Is the educational philosophy that the importance of certain works transcends time. Perennial works are those considered as important and applicable today as they were when they were written, and are often referred to as great books. Common examples include Melville’s Moby Dick, Shakespeare’s Macbeth, Dickens’s Great Expectations, and Dante’s

Is the educational philosophy of teaching basic skills. This philosophy advocates training the mind. Essentialist educators focus on transmitting a series of progressively difficult topics and promotion of students to the next level or grade. Subjects are focused on the historical context of the material world and culture, and move

Promotes attentive personal consideration about personal character, beliefs, and choices. The primary question existentialists ask is whether they want to define who they are themselves, or whether they want society to define them. Although freedom and individuality are highly valued American principles, existentialists argue that there is an underlying message

Is based on the positive changes and problem-solving approach that individuals with various educational credentials can provide their students. Progressivist educators are outcome focused and don’t simply impart learned facts. Teachers are less concerned with passing on the existing culture and strive to allow students to develop an individual approach

A specific form of nationalism unique to the United States is known as American exceptionalism. The achievements and dominance of the United States in the global arena show that it is an exceptional country with a manifest destiny. American schools are agencies for instilling this sense of national pride, national

The legal case that determined that a standardized test in fact unjustly favored white students. The court found that “because the test was standardized to a white, middle-class group, it was inappropriate to use for tracking decisions.” Despite other, similar, court cases, and despite the growing evidence of inequality, testing

Put simply, a concern with ensuring that all students are given an equal chance to succeed. That means that even a child from a lower socio-economic status or a child whose first language is not English or a child from a minoritized community is given the same opportunities to develop

The act of moving a student to the next grade level, even though they have not mastered the curriculum of their current grade level. It allows their promotion regardless, always in spite of a common and reasonable concern that this approach places already struggling students at risk of future failure,

Practices that foster academic growth in students across socioeconomic and cultural boundaries. None of these practices involve hands-on classroom interventions on the part of administrators, but all foster a structured environment that’s focused on student learning – a school culture of learning.