BLOG POST #4 : Research Proposal

Emil Severe
Professor Goeller
Research in Disciplines: College!
October 9, 2012
Research Proposal

Working Title : The Privatization of Urban Education: Good Deed or Business scheme?

Topic:

My research paper will explore the possible causes for increasing privatization within inner city schooling. I will also investigate the methods used by traditional universities and for-profit colleges, as well as the societal consequences of such actions. Further, I plan to introduce the privatization of higher education from another perspective: the student.

Research Question: Will inner city schooling benefit more by increasing its number of privatized education institutions?

Theoretical Frame:

My paper will explore some motives behind supporting for-profit schools and the results of such actions. Of course, some motives are purely based on creating income, but other information suggests that some proprietary schools have done more than just create income for private investors. One speculation suggests that for-profit schools, by offering subsidized education opportunities, have the ability to create movements of high academic achievement within their own schools, “[spurring] surrounding schools to make [improvements]" (Whitty 107). One can assess question the improvements in the community’s education are solely because of competition between the schools, or just a push to improve schooling.

Another perspective of privatization, based on societal influences rather than an academic point of view, creates a more negative outlook on for-profit education. It introduces the class and race distinctions, stating that they will become “greater than ever before” (Elert 9). Students and parents are speculated to become increasingly interested in their own advancement at “whatever the cost to other people children” (Elert 9). In this case, questions can be raised about the welfare of the poor inner city communities that are already in need of aid from the public. With the importance placed on receiving high grades to receive an expensive education, students may be exceeding only because they need to get ahead of others.  Even if more students begin to exceed academically, will they decide to bring back to the community in which they were educated? One can assume that the capitalist nature of this system can potentially change students’ view on education.

Research Plan, case or Additional Questions:

More information can be researched about traditional schools and their adopting of some methods common to for-profit education. What opportunities are being made for students so that they do not have to invest in expensive education? If some schools and administrator believe that for-profit schools have become a detriment to student education, why not try to create strategies that allow for students to feel the same convenience that they would at proprietary schools?

Another perspective that I plan to briefly discuss concerns the parents of inner city students. How much do they influence the school choices that are made by students? More importantly, how has students and parents’ perspectives on for-profit schools allowed the business of privatization create billions of dollars of income? What type of students in the urban areas benefit the most from this education and what can a for-profit degree really do for those students? I believe some of these answers lie in graduation rates for select schools as well as employment statistics for students that graduated from these schools. Since most for-profit education institutions provide a limited array of career opportunities, I plan to compare the quality of education and success rates of for-profit and nonprofit schools in one state. In this case, “success” is described as receiving a career opportunity, whether it is a job or additional schooling, related to one’s major within two years of graduation. Hopefully, with this method I can somewhat show and compare the significance of receiving a degree from a for-profit to receiving the same degree at a traditional school.

Bibliography

Brown, Frank. “Privatization and Urban Education : More Political and Less Educational.” Education and Urban Society Volume 29 (1997) Print.

Clive, Belfield. "Education privatization: causes, consequences and planning implications." Fundamentals of Educational Planning No. 74 (2002) Print

Elert, G. (1994). “School privatization and choice: A sociopolitical analysis.” E-World. (1994). Print

Farrell, Walter. "Will Privatizing Schools Really Help Inner-City Students of Color?" Educational Leadership The New Alternative Schools Volume 52. No. 1 (1994) Print.

Whitty, Geoff. "Creeping Privatization And Its Implications For Schooling in the Inner City." The Urban Review Volume 22. No. 2 (1990) Print.

Romer, Jennifer. "Attacking Educational Inequality: The Privatization Approach." Boston College Third World Law Journal Volume 16. No. 2 (1996) Print.