Sage Journals: Discover world-class research

Abstract

In Cleveland, the poorest children live in public housing projects called the bricks. The culture of the people there, along with some misguided public policy, has hindered efforts to reform the mathematics curriculum in Cleveland's intermediate-level schools. Students were poorly prepared for school, and their local culture was in conflict with teachers and school authorities. Teachers' efforts to change their curriculum from a textbook-dependent approach to an emphasis on problem solving were unsuccessful also because of their fears of being fired, their not wanting to appear ignorant to their students, and the high rate of student absenteeism. To make public schools integrated with the community and conducive to curriculum reform, they should cooperate with local religious and social organizations for the educational benefit of people in local cultures.

Get full access to this article

View all access options for this article.

References

Addams, J. (1916). Democracy and social ethics. New York: Macmillan.

Bruckerhoff, C. (1990a). Conversation as the centerpiece for reflective practice. Curriculum and Teaching, 5(1-2), 14-24.

Bruckerhoff, C. (1990b, April). Routines and mathematics curriculum reform. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association, Boston.

Bruckerhoff, C. (1991). Between classes: Faculty life at Truman High. New York: Teachers College Press.

Bruckerhoff, C. , & Popkewitz, T. (1991). An urban collaborative in critical perspective. Education and Urban Policy, 23, 313-325.

Comer, J. (1980). School power: Implications of an intervention project. New York: Free Press.

Dewey, J. (1916). Democracy and education. New York: Macmillan.

Dewey, J. (1938). Experience and education. New York: Macmillan.

Levin, H. (1987). Accelerated schools for disadvantaged students. Educational Leadership, 44, 19-21.

10.

McDermott, R. (1974). Achieving school failure: An anthropological approach to illiteracy and social stratification. In G. Spindler (Ed.), Education and cultural process (pp. 82-118). New York: Holt, Rinehart & Winston.

11.

Mumford, L. (1961). The city in history. New York: Harcourt, Brace & World.

12.

Ogbu, J. (1988). Diversity and equity in public education. In R. Haskins & D. MacRae (Eds.), Policies for America ' public schools (pp. 27-39). Norwood, NJ: Ablex.

13.

Oliver, D. , & Gershman, K. (1989). Education, modernity, and fractured meaning. Albany: State University of New York Press.

14.

Popkewitz, T. (1988). Culture, pedagogy, and power: Issues in the production of values and colonialization. Journal of Education, 170(2), 77-90.

15.

Romberg, T. , & Carpenter, T. (1986). Research on teaching and learning mathematics: Two disciplines of scientific inquiry. In M. C. Wittrock (Ed.), Handbook of research on teaching (pp. 850-873). New York: Macmillan.

16.

Rosenshine, B. (1983). Teaching functions in instructional programs. Elementary School Journal, 83(4), 335-351.

17.

Rutti, R. (1991, January 31). Proficiency tests raise deficiency fears. The Plain Dealer, pp. 1, 10.

18.

Smith, L. (1986). Educational innovators: Then and now. New York: Falmer.

19.

Wehlage, G. (1989). Reducing the risk: Schools as communities of support, and public policy. New York: Falmer.

20.

West, P. (1991, March 13). Math groups urge changes in teacher preparation. Education Week p. 5.

21.

Wilson, W. (1987). The truly disadvantaged: The inner city, the underclass, and public policy. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

Life in the Bricks

Abstract

Get full access to this article

References