Chapter 8 Test Questions
Multiple Choice
1. Which of the following statements accurately reflect changes in American families over the past few
decades?
a. parents are generally older than in the past.
b. parents are generally younger than in the past.
c. parents are marrying earlier than they did in the past.
d. almost 50% of today’s young people under 30 years of age has been married.
2. The percentage of children under 18 years old living with two parents is
a. 10%.
b. 25%.
c. 55%.
d. 70%.
3. The factor that is most correlated with disadvantaged students is
a. IQ of parents.
b. geographical location of school.
c. economic well-being of families.
d. crime level of neighborhood.
4. All of the following relate to high reading scores EXCEPT
a. reading to young children.
b. limiting time spent watching TV.
c. access to books, computers, and the Internet.
d. exposure to educational television.
5. The number of people in the United States without shelter at some point during a year is
a. one million.
b. two million.
c. three million
d. four million.
6. The major cause of homelessness is
a. a shortage of affordable rental housing.
b. growing number of people and families in poverty.
c. unemployment.
d. lack of medical care.
7. All of the following are true of children who live in shelters or on the street EXCEPT
a. They often suffer from inadequate health care.
b. They are not always inoculated against common childhood diseases.
c. They face hypothermia, hunger, and abuse.
d. They usually live with a parent.
8. Even though the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act eliminated residency requirements for
students, homeless children are faced with all of the following problems EXCEPT
a. School districts can easily obtain court orders to prevent them from enrolling.
b. Transportation may not be determined feasible by school systems.
c. They are forced to wait to enroll while personal records are collected.
d. They are not allowed to attend the school that would best meet their needs.
9. About half of kindergarten through fifth grade students have their after school supervision provided by
a. after school programs.
b. no one (latchkey children).
c. their grandparents or other relatives.
d. their parents.
10. Today’s young people face all of the following challenges EXCEPT
a. more relaxed standards from educational authorities.
b. pressure from friends to drink and smoke.
c. conflicting messages from the media.
d. increased pressure to grow up quickly.
11. Which of the following statements refers to the majority of U.S. teenagers today?
a. They are less like their counterparts of past generations than similar to them.
b. They feel that media reports about them are fair and accurate.
c. More of them finish high school and enroll in post-secondary education than ever before.
d. They appreciate the increased funding for schools, parks, and youth-oriented community centers.
12. Adults look on teenagers in all of the following ways EXCEPT
a. They are mature enough to have the benefits of adulthood.
b. They are troublemakers.
c. They should begin dating and developing friendships.
d. They are expected to develop plans for their futures.
13. Abused children and youths may exhibit all of the following EXCEPT
a. They arrive early and are reluctant to leave at the end of the day.
b. They seem to be depressed most of the time.
c. They appear to be hungry often.
d. They appear bright and alert and attempt to attract attention.
14. Harassment escalates to physical assault for the following percentage of LGBT students in schools:
a. 10%
b. 20%
c. 30%
d. 40%
15. All of the following actions are typical responses on the part of those experiencing harassment by
peers or teachers at school, EXCEPT
a. avoiding school or cutting class
b. asserting oneself more to show confidence
c. difficulty in paying attention
d. talking less in class
16. The members of the Valleydale High School physical and health education staff are planning the
curriculum for the Human Sexuality class. They have examined the literature and found that today’s
youth have all of the following beliefs about sexuality EXCEPT
a. Girls connect sex with being accepted.
b. Girls connect sex with being attractive and loved.
c. Boys connect sex to status and power.
d. Boys connect sex with loving, enduring relationships.
17. The Vallydale High School physical and health education staff have found that research says that
school sex and health education clinics are helpful. They also have found that such clinics are
a. fully supported by parents.
b. endorsed by the majority of community members.
c. not always supported by families and communities.
d. considered by students to be a waste of time.
18. Lisa Sims is a high school counselor who feels that it is essential that she remain aware of the
statistics regarding the use of addictive substances among high school seniors. When a teacher tells
her that Brandon has been coming to class in what seems to be an impaired state, she is aware that
statistics indicate that he has most likely been using
a. alcohol.
b. prescription drugs.
c. inhalants.
d. marijuana.
19. Which of the following ethnic groups is most likely to use illegal drugs?
a. African Americans.
b. Asian Americans.
c. Hispanic Americans.
d. White Americans.
20. What is the approximate percentage of sixteen and seventeen-year-old high school students who
work during the school year?
a. 16%
b. 24%
c. 42%
d. 51%
21. Children in low-income families suffer disproportionately from limited access to all of the following
EXCEPT
a. well-maintained schools.
b. access to high-level academic knowledge.
c. sufficient books and other instructional resources.
d. higher budget allocations.
22. As students develop a sense of ʺself,ʺ they also develop a sense of ʺothers.ʺ The construction of
ʺothersʺ involves all of the following EXCEPT
a. placing others in positions of domination.
b. placing others in positions of submission.
c. affiliating with one’s gender and racial and ethnic groups.
d. viewing others in a stereotypical manner.
23. The process through which prejudice and discriminatory attitudes are passed from parents to their
children is
a. learning.
b. socialization.
c. imitation.
d. seriation.
24. Prejudice against other ethnic groups is transformed into discrimination when individuals
a. have stereotypical ideas about those of different ethnic backgrounds.
b. pay employees from other ethnic groups less than employees from their own ethnic group.
c. believe that others should aspire only to certain occupations and types of employment.
d. associate only with others from the same ethnic background as themselves.
25. Some children develop preconceived negative attitudes against members of groups who are different
from them in some way. These patterns, which they may learn from their families, cause them to
practice
a. discrimination.
b. sexism.
c. prejudice.
d. domination.
26. Hiring practices which look at each applicant based upon skills and qualifications rather than judging
applicants by their sex, skin color, or able-bodiedness are designed to prevent
a. democracy.
b. equality.
c. discrimination.
d. nepotism.
27. Roger Whittington was raised in an affluent, white, Protestant family and attended a private college
preparatory school in the northeast. Roger is likely to have more difficulty than most Americans in
acknowledging the existence of
a. inner city poverty.
b. differences in power and advantage.
c. managerial and worker classes.
d. varying intellectual abilities.
28. What is the conscious or unconscious belief that men are superior to women?
a. racism
b. ableism
c. gender socialism
d. sexism
29. As Bill Pearson, the Personnel Manager of Elite Office Services opens the door to the next applicant
for a job, he is momentarily taken aback when he sees Rianne in her wheelchair. Bill struggles with
the preconceived notion that she is not up to the job even though he has not yet asked her a single
question. The preconceived notions that he has are most likely due to
a. ableism.
b. racism.
c. sexism.
d. homophobia.
30. Tayshan is deaf. Although he has been given the chance to undergo surgery to provide a measure of
hearing, he prefers not to undergo the operation. Activists for the hearing impaired would encourage
Tayshan to consider his condition
a. a disability.
b. a challenge to be overcome.
c. a genetic deficiency.
d. normal.
31. Harassment from a distance rather than face-to–face through the use of technologies such as texting,
social networking, and email to share embarrassing photos, spread rumors, and attack victims is
a. cyber-bullying.
b. cheating.
c. physical abuse.
d. sexting.
32. All of the following are warning signs of suicide EXCEPT
a. changes in a person’s mood.
b. changes in sleeping patterns.
c. anxiety.
d. increased social activities.
33. High schools in which less than 60 percent of their student population graduates in four years after
they begin the ninth grade are
a. dropout factories.
b. alternative schools.
c. inner-city schools.
d. magnet schools.
34. The belief that one can control one’s life is
a. confidence.
b. intelligence.
c. self-determination.
d. self-efficacy.
35. Overall, the percentage of parents that rate their child’s teacher as successful in engaging them in
their child’s education is
a. 20%.
b. 30%.
c. 50%.
d. 80%.
Chapter 8 Test Questions
Short Answer
1. You have undoubtedly been exposed to the values of the 1950s and 1960s through old television
shows that can be seen on cable or satellite television. Write an article for a magazine to educate the
public on the changes in family structure that have occurred since the days of Leave it to Beaver,
Happy Days, and other traditional two-parent family-based programs. Include at least five examples
of family structures that are likely to be seen in classrooms today and discuss how you, as a teacher,
could assist children who are having difficulties coping with the situations in which they find
themselves. (Learning Outcome 8.1)
2. Teachers often complain that they receive no support from parents who seemingly care little about the
success of their children in school. Many teachers feel that one of the reasons for this is that parents
or guardians from lower socioeconomic circumstances or from other ethnic backgrounds than
themselves do not value education.
a) Why do teachers often feel this way?
b) List and explain at least four factors that would make it appear that the parents or guardians
described above act the way they do with respect to schooling? (Learning Outcome 8.1)
3. Bullying and harassment have become significant problems in schools today. Develop a scenario that
you might witness as a teacher walking down the hallway, during an extracurricular activity, or while
on yard duty. Include a description of what you observed and the action you might take. Offer an
hypothesis as to why the incident may have developed the way it did and what you might do to help
the perpetrator and the victim from involvement in additional incidents like the one you witnessed.
(Learning Outcome 8.2)
4. “Power allows access to societal benefits.” Describe three factors associated with prejudice and
discrimination that contribute to unequal opportunities for all students. Develop a plan to recommend
at least five improvements that would help the public school system overcome these problems and
provide equal educational opportunities for all students. Include a justification for the plan to illustrate
how it would accomplish your goals. (Learning Outcome 8.4)
5. Although the use of computers and communications technology in the classroom can be an invaluable
resource, there are also dangers that might arise from unsupervised and unauthorized use of
hardware and software. The usual way that schools combat these problems is to develop and
implement an Acceptable Use Policy. Develop an outline of a sample policy. Explain why each of the
points is necessary and how they will deal with the specific problems identified. (Learning Outcome
8.6)
Chapter 8 Answer Key
Chapter 8 Answer Key
Short Answer
