Adolescence: Change and Continuity

Schools

In What Ways Does The American Education System Of Today Differ From That Of 50 Years Ago?

Today almost all 14 to 17 year olds are enrolled in school, 50 years ago only half of that age category went to school (Steinberg, 1993).
Today more days are spend in school each year. School years now last 180 days, compared to 50 years ago when they lasted an average of 162 days (the average student only attended 75% of those days) (Steinberg, 1993).
Today adolescents stay in school longer. On average 75% of fifth graders will eventually graduate, and a large number of others will obtain a diploma by another means. Fifty years ago, less than one-third of fifth graders graduated (Steinberg, 1993).

What Factors Have Caused The Above Changes?

Industrialization, urbanization, and immigration were the major causes of change (Steinberg, 1993).
As work places changed, more skilled labor was needed and children were no longer capable of meeting the demands (Steinberg, 1993).
Social reformers saw education as a way of improving life for the poor and less fortunate and as a source of social control (Steinberg, 1993).

What Are The Current Demographic Trends For Education?

In the fall of 1990, there were 46.2 million students in elementary and secondary education (National, 1992).
In 1989, there were 15,400 school districts in the U.S., operating over 83,000 public elementary and secondary schools (National, 1992).
In 1987, there were over 26,000 private elementary and secondary schools in the U.S. (National, 1992).
Over the past two decades, the drop out rate in the U.S. has declined. In 1970, 15% of students dropped out of school. In 1990, that figure had dropped to 12.1% (National, 1992).

To Give You An Idea Of How The American School System Compares To Those Of Other Countries, Here Are Some Facts About The Japanese School System.

The Japanese school year runs from April 1 to March 31, with three terms each year. Students are granted vacation time during the year which varies by geographic region (Ministry, 1971).
The Japanese school year is 240 days long, compared to the American school year which lasts 180 days (Nommay, 1986).
Japanese children also spend more time in school each day (an average of seven hours), and they must attend a half day on Saturdays (Nommay, 1986).
Japanese students spend on average more than two hours a day studying, only one-fourth of U.S. students spend this much time (Nommay, 1986).
60% of Japanese students also attend a special study school after regular school hours and on Saturdays (Nommay, 1986).
Japanese students must take tests to determine which high school they will attend. Placements to high schools are determined by ability. Any student that does not get accepted to an academic school must go on to a vocational school (Nommay, 1986).
As history has progressed, we have continuously worked to improve our educational system. Studies show that different styles of learning can enhance the quality of education, we discuss one of these styles next.

For More Information See These Links......

Or Read These Publications...

Ministry of Education. (1971). Education in Japan, A Graphic Presentation. Ministry of Education, Tokyo (Japan). 133p.
National Center for Statistics. (1992). American Education at a Glance. National Center for Statistics (Ed), Washington, D.C. 13p.
Nommay, Louanne. (1986). Education in Japan, What Does it Mean to the U.S.?. 31p.
Steinberg, Laurence. (1993). Adolescence, Third Edition. New York: McGraw Hill, Inc.

This site was produced by students taking HDFS 433: The Transition to Adulthood and HDFS 239: Adolescent Development at the Pennsylvania State University. Feedback can be sent to the individual authors or to Nancy Darling (darling@bard.edu).

Last updated 4/16/01.