The pragmatic curriculum: Increasing academic and socialization skills through extra-curricular activities for students with special needs

This study seeks to examine how children, although equal in their common humanity and fundamental human rights, are unequal as individuals, differencing in their capacity to learn and increase academic and socialization skills.; A review of the literature illustrates the myriad problems faced by special-needs students, and in particular African American students, in both primary and secondary schools. The problems, interestingly enough, also afford an array of measures that can be used to increase support for these students in their home, school, and the community. In many instances, the homes and community environments from which they arrive at school are unequal in relation to their preparation, or lack of it, for the school days ahead. In reality our students seem to be falling behind and doing worse today than they have done historically. These problems are not restricted to the poor and the disenfranchised, but it is clear they seem to suffer the most and become unproductive citizens through their lifetime.; American public schools are declining, and urban schools in particular are failing. The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 (NCLB) is the latest legislative effort to correct the problems. The education of our youth today is the primary goal for our nation.