Group Assignment - "'Savage Inequalities' in Education?"*
Introduction to Sociology, Spring 2002 - Kessler

(A group assignment - 3 students/group)

Jonathan Kozol, quoting from a report by New York's Community Service Society, writes:  "Whether consciously or not, the system writes off its poorest students."  According to Stephanie Banchero, "Illinois' method of funding schools...creates huge inequities between rich and poor districts."

Does the U.S. education system "write off" its poorest students?  Does the Illinois school system create educational inequalities?  This assignment will help you question the existence of educational inequalities in the United States and Illinois.

• After you have finished reading Macionis (Education Chapter) and supplemental materials handed out in class, each group member should choose a school district in Illinois (for a total of 3 districts per group).
• Over the internet, you will gather information about these school districts that you feel to be sociologically significant (see Instructions below).
• Construct one chart, using Excel, that compares the three districts based on criteria from the most recent databases available.
• Compose a brief report (1.5 to 2 pages, double-spaced), summarizing your findings.  Use the supplemental readings to support your analysis.

Feel free to use alternative methods to gain additional information.  Please cite the sources of your statistics.

Consider the following when constructing your report:

• What were your impressions about these schools and communities before you found the data?
• What conclusions can you draw from your chart about community prosperity and quality of education?
• What do your data say about fairness and equal opportunity?  Did you come to the same conclusions as Jonathan Kozol in "Savage Inequalities" and Stephanie Banchero in "Equity Not in School Funding Equation"?  Why or why not?
• Would you suggest changes to the way that funding for public education is distributed in Illinois?  If so, what would they be?  If no, why?

Reports will be typed and double-spaced, and will include chart/s and bibliography.  Please format your report in ASA (American Sociological Association) Style

Task distribution:  Do research individually or as a group.  Do written analysis as a group.  Divide up other tasks:  typing, proofreading, in-text referencing and bibliography, etc.

If you do not work on this assignment, you may not put your name to the report.  Claiming credit for work done by others constitutes plagiarism.

Instructions for accessing data

*A modified version of "Testing Savage Inequalities" by Mary Wright, in Social Stratification Courses: Syllabi and Instructional Materials, 4th Ed (Sernau, ed)