A Comparative Study of Mexican American and Anglo Dropouts in a Large Metropolitan School District in Texas (open access)

A Comparative Study of Mexican American and Anglo Dropouts in a Large Metropolitan School District in Texas

The problem of this study has been an investigation and comparison of the school dropout rates of Mexican American and Anglo Students and their reasons for leaving school in a large metropolitan school district in Texas. The specific purposes were (1) to ascertain the dropout rates of Mexican American and Anglo students within similar socioeconomic status and to compare these rates; (2) to compare the reasons for dropping out of school given by Mexican American and Anglo students; and (3) to delineate the implications for the school district's instructional program and its operation. Based on an analysis of the findings of this study, the following conclusions were formulated: (1) the school district studied is not meeting the needs of Mexican American students, particularly Mexican American females; (2) it can be expected that Mexican American female students are more likely to drop out than are Anglo females; and (3) Mexican American and Anglo dropouts do not believe that there is anyone on the school staff in whom they can confide their decision to drop out.
Date: August 1975
Creator: Blevins, Hubert Wayne
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Effects of an Achievement Motivation Program on the Self-Concepts of Selected Ninth-Grade Students Representing Three Ethnic Groups (open access)

The Effects of an Achievement Motivation Program on the Self-Concepts of Selected Ninth-Grade Students Representing Three Ethnic Groups

The problem with which this investigation was concerned was that of determining the effects that an achievement motivation program had on changing the self-concepts and academic achievement among ninth-grade students in a triethnically mixed junior high school. The subjects for this study were ninth-grade students from a large southwestern city. The experimental program was conducted in a junior high school composed of Anglo, Mexican-American, and Negro students of approximately 30 per cent, 40 per cent, and 30 per cent ratios, respectively. The comparison school was an adjoining area with approximately the same ethnic mixture. In measuring changes in self-concept, the Piers-Harris Children's Self-Concept Scale was used. Teacher-assigned grades converted to numerical equivalents were used in measuring changes in academic achievement. All hypotheses were tested at the .05 level of confidence by using two by three analysis of covariance. All data were entered on computer cards, using computer services of North Texas State University.
Date: December 1972
Creator: Allen, John G., 1925-
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Educational Policy-Making Process in the Republic of Korea: A Systems Analysis (open access)

The Educational Policy-Making Process in the Republic of Korea: A Systems Analysis

This study was concerned with examining the process of educational policy-making at the central government level in the Republic of Korea through an application of systems analysis. The purposes of this study were (1) to examine the relationship existing between politics and education; (2) to construct a systems analysis for examining the process of educational policy-making; and (3) to identify problems and limitations in the educational policy-making process in the Republic of Korea. To accomplish these purposes analytic and descriptive methods were used as a research technique.
Date: May 1974
Creator: Kim, Myung Han
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Development of a Rating Scale for Use by Texas School Board Members to Evaluate a Superintendent's Performance (open access)

The Development of a Rating Scale for Use by Texas School Board Members to Evaluate a Superintendent's Performance

The problem with which this investigation is concerned is that of developing a scale for rating a public school superintendent in Texas in terms of his adherence to selected characteristics of administrative leadership. A secondary problem is to verify the hypothesis that very few schools in Texas, if any, use a rating scale to evaluate the performance of the superintendent. The purpose of this study will be to identify a set of administrative leadership characteristics which are accepted by members of Boards of Trustees, professors of educational leadership, and superintendents.
Date: August 1972
Creator: Craighead, Carl H., 1934-
System: The UNT Digital Library
Administrator Perceptions of the Individually Guided Education Staff Development Process (open access)

Administrator Perceptions of the Individually Guided Education Staff Development Process

The problem with which this investigation is concerned is that of analyzing elementary school principals' perceptions of the Individually Guided Education process of staff development. A survey is made of 100 randomly selected principals from 18 states of the United States with regard to the problems of implementing the process in their schools.
Date: May 1974
Creator: Reid, George W.
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Effects of Classroom Management Techniques of Students' Choice Status and Self Concepts (open access)

The Effects of Classroom Management Techniques of Students' Choice Status and Self Concepts

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects that certain classroom management techniques would have on the self concepts and choice status of sixth grade students and to assess the potential of these techniques. All sixth grade students (86) enrolled in one elementary school participated in this study. There were four class sections, two of which made up the experimental group and two of which made up the control group. Only those students who were enrolled at the beginning of the study were included in the final data analysis. The IPAT Children's Personality Questionnaire, What You Do and What You Think (1963) provided a measurement of self concept. This instrument was reported to be a standardized self evaluation scale that assessed fourteen factors of personality. The sociometric test of specific criteria was used to identify students of low choice status. These two instruments were administered in January of 1972 and again in May of 1972.
Date: December 1972
Creator: Shaw, Calvin C.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Perceptions of Purchasing in Texas School Districts (open access)

Perceptions of Purchasing in Texas School Districts

Based on the position that perceptions about roles and functions within organizations affect the operational goals of those organizations, this study vas conducted to determine differences in perceptions among educational personnel in large Texas school districts as to the operation of purchasing departments. The data generated by the present study support the conclusions stated below: 1. All employee groups questioned feel that there is a significant discrepancy between current and ideal practices in purchasing departments. 2. Any tendency to protect the status quo appears to be limited to those involved with the purchasing system in its design and operation. 3. Being more closely associated with classroom operations causes a greater discrepancy in how purchasing department practices are viewed. 4. Secondary Teachers were either more intensely in favor of change or more willing to express opinions. 5. There exists the tendency to lose rapport with teachers the more removed one is from the classroom. 6. Communications gaps exist between purchasing departments and those in classroom operations.
Date: August 1974
Creator: Shanks, John C.
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Process Used to Select High School Principals in the Large-City School Districts of the Nation (open access)

The Process Used to Select High School Principals in the Large-City School Districts of the Nation

The problem of this study was to examine the selection process used in the appointment of high school principals in the forty-eight large-city school districts of the nation. The purposes of this study were (1) to examine how principals of high schools in large-city districts are selected, and (2) to determine the criteria considered important in the selection process. In order to conduct this investigation a questionnaire was developed. The questionnaire was validated by a twelve-member panel composed of eleven public school administrators and a former United States Commissioner of Education. Significant findings which tend to be supported by the data are: 1. Human relations skills were considered as being most important in selecting principals. 2. Superintendents placed little value on the personal traits of candidates. 3. Instructional skills ranked third in importance. 4. The selection process depended heavily on biographical data and the use of the interview. 5. Teaching experience and a master's degree are essential. 6. Assistant superintendents are involved in the selection process more often than any other group, but superintendents are most influential in the selection process. 7. School facilities, pupils, and parents are seldom involved in the selection process, and when involved, their influence is …
Date: August 1975
Creator: Kudlaty, Frank
System: The UNT Digital Library
A Study of Procedures and Methods Elementary School Principals in Texas Utilized to Implement the State-Supported Kindergarten Program (open access)

A Study of Procedures and Methods Elementary School Principals in Texas Utilized to Implement the State-Supported Kindergarten Program

The problem with which this investigation is concerned is that of determining the procedures and methods elementary school principals in Texas utilized to implement the state-supported kindergarten program. A questionnaire was developed and content validity established by five authorities in the field of early childhood education. The questionnaire was forwarded to 100 randomly selected elementary school principals in Texas, and 94 percent returned the completed form. This study has a twofold purpose. The first is to describe the most frequently used procedures to implement the state-supported kindergarten program. The second is to identify those procedures used that are not educationally beneficial to young children to assist in statewide planning.
Date: December 1973
Creator: French, Glen Albert
System: The UNT Digital Library
A Profile of Minority Students Enrolled at North Texas State University (open access)

A Profile of Minority Students Enrolled at North Texas State University

This study initially was designed to produce an in-depth profile of minority students at North Texas State University. After the original dissertation proposal was presented and accepted the "Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974" was passed. Considerable time passed while NTSU officials developed a legal basis as to the kind of information that would be accessible to doctoral students. The problem of this study was to construct a profile of minority students at NTSU who enrolled during the Fall and Spring semesters, 1974-75. It appears, and very significantly so, that the population percentage for minority students at NTSU is quite disproportionate when compared with the minority population percentage of the State of Texas. For the period examined, one out of every four students of minority designation was Latin-American while three out of four were of Afro-American ethnicity. The average minority student is from a population center that may be designated as a medium sized city to a large metropolitan area. The average minority student at NTSU is admitted from a large urban area high school, and not much preference seems to be given to native Texans. It appears that most minority students are admitted on the same basis …
Date: May 1976
Creator: King, Harold Ray
System: The UNT Digital Library
A Model for a Humanized Work Climate, and the Effects of Occupation Choice and Education Level on Students' Attitudes Toward an Operational Definition of Such a Climate (open access)

A Model for a Humanized Work Climate, and the Effects of Occupation Choice and Education Level on Students' Attitudes Toward an Operational Definition of Such a Climate

This investigation determines students' attitudes toward a "humanized" work climate. The possibility that attitudes developed before entering the labor force contribute to the lack of such environments is the basis of the research design. A review of motivation theories, relevant research and experiences of some "humanized" firms precedes the development of a model for a humanized climate. The three main elements of the model--team activity, the product, and the self-concept--are interconnected by elements such as self-control, job performance, autonomy, goal definition, and learning. The research questionnaire, a thirty-onestatement, Likert-type instrument, elicits attitudes about the time-task aspect of Kahn's "Work-Module." A Cronbach Alpha Coefficient of 0.74 indicates an acceptable reliability. The subjects, all male, were seventy senior business students at North Texas State University, fifty-six high school senior academic students from the Richardson, Texas ISD, thirty-two high school vocational students from the Garland, Texas ISD, and twenty-nine college vocational students from the El Centro Branch of the Dallas County Community College System. A 2 x 2 analysis of variance revealed a significant difference (P = 0.0038) between attitudes of vocational and non-vocational students. Vocational students apparently value an autonomous work situation. They prefer a job which permits them to develop and …
Date: 1974
Creator: Graham, John C. (John Campbell), 1930-
System: The UNT Digital Library
Competencies Necessary for the Public School Superintendency as Perceived by Texas Superintendents (open access)

Competencies Necessary for the Public School Superintendency as Perceived by Texas Superintendents

This study was concerned with which competencies are considered necessary for success as a Texas public school superintendent, and the results were derived from responses to a questionnaire by practicing school superintendents in Texas during the spring of 1975. Summary of Findings: The literature reviewed and the data obtained from the survey instrument appeared to indicate that school superintendents in Texas do need certain competencies in order to adequately fulfill their role in the educational setting. This study was limited to seventy-five school superintendents in Texas. There were variations in their responses depending on: 1. Size according to pupil population. 2. Wealth according to the amount of taxable value located in the school district subject to taxation backing each pupil enrolled. 3. Experience of the superintendent surveyed. There was no effort to develop historically the concepts related to the competencies necessary for success as a school superintendent in Texas. Only opinions of writers and school superintendents of schools serving in Texas schools were used in this study.
Date: August 1975
Creator: Douglas, Marion Eli
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Necessary Job Competencies of Secondary School Principals as Perceived by Selected Texas Educators (open access)

The Necessary Job Competencies of Secondary School Principals as Perceived by Selected Texas Educators

The problem of this study was to determine competencies which are necessary for effective administration by secondary school principals. The sources of data included a review of the literature and supplemental materials. The survey technique, employing a jury-validated questionnaire, was used to collect the perceptions of superintendents, principals, teachers, and college professors in the State of Texas. A total of 316 educators responded to the questionnaire. The development and findings of this study are presented in five chapters. Chapter I presents an introduction to the study. In Chapter II, a survey of the literature is reported. Chapter III contains details of the procedures employed in collecting data for the study. Chapter IV presents the data gathered through the use of the questionnaire. Chapter V presents the summary, findings, conclusions, and recommendations resulting from the study. The study identified eight general areas of competency for secondary school principals. Those competency areas were (1) organization and administration, (2) curriculum design and improvement, (3) the instructional process, (4) business and financial management, (5) student management, (6) personnel management, (7) facilities, equipment, and supplies, and (8) communications. A total of ninety-five competencies was identified from the literature and from communications with college professors and …
Date: August 1974
Creator: Austin, Joe
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Characteristics of Successful and Unsuccessful School Bond Election Campaigns in Texas, 1976-1977 (open access)

The Characteristics of Successful and Unsuccessful School Bond Election Campaigns in Texas, 1976-1977

The purposes of this study were to 1) compare the characteristics between the elections that were successful and unsuccessful; 2) identify the purpose of the school bond issue (demographic characteristics); 3) identify the financial resources and structure of the school districts (economic characteristics); 4) analyze the public relations and publicity techniques used in the school bond campaign (communications variables); 5) determine the degree of responsibility assumed by individuals and groups for the educational, building, and bond needs of the school districts (group involvement); 6) ascertain personal and professional information about the district superintendent as it related to voter influence in the bond campaign; 7) determine prior bond election experience. The major conclusions were that the trend of large or small eligible voter turnout was inconclusive, urban districts had more difficulty than rural or suburban districts in passing bond issues, and bond issues were passed mainly for new facilities. School districts with large assessed valuation per resident student had better results than others. The newspaper, "general talking it up," speakers, public meetings, and telephone committees were effective means of communication. The superintendent, board of education, faculty, principals, P.T.A., and lay groups assumed the most responsibility in the elections.
Date: August 1978
Creator: Martin, K. L.
System: The UNT Digital Library
An Analysis of Inter-Rater Reliability in Selection of Beginning Teachers (open access)

An Analysis of Inter-Rater Reliability in Selection of Beginning Teachers

The problem with which this investigation is concerned is that of achieving reliability of administrative judgment in the selection of beginning teachers. This study has a threefold purpose. The first is to determine the type and extent of investigation necessary to achieve reliability of judgment in the ratings of teacher applicants. The second is to investigate the feasibility of a Regional Education Service Center's providing personnel selection services to independent school districts. The final purpose is to develop recommendations relating to reliability in teacher selection.
Date: December 1973
Creator: Roberts, John Franklin
System: The UNT Digital Library
A Model Curriculum for High School Metallurgy (open access)

A Model Curriculum for High School Metallurgy

The problem of this study is the development of a model curriculum for high school metallurgy students. The study was made at the Skyline Career Development Center of the Dallas Independent School District, Dallas, Texas. The study has three purposes. In addition to providing a model curriculum for high school metallurgy students, a second purpose is to describe the developmental processes by which the curriculum was derived. The third purpose is the evaluation of the basis of the content of the model curriculum. It was found that of the 76 concept-relationships stated, 64 were true as originally written according to the established rating criteria. It was also found that 64 of the 76 concept relationships stated were appropriate for understanding by high school students, although the two lists of 64 concepts were not identical. The unapproved concept statements were deleted or rewritten according to the established criteria. Only one of the 33 skills listed received a low rating. It was further found from a report of the metallurgy instructor that the 21 high school students in the metallurgy program had attempted a cumulative total of 374 of the 33 behavioral objectives in the curriculum and had accomplished a total of …
Date: August 1975
Creator: Keeton, Harold G.
System: The UNT Digital Library
Job Satisfaction and Performance of Elementary and Secondary Classroom Teachers in Region IX Service Center Area of Texas (open access)

Job Satisfaction and Performance of Elementary and Secondary Classroom Teachers in Region IX Service Center Area of Texas

The problem of this study was predicting teachers' job satisfaction and performance based upon selected factors in personal background and organizational properties of their school. The purposes of this study were to determine (1) whether seven organizational properties of a teacher's work environment were important in predicting five job satisfactions and job performance, (2) whether the five job satisfactions were important in predicting teacher job performance, and (3) whether there were significant differences in five job satisfaction scores and in performance rating between teachers grouped by fifteen independent variables. This study concluded that the use of data collected on the seven organizational properties increased the prediction of job satisfaction and performance. The addition of the five job satisfactions and seven organizational properties increased the prediction of job performance. The specific independent variables that had the highest relationship on criteria mean scores were Teaching Field, Teaching in Area of Preparation, Expenditure per Student, and Campus Size for elementary teachers. For secondary teachers the highest relationships were on Contract and Salary.
Date: December 1974
Creator: McPherson, Timothy
System: The UNT Digital Library
Guidelines and an In-Service Model for Secondary Teachers who Supervise Student Teachers (open access)

Guidelines and an In-Service Model for Secondary Teachers who Supervise Student Teachers

This study develops guidelines and an in-service model for secondary teachers supervising student teachers. The study provides guidelines for developing in-service teacher supervision activities in secondary schools that serve as student teacher centers. The study seeks to determine selection criteria for supervising teachers; to ascertain in-service program activities considered valid by experienced supervising teachers, administrators and college coordinators; to measure professional reaction toward recent co-operative implementation of Senate Bill Eight; and to assess current in-service programs for supervising teachers in the North Texas area and test their conformity with criteria stated by known authorities. The study reviews literature in topical areas considered by known authorities to be those in which secondary-school supervising teachers must function. A questionnaire was developed, validated and mailed to an aggregate of 239 secondary supervising teachers, college co-ordinators, principals and central office administrators in selected public schools, and colleges and universities in the North Texas area. Collection of data resulted in a 73.6 per cent return in a ten-day period. Degrees of differences among the beliefs of participant groups were revealed by the chi-square measure of significance. It was found that the supervising teacher is the most influential feature of the entire student-teaching program and that …
Date: August 1974
Creator: Cuskey, Thomas G.
System: The UNT Digital Library
A Study of the Life, Professional Career, and Contributions to Interscholastic Athletics in Texas of Prince Elmer Shotwell (open access)

A Study of the Life, Professional Career, and Contributions to Interscholastic Athletics in Texas of Prince Elmer Shotwell

This biography of Prince Elmer Shotwell particularly emphasizes his contributions to Texas interscholastic athletics, to the University Interscholastic League, and to the Texas High School Coaches' Association. Data for this life study are from both primary and secondary sources, human and documentary as well. Shotwell's personal files and scrapbooks are used extensively, and supplementary data come from biographical data forms and tape-recorded personal interviews. The study includes biographical data of Shotwell's youth, educational background, marriage, and his endeavors in the teaching and coaching fields.The study discloses that Shotwell made contributions in various modes throughout his more than fifty years in the profession. Most of his professional endeavors were superimposed by his consistent personality traits of enthusiasm, industry, intensity, and persistence.
Date: December 1973
Creator: Simpson, Sidney Herman
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Refinement of a Policy-Capturing Model Used in the Selection of Administrative Interns (open access)

The Refinement of a Policy-Capturing Model Used in the Selection of Administrative Interns

The problem of this study is to refine the "policy-capturing" model used in the selection process of interns for the Administrative Leadership Training Program in a large metropolitan school district. The subjects for this study consisted of 416 candidates over a three-year period. The statistical procedure of multiple linear regression analysis was used to test the hypothesis that it would be possible to model the decision-making process so that the predictive value would be 90 per cent or higher. During the refinement process, the unique contribution of variance accounted for by each predictor variable was examined,and interactions between certain variables were tested. Two refined models were formulatedand the predictive value of each was calculated. The predictive values of all the models were less than 90 per cent; therefore, the hypothesis was rejected.
Date: December 1972
Creator: Stanley, Billie Joe
System: The UNT Digital Library
Authoritarianism and Selected Trait Patterns of School Administrators: Seventeen Case Studies (open access)

Authoritarianism and Selected Trait Patterns of School Administrators: Seventeen Case Studies

This study was concerned with analyzing selected Texas school administrators in an attempt to locate intrapersonal patterns of (1) values, (2) leadership traits, (3) personality traits, (4) critical thinking ability, (5) perception, and authoritarianism. A second aspect was correlating these profiles with each other. The study had a threefold purpose. The first was to perform a detailed analysis of school administrators to determine selected intrapersonal patterns. The second was to determine possible relationships between these selected profiles. The third was to generate plausible hypotheses for testing the intrapersonal patterns found and for determining the magnitude of any existing relationships. The case studies revealed the uniqueness of each participant in this study. With the possible exception of one individual, certain weaknesses were evident in each of the participants. Canonical correlation and the Pearson correlation of D matrices determined that a relationship existed between many of the profiles. Eight hypotheses were presented at the close of the study as guides for additional research. The results of this study indicated that further research was justified in these particular areas. The results of this study indicated that intrapersonal patterns existed within school administrators and that these patterns or profiles are related. However, the determination …
Date: May 1971
Creator: Davis, Walter Newton
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Effects of Two Extrinsic Incentives on the Classroom Success of Disadvantaged Middle-School Students (open access)

The Effects of Two Extrinsic Incentives on the Classroom Success of Disadvantaged Middle-School Students

This study tests the effectiveness of a program designed to use extrinsic incentives in improving the motivation of disadvantaged students to achieve academic success. This study seeks to determine whether the specific extrinsic rewards provided in the program actually improve the success of students on classroom tests. A secondary purpose of the study is to assess the extent to which that success, if achieved, becomes itself a reinforcement sufficient to maintain continued success in the classroom. Ignoring age and grade, students from the sixth, seventh, and eighth grades were grouped by their skill level in mathematics and assigned to an individual teacher. The study was conducted during four consecutive two-week periods. Base-line data were obtained during the first two-week period of both experimental and control students under regular classroom conditions. Extrinsic incentives were applied to the experimental group during each of the following two-week periods and identical measures were taken during the same period of both the experimental and control groups. The analysis-of-covariance statistical treatment was used to compare changes on test success. The .05 level of confidence was held as the standard for statistical significance. Two extrinsic incentives, a free movie and a monetary reward, were employed to bring …
Date: August 1973
Creator: Ward, Gerald Wilson
System: The UNT Digital Library
A Comparison of Two Models for Training Personnel for Teaching the Moderately and Severely Retarded (open access)

A Comparison of Two Models for Training Personnel for Teaching the Moderately and Severely Retarded

The problem of this study is the effect of two training models on personnel who teach moderately and severely retarded children. The subjects of this study were sixty-two staff members who work with the moderately and severely retarded pupils in two large metropolitan school systems. Eighteen teachers, eighteen aides, and twenty-six volunteers participated in the study. Two observation instruments administered by trained observers were used as pre- and post-tests to measure the trainees' competencies in applying operant conditioning techniques in both group and one-to-one instructional situations. The purposes of this study were (1) to compare the effectiveness of an experiential model and a didactic model in preparing personnel to deliver cues and reinforcers when working with moderately and severely retarded children; (2) to compare the costs of equipment and supervisory personnel; and (3) to examine the relationship between the trainees' effectiveness of delivering cues and reinforcers to a group of moderately and severely retarded youngsters and the on-task behavior of those students. This report concludes that the trainees' self-evaluation of the training models indicated that they prefer simulated techniques and feedback, which denotes that the Experiential Model may foster certain kinds of incidental learning such as physical mannerisms and visual …
Date: May 1978
Creator: Bower, Nancy Jo
System: The UNT Digital Library
Principal's Role Behavior and Administrative Performance as Perceived by Selected Teachers (open access)

Principal's Role Behavior and Administrative Performance as Perceived by Selected Teachers

This study was based on the assumption that classroom teachers were in an advantageous position to judge their principal's role behavior and their principal's administrative performance. The problem of this study was to determine whether or not significant differences existed between teachers' perceptions of their principal's role behavior; whether or not significant differences existed between teachers' perceptions of their principal's administrative performance; and whether or not there was any relationship between teachers' perceptions of their principal's role behavior and his administrative performance. The findings in this study led to the following conclusions: Factors such as sex, education level, teaching experience, school level, school size, and school district do not effect principal’s behavior or administrative performance. However, differences were found in teacher perceptions for teachers with 5 years or less of teaching experience, rural/urban school setting, principal’s sex don’t differ in their role behavior; differing instead in educational leadership ability. It is concluded that principals are least effective in the area of educational leadership when comparing the four areas of administrative decision-making, communications, general administrative behavior, and educational leadership. They are most effective in general administrative behavior. Principals, in general, tend to exhibit transactional behavior. The majority of teachers do not …
Date: December 1977
Creator: Nakornsri, Tinnakorn
System: The UNT Digital Library