Archived: The Educational System in the United States: Case Study Findings

Responses to School
Student responses to school covered both general responses as well as comments
that described specific aspects of school, such as teachers, classes, and school
rules. We were particularly interested in the role that math and science plays in
adolescents’ lives and sought their responses to this aspect of the curriculum.
There were also some differences noted in students’ perceptions of school based
on academic track, race, and gender.
It is not surprising that not all students find their needs met at school and that
some are happier with their lives at school than others. Few students were openly
negative about school, but many gave lukewarm answers, such as ‘‘It’s all right,
you know, you got to do it to graduate’’ or talked about friends who were dis-
affected. For the most part, students in this study had both good and bad things
to say about the schools they attended.
Students often spoke of the overall nature of their specific school. Students at the
elite high schools are generally aware of the reputation of their school and talked
about the high expectations that are set for them accordingly. As one said, ‘‘I
know that people see the name of Hamilton and think that it is a good school.’’
Another at Springdale said that ‘‘In general, I am very happy with this school. I
have to stop myself, because I take it for granted. This is one of the best high
schools in the area. We really have everything. Everything that I could ever want.’’
Others are aware that they have been systematically shortchanged; a student from
South Central, a high school in the same community, said that ‘‘This school
doesn’t have many activities . . . . If they did, like volleyball, football, home-
coming, more students would want to come to school and this school would be
better.’’
The interviews also revealed the perception that one’s attitude toward school may
be influenced by peer judgments. In an interview with a group of junior high stu-
dents, one said:
I think that a lot of people that I know say they don’t like school at all, but
I think most of the time they are really doing it for what other people want
to hear and sometimes it may be really what they think, but you should know
that school should be really important for you. School could be better, but we
all have to manage it.
Opportunities to be with peers, however, may be what students like most about
school. Another student in the same group noted:

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A lot of kids say they don’t like school and they don’t like the work, but most
of the kids like it because their friends are here every day and it’s a way to
see their friends.
Positive aspects of school. 
Some of the most positive comments about schooling
came from those students who are in honors or advanced-placement courses. Our
observations indicated that these are typically smaller classes with more challeng-
ing materials and instruction, and that these courses attract students who are more
likely to be on task in the classroom. One high school sophomore at Springdale
spoke of what he finds most interesting about school:
If I am in a class and we are having a discussion, and there is a spark that
is there, it really gets me going. Or if we are practicing some scene on stage
and we have a moment and the feeling is there and we are really into it, then
it is really worth it. I think it happens more in my classes, because I have the
honors and AP classes, but I do not think that it happens otherwise too much.
Many urban schools must deal with a large number of nonnative speakers and pro-
vide specialized courses for their needs. At Uptown a student replied that the best
thing about her school was
An ESL program for about 30 percent of students—English and American cul-
ture. And it makes you want to be here and it gives you a good attitude. I
also get to meet people from all over. I never thought that I would meet peo-
ple from Vietnam, Africa, Mexico, everywhere.
Good teachers were praised by students and there were general characteristics
that stood out across interviews. Students spoke most enthusiastically about teach-
ers who made learning fun and interesting, who like teaching and like students,
who have control of the classroom, and whose instructional repertoire includes
more than lecturing. A male student at Springdale talked about the teachers he
liked best:
The teachers who are interested in the students. They are teaching because
they like teaching and they like working with the kids. And you can tell the
teachers who are working there just waiting for their pensions.
A junior at Uptown whose family had immigrated to the United States from the
Middle East said:
We have a lot of good teachers. Like my math teacher is one of the best. She
is enthusiastic. She knows how to teach. I have had math teachers who write
something on the board and then sit down. She teaches more advanced classes
and activities.

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In a group interview, four junior high students spoke of their favorite subject,
math, and their favorite teacher, commenting that ‘‘She makes it fun, yet you still
learn a lot.’’ ‘‘She makes it fun. And it’s easier to understand if it’s fun to do.’’
‘‘Math is my favorite subject because of the way the teacher teaches it. She gets
more respect than most of the other teachers.’’ Another student in the group
noted:
I think when it comes to math, how I do is somehow dependent on how a
teacher teaches it. Sometimes if a teacher goes too fast and I can’t keep up
and she doesn’t help me, then my grades go down. Sometimes when teachers
are really helpful, then I do better.
In some cases, students talked about favorite classes and their choices seemed
based on either good teaching or strong personal interest in the subject matter.
In the case of the rather limited vocational offerings we observed, utility was also
a rationale, as it was for an African-American at South Central, who said his favor-
ite class was electronics: ‘‘We make projects and learn about electricity and stuff
like that, lights, radios, and stuff. So we know a little bit about fixing stuff around
the house.’’
Math classes were mentioned frequently as favorite classes, primarily by those in
accelerated or honors courses. Students seemed pleased to describe the pace at
which they were working in comparison to other classes. An 8th-grader, who had
been advanced to an accelerated algebra class reserved for fewer than 20 students,
spoke with enthusiasm and pride: ‘‘We go pretty fast paced. Most of the other
classes do only about a half a book a year, a third of a book a year, and we’re
all the way up there.’’
In general, positive perceptions of math and science classes were related to an
affinity for the teacher, previous personal success in these areas, and interest in
the subject matter. A ninth-grader at Hamilton commented that ‘‘I like science
least because the teacher is kind of dry. I like geometry the most. My geometry
teacher is very exciting and makes geometry really interesting. That is the big rea-
son why I like it.’’ Some students acknowledged that their attitudes about math
and science had changed over time. One said that:
I used to hate math and I really was bad at it. Now I’m in Scholars’ Math and
that’s like my favorite subject now. My dad taught me, because I used to like
basketball, and he would put basketball in a mathematical situation to help me
figure it out better, and then I grew to love math. (Tenth-grader, Springdale)
Across the curriculum, students enrolled in honors, accelerated, or advanced-
placement classes often spoke positively of their experiences.

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I have been in half regular and half honors. And my honors classes are defi-
nitely better in the way the students relate to the teacher, and the classes are
more challenging and interesting. It is like you want to work to understand.
And the regular classes, some of them are good sometimes, but often it seems
just like tedious work. Like you are there and you are just working to do the
work. It seems pointless. (Eleventh-grade male, Springdale)
Students cited a number of reasons for preferring these courses: more challenging
material, more interesting assignments, better teaching, and more highly motivated
students. Tracking was a controversial and frequently discussed topic. One honors
student who spoke enthusiastically of his courses, who yearned for more demand-
ing work, and who noted that the current system of tracking ‘‘was not motivating
enough,’’ said that ‘‘I would certainly encourage more tracking. And a lot of my
colleagues, including teachers, would discourage more tracking.’’