Week #5 Assignment (due Nov 4)

This week, we’re going to focus on one of the learning objectives for this class:

Identify, describe, and explain the organization, operations, and rationale of a variety of education systems

Please complete the following post by 6am Nov 4th:

Title: Overview of education in the United States

You've been asked to make a presentation to a group of educators from around the world. They want to know the who/what/when/where and why of the US educational system. You are the leading expert on the educational system and a much sought after speaker! (Your fee for this gig is $10,000).

Using THIS SITE to find many of the answers, create a powerpoint presentation with enough information that each of the slides could speak for itself--please carefully title each slide so it's easy to follow along. Be careful to choose your words carefully--you must give enough information, at the same time not putting too much text on a slide (too much text and people start to snooze). You want this to be a GREAT presentation.

Please answer the following questions:

1. Who is the present Secretary of Education? What is his role related to the president?

2. What is the federal role in education? When was the original Dept of Education created? What is the mission of the US Department of Education?

3. According to the Condition of Education 2006 Brief, how did the US do compared to other countries? 

4. What is the projected enrollment of public elementary and secondary school enrollment in prekindergarten through grade 12? (answer found in the same brief, above). Can you find more current info than what's provided in the brief? Perhaps compare 2006 with 2010?

5. According to the definition found on this site, what are the differences between private and public schools?

6. How have private school enrollments changed (comparing 89-90 to 2003-2004 data).

7. What are past and projected undergraduate enrollment?

8. What are the racial differences in college graduation trends?

9. According to the 2007 budget, what is the total amount of money projected to be spent on the 2007 school year? (see what you find online for the 2012 budget).

10. What does the acronym IDEA represent? According to the site, what are some of the IDEA related programs the government supports? Provide some specific examples from the site. So your audience really knows what you're talking about...

11. How are colleges and universities accredited? Who decides? How many institutions of higher education are there in the US? Briefly, what is the process of becoming accredited?

12. Who/how is it decided what education is required? What is the process?

13. Who is eligible to be educated? When can a student quit school?

14. What are the challenges inherent in having a diverse educational system? Give some specific examples from the site.

15. Of the list of education legislation, choose three to highlight in your presentation. Tell what it is, but then search on the web to find out whatever happened to the legislation...is it still in effect? Did it go by the wayside...what?


16. What is a charter school? How many are there? Are they successful? How are they different from other schools?


17. What is Head Start? When did it start? Who is eligible for Head Start? What are some of the services of Head Start?


18.  How has technology impacted education in US schools? (Give specific examples from the link above).

19. and 20. You decide...what hasn't been said that needs to be said to "round out" your presentation? Choose two more issue that you feel are important to be included.

You should have at least 20 slides to your presentation (20 items above)...you may have more.

Make it interesting...be creative...:-)