M.S.

M.S.

After studying various aspects of the Lambsburg School – its physical and social environment, plant, curriculum, faculty, students, homes represented, holding power, position in the community, parents’ organization, dietary provisions, athletics, and outcomes – there emerged a general picture of the school somewhat as follows: The school was situated in a mountainous section, favored by a temperate climate, and inhabited by indigenous folk living on farms in dwellings of a modest construction. Its community was seen as one which was not self-sustaining, in that many of its inhabitants were impelled to take employment elsewhere, some as skilled workers in one or another of the factories located outside the community and others as unskilled day laborers. Its history was continuous with a former institution, an academy which had been housed in a building destroyed by fire in 1916. Its growth was traceable by means of the evolution of its physical plant: from a two-room beginning to a building of approximately two and one-half times as large; including four classrooms, a lunchroom, a stage, and a combination office-library. Its typical teacher was a woman who had attended school in Carroll County, who had studied at a nearby teachers’ college maintained by the State, whose stay at Lambsburg School tended to be no longer than three years, whose work was influenced but little by any supervision of instruction, and who tended to solve her own problems without administrative or supervisory aid. The typical Lambsburg School pupil had already advanced farther in school, or could be reasonably expected to do so, than had his parents. He was a healthy person who took part in a variety of school experiences. His was of normal native ability, but his achievement in subject matter was before national norms. He accepted responsibilities readily at school and was considered trustworthy by his teachers. He tended, after entering the upper elementary grades, to make tentative plans for the future. / M.S.

This is an actual project. The high school under current construction in Pound, Virginia, was designed by D. R. Beeson, Architect, Johnson City, Tennessee. With Mr. Beeson’s permission, I am using the educational program for Pound High School as a basis for this work. The most challenging aspect of this problem is not simply designing a functional secondary school, but designing one which will fit the rising irregularities of the steep slopes of the site. The approach to this problem will be an attempt to accomplish a fusion of architecture and landscape into an organically integrated whole which will express man’s inherent oneness with nature. Such a building must shape itself as a symbol of the inspiration of the site. / Master of Science

The educational buildings in Giles County have been progressively approaching a state of inadequacy for the growing County School population. Superintendent R.K. Johnson and the School Board of Giles County foresaw in 1950 the coming fate of the school situation and made a formal request to the State Superintendent of Public Institutions to make a study of the school buildings of the County and to prepare a report findings and recommendations. From the report, by the Committee of Investigation, information was obtained which introduced a program of one consolidated high school for the entire County high school population. The School Board however, proposed to develop three high school buildings instead of one recommended consolidated high school. Of the three high schools, the Pearisburg High School is the subject of this thesis. It is an actual problem that exists and which has validity. Mr. P.E. Ahalt, Superintendent of the Giles County School Board, has in his office a solution to each proposed building prepared by Smithey and Boynton, Architects, Roanoke, Virginia. It is the purpose of the author of this to render his own solution to the problem for comparison with the existing conception. The subject matter is presented in an effort to prepare the mind of the reader for the final development of the architectural solution to an educational building. The end result of the thesis is to investigate the conditions and recommendations for school building in Giles County and from the available information, design a school that will fulfill the prepared requirements. / Master of Science

There is little documentary material on the topic, vocational Education for Diversified Occupations, from state or national sources. Local records are lacking or were poorly kept and incomplete. Since there is no national or state pattern for this type of education, this study is justified as a report of one approach to the problem which may be indicative of a way to proceed in other communities. / Master of Science

Master of Science

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the seven-period day schedule implemented at Abingdon High School and to judge the feasibility of implementing a comparable schedule in all Washington County high schools on a permanent basis. In order to facilitate the evaluation, several areas of inquiry were identified. Questions of interest included: Did the students take advantage of the additional opportunities to take courses? If so, what courses were selected? Did an extended day create problems for students and/or faculty? If so, what kind of problems/concerns were encountered? Was students' performance affected? Did students' behavior change? Did the lengthened school day increase stress or otherwise affect teachers' performance? What about cost? Finally, administrators in the region were asked to comment on the possible impact (advantages and disadvantages) of a seven-period schedule as an addendum to the data collected at the school. Data pertinent to the evaluation of the seven-period day were obtained from various offices at Abingdon High School and the Washington County School Board. Data regarding perceptions of faculty and students were obtained from two 13-question surveys, one given to 76 faculty members with 58 responses and the other given to all students with 977 responses. There were subjective qualities involved in the study such as newness of the seven-period day or change itself. These qualities cannot be measured quantitatively and may have affected the results of the study. Aside from these considerations, no evidence was revealed by the research that would indicate the seven-period day was less effective than the six-period day. The results of the study indicate that students would take additional courses if given the opportunity with no apparent negative effects. The cost of the seven-period day was less on a per course basis than for the six-period day. / Ed. D. / incomplete_metadata

Prior to 1954, blacks in Fairfax County who wanted to receive an education beyond the seventh grade were bussed by the county to Manassas Regional High School in Prince William County or independently attended Dunbar High School, Phelps Vocational Center, Cardoza High School or Armstrong High School in Washington, D.C. The purpose of this dissertation was to describe, record and analyze the events and actions that led to the establishment, operation, desegregation and eventual demise of Luther P. Jackson High School, the first and on1y high school for blacks in Fairfax County, Virginia. This study provides useful information to the Fairfax County School System. The population for the study consisted of representatives from community and civil rights leaders, school administrators, students, teachers and secretaries who were involved with Luther P. Jackson at various stages of its existence. / Ed. D.