Chapter 4: Schools as Organizations: Formal and Informal Education

Test Bank

Multiple Choice

1. An example of an informal goal for schools is ______.

A. hierarchy of offices

B. criteria for membership

C. sharing of interests

D. all of these

2. An example of informal systems in schools is ______.

A. the levels of organization in schools described by Barr and Dreeben

B. the way in which children learn gender as described by Martin

C. the rituals and routines observed by Edith Kerr in a kindergarten classroom

D. all of these

3. According to Barr and Dreeben, labor in school systems is ______.

A. divided

B. differentiated by task

C. hierarchical

D. all of these

4. A key point in Barr and Dreeben’s argument about how schools work is that ______.

A. each level in the school hierarchy has different responsibilities

B. what happens at one level in the school hierarchy affects what happens at other levels

C. each level in the school hierarchy has its own productive agenda

D. all of these

5. According to Barr and Dreeben, ______.

A. teachers operate outside the hierarchy and are not influenced by other levels

B. the classroom is the lowest level in the hierarchy and there are no other levels below it

C. the hierarchy in elementary schools is much steeper and more differentiated

D. none of these

6. In her article on “Becoming a Gendered Body,” Karin Martin argues that bodies are gendered in the classroom through______.

A. playing dress-up

B. restrictions on voice limits

C. physical discipline

D. all of these

7. An example of a formal behavior is ______.

A. raising your hand

B. yelling

C. running

D. lying down

8. Martin found that teachers were likely to ______.

A. reprimand girls for informal behavior

B. allow boys to pursue informal behavior

C. tell girls to be quiet more often than boys

D. all of these

9. According to Castro and Sujak, heteronormative practices at school can lead to ______ for nonheterosexual students.

A. internalized homophobia

B. perceived stigmatization

C. discrimination and violence

D. all of these

10. According to Gracey, Kindergarten is generally seen as a time when students learn ______.

A. basics such as pre-reading and pre-math

B. early fundamental skills such as reading and elementary math

C. socialization and discipline skills

D. day care

11. Gracey describes the instances of teachers reinforcing school routines as providing ______.

A. training for life

B. a sense of discipline and control

C. an understanding of one’s position in the world

D. all of these

12. Social–emotional learning, according to Weissberh and Cascarino, is based on the understanding that the best learning happens in the context of ______.

A. challenging coursework

B. student-centered activities

C. supportive relationships

D. none of these

13. Participation in romantic relationships is important for adolescents because ______.

A. they learn how to relate to another

B. they experiment in associating intimacy needs with sexuality

C. they further clarify who they are and what they desire

D. all of these

True/False

1. A hierarchy of offices, such that some people have more power in decision-making than others, is an example of the informal structure of schools.

2. What really happens in classrooms is part of the formal organization of schools.

3. According to Barr and Dreeben, textbooks are productive resources only in classrooms, but have meaning at all levels of the hierarchy of schools.

4. Martin found that teachers are more lenient in disciplining boys’ behavior.

5. There is a hidden curriculum in schools which supports heterosexual dating.

6. Social support for sexual minority youth is easier found at home than at school.

7. According to Gracey, children begin learning the student role after kindergarten.

8. Gracey’s example of the children discussing the “spooky house” at the zoo is an example of how teachers allow students to step outside of the student role in kindergarten.

9. Well-implemented social–emotional learning improves student academic performance.

10. Social–emotional learning has been integrated into many K-12 curriculums across the United States.

11. Social–emotional learning is beneficial to students’ postgraduation.