Selection 9: Public Education: Leveling through the Schools
(political science)

1. The United States today invests more heavily in public education at all levels than any other country. The curriculum in American schools is also relatively standardized. Unlike those countries that divide children even at the grade school level into different tracks that lead ultimately to different occupations, the United States aims to educate all children in much the same way. Of course, public education is not a uniform experience for American children. The quality of education depends significantly on the wealth of the community in which a child resides since schools are funded primarily through local property taxes.
2. Nevertheless, the United States through its public schools educates a broad segment of the population. Arguably, no country in the world has made an equivalent effort to give children, whatever their parents' background, an equal opportunity in life through education. This spending level on public elementary and secondary schools averages roughly $6,000 per pupil, compared with less than $4,000 per pupil in western Europe.
3. America's commitment to broad-based education extends to college. The United States is far and away the world leader in terms of the proportion of adults receiving a college education.
4. The nation's education system preserves both the myth and reality of the American dream. The belief that success can be had by anyone who works for it could not be sustained if the education system were tailored for a privileged elite. And educational attainment is related to personal success, at least as measured by annual incomes. In fact, the gap in income between those with and without a college education is now greater than at any time in the country's history.
5. In part because the public schools have such a large role in creating an equal opportunity society, they have been heavily criticized in recent years. Violence in the schools is a major parental concern. So, too, is poor performance on standardized tests, such as the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT). The United States is not even in the top ten nations as judged by students' test scores in science or math.
6. Disgruntled parents have demanded changes, and these demands have led some communities to allow parents to choose the public school their children will attend. Under this policy, the schools compete for students, and those that attract the most students are rewarded with the largest budgets. Gallup Polls indicate that Americans favor such a policy by more than a 2 to 1 margin. Advocates of the policy contend that it compels school administrators and teachers to do a better job and gives students the option of rejecting a school that is performing poorly. Opponents of the policy say that it creates a few well-funded schools and a lot of poorly funded ones, yielding no net gain in educational quality. Critics also claim that the policy discriminates against poor and minority group children, whose parents are less likely to be in a position to steer them toward the better schools.
7. The issue of school choice goes to the heart of the issue of equal opportunity. On the one hand, an elite-centered school system widens the gap between the country's richer and poorer groups. On the other hand, making students compete with one another for the best education can be justified in terms of the country's individualistic tradition.

Source: Abridged from Thomas E. Patterson, We the People: A Concise Introduction to American Politics, 4th ed. New York: The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc., 2002, pp. 501-03.

Directions: Questions 1-5 are objective questions that are based on the information in the selection. Answer them by clicking on the correct answer. You may refer to the selection as you answer the questions.

1	At all levels of public education, other countries invest
	A)	more money than the United States.
	B)	the same amount as the United States.
	C)	less money than the United States.
	D)	an amount that cannot be determined.
2	In the United States, the proportion of adults receiving a college education
	A)	is less than in any other country.
	B)	is approximately the same as in other countries.
	C)	is greater than in other countries.
	D)	cannot be determined.
3	Parents in the United States have expressed discontent with
	A)	violence in public schools.
	B)	children's poor performance on standardized tests.
	C)	both a and b
	D)	neither a nor b
4	How much money a person earns per year is related to
	A)	the level of education the person has attained.
	B)	whether the person attended public school.
	C)	whether the person attended a well-funded public school.
	D)	how involved the parents were in that person's education.
5	Lower scores on math and science tests are obtained by public school students in
	A)	the United States.
	B)	nearly all other countries.
	C)	Asian countries.
	D)	European countries.

Vocabulary Questions

6	"The curriculum in American schools is also relatively standardized; unlike those countries that divide children even at the grade school level into different tracks that ultimately lead to different occupations, the United States aims to educate all children in much the same way." American shoe sizes are standardized so that when consumers request a certain size, it is likely to be approximately the same, regardless of the manufacturer. standardized
	A)	attaining a high or superior level
	B)	conforming to specific criteria
	C)	nondescript; having no distinctive qualities
	D)	subject to change
7	"Of course, public education is not a uniform experience for American children." The consistency of the service at the new French restaurant is not uniform; sometimes it is outstanding and sometimes it is awful. uniform
	A)	rigid; unyielding
	B)	related to the military
	C)	always the same; unvarying
	D)	required to wear similar outfits
8	"The belief that success can be had by anyone who works for it could not be sustained if the education system were tailored for the privileged elite." In the early days of this country, only the children of the wealthy elite were educated. elite
	A)	those who have recently acquired wealth
	B)	those who have superior intellectual, social, or economic status
	C)	those who have no prior education
	D)	those who hope someday to become wealthy
9	"A 1996 Gallup Poll indicated that Americans favor such a policy by more than a 2-to-1 margin." According to a recent poll, an increasing number of Americans favor more restrictive gun control laws. poll
	A)	survey of public opinion
	B)	casting and registering votes in an election
	C)	any article published in the newspaper
	D)	public forum or debate
10	"Opponents of the policy say that it creates a few well-funded schools and a lot of poorly funded ones, yielding no net gain in educational quality." Although Pat reduced the amount of fat in his diet, he increased the amount of sugar, so the net result was that he did not lose the weight he hoped to lose. net
	A)	ultimate
	B)	disappointing
	C)	improved
	D)	increased

Applied Reading Skills Questions

Directions: Questions 11-15 test your ability to apply certain reading skills. Answer each question by clicking on the correct answer. You may refer to the selection as you answer the questions.

11	From information in the selection, it can be concluded that, in general, in an area in which few property taxes are collected,
	A)	most parents will use private schools for their children.
	B)	the quality of the public schools will be lower.
	C)	there will be no public schools.
	D)	the administrators and teachers will not do as good a job.
12	The information in paragraph 2 is organized according to which of the following patterns?
	A)	comparison-contrast
	B)	cause-effect
	C)	problem-solution
	D)	sequence
13	Which sentence represents the main idea of paragraph 5 of the selection?
	A)	In part because the public schools have such a large role in creating an equal opportunity society, they have been heavily criticized in recent years.
	B)	Violence in the schools is a major parental concern.
	C)	So, too, is poor performance on standardized tests, such as the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT).
	D)	American students are not even in the top ten internationally by their test scores in science or math.
14	The author's primary purpose in presenting the information in paragraphs 6 and 7 of the selection is to
	A)	argue in favor of public school choice by parents based on equal opportunity.
	B)	argue against public school choice by parents because the system is inherently unfair.
	C)	present both sides of the issue of public school choice by parents.
	D)	present reasons the American approach to public education is unsuccessful.
15	Which of the following is an accurate assessment of the author's credibility in presenting issues related to public school education?
	A)	The author has little credibility because he has no firsthand experience with public schools.
	B)	The author has credibility because he presents research findings.
	C)	The author has credibility because he presents the testimony of an expert.
	D)	The author has credibility because he is a former public school administrator.