This investigation studied the impact of male student involvement in selected school activities upon grade-point averages, rates of attendance and college entrance examination scores. The main purpose of this study was to provide data for state officials, school administrators, and school boards as they seek to make decisions concerning the activities program and its place in the educational system. The specific purpose was to determine if involvement in selected school activities had any relationship to the variables grade-point average, attendance, and scores on college entrance examinations. The study was carried out in four large Texas high schools with a total student population of 6,456. Male participants in seven major school activities were randomly selected. This process produced a total sample of 280 male students representing participation in seven activities in four high schools. Each activity was represented by a sample of forty male students. The conclusions were drawn that (1) there is a positive relationship between participation in the activities program by male students and attendance rate, grade-point average, and scores on the Scholastic Aptitude Test and (2) there was no negative relationship between participation in the activities program and the participants' ability to receive a high school education.

The purposes of this study were to identify the procedures and criteria used for conducting teacher performance evaluation in Texas public schools, to determine the degree to which teacher performance evaluation procedures and instruments reflect the stated evaluation policies of Texas public schools, and to determine the degree to which teacher performance evaluation instruments used in Texas public schools reflect presage criteria (teacher characteristics) as opposed to process criteria (teacher behavior) as opposed to product criteria (student change or gain) as opposed to general job performance requirements (job expectations). The main findings include the following. (1) Teacher performance evaluation is required in all Texas public school districts and is often performed several times a year by more than one observer. The building principal is the key person involved in this process. (2) Although all school districts stated the supervisory function of the improvement of instruction as the major purpose of their teacher performance evaluation policy, a large number of school districts utilize teacher performance evaluation for the administration functions of serving as a basis for retention or dismissal. (3) If in reality teacher performance evaluation were construed as the improvement of instruction or teaching performance, it should be predictable that …

The problem of this study is to determine whether or not Texas public schools lost revenue when constitutionally mandated tax relief measures were implemented. The study also traces the evolution of tax relief legislation in Texas from 1969 to 1980. Superintendents from randomly selected school districts identified educational program adjustments required if revenues were reduced. Superintendents also identified educational and property tax issues of concern to district constituents.

The problem of this study is to determine if school climate perceptions are stable among the departmental subgroups of the high school. In addition, the study seeks to determine if the subject area of the department or patterns of leadership behavior of the department head (as perceived by teachers in the department) have a significant relationship to how teachers within a department perceive the climate of their school.

The problem with which this study is concerned is that of the gross under representation of females in educational administrative positions. Answers to the following questions were sought. (1) What are the reasons there are not more female administrators in education? (2) What are the reasons that more female educators do not aspire to become administrators? (3) What are effective means by which capable female educators can be encouraged to qualify themselves for positions in educational administration? Findings showed that the participants perceived that administrators are drawn from a predominantly male candidate pool and that women are not encouraged to compete for administrative jobs by their school district administrators. Most effective means for encouraging women to become administrators were encouragement by various people who have personal contact with the teacher, provision of role models, awareness of opportunities through on-the-job work, appointment of women to legitimate rather than token administrative positions, provision of financial encouragement, and administrative internship programs. Conclusions included (1) Women teachers do not perceive that women have chosen administration as a career field to the extent that men have. (2) Women teachers do not perceive women as lacking in ability to become administrators. (3) People who have personal …

This study was undertaken in order to assess the effects of elementary school grade retention on the academic achievement of pupils. For each analysis in the study, norm-referenced standardized achievement tests were used as the dependent variable. Percentile rank score means in reading, language, and mathematics served as achievement indicators.

The problem with which this study was concerned was that of determining which of the "Goals for Public School Education in Texas" were perceived as appropriate by local educators and students in smaller school districts and to determine the degree to which each of these goals was being implemented. This study had a two-fold purpose. The first was to compare the differences between appropriateness and implementation as perceived by senior students, teachers, administrators, and the composite group. A comparison between the three groups regarding both appropriateness and implementation was also made. The second purpose of the study was to determine if sex, ethnic background, and geographic location were factors when comparing perceptions concerning the appropriateness and implementation of the "Goals for Public School Education in Texas." The comparison between students, teachers, and administrators revealed a significant difference between the groups on each, of the eighteen goals regarding appropriateness. With regard to implementation, there was a significant difference between groups on eight of the goals. Differences were generally between students and teachers and students and administrators. The comparison between male and female students revealed that the female students perceived the goals to be more appropriate than did the male students. There …

The problem with which this investigation is concerned is that of determining the extent to which the elementary schools in the province of Sukhothai, Thailand, reflect an open or closed organizational climate. This study has two purposes. The first is to identify the organizational climate of elementary schools in the province of Sukhothai, Thailand, as measured by the Organizational Climate Description Questionnaire (OCDQ). The second is to determine the differences between the organizational climate of elementary schools with enrollments of 300 students or less and elementary schools with enrollments of more than 300 students. The conclusions of the study indicated that the climate of the elementary schools in the province of Sukhothai, Thailand tended to be more closed than open. Principals tend to perceive the climate of the school to be more open than do the teachers. Teachers in elementary schools with enrollments of 300 or less perceived the climate of the schools to be more open than do teachers in elementary schools with enrollments of more than 300 students. And when the school size increases the climate is more likely to be closed.

This study sought to determine the effectiveness of an instructional program for developing creative thinking, a positive self-concept, and leadership among intellectually and academically gifted elementary students in grades four, five, and six. The purposes of the study were to determine the effect of experimental treatment on test scores measuring creativity, self-concept, and leadership; to compare the performance of the moderately intellectually gifted with that of the highly intellectually gifted; to determine whether boys or girls benefited more from instruction; and to determine whether fourth-, fifth-, or sixth-grade students achieved greater test gains after experimental treatment.

The problem of this study was to compare schools that utilize individualized instruction with schools that utilize a traditional or group-oriented approach to instruction. Comparisons were made relative to student perceptions of the schools' environmental climates, expectancy for school success, and promotion and non-promotion practices. The sources of data included a review of the literature related to traditional elementary education, the history and development of individualized instruction, humanistic aspects of individualized instruction, and the role of school personnel expectancy in individualized instruction. The Elementary School Environment Survey was used to collect the perceptions of 1,600 fifth-grade students about their school environments. A teacher self-report questionnaire, as well as a principal self-report questionnaire, provided data pertaining to expectancy for school success and non-promotion practices. Sixty-two fifth-grade teachers and twenty elementary principals responded to the questionnaire. The data gathered in this study indicated that fifth-grade students have similar perceptions of their school climate related to involvement, independence, morale, equity, and resources. Students in the traditional or group-oriented schools perceived their schools as being more humanistic. Elementary principals and teachers in individualized instruction schools and in traditional group-oriented schools do not differ in their expectations for school success. Schools utilizing individualized instruction non-promote …

Effective relationships among the levels of educational administrators will support the emphasis on academic excellence at national, state, and local levels. Recognizing the factors involved and understanding the interactions of those factors is a complex process. This study examined the bureaucratic leadership style of a superintendent in the organizational structure and the social interaction between the superintendent and campus principals in that organization as perceived by the principals. Quantitative data were collected by using two instruments: (1) the Administration Organi zationa1 Inventory to define the superintendent's bureaucratic leadership style and (2) the Perceived Social Interaction Questionnaire to determine the degree of social interaction between the superintendent and the campus principals. The study included the superintendent and the forty-three principals of a Texas suburban public school. Data analysis examined the leadership style and its relationship to the social interaction and both style and social interaction in relationship to age, sex, elementary or secondary level, and years of experience as a principal. Results of the study did not clearly define the superintendent's leadership style in a bureaucratic organization and indicated no significant difference between the style and social interaction and the four biographical variables. However, analysis of the data revealed that more …

The problem of this study was to measure, to compare, and to analyze the amount of stress, as indicated by heartbeat rate, experienced by students during teaching-learning activities in sixth-grade mathematics in a regular classroom. The bases for comparison were the heartbeat rates of selected students as recorded by a cardiotachometer and achievement scores on pretests and posttests dealing with verbal problems. All data were analyzed using the t-tests for the significance of the difference between the means. Findings of the study showed that students did experience increased heartbeat rates while solving verbal problems in sixth-grade mathematics. Also, during the teaching-learning activities, students who solved verbal problems using the realistic approach did not experience more stress than students who solved problems using the standard approach. The standard group did not perform significantly better than the realistic group on the standard pretest-posttest. However, students who were involved in the realistic method achieved better on all types of problems than did students who were taught by the standard method.

The problem of this study is that of discerning the board positions, the roles, and the perceptions of Black elected public school board members in Mississippi as perceptions relate to racial discrimination, interpersonal relationships, and primary education interests. Major problems in education as perceived ranged from "racism" to "finances." Major contributions to education in Mississippi in the last five years as perceived ranged from "court decisions" to "election of Blacks to education positions." General conclusions are that less racial discrimination exists in school systems with Blacks represented on school boards; however, some racism is still perceived by Black board members.

The problem of this study was to analyze the utilization of teacher competency testing in the eleven states that originally enacted legislation requiring teacher competency testing. A questionnaire was developed, validated, pretested, and finally submitted to state and local superintendents in eleven states. Thirty-three questionnaires were returned representing 75 percent of the questionnaires mailed. Responses were reported in percentage tables. An analysis of variance program was conducted on all data to determine whether the perceptions of the state and local superintendents were significantly different on each question. An analysis of the findings of this study led to the following conclusions. 1. The benefits of teacher testing to state agencies, schools of education, school districts, and society outweigh the disadvantages of increased budgets and larger educational bureaucracies and the possibility of teacher shortages. 2. Teacher competency testing procedures are used primarily for entrance to and graduation from teacher education programs and for certification purposes. 3. Characteristics of a comprehensive teacher competency testing program include a written assessment of acquired knowledge, procedures for evaluating an applicant during student teaching, a probationary period prior to permanent certification, additional training or assistance for teachers, and provisions for retaking of failed examinations. 4. Evidence indicates …

The problem of this study was to measure the impact of a read-aloud approach combined with direct teaching methodology on student achievement/attitudes and school expenditures. The purpose of this study was twofold. First, the study was to determine the relative impact of three treatments on student reading and listening skills, vocabulary development, and attitude towards reading. The first treatment was read-aloud based on specific recommended texts combined with direct teaching methodology. The second treatment was read-aloud based on specific recommended texts. The third treatment, the control, was simply a read-aloud-based program. The second purpose of the study was to compare the relative cost and effort required by the three treatments. The 226 subjects in this study were selected from the population of third—grade students from three metropolitan early childhood centers. The subjects were pretested and posttested with the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills (ITBS), a criterion-referenced vocabulary test and the Estes Attitudinal Scale. Analyses of covariance and after F-test multiple comparisons were used to compare the relative impact of the three treatments on a preselected set of criterion variables.

This study investigated the relationship of Executive Professional Leadership of principals in the elementary schools of Texas with specific factors which influence the quality of instruction. The primary purpose was to determine the significance to which the level of Executive Professional Leadership correlates with teacher morale, teacher performance, school organizational climate, and selected personal attributes of the elementary school principal. This study concluded that the elementary school principal who is effective in motivating his staff and improving its standards and performance in teaching (1) creates a social climate conducive to the development of high morale in the teachers, (2) sets the standard of behavior expected of his staff, (3) creates the kind of organizational climate conducive to the development of a quality school program, and (4) has the ability to effectively handle delicate situations such as complaints by parents and problems of discipline. Also, this study concluded that (1) experience in elementary teaching, (2) level of self-assessment as an educational leader, (3) internalization of the professional leadership definition, and (4) importance of routine administrative functions have no bearing on the elementary school principal's effectiveness in motivating his staff and improving its standards and performance in teaching.

This study analyzed a random sample of thirty-six collective bargaining contracts between teachers and their respective boards of education in Wisconsin, New York, Tennessee, and California. The contracts were studied to assess the effect that collective bargaining has had upon the powers of principals over time. This was done by comparing each contract to a comprehensive list of traditional powers that were available to principals prior to collective bargaining (Pre-Collective Bargaining Power Profile of Principals). This analysis of contracts was a two-phase process. The first step was to identify whether or not the profile statements in the Pre-Collective Bargaining Power Profile were referred to in each contract. The second step was to describe how the presence of references to these statements affected the Power Profile of Principals. The principal's power was reported as being affected in three ways: deleted, constrained, or authorized. The general conclusion of this study was that the effect of teacher collective bargaining upon the powers of principals has been marginal. The data from the analysis of the contracts revealed that the majority (66 percent) of the statements in the Pre-Collective Bargaining Power Profile were not referred to in the collective bargaining contracts. The effects of the …

The problem of this study was to determine specific competencies associated with the superintendent's role in public relations and to determine the relationship between school district size and public relations competencies needed by the superintendent. Conclusions of the study were Public relations competencies for superintendents can be identified in seven competency areas with specific competencies within each area. The seventy-seven specific public relations competencies identified in this study are all needed by practicing superintendents. There is a priority of importance among the seventy seven specific competencies with the competency area of "Relations With the Board of Education" receiving top priority and the competency area of "Personality Traits" receiving second priority. Superintendents from differing size school districts generally do not vary in their perceptions of the competency areas. Differences do exist between perceptions of superintendents of different size schools to specific competencies within competency areas.

This study is designed to determine the degree to which female principals and vice-principals in Texas derive job satisfaction from their work and to identify those factors, both negative and positive, which affect the job satisfaction of these principals and vice-principals. A single questionnaire was used to collect the data for this study. Usable questionnaires were returned by 331 vice-principals and 504 principals. These represented 336 school districts throughout the state. Respondents were compared as to their view of their overall job satisfaction, the importance assigned to intrinsic and extrinsic job facets, their satisfaction with intrinsic and extrinsic job facets, and the differences in facet satisfaction connected with various personal characteristics.

The purposes of this study were to determine, based on the perceptions of teachers and principals, during the first year of operation in new elementary schools: (1) the extent of change in organizational climate, (2) the extent of change in principal leadership behavior, (3) the difference between teachers' and principals' perceptions of climate and principal leadership behavior, and (4) the relationship between the openness factor of climate and the principal leadership behavior factors of consideration and structure. The major findings of the study included: 1) Both teachers' and principals' perceptions of the organizational climate in the school changed during the course of the school year. 2) Both teachers' and principals' perceptions of principal leadership behavior changed during the course of the school year. 3) The differences in teachers' and principals' perceptions of climate and principal leadership behavior as measured by the openness score of the OCDQ and the two dimension scores of the SBD were not statistically significant. 4) For the scores for the total group of subjects, the calculated correlation coefficients for the relationship between openness and consideration were all positive.

The purpose of this study was to ascertain the components necessary to develop a State Level Management Plan for Vocational Education. As background for developing the plan, research was done to identify what State Directors of Vocational Education perceive to be the best composition of a Management Plan for Vocational Education. Information was obtained concerning which components of the Management Plan were made operational by the state directors. Also, this study determined the relationship between the components which are made operational and the perceived importance of each component. The two specific conclusions resulting from this study are as follows. 1. The perceived importance of the components identified by state directors that should be in a Management Plan is indicative of the components that are functional in the planning process. 2. Related literature and findings indicate that an effective Model State-Level Management Plan for Vocational Education can be developed based on the components perceived by the state directors. Based on the identified perceptions, a Model for a State-Level Management Plan for Vocational Education has been developed. Included in the appendix is an example of the model adapted for implementation in the Department of Occupational Education and Technology in the Texas Education …

The problem with which this investigation is concerned is that of describing the secondary school principalship as perceived by selected principals and teachers in Bangkok, Thailand. The purposes of this study are (1) to collect selected demographic data about the secondary school principals and teachers in government and private schools, and (2) to measure and determine the relative effectiveness of principals of government and private secondary schools in Bangkok, Thailand, as perceived by secondary school principals and teachers. The conclusions of this study are as follows: (1) principals in government and private secondary schools appear equivalent in professional preparation as measured by highest degree held, (2) principals in government and private secondary schools earn equivalent salaries, (3) teachers in private secondary schools have less professional preparation than teachers in government secondary schools, (4) teachers in government schools are better paid than teachers in private schools, (5) principals in both government and private secondary schools perceived their effectiveness as higher than did the teachers in those schools.

This study sought to investigate the secondary school principal's leadership behavior as perceived by secondary school teachers and principals in Nakorn Pathom, Thailand. The study had two purposes: to determine whether significant differences existed between teachers' perceptions of principal leadership behavior based on the variables of sex, years of teaching experience, educational level, and size of school; and to determine whether significant differences existed between the perceptions of principals and teachers with regard to the principal's leadership behavior.

The problem with which this study is concerned is the teacher evaluation system in the state of Anambra, Nigeria. The purposes of this study are (a) to provide objective information concerning the perceptions of school administrators and teachers toward the teacher evaluation system in the State of Anambra, Nigeria, (b) to determine whether agreements or differences exist between teachers' and administrators' perceptions of the teacher evaluation system, and (c) to draw conclusions and make recommendations for improvements based on the perceptions of the teachers and administrators. To accomplish these purposes, questionnaires were distributed to a random sample of 652 administrators and teachers who are currently employed in 37 randomly selected primary and secondary schools in the State of Anambra, Nigeria. Four hundred and sixty school administrators and teachers, representing 70.6 percent of the sample, returned completed usable questionnaires. Part I of the questionnaire was designed to gather relevant demographic data to determine the perceptions of the school administrators and teachers. Part II of the questionnaire contains the components of the evaluation system which were used to measure the perceptions of school administrators and teachers. Analysis of variance was used to test the data according to the independent variables. Three statistically …