A Place Called School: Prospects for the Future

John I. Goodlad (1984)

University of California, Los Angeles The problems confronting American schools are substantial; the resources available to them are in most instances severely limited; the stakes are high, and it is by no means preordained that all will go well for many of them in the end. --(Americas Schools: Public & Private, Daedalus (Summer, 1981) Overview Goodlad wrote A Place Called School in consideration of the controversial topic that schools are in crisis. He conducted a study with several other colleagues (Tyler, Anrig, Bailey, Cremin, Merton, Jefferson) named A Study of Schooling, to which the Goodlads findings and conclusions are presented and discussed throughout the book. His opinions and ideas are based on a collection of historical facts and documented critiques concerning the educational system. Goodlad believes that focusing on an entire school as an individual entity to improve its success is the primary way to improve all schools in crisis, as opposed to labeling the entire educational system as defunct. His purpose for writing the book was to a) present an understanding of the place called school, b) develop a specific agenda by which school can improve, and c) bring to the process of change significant data that can guide such processes to be effective and substantial.

Key Points 1. School History Education originated in the United States based on the configuration of household, church, and school [based on the] values & substance of piety, civility, and learning (Cremin, Traditions of American Education). The development of the educational system was focused entirely on the interplay between the three most significant influences in an early Americans life, if not mostly on the other two. The emergence of schools as a primary source of societal influence changed with the increase of industrialization, immigration, and the changes of the traditional household structure over the centuries (by the 70s, more females went to work, and adolescence was a newly established group of consumerism). As society has changed, its demand for schools to increase their influence on students has increased exponentially.

2. Four Broad Areas of Goals for Schools (p. 36) There are four broad areas of goals that schools focus on in developing a schools function: a) Academicintellectual skills and the domains of knowledge b) Vocationalreadiness for productive work and economic responsibility c) Social & Civicpreparation for socialization into complex society d) Personaldevelopment of individual responsibility, talent, and freedom of expression In his study, Goodlad questioned teachers, parents, and students on their preferences for school focus on the above goals. Though most would think intellectual would be the obvious choice of preference, findings indicate that all four categories are regarded as significantly (if not equally) important to all parties. 3. Rating Scale Teachers, parents, and students were asked to rate their school (1 of 38 schools) in Elementary, Middle, and High School representing urban, suburban, with large or small enrollment, and included questioning 8,624 parents (as a point of reference). Not one school received an average grade of D or F and only 7 schools received a C. The other 31 schools received a B or above. If most schools are failing how is this possible? 4. Perception versus Preference Findings indicated that when a schools focus goals matched the individuals preferences, the significantly higher the participants would grade the school (A, B, C, D, F) on a rating scale. Though demands for back to basics overwhelm talk of educational change, desire for comprehensive curriculum actually stays the same. If anything, collected public opinion would indicate that parents want more nurture in the school curriculum than competitive, rigorous standards. 5. How to Make the Change Reality: the Constitution of the United States does not give the federal government responsibility for education and schooling (p.46). Therefore, what approach should we take towards bettering education and schools? As a result of this study, Goodlad has created an extensive list concerning projected Goals for Schooling in the U.S. (attached). This comprehensive and in-depth list takes each of the four broad goal areas for school and creates cohesive, objective standards for each category. This list is intended to be presented to administrators, parents, teachers, and students to guide needed direction in creating school goals.

6. Other Approaches Teachers Can Take Now There are steps teachers can take now to improving classroom content and efficiency. A curriculum that is reasonable & well-balanced needs to be introduced to a constituency that has varying degrees of readiness. Varying instruction, varying tasks, varying amounts of group interaction and cooperation, as well as engaging levels of creativity are all practices that could be used more greatly in the classroom to improve learning. Increasing efficiency in ones teaching by minimizing distractions from instruction are essential, as well as utilizing time management and transferring between tasks. And finally, increasing teacher training to include immersion in behavior management and humanistic studies would help increase teacher effectiveness and curriculum depth substantially.

Potential Discussion Questions 1. Can you foresee implementing Goodlads list of Goals for Schools in the U.S. as a real and tangible way to change trends in the educational system? 2. How is it possible that the general buzz on education is that it is failing, and yet 80% of schools graded got a B or above? 3. Do you think real effective change in schools is possible? Or will societal trends ultimately trump the extent to which schools truly do have influence?