| This dissertation analyzes how mandated high-stakes tests and college and career ready standards influence local curricula and the reproduction of inequalities between students. I found that inequalities were reproduced based on distinctions between students in co-taught courses (classes that required the presence of an aide to assist students with disabilities or behavioral problems) (CT), Regents courses, and advantaged placement (AP) courses. Standardized tests, specifically the Common Core and Regents, hindered the levels of knowledge that students in CT and Regents tracks participated in, or in the case of AP students, caused them to engage with a bit more advanced learning. Although teachers were required to prepare students for high-stakes tests, their agency did play an essential role in framing pedagogy in all of the classrooms observed, because teachers were able to construct their lesson plans and interact with students independently. Teachers provided AP students with skills directly that would help them in college because of the distinctions teachers made between students. Thus, a combination of high-stakes standardized test scores and social and cultural capital constructed social boundaries that influenced the expectations of teachers and college preparation for students. Teachers were aware of the limits of standardized tests though, so there was potential for non-reproductive tendencies between tracks.;I based my research on Jean Anyon's (1981) study of social class, Pierre Bourdieu's understanding of culture, and critical pedagogy. Similar to Anyon I outline four levels of knowledge based on insights from her categories, Bloom's taxonomy (Bloom, 1969), and college and career readiness. However, rather than focusing on inequalities between schools, I focus on inequalities within a school.;I conducted qualitative research methods in the form of in-depth interviews and the observation of seven classrooms across the disciplines history, mathematics, English, and biology at a fringe-rural high school. This dissertation outlines an analysis of how a fringe-rural school located in upstate New York addressed the needs of socio-economically disadvantaged students and middle class students. Understanding the relationship between social class and the hidden curriculum in a rural school sheds light on successful strategies for educating students from similar demographics. |
