Education in America provides an essential, comprehensive introduction to education in the U.S., from its origins to its contemporary manifestations. Focusing on social inequality, Kimberly A. Goyette calls into question Horace Mann’s famous proclamation that education is the “great equalizer” and examines how education stratifies students based on socioeconomic background, race, and gender. She identifies the 'hidden curriculum' beneath equations and grammar rules, from which students may learn what is expected of them based on their anticipated roles in society. Referencing school reforms such as No Child Left Behind, Race to the Top, and Common Core, Goyette shows that education is not merely reflective of a society’s views, but instrumental in shaping and changing society’s structure. The Sociology in the Twenty-First Century Series introduces students to a range of sociological issues of broad interest in the United States today, with each volume addressing topics such as family, race, immigration, gender, education, and social inequality. These books—intended for classroom use—will highlight findings from current, rigorous research and demographic data while including stories about people’s experiences to illustrate major themes in an accessible manner. Learn more at The Sociology in the Twenty-First Century Series . “Weaves a powerful narrative of inequalities that is chilling in its detailing of how education stratifies students on the basis of gender, race, class, and disability. Packed with relevant facts and statistics, it is also a very measured book, weighing up often competing evidence in an even-handed way.” -- Diane Reay ― American Journal of Sociology Published On: 2018-11-01 "Goyette provides a lucid, succinct, and valuable overview of the state of education. Recommended for teaching!"&;Annette Lareau, author of Unequal Childhoods: Class, Race, and Family Life "This book fills a niche within course materials for undergraduates in sociology of education, and will be valuable to instructors teaching sociology of education and social inequality." &;Susan A. Dumais, Associate Professor of Sociology, Lehman College, CUNY "Goyette provides a lucid, succinct, and valuable overview of the state of education. Recommended for teaching!"—Annette Lareau, author of Unequal Childhoods: Class, Race, and Family Life "This book fills a niche within course materials for undergraduates in sociology of education, and will be valuable to instructors teaching sociology of education and social inequality." —Susan A. Dumais, Associate Professor of Sociology, Lehman College, CUNY Kimberly A. Goyette  is Professor and Chair in the Department of Sociology at Temple University and specializes in the Sociology of Education.   Education in America By Kimberly A. Goyette UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA PRESS Copyright © 2017 The Regents of the University of California All rights reserved. ISBN: 978-0-520-28511-8 Contents List of Figures, ix, List of Tables, xii, Acknowledgments, xv, 1. The Promise(s) of Education, 1, 2. Competing Visions of Public Education: Who and What Should It Be For?, 17, 3. What Does Education Do? Paradigms and Theories about How Education Works, 29, 4. Inequality by Socioeconomic Background and Class, 50, 5. Inequality by Race and Ethnicity, Immigrant Status, and Language Ability, 89, 6. Inequality by Gender and Disability, 131, 7. Educational Inequality in Other Nations, 155, 8. Education Reforms and Inequality Jessica Brathwaite and Kimberly Goyette, 178, 9. If We Don't Like Educational Inequality, Why Is It So Hard to Make It Go Away?, 196, Notes, 207, References, 219, Index, 243, CHAPTER 1 The Promise(s) of Education We have all had experience with the education system in some way or another. Most of us (those who were not home-schooled) have been in some type of primary and secondary schools. You may be a student now in a college or university. You may be a parent of a student. We all know education "from the inside." We have seen its effects firsthand. Some of you may be in college classrooms right now. You are likely high school graduates who have "made it" to or perhaps even through college. You might think if you have made it this far education has worked for you. You did the work you needed to do to get to where you are now. The education system correctly recognized that work and sorted you into the right place. You earned your place as a high school graduate or as a college student or graduate. You probably haven't thought too much about how your race, socioeconomic background, or gender shaped your education because you "made it." Whether you are black, white, Hispanic, or Asian, rich or poor, male or female, you made it through high school and into college. There are plenty of examples of people who went through the education system and "made it" like you — even those who were very poor, like former president Bill Clinton, who ach