Read the Case: Critical Incidence in Teaching; Impact of Socioeconomic Status on School Events, p.61 (10 edition) then answer all the three questions that follow the case. Below is the case.
The Impact of Socioeconomic Status on School Events
The middle school in a rural community of 9,000 residents has four school-sponsored dances each year. At the Valentine’s day dance, a coat-and-tie affair, six eight-grade boys showed up in the rented tuxedos. They had planned this together, and their parents , who were among the more affluent in the community, thought it would be “cute” and paid for the rentals. The final dance of the year is scheduled for May, and it too is a coat-and-tie dance.
This time, rumors are circulating around the school that “everyone” is renting a tux and that the girls are getting new formal dresses. The parents of the six boys are, according to the grapevine, renting a limousine for their sons and their dates. These behaviors and dress standards are far in excess of anything previously observed at the middle school.
Several students, particularly those from lower-income backgrounds, have said they will boycott the dance. They cannot afford the expensive attire, and they claim that ones behind the dress-up movement have said that only the nerds or geeks would show up in anything less than a tux or a formal gown.
Now answer the following questions:
1. How can schools ensure that the cost of attending school affairs or events is not prohibitive for some of their students?
2. Should school administrators intervene in the plans being made by the more affluent or advantaged students? What could they do to control the situation?
3. Why could the actions of these advantaged or affluent students be disruptive to the school climate or events
