Assignment 1
Prepare a brief paragraph on the impact of Sputnik and “A Nation at Risk” on public education.
Education in the United States has been influenced by several events. One event was the launching of Sputnik by Russia in 1957. Since Russia was a competitive power with the US, in 1958 our government created the National Defense Education Act, NDEA. This act started the federal government’s involvement in education and placed a major focus on the teaching of math and science in schools. The hope of this focus was to improve and guarantee the power and authority of the US around the world. As part of this act, gifted and intelligent students were targeted and guided toward higher education. Our national space program was also created and science became a major focus across the country. The second event to influence education was the report presented to President Ronald Reagan by Terrel Bell in 1983 titled “A Nation at Risk.” At this time our nation’s test scores in science and math were lower than they were before the launching of Sputnik and the NDEA. The report identified many areas in education that were not acceptable, but it also recommended many changes, which we currently see happening today. The report called for an increase in rigor with a more challenging curriculum and more measurable standards. Both are happening today with the implementation of the Common Core State Standards, CCSS. In addition the report called for better training and teacher preparation programs so that teachers would be more qualified. Teacher pay was identified as being very low, and the report recommended aligning teacher pay to student achievement. All of the accountability measures we have in education today stem from this report. Both of these events have impacted education and tied educational achievement and economic success or growth together. Expound on the statement that education is an investment in “Human Capital” “Education is an investment in human capital” (Brimley Jr. …show more content…
& Garfield, 2008, p. 1). Human capital can be defined as all of the skills and knowledge learned and developed throughout one’s life. These skills and abilities allow you to earn a living and live your life. The social and economic development of the US has been greatly affected by an increase in human capital. Education at all levels definitely improves and increases human capital. Spending money on training and education greatly influences economic growth and wealth. Education is an industry that uses resources and tools to cultivate its product, which is part of a continuous and beneficial cycle. Education creates wealth, and the more you put into education; the more you gain. Education is a great investment. What vehicle is used to transfer private sector profits to the public sector? Taxation is the most common vehicle used to transfer funds from the private sector to the public sector. Resources are produced in the private sector and given to the public sector through various taxes. Provide a brief definition of the following: Equity refers to the principle of fairness, what is fair and just, and is usually related to the process by which something is done. Equality refers to the principles of being equal or the same proportionately and is related to what is allocated or distributed. Cost-benefit is a way of evaluating the current costs to support education to the future benefits of those costs. In other words, what is the rate of return for the funds that are spent on education and is it worth it? This is an evaluation of how education impacts the economy and wealth of the country. Cost-quality refers to the amount of money spent on education in comparison to the quality of the product obtained. The difficulty comes in determining how to measure that quality. Define the impact of ‘Marginal Dollar Principle’ and ‘Point of Diminishing Returns’ on the financing of public education? The Marginal Dollar Principle is used to determine educational funding and is comprised of three components. Marginal dollar refers to money that is better spent toward some other good or service. Marginal utility is the enjoyment or fulfillment that a person gains from a product or service. Diminishing marginal utility refers to the decrease in satisfaction that occurs when someone receives or uses
Prepare a brief paragraph on the impact of Sputnik and “A Nation at Risk” on public education.
Education in the United States has been influenced by several events. One event was the launching of Sputnik by Russia in 1957. Since Russia was a competitive power with the US, in 1958 our government created the National Defense Education Act, NDEA. This act started the federal government’s involvement in education and placed a major focus on the teaching of math and science in schools. The hope of this focus was to improve and guarantee the power and authority of the US around the world. As part of this act, gifted and intelligent students were targeted and guided toward higher education. Our national space program was also created and science became a major focus across the country. The second event to influence education was the report presented to President Ronald Reagan by Terrel Bell in 1983 titled “A Nation at Risk.” At this time our nation’s test scores in science and math were lower than they were before the launching of Sputnik and the NDEA. The report identified many areas in education that were not acceptable, but it also recommended many changes, which we currently see happening today. The report called for an increase in rigor with a more challenging curriculum and more measurable standards. Both are happening today with the implementation of the Common Core State Standards, CCSS. In addition the report called for better training and teacher preparation programs so that teachers would be more qualified. Teacher pay was identified as being very low, and the report recommended aligning teacher pay to student achievement. All of the accountability measures we have in education today stem from this report. Both of these events have impacted education and tied educational achievement and economic success or growth together. Expound on the statement that education is an investment in “Human Capital” “Education is an investment in human capital” (Brimley Jr. …show more content…
& Garfield, 2008, p. 1). Human capital can be defined as all of the skills and knowledge learned and developed throughout one’s life. These skills and abilities allow you to earn a living and live your life. The social and economic development of the US has been greatly affected by an increase in human capital. Education at all levels definitely improves and increases human capital. Spending money on training and education greatly influences economic growth and wealth. Education is an industry that uses resources and tools to cultivate its product, which is part of a continuous and beneficial cycle. Education creates wealth, and the more you put into education; the more you gain. Education is a great investment. What vehicle is used to transfer private sector profits to the public sector? Taxation is the most common vehicle used to transfer funds from the private sector to the public sector. Resources are produced in the private sector and given to the public sector through various taxes. Provide a brief definition of the following: Equity refers to the principle of fairness, what is fair and just, and is usually related to the process by which something is done. Equality refers to the principles of being equal or the same proportionately and is related to what is allocated or distributed. Cost-benefit is a way of evaluating the current costs to support education to the future benefits of those costs. In other words, what is the rate of return for the funds that are spent on education and is it worth it? This is an evaluation of how education impacts the economy and wealth of the country. Cost-quality refers to the amount of money spent on education in comparison to the quality of the product obtained. The difficulty comes in determining how to measure that quality. Define the impact of ‘Marginal Dollar Principle’ and ‘Point of Diminishing Returns’ on the financing of public education? The Marginal Dollar Principle is used to determine educational funding and is comprised of three components. Marginal dollar refers to money that is better spent toward some other good or service. Marginal utility is the enjoyment or fulfillment that a person gains from a product or service. Diminishing marginal utility refers to the decrease in satisfaction that occurs when someone receives or uses