This study examined community college students’ educational goals at the time of first enrollment in college and the status of attainment of those goals two and four years later. A comparison of the traditional definition of success for community college students - on time graduation or transfer to a four-year institution - and a definition reflecting Southern Association for Colleges and Schools criteria for institutional effectiveness was conducted to determine what effect changing success criteria would have numbers of students who are considered successful. Between 1985 and 1989, 11,553 student attending community colleges in southwestern Virginia were tracked to determine the degree to which they attained entry level educational goals. Students who enrolled for the purpose of attaining a credential were more likely to graduate and to exceed their educational goals than their non-degree-seeking counterparts. Non-degree-seekers were more likely to attain their educational goals exactly and then discontinue their community college enrollment. Differences among demographic groups are discussed and suggestions for policymakers are given. / Ph. D.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the Jacox Elementary School Improvement program to determine the extent to which the program was effective in achieving its goals. The study sought to answer the major research question: Is the Jacox Elementary School Improvement program successful in achieving its stated goals? and to answer three subquestions: 1) Did the students improve academically?, 2) Was the self-concept of students improved?, and, 3) Was the school climate as perceived by students and teachers positively changed? Instruments were selected to measure the areas examined. Three instruments were used to assess Student academic achievement: 1) the Iowa Tests of Basic Skills, 2) the communication skills and mathematics portions of the criterion-referenced tests, and 3) the reading comprehension portion of the Virginia State Literacy Predictor Tests as well as the final report card grades for communications skills and mathematics. The Piers-Harris Children’s Self-Concept Scale was used to assess the self-concept of students. The Student Survey for Jacox Elementary’s Climate Correlate was used to assess the school climate as perceived by students. The National Association of Secondary School Principals Teacher School Climate Survey was used to assess the school climate as perceived by teachers. Teacher interviews were conducted to gather qualitative data. The findings showed that: - When certain assessment measures were used, students in some grade levels improved academically. - There were no significant differences between the pretest and posttest means of the Piers-Harris Children’s Self-Concept Scale. - Both students and teachers reported an improvement in the climate of the school. - Student and teacher attendance improved over the previous year. The preponderance of evidence indicated that the Jacox Elementary School Improvement program did not meet its stated goals. The fact that the program was assessed for one academic year provided one explanation for the research findings. / Ed. D.

The purpose of this study was to analyze the current school board policies within the Commonwealth of Virginia to determine if they were consistent with the federal judicial system's interpretation of the Establishment Clause. Twenty-four federal district, circuit and Supreme Court cases were analyzed to determine the court's interpretation of the Establishment Clause as it relates to the public schools. Twenty-one criteria were developed from this analysis and the criteria were used to evaluate the school board policies of Virginia school divisions. The criteria were separated into five categories to provide greater clarity and organization. The five categories include general, prayer, Bible reading, release time programs and equal access. Approximately 91 percent of the schools in the Commonwealth responded to this study. Approximately 55 percent of the schools returned policies which governed at least one Establishment Clause issue. Approximately 36 percent of the schools responding to this study declared that they had no policies relating to any issues as defined by this study. The data from this study demonstrated that the majority of school board policies throughout the Commonwealth are not consistent with the judicial system's interpretation of the Establishment Clause. The policies which were returned and evaluated satisfied only 35 percent of the criteria within the general category; 12.83 percent of the criteria within the prayer category; 24.34 percent within the Bible reading category; 16.58 percent within the release time category; and 21.05 percent within the equal access category. Overall the policies which were analyzed satisfied only 22.74 percent of the entire set of criteria. The most successful school division satisfied only 52 percent of the criteria and over 61 percent of the policies failed to satisfy more than 27 percent of the criteria. / Ed. D.

The purpose of this project was to (1) evaluate and revise a computer-based instructional management system developed to organize business computer competencies, and (2) develop and revise documentation for using the system. The instructional management system consists of a database and various applications employing relational database architecture. The resulting system will be used by Virginia business teachers in implementing their curricula. The prototype system was developed initially to organize a taxonomy of tasks identified to measure computer competencies. The computer competencies were extracted from the Business Education Suggested Course Competencies and Performance Objectives, published by the Virginia Department of Education in 1989. The taxonomy resulted in the publication of the Business Computer Software Curriculum Series in 1990. This latter publication forms the core of the instructional management system. The 1990 curriculum guide was ultiloately expanded to include multiple choice and matching test questions organized to measure the tasks. / Ed. D.

The purpose of this study was to determine from successful middle school principals what significant or key life events seem to have made a difference in the manner in which the principals work and lead their schools. A similar study of executives in business, conducted by the Center for Creative Leadership, was utilized as a model for this study. The research included interviews with six successful middle school principals in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The six principals were identified using a reputational selection procedure with professors, association executives and state department of education officials serving as the nominators. The criteria for selection was that these middle school principals fit the nominating individuals' perceptions of a successful principal. The six principals were interviewed to gather data on significant life events and the lessons learned from these events. Five of the principals were interviewed in the work setting. The interviews were recorded. The questions asked in the interviews were sent to the subjects two weeks before their scheduled interviews. A software package, The Ethnograph, was utilized to assist with the coding and analysis process. Two assistants to the researcher analyzed the data independently. The researcher and these assistants determined the event categories and the lessons learned from these events. The research was based upon the belief that there is a missing "piece" to the body of knowledge regarding effective school leadership. The research has shown that the principal is crucial to the success of a school. The literature speaks to academic preparation programs, training, mentorship and other factors, but does not address the impact of life events on the work of school administrators. There were nine event themes and twenty lesson categories identified through this study. The results indicated that the middle school principals attributed their success mainly to job-related experiences, role models and colleagues, and personal (non-job) influences, although conferences and divine intervention were also noted as being Significant. Academic preparation programs and training were not considered to have made a difference in the manner in which these successful principals lead their schools. / Ed. D.

P.L. 101-476 (IDEA) mandates the educational inclusion of students with disabilities in the least restrictive environment. Leaders in the field of special education support the inclusion of students with disabilities in neighborhood schools, and many school divisions now indicate that they are using an inclusive model. In such programs appropriate inclusion of students is to take place in school and community recreation programs, academics, art, music, industrial arts, consumer and homemaking education, vocational education, physical education, at meals and recess. Education is to take place in the school the child would attend if he or she was not disabled. Educational technology must be provided to increase, maintain, or improve the functional capabilities of children with disabilities. If schools are to follow these statutes, then total school and program accessibility must be addressed. Research and development methods used in this study include: (1) a survey of school divisions in Virginia to determine: size of division, disabilities categories in the division, if an inclusive model is being used in the division’s elementary schools, existence of a written policy on inclusion; (2) development of the Elementary Accessibility Checklist; (3) review of the instrument by experts in school facilities and elementary curriculum; (4) field testing of the Elementary Accessibility Checklist in six elementary schools in Virginia (small, medium, large divisions using an inclusive model and small medium, large division not using an inclusive model); (5) final review of the instrument by expert panel and participating school principals; (6) final revision of the Elementary Accessibility Checklist. The results of this study should provide an indication of the number of school divisions in Virginia using an inclusive model in elementary schools, and the number of divisions that support the inclusive model with written policy. The accessibility checklists developed will be useful to all elementary schools to determine their level of accessibility, suggest needed modifications in school facilities and programs. / Ed. D.

The New Horizons Project, a school/business partnership in Richmond, Virginia, was established in 1980 between the Richmond Public Schools and the Metropolitan Richmond Private Industry Council to prepare youth from economically disadvantaged homes to enter the world of work. An in-depth case history of the New Horizons Project was conducted to describe how it was developed and to identify the factors that became a part of its implementation, success, and demise. The study provides useful information to school systems which are interested in establishing similar partnerships. The population for the study consisted of representatives from the business/industry community, the Richmond-Public Schools, the New Horizons staff, and a Virginia Commonwealth University faculty member who had knowledge of the project. / Ed. D.

This study was conducted to obtain information from a rural population regarding what makes a good elementary school. A random telephone sample of 100 participants was selected with a total of 83 participants responding to the telephone interview. The interview requested participants to respond to an open-ended question as to the qualities necessary for a good elementary school grades K-7. The interview also was designed to gain information regarding demographic variables of participants in an effort to identify patterns of responses. In addition, a comparison of participants' responses to the research of Ron Edmonds was conducted. Participants identified qualities related to teachers, principals, curriculum, and environmental conditions -as properties of a good elementary school. An overwhelming number of participants indicated teachers who demonstrated care, concern, understanding, patience, and who provided learning experiences that promote success as necessary to a good school. A comparison of participants' responses to the research of Edmonds revealed little consistency between the perceptions of lay people in and the findings of researchers regarding qualities of a good elementary school. Finally, participant demographic variables were examined as they related to the characteristics of teachers, principals, curriculum, and environmental conditions. None of the demographic variables were found to be significantly related to the qualities of a good elementary school. / Ed. D.

In less than two decades, African-American, female, leading-edge baby boomers (AAFLEBBs) will join the retirement population. AAFLEBBs are members of the largest generation in the history of the United States. This generation's economic well being has been threatened by high unemployment rates, factory closings and downsizings, eroding purchasing power, lack of financial management skills, and fluctuating income. There is a growing concern that boomers will not do well financially in retirement. The purpose of this study is to better understand the retirement planning process of eight AAFLEBBs. Also, this study focuses on identifying areas where additional research may be needed regarding retirement planning. This study utilized a qualitative method known as the long interview. Seven factors were identified that affected the retirement planning process of the eight African-American females studied. These factors were: the uncertain social security system, their children, job changes, parents' retirement, the fluctuating economy, day-to-day survival, and career development. Three categories were identified for additional research: retirement planning of baby boomers, methods for acquiring retirement information, and specific concerns of African-American females. One main conclusion resulted from the findings: the majority of the AAFLEBBs interviewed were giving little attention to retirement planning. Further research should be conducted on African-American females in their own context. Researchers should investigate retirement planning and how people can best prepare themselves for this time of their lives. Gerontologists could explore African-American females’ perceptions of aging and what they want to happen in their senior lives. Extension specialists, adult educators, financial planners, and other family economics and management specialists should develop information to help various groups understand the importance of preparing and planning at early ages for their eventual retirement. / Ph. D.

A thorough investigation of postsecondary programs for learning disabled (LD) students is not available in the professional literature. In previous studies the perspectives of college faculty and staff have been explored regarding services for LD students, but few have investigated the perspectives of the students themselves. Therefore, more information is needed about what postsecondary students consider helpful as they cope with college life. The purpose of this study was to investigate learning disabled students' perceptions of factors that enhance their "adjustment" on the postsecondary level. The study was designed to determine what types of academic and personal support services LD students consider helpful in making their adjustment to college life; what services they use most often; what impact the type of learning disability has on service preference; and what impact the type of institution (two- or four-year) has on service preference. / Ed. D.