Normal Accident Theory of Education - Why Reform and Regulation Wont Make Schools Better

Analyses of education are too often developed for public consumption in a fast-moving political world. This book examines some of the deeper organizational reasons why things don't work so well in school, as well as a look at some of things that do work. Most importantly, the book will explain how the social and cultural expectations of what schools can do may create unrealistic hopes. We, as a society, and schools, as institutions, embrace these unreasonably high hopes at our collective peril.

List of contents

Preface
Acknowledgments
Chapter 1: The Problem with Public Schools
Chapter 2: Why Schools have Normal Accidents Routinely
Chapter 3: The Social Climate and Expectations of Schools
Chapter 4: How School Organizational Culture Militates Against our Social Expectations
Chapter 5: How Standardized Testing Makes all this Worse
Chapter 6: Standardized Tests Might be too Simple to Assess the Complexity of Learning
Chapter 7: Technology Adds Another Layer of Complication
Chapter 8: Markets Aren't the Answer for Education
Chapter 9: Where We Go From Here

About the author

Andrew K. Milton has spent his entire professional life working in schools and universities. He has taught 8th grade English in Steilacoom, WA for 7 years, and he has taught university-level political science, at several institutions, for 15 years.

Product details

• Authors: Andrew K. Milton, Milton Andrew K.
• Publisher: Rowman and Littlefield
• Languages: English
• Product format: Hardback
• Released: 02.04.2014
• EAN: 9781475806571
• ISBN: 978-1-4758-0657-1
• No. of pages: 146
• Subjects: Humanities, art, music > Education > Education system; Social sciences, law, business > Law > International law, foreign law; EDUCATION / Educational Policy & Reform / General, Educational strategies & policy, Educational strategies and policy