Foundations of Education 2nd Edition - Ch2 Lesson Plan 2
Skip to main content
Loading
Loading

.

  1. Home
  2. Chapter 1
  3.     > Lesson Plan 1 (Historical)
  4.     > Lesson Plan 2 (Contemporary)
  5.     > Slide Deck
  6.     > Self-Assessment
  7.     > Glossary
  8. Chapter 2
  9.     > Lesson Plan 1 (Historical)
  10.     > Lesson Plan 2 (Contemporary)
  11.     > Slide Deck
  12.     > Self-Assessment
  13.     > Glossary
  14. Chapter 3
  15.     > Lesson Plan 1 (Historical)
  16.     > Lesson Plan 2 (Contemporary)
  17.     > Slide Deck
  18.     > Self-Assessment
  19.     > Glossary
  20. Chapter 4
  21.     > Lesson Plan 1 (Historical)
  22.     > Lesson Plan 2 (Contemporary)
  23.     > Slide Deck
  24.     > Self-Assessment
  25.     > Glossary
  26. Chapter 5
  27.     > Lesson Plan 1 (Historical)
  28.     > Lesson Plan 2 (Contemporary)
  29.     > Slide Deck
  30.     > Self-Assessment
  31.     > Glossary
  32. Chapter 6
  33.     > Lesson Plan 1 (Historical)
  34.     > Lesson Plan 2 (Contemporary)
  35.     > Slide Deck
  36.     > Self-Assessment
  37.     > Glossary
  38. Chapter 7
  39.     > Lesson Plan 1 (Historical)
  40.     > Lesson Plan 2 (Contemporary)
  41.     > Slide Deck
  42.     > Self-Assessment
  43.     > Glossary

This lesson plan is also available as a Word file here.

Chapter 2 Lesson Plan 2: School Governance and Control - Contemporary Conditions

Course Information

Course Level: Undergraduate and Graduate Education Studies

Estimated Time: 3-4 hours

Learning Objectives

By the end of this lesson, students will be able to:

  1. Describe the current structure of school governance at local, state, and federal levels
  2. Analyze major federal education policies (NCLB and ESSA) and their impacts
  3. Evaluate arguments for and against school choice, charter schools, and voucher programs
  4. Compare different conceptions of accountability (public accountability vs. technical-managerial accountability)
  5. Critique market-based approaches to school governance using evidence from the chapter
  6. Synthesize historical knowledge with contemporary issues to propose governance reforms

Pre-Class Preparation

Required Reading:

  • Chapter 2: Contemporary Conditions section

Pre-Class Reflection (submit online): "Research one contemporary governance controversy in your state or local area (school board conflict, charter school debate, funding lawsuit, etc.). Write a one-paragraph summary."

Session 1: Current Governance Structures (60-75 minutes)

Opening Activity (10 minutes)

Sharing Current Events:

  • Students share brief summaries of governance controversies they researched
  • Identify themes/patterns across different contexts
  • Preview: "Today we'll examine the structures that shape these debates"

Lecture/Discussion: Local School Systems (15 minutes)

Key Content:

  • Hierarchical structure: Board → Superintendent → Central office → Principals → Teachers
  • "Egg crate" physical design and "autonomy of the closed door"
  • Approximately 13,000 school districts (enormous variation: NYC 900,000+ students vs. small rural districts)
  • Local school boards: typically elected, 5-9 members
  • Key board responsibilities (NSBA): employing superintendent, policies/curriculum/budget, facilities, collective bargaining

Discussion: "The chapter describes the 'autonomy of the closed door' for teachers. Is this autonomy beneficial or problematic? What are the trade-offs?"

Activity: Governance Mapping (15 minutes)

Small Group Task:

  • Provide organizational chart template
  • Groups fill in: roles, responsibilities, relationships
  • Include: School board, superintendent, central office, principal, teachers, parents, special interest groups

Gallery Walk:

  • Groups post their charts
  • Class tours and compares
  • Discuss differences in understanding

Lecture/Discussion: State & Federal Roles (15 minutes)

State Governance:

  • Primary authority (10th Amendment)
  • State legislature (most influential—controls funding)
  • Governor (executive power, public persuasion)
  • State board, superintendent, department of education
  • Key decisions: funding formulas, curriculum, testing, teacher licensing

Federal Governance:

  • Only ~11% of funding but significant influence
  • Four mechanisms:
      1. Categorical aid
      2. Power of the purse
      3. Education research
      4. Moral suasion

Critical Question: "Given that the federal government provides only 11% of funding, how does it exert so much influence over schools?"

Closing Activity (5 minutes)

Quick Write: "Which level of governance (local, state, federal) do you think SHOULD have the most control over schools? Why?"


Session 2: Federal Accountability & Its Consequences (60-80 minutes)

Opening (10 minutes)

Review & Preview:

  • Brief review of governance levels
  • Today's focus: "How have federal accountability measures changed school governance?"

Lecture/Discussion: NCLB and ESSA (20 minutes)

NCLB (2002):

  • Signed by President George W. Bush
  • Four elements:
      1. Stronger accountability (annual testing, AYP, sanctions)
      2. Increased flexibility (shift/combine funds)
      3. Scientifically supported methods
      4. School choice options

ESSA (2015):

  • Signed by President Barack Obama
  • Moved accountability from federal to state level
  • States develop own accountability plans
  • Still requires testing, intervention in lowest-performing schools
  • Removed requirement for test scores in teacher evaluation

Comparison Activity:

  • Create Venn diagram comparing NCLB and ESSA
  • What stayed the same? What changed? Why?

Activity: Analyzing Unintended Consequences (25 minutes)

Jigsaw Groups:

Group A: Impact on Teaching & Learning

  • Teaching to the test
  • Narrow focus undermines broader aims
  • "Saw-tooth effect" (test-smartness vs. actual learning)

Group B: Equity Concerns

  • Particularly detrimental to low-income students of color
  • Sorting and ranking exacerbates inequities
  • Assumes poverty results from poor choices, not structural inequities

Group C: System-Level Issues

  • Flawed statistical procedures
  • Too complex for top-down management
  • Encourages states to lower standards
  • Fails to address social/emotional risk factors

Regroup & Share:

  • New groups with representatives from A, B, C
  • Each member teaches their section
  • Group discusses: "Should high-stakes testing be eliminated, reformed, or kept as is?"

Whole Class Discussion (15 minutes)

Critical Analysis: "Diane Ravitch initially supported NCLB but later changed her mind. What does this tell us about education reform? How should we evaluate whether a policy is working?"

Connect to History: "How do current accountability debates reflect historical tensions between local control, professional expertise, and centralized authority?"

Closing (10 minutes)

Reflection: "What is the purpose of accountability in education? Who should schools be accountable TO and FOR WHAT?"


Session 3: School Choice, Privatization, & Reform Debates (60-80 minutes)

Opening Activity (10 minutes)

Quick poll:

  • How many students attended: traditional public school? magnet school? charter school? private school? were homeschooled?
  • Brief sharing of experiences with different school types

Lecture/Discussion: School Choice Movement (20 minutes)

Key Content:

  • Over 25% of K-12 students attend school other than local assigned school
  • Types:
    • Magnet schools (specialization, originally for integration)
    • Open enrollment (choose public schools outside district)
    • Charter schools (~7% of students; publicly funded, independently operated)
    • Home schooling (doubled during COVID-19)
    • Vouchers (government funds for private school tuition/education costs)

Charter Schools Detail:

  • Proponents: flexibility, innovation, competition, choice
  • Critics: financial mismanagement, fewer special needs students, punitive discipline, increased segregation
  • Variation by state in laws and authorization

Vouchers Detail:

  • Most controversial
  • Critics: private schools can discriminate; "school choice is really schools' choice"; takes money from underfunded public schools; "reverse Robin Hood"
  • Rural opposition (no alternatives available)

Debate Activity (30 minutes)

Formal Debate: School Choice

Resolution: "School choice programs (charters, vouchers, open enrollment) improve educational outcomes and should be expanded"

Structure:

  • Divide class in half (Pro and Con)
  • 5 minutes: Teams prepare opening arguments
  • 3 minutes each: Opening statements
  • 10 minutes: Preparation of rebuttals
  • 2 minutes each: Rebuttals
  • 5 minutes: Class Q&A to both sides
  • 2 minutes each: Closing statements

Debrief:

  • What were the strongest arguments on each side?
  • What evidence would you need to definitively answer this question?
  • What values underlie each position?

Lecture/Discussion: Accountability Concepts & Privatization (15 minutes)

Two Views of Accountability:

  1. Accountability to the public: Direct to citizens, parents, communities
  2. Technical-managerial accountability: Auditable accounts reviewed by state/federal authorities; market-style

Consumerization of Citizenship:

  • Citizens redefined as consumers
  • Schools as producers of commodities
  • Students/parents as customers
  • Market competition over democratic participation

Privatization:

  • Movement toward private sector involvement
  • Proponents: government inefficient, parental choice
  • Critics: profit motive, erosion of civil rights protections

Critical Question: "The chapter argues that schools exist for multiple purposes, not just economic ones. What are other essential purposes? How does market logic affect those purposes?"

Closing Synthesis (5 minutes)

Exit Ticket: "Complete this sentence: The most important thing to consider when reforming school governance is _______ because _______."

Culminating Assignment Options

Option 1: Policy Analysis Paper

Analyze a current school governance reform proposal (in your state or nationally). Evaluate it using:

  • Historical context
  • Evidence from research
  • Multiple stakeholder perspectives
  • Potential unintended consequences

Option 2: Governance Reform Proposal

Design your own school governance reform addressing a specific problem. Include:

  • Problem statement with evidence
  • Proposed solution with rationale
  • How it addresses historical tensions
  • Anticipated challenges and how to address them
  • Stakeholder analysis

Option 3: Comparative Analysis

Compare school governance structures in two different contexts (e.g., urban vs. rural, different states, U.S. vs. another country). Analyze:

  • How structures differ
  • Why differences exist
  • Outcomes associated with each
  • What each can learn from the other

Assessment Rubric for Culminating Assignment

Criteria (each scored 1-4):

  • Demonstrates understanding of governance structures
  • Applies historical context appropriately
  • Uses evidence from chapter and other sources
  • Considers multiple perspectives
  • Analyzes rather than simply describes
  • Writing is clear, organized, professional
  • Makes connections across concepts
  • Addresses potential criticisms/limitations

Total: ___ / 32 points


Extension Activities

  1. Guest Speaker: Invite local school board member, superintendent, or education policy advocate
  2. School Board Observation: Attend and analyze a local school board meeting
  3. Documentary Analysis: Watch and critique education reform documentary (e.g., "Waiting for Superman," "Backpack Full of Cash")
  4. Simulation: Role-play stakeholders negotiating a governance decision (budget cuts, school closure, charter approval)
  5. Policy Brief: Write brief for policymaker on specific governance issue