The purpose of this study was to investigate and describe the desegregation of public schools in a selected southern state between the years 1954 and 1974. In developing the research project that described the elimination of legal biracialism in North Carolina's schools, public sentiment emerged as a major factor. North Carolina's public schools were unusual when compared to other states with dual systems because, despite the fact that the state had one of the largest black populations in the nation, the desegregation drama proceeded peacefully and successfully, albeit slowly. Throughout the twenty-year period that was required to completely eliminate the dual school structure that existed at the time of the Brown decision, an abiding commitment to preserve a stable public school system was demonstrated by the people of North Carolina. In the implementation of the Brown ruling, the federal government gave the state ten years to begin and ten more to reach compliance. This judicious application of "all deliberate speed" allowed North Carolinians an opportunity to adjust to major societal change. The strong stand on law and order by North Carolina's leaders at critical stages of the desegregation process helped to account for the relatively peaceful demise of legal biracialism in the public schools. While most of the people were pro-segregationist and repeatedly elected leaders who advocated the continuance of segregated schools, they ultimately chose to obey the law. State officials, despite their pro-segregationist rhetoric, in almost every case stood firm on law and order issues. What was thought of in the 1950s as a regional problem took on national dimensions, and, by the 20th anniversary year of the Brown decision, North Carolina had some of the best desegregation statistics in the nation. The year 1974 was also the 10th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the law that actually brought about the elimination of dual schools in the state. By 1974, legal biracialism was a dead issue in North Carolina, and the system of dual schools was completely dismantled. (Abstract shortened with permission of author.)

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The educational efforts of the first fifty years of the 1700s for the Gullahs, black slaves brought to South Carolina's low country, were a by-product of the Church of England's concern for the souls of heathens. Through the Church's offspring, the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts, missionaries were sent to South Carolina beginning in 1702. By 1704, Samuel Thomas, the Society's first missionary there, reported that he had taught about twenty blacks to read, and by 1743 the Society opened a school for blacks in Charleston despite a 1740 law prohibiting slave education. Using two black slaves as teachers, the Society's school continued until 1764, "graduating" about twenty students a year. After the Revolutionary War, the free person of color population grew in numbers and influence, establishing the Brown Fellowship Society, the first non-white benevolent society in Charleston. One of its activities was the education of members' children. Other societies followed suit, and by 1834 there were dozens of private schools in Charleston for free persons of color. While an 1834 law created additional restrictions on the education of the free persons of color, many private schools continued to operate. As early as 1861, teachers from the North, under the auspices of freedmen aid societies, arrived in the sea islands to help the blacks adjust to their new status. In 1865, their efforts were coordinated by the federal government under the Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands. With a new state constitution in 1868, the public schools of South Carolina were reorganized. Although tremendous gains were made, by 1870, the majority of the black students were still studying only spelling and reading. After the 1896 Plessy v. Ferguson decision which created a "separate but equal" school system, the actual situation was anything but equal, with black schools in session a shorter term and a higher pupil-teacher ratio for black students. The education of the Gullahs from 1700 to 1900 was the result of compromise, and the blacks suffered from a lack of educational opportunities, not a lack of intellectual abilities.

The purpose of this study was to determine if the National Middle School Association (NMSA) has been consistent with its written purposes, organizational structure, administrative leadership, publications, conferences, finances, and membership. An investigation was made of NMSA's records from its inception in 1970 through 1980. Personal and telephone interviews were conducted with leaders of NMSA. A compilation of happenings, past works, problems and accomplishments of the Association was made available to those interested in the history of NMSA. The specific objectives of this study were the following: (1) to provide a written historical record of NMSA during its first decade; (2) to critically analyze the Association according to its written purposes, organizational structures, administrative leadership, publications, conferences, financial status and membership; and (3) to examine NMSA's past experiences in order to provide information concerning its future. The research procedure and methodology established a base for a review of available records including minutes of Board of Directors meetings, committee reports, official publications of NMSA, personal interviews, telephone interviews and letters from NMSA leaders. The files of the Executive Director and NMSA central office files were also investigated. The findings of the study indicated that during the first decade, NMSA grew from a group of twenty-two Midwestern middle school educators to a national group of almost two thousand members. The working staff of NMSA grew from a small, all-volunteer group to a professional staff of a full-time Executive Director, Executive Assistant, and secretaries working in the headquarters in Fairborn, Ohio. Services provided for the membership changed from a copy machine newsletter to the professional Middle School Journal, quarterly newsletter, bonus publications and regional and national conferences. The major accomplishments of the Association were: (1) promotion of the middle school concept; (2) providing of quality publications; (3) sharing ideas and research; and (4) providing a forum for all people interested in middle grades students. The conclusions of this study indicated that the initial ideas set forth by the founders were well intended. However, they were altered due to the myriad forces that fragmented middle school education. This fragmentation made imperative that new policies and organizational structure be established and changed constantly. These changes, though considered by the leadership to be necessary, served to disjoint the Association, hindering its anticipated growth.

The purpose of this study was to write a comprehensive historical analysis of compulsory education in the United States from its inception in the colonies through 1984. The study attempts to analyze the elements of the origin, developments, and trends. The majority of the primary sources of this historical study were literary and were taken from numerous sources including United States Supreme Court decisions, congressional legislation, opinions of the Attorney Generals of the United States and various states. Some of the major conclusions derived from this study were as follows: (1) There had been numerous laws passed to put the issue of compulsory education on a national scale. (2) The courts became more involved and influential in the interpretation of compulsory education laws. (3) Wars and depressions had not had significant effect on compulsory education. (4) Compulsory education laws were used as a means of providing social, economic, and political freedom. (5) The promise of compulsory education to narrow the gap between the poor and wealthy was rarely achieved. Public education did not always afford equal opportunity. For example, per capita expenditures on public education vary from state to state and county to county. Some of the major recommendations as a result of this study included: (1) The role of the Federal government in public education should be limited. (2) Courts should act in an advisory capacity to constantly review and revise laws relative to education. The role of the courts should be watched carefully so they will not interfere with state laws. Some of the major findings as a result of this study include: (1) The desire for political freedom had been one of the leading, if not the original motivation, for compulsory education. (2) The 1954 case (Brown v. Board of Education) revealed that compulsory education must be carried out in an atmosphere of equality for all races. (3) Court decisions such as the Pierce Case which upheld dual school systems and the Brown Case which promoted the principle that separate does not mean equal upheld some aspects of the First, Fifth, and Fourteenth Amendments.

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The purpose of this study was to investigate little known and often neglected category of American education, the articulated military school and junior college.;Kemper Military School and College was chosen as the representative institution studied for several reasons: it has remained in almost continuous operation since its founding in 1844 at the height of the academy movement; it specialized as a military school in 1885 when the popularity of general academies began to wane; during the 1920s, it seized upon the rapid growth of the early junior college movement to expand in size and scope; and it was subsequently recognized by the American Council on Education for its attempts to integrate secondary and junior college studies.;It was hypothesized that although traditional academies had all but vanished and public community colleges had diverted significantly from the original junior college purpose, the articulated military school and junior college could have maintained a fidelity to the original missions of both. If this were true, then these schools would exhibit strong ties to their nineteenth century academy foundations, a demonstrated commitment to the original junior college philosophy, and a visible entwining of the secondary school and junior college.;Three overlapping qualitative techniques--documentary review, field observation, and personal interview--were used to conduct the study. Resulting field notes, interview transcripts, and documentary evidence were then melded to provide a comprehensive historical analysis and an answer to the research question.;It was concluded that not only had the articulated military school and college maintained a fidelity to the original academy and junior college philosophies, but that these philosophies well serve current constituents. Such a finding suggests that other unique or forgotten institutions, ignored by researchers in favor of more current or fashionable models, might be every bit as enlightening and worthy of study as those of the educational mainstream.

The higher education's voluntary system of self-regulation is the accreditation process which recognizes institutions and their degrees with an established level of performance, integrity, and quality entitling them to the confidence of the educational community and the public they serve.;It was hypothesized that if the National War College fits the model of a professional school and volunteers to seek accreditation, then the benefits of the accreditation process will provide for an enhanced program and successful accreditation will enhance the professional status of the National War College in the higher education community.;In addition to the hypothesis, the study considered how military professional military education fits into the community of higher education, whether regional or specialized accreditation was more appropriate for the National War College, why accreditation was sought, and what external influences impacted accreditation.;The accreditation process was examined through a qualitative case study on the National War College by testing Alexander Flexner's model for a profession and the paradigm of William Selden and Harry Porter.;It was concluded that the profession of arms resembled the Flexner model for a profession and that the accreditation process will benefit the National War College as it does more traditional institutions.;In addition, it was concluded that regional accreditation was the most appropriate method of recognition over specialized accreditation.;In sum, it was concluded that professional military education had a legitimate niche in higher education. While this research provides a basis for understanding professional military education, more research will further assist academicians understand this widely misunderstood profession. Most importantly, it was shown that the accreditation process is applicable for federal-degree granting institutions which are atypical of most member institutions of accreditation bodies.