The basic purpose of this study is to provide an analysis of the doctoral dissertations written in the Department of Education, North Texas State University, from the first one in 1953 through those written in 1974. Specifically, one purpose is to develop, validate, and then use a format to describe the dissertations. The second purpose is to analyze the descriptive information in terms of changes in the Department of Education and in trends associated with the dissertations.

This study is an investigation of: the communication skill proficiency of two-year technical-vocational students; the effects of age, ethnic background, and socio-economic index on standardized reading and writing test performance; and of communication skill priorities with respect to content emphasis as perceived by technical-vocational teaching personnel within the Tarrant County Community College system. The purpose of this study is to provide information pertinent to; the development of a functional communication skills program which will complement the occupational student's trade skills; the further development of a pre-technical program currently in operation at Tarrant County Junior College; and the construction of similar programs in other community college systems. This study concludes that the research evidence warrants unique support curriculum programs designed to provide compensatory work and specific training for terminal students in general academic skill areas such as communications.

This study investigated the perceptions of college student health center administrators concerning the availability of contraceptive services to college students. The major purposes of the study were (1) to determine the extent to which specific contraceptive services were available to college students from various sources, (2) to determine the extent and effectiveness of any opposition or support from various pressure groups concerning the provision of contraceptive services by student health centers, and (3) to describe the trend, as .perceived by student health center directors, of student access to contraceptive services from 1970 to 1975 and to project the trend to 1980. The findings indicated that pressure activity supporting the provision of contraceptive services by student health centers arose mostly from institutionally related student groups and was considered to be "effective" (i.e., influenced administrative decision making). Pressure which arose from other groups was found to be slight and of little effectiveness.