The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of Core Knowledge curriculum, a Comprehensive School Reform model, on the reading achievement of elementary students located in a north Texas suburban school district. A repeated measures, matched-comparison design was employed using longitudinal data over a three year period. Repeated measures analyses of variance (ANOVA) were conducted to determine if there were any significant differences in student achievement scores as measured by the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) test. The experimental and control school were examined for student achievement gains overall, for advantaged versus disadvantaged students and for achievement gap differences. Although the results of the statistical analyses indicated that there were no significant differences in the reading TAKS scores of students participating in the study, experimental school students consistently had higher mean scores when compared to the control school in all areas. The evaluation of the achievement gap revealed that although the Core Knowledge school did not close the achievement gap between advantaged and disadvantaged students, the disadvantaged students' scores rose in proportion to the advantaged students, thus preventing an increase in the achievement gap between students.

The purpose of this study was to determine if character education programs impact the suspension rates of students from regular instructional public elementary schools in Texas. The data was also examined to determine if the number of years since a school's implementation of a character education program has an impact on the effectiveness of the programs as measured by the suspension rates of students from school. Finally, the study sought to determine if the socio-economic status of the schools has an impact on the effectiveness of character education programs as measured by the student suspension rates. A random sample of 135 regular instructional public elementary schools in Texas was collected. The principal of each school completed a questionnaire that was used to sort schools into three groups: schools with "direct" character education programs, schools with "indirect" character education programs, and schools that have implemented no type of character education program. A two-year history of suspensions was obtained for each school. The data was analyzed using one-way and two-way ANOVAs. The results of the analyses indicated that the implementation of character education programs, no matter what type, did not produce statistically significant differences in student suspension rates from school. Furthermore, the data revealed that neither the number of years since the implementation of the character education programs nor the socio-economic status of the schools had an impact on the effectiveness of the character education programs as measured by the student suspension rates from school.

No description available.

No description available.

No description available.

This study investigated the relationship of Executive Professional Leadership of principals in the elementary schools of Texas with specific factors which influence the quality of instruction. The primary purpose was to determine the significance to which the level of Executive Professional Leadership correlates with teacher morale, teacher performance, school organizational climate, and selected personal attributes of the elementary school principal. This study concluded that the elementary school principal who is effective in motivating his staff and improving its standards and performance in teaching (1) creates a social climate conducive to the development of high morale in the teachers, (2) sets the standard of behavior expected of his staff, (3) creates the kind of organizational climate conducive to the development of a quality school program, and (4) has the ability to effectively handle delicate situations such as complaints by parents and problems of discipline. Also, this study concluded that (1) experience in elementary teaching, (2) level of self-assessment as an educational leader, (3) internalization of the professional leadership definition, and (4) importance of routine administrative functions have no bearing on the elementary school principal's effectiveness in motivating his staff and improving its standards and performance in teaching.

This study represents a survey of the budgetary procedures of selected elementary school districts in Marin County which recorded an average daily attendance over six hundred in the school year 1955-56. The problem for this study may be stated as a question: What are desirable budgetary procedures for elementary school districts in Marin County having over six hundred average daily attendance. The problem emanates from the pertinent literature in this area which is summarized by the statement appearing in the New York State Budget Handbook wherein it states that budget development is not a simple process. There is the somewhat complicated problem of translating aims and objectives into numbers of personnel and supplies in addition to the pressing problem of the “tax consciousness” at the local level. More specifically, the first purpose of the study was to determine the budgetary procedures which were currently practiced by the selected districts. The aforementioned questionnaire was developed which set forth a comprehensive list of desirable procedures as derived from the pertinent literature and consultation with business officials in the county. The tabulation of responses to this questionnaire made possible an evaluation of these procedures in terms of usage which satisfied the second purpose. This tabulation aided in the third purpose which was to formulate a guide to budgetary procedures for use by the selected districts as well as others in Marin County.

The problem of the study was to determine the effectiveness of an in-service education program as a means of providing qualified foreign language teachers for elementary schools. Specifically, the problem was concerned with a statistical comparison of the achievement of two groups of pupils. One group was composed of fourth-grade pupils who were taught Spanish by teachers who had had a maximum of three college hours in Spanish and who had participated in an in-service education program. The other group was composed of fourth-grade pupils whose teachers had had a minimum of twelve college hours in Spanish but had not participated in an in-service education program.

The primary purpose was to determine whether there were differences in the amount of change produced by two plans of elementary school organization for the instruction of rapid learners in order to develop a sound policy of organizing the elementary school. A secondary purpose was to determine the effects of the two plans on other pupils in the sections being studied.

The purpose of the study was to describe the use of nonfiction/informational trade books within a literature-based elementary classroom by students and the teacher. Using a qualitative ethnographic approach, the researcher became a participant observer in a third grade classroom during a two and one-half week thematic unit about the westward movement. Data were collected from field notes, audiotapes of class discussions and informal interviews, documents of students' work, photographs, daily observer comment summaries, and memos. These data were coded, analyzed for recurring patterns, and grouped together, resulting in grounded theory.