and health hazards
(Joint Center for Housing Studies at Harvard University, 2003). Those health-related
hazards include lead poisoning, asthma, asbestos, radon, and mold. Added to these
problems is a huge lack of affordable housing, the leading cause of homelessness.
In order to successfully solve the issue of failing public education systems all three
perspectives need to be taken into consideration. By the improvement in certain
areas the others will naturally be improved also in a domino effect. For example, if
property taxes are eliminated and not taken in to consideration, the sociological
environment will improve, and also the school systems will have equal funding. If a
student is aware that they are given a fair opportunity in their education then they
will essentially improve in their educational participation. Unfortunately many other
components such as policy changes and political leadership has to be altered in
order to see a change in a system as a whole. Ultimately the best way to intertwine
the disciplines that are involved with the unfair treatment in educational systems is
to alter the political system to its favor.
Works Cited
Andrews, G. R. Persistence and the causal perception of failure: Modifying cognitive
attributions. Unpublished bachelor's thesis, University of Sydney, 1974.
Bar-Tal, D., & Saxe, L. (Eds.). The social psychology of education: Theory and research. Washington, D.C.: Hemisphere, in press.
"European Sociological Review." Educational Systems and Labor Market Outcomes.

N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Feb. 2015.
"Poverty and The Effects on Children and Parents." Poverty and The Effects on
Children and Parents. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Feb. 2015.
"Schools and Society: A Sociological Approach to Education |
Schools and Society: A Sociological Approach to Education |. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Feb.
2015.
"Stanford Graduate School of Education." Stanford Graduate School of Education.

N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Feb. 2015.
Weiner, Bernard. JSTOR. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Feb. 2015.

Norfolk State University Short Research Paper

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Norfolk State University Short Research Paper

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Description:

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Norfolk State University Short Research Paper

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Norfolk State University

short Research paper

The Disparate Treatment of Public Education

Course Name: INT 470

February 24, 2015

Professor Name: Dr. Miller

The disparate treatment in the public educational system is a persistent

When observing the educational system through an economic approach,

is that it is somewhat a system of self-degradation. Education has resulted in a

Better education equates to obtaining a better economic status. Although the

The psychological approach to analyzing the disparate treatment in the

In a sociological perspective the researcher would analyze the effects of poverty

"European Sociological Review." Educational Systems and Labor Market Outcomes.

"Schools and Society: A Sociological Approach to Education |

"Stanford Graduate School of Education." Stanford Graduate School of Education.

Weiner, Bernard. JSTOR. N.p., n.d. Web. 25 Feb. 2015.

You might also like