The Reorganization Of The Schools Of Berkeley A Plan PDF Download

The movement toward a functional reorganization of the school system began more than two decades ago, and has survived two of the stages through which every project, on its way from inception to practice, must necessarily pass: that of academic discussion and that of consideration of working plans. It is now entering the final stage, that of adoption and trial. This bulletin is an attempt to set forth in orderly manner the progress of the movement as it has developed from its beginning to the present time. There is also an attempt to show, in some detail, how a regrouping of the grades of the system lends itself to changes in the elementary and secondary curricula that seem to be demanded. In treating the attempts which have been made to bring about this reorganization and the attendant effect upon courses of study, two alternatives were open: (1) to describe, in as great a detail as space would permit, a number of such efforts; or (2) to give a brief summary of the essential features of each, with a more detailed description of some one experience. The latter alternative has been adopted, on the theory that a portrayal of the difficulties encountered in putting into operation a given plan, and a description of the effect upon the organization and curriculum of a single school department, even though such results fall short of the ideal, would prove more helpful. Contents include: (1) The rise of the chief division of the American public-school system; (2) The rise of the graded school; (3) Efforts toward a functional reorganization--the first decade of the discussion; (4) Efforts toward a functional reorganization--second decade of the discussion; (5) Efforts toward a functional reorganization--the practice; (6) The plan adopted by Berkeley, California; (7) The course of study--the first cycle; and (8) The course of study--The second and third cycles. The appendix includes sample courses of study from schools in several U.S. cities and in Japan. A bibliography and an index are included. (Contains 243 footnotes.) [Best copy available has been provided.].