This study was undertaken to determine what differences are found among personality characteristics of superior students, in special English classes, who score high on a standardized achievement test and superior students in the same classes who score low on this test. A second dimension of the study was to determine whether the same personality characteristics are evident among superior students in these classes at the eighth, tenth and twelfth grade levels.

Education in America has made substantial growth in its various phases. No factor has been more marked than in the secondary field. The South was tardy in establishing a systematic scheme owing to the devastation of a Civil War and the misunderstandings natural to a reconstruction period. Many forces for the improvement of the secondary field in this section are now accomplishing wonderful results. Accrediting associations to investigate, recommend, and regulate certain practices, different divisions of the state department of education to supervise and inspect, research organizations, graduate schools, and school authorities are adding to the fund of knowledge regarding the different conditions and situations. This naturally leads to much study and criticism regarding the efficiency of the different types of high schools. Some of the schools are small, merely in the formative stage, and have a very small number of teachers and students, while others have large faculties and a student body that reaches into the thousands. Having evolved from the grammar school and conventional academy, in a land of varying possibilities and changing conditions, the high school cannot escape the ever perpetual experimental stage. No matter what is considered a standardized school today, tomorrow introduces new demands and situations. In this connection it seems appropriate to mention some general criticisms, and to make a study of what the high school is contributing to the educational system.

This study examined the student's achievement, attitude toward science, and self-concept of ninth grade physical science students in an individualized science program and ninth grade physical science students in a traditional science class. The research was conducted to ascertain the effect of individualized instruction upon the achievement, attitude, and self-concept of inner-city junior high school science students, and to analyze the implications of these effects for administrators, teachers, counselors, and others who are interested in the optimum achievement of students to science instruction. The sample size was 150 ninth grade physical science students enrolled in an individualized science program and 150 ninth grade physical science students enrolled in a traditional program. The students were administered the Stanford Achievement Test: Science, Remmer's Attitude Toward Any School Subject Scale, and the Piers-Harris Children's Self-Concept Scale. The experimental design of the study was patterned after the posttest only control group design. Preliminary data were obtained for each student within each participating class. The preliminary data were used for establishing group equivalence and as a concomitant observation in the analysis of covariance. The preliminary data were obtained from the permanent records of each participating school and involved the student's age, I.Q., natural science achievement level, and composite achievement level. From the data found in this study and in the related research, the following conclusions were drawn: 1. Physical science students taught by the individualized science program do not achieve at a significantly higher level, as measured by a standardized achievement test in science, than do students taught by the traditional method. 2. Physical science students taught by the individualized program do not differ significantly from the students of traditional physical science in attitude toward science. 3. Physical science students taught by the individualized program do not differ significantly from the students of traditional physical science on a standard self-concept scale. 4. The student variables of I.Q., background in natural science, and composite achievement level are important factors in successful achievement in physical science. 5. The student variables of I.Q., background in natural science, and composite achievement level are important factors in attaining a high positive attitude toward science. The I.Q. of the student seems to be the most important of the above factors. 6. The student variables of I.Q. and natural science achievement are important factors in attaining a high self-concept. 7. There was a significant relationship between grade point average in science and student achievement in science. 8. There was a significant relationship between grade point average in science and attitude toward science. 9. There was a significant relationship between grade point average in science and self-concept.

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This study, "A Guide to Teaching Materials for Industrial Arts," was prompted by the fact that the writer is concerned with teaching aids available to the shop teacher in the field. Several years teaching has brought the writer face to face with the problem of supplementary teaching materials. Knowing that complete listings of teaching aids for the teacher are not available, the writer determined to make available such a listing which would be most beneficial to the shop teachers. The problem is fourfold: To catalogue industrial arts teaching aids. To determine the extent of the educational departments in the industrial firms. To determine the free and low cost teaching aids made available for the industrial arts teacher. To educate the teacher and the pupil as to the materials available and thus educate them to better buying.

Through my experiences interning as a first-year teacher of underprivileged students, I have learned that being an educator is more than a career, it is a lifestyle. It is not a job title, but an identity we inhabit. This year my role as an educator consumed every part of me; mind, body, and soul. It pushed me to analyze my identity, critique my privilege, study learning theories, implement various pedagogies, evaluate meaningful content and research contextual situations. Through this process of self-discovery and research, I have determined my educational philosophy to be: children are born with greatness and have unique experiences that can be crafted into excellence through emancipatory environments that are mentally, physically, and socially inclusive.

Diversity across U.S. classrooms is on the rise which is leading to renewed calls for teachers to meet individual learning needs. Studies indicate the failure to address individual learning needs can lead to higher rates of student disengagement, off-task behaviors, and diminished learning outcomes. Differentiated instruction is an approach to teaching that meets the growing diversity of individual learning needs by considering students' readiness, interest, and learning styles. Differentiated instructional approaches help teachers meet individual learning needs by allowing them to modify instruction as needed. However, despite the apparent benefits of differentiated instruction, teachers are hesitant to abandon other educational models. Research has shown beliefs about student learning influence teachers classroom practices. If teachers do not possess beliefs supporting differentiated classroom practices, then calls for additional implementation may go unheeded. Thus it is important to examine teacher beliefs that may help or hinder implementation of differentiated instructional practices. The purpose of this study was to explore teacher beliefs connected to teaching, learning, and differentiated instruction in diverse classrooms. This study used qualitative case study methodologies to interview, survey, and observe the beliefs and practices of four white, female, veteran middle level educators operating in diverse classroom settings. Data analysis revealed the following themes: (a) differentiated instruction is considered essential, (b) teachers' diversity definitions influenced their differentiated instructional strategies, (c) the classroom environment influences teachers self-efficacy, and (d) professional development sessions support differentiated instructional practices. Conclusions drawn from this study may be used to help improve teacher practices--and ultimately learner outcomes--by informing teacher preparation and professional development, state and local educational policies, and curricular reform efforts.

Student discipline issues can impact student achievement and disrupt the learning process in the school setting. Behavioral issues among female students have become prevalent in public schools, and disciplinary rates of African American female students are disproportionately high. School administrators have the responsibility to manage student discipline on their school campuses while ensuring a positive and safe learning environment for all students. Previous researchers have focused on student discipline of male students; there have been limited studies on the perspectives of school administrators on disciplinary practices for female students. The purpose of this study was to gain the perspectives of campus behavior coordinators (CBCs), school administrators designated by law to effectively manage student discipline on Texas public school campuses; specifically regarding female students. Social learning and labeling theories framed this generic qualitative study. Purposive sampling and discipline scenarios were used to collect in person data from 8 CBCs at 6 junior high schools in a public school district in Texas. Data content analysis entailed identifying emerging codes and themes from audiotaped and transcribed interviews. The findings of the study led to 6 themes identified; realtionships with students, student behavioral supports, traditional discipline practices, mandatory discipline practices, discipline concerns for female students, and school climate. The impact for social change will inform discipline practices of school administrators for female students; bring awareness of the state mandate and its implementation by school administrators, determine best practices to address student discipline, and explore behavioral supports for female students.

Public schools have used varying school configurations for middle grades-typically K-8 or traditional middle school arrangements-to improve students' academic outcomes. A small Northeastern school district was experiencing problems with student achievement, suspensions, and truancy, and was considering school configuration as a potential method of improving student performance. The purpose of this quantitative study was to explore the associations between school configuration and student achievement, suspensions, and truancy. Erikson's psychosocial theory of development and Dickinson's middle school philosophy guided this study since both address the needs of adolescents. Five years of archival data were collected from 2 demographically comparable Northeast school districts: one with K-8 schools and one with a traditional middle school configuration. Student sample sizes for each of the 5 years ranged from 1,841 to 2,076. Chi-square analyses for each year of data were used to examine the associations between configuration (elemiddle/middle) and the 4 independent variables: math achievement (proficient/not proficient), reading achievement (proficient/not proficient), suspensions (suspended/not suspended), and truancy (truant/not truant). Key results yielded statistically significant associations in certain years for each independent variable. The K-8 school students had higher achievement in math 3 of the 5 years and in reading for 2 of the 5 years. This group also had a lower percentage of truancy 4 of the 5 years, but a greater proportion of suspensions 4 of the 5 years. Results of this study can influence positive social change as district administrators can use the data to guide their decisions regarding which school configuration is most beneficial for middle school aged students.

The purpose of the present study was to record Cedar Middle School's (CMS) response to intervention implementation journey. It is a qualitative case study that examines one school's efforts to bring school improvements under the response to inventory (RtI) umbrella in order to achieve a more systematic approach to providing high-quality educational services to every student enrolled at CMS. Participants included the 10 members of the school's Student Success Team along with the principal and assistant principal. The recorded journey included: (a) a description of the RtI consensus and infrastructure-building processes, (b) an exploration of the SST perceptions of school-wide intervention efforts both past and present, (c) a review of the school's accomplishments and the barriers to implementation encountered, and (d) the implications for further school improvement efforts and research. Participants submitted to interviews, observations, and focus group meetings. Although the purpose of the study was not to measure program effectiveness, preliminary data are included that report the school's efforts toward systems change was helpful for students and is having a positive effect on student performance in reading comprehension. Participants were also able to share anecdotal evidence of increased student motivation and other behavioral changes that were natural consequences of their efforts. This evidence is reported in the narrative found in Chapters IV and V. Conclusions were based on participant input, recorded measures, and analyses conducted as part of the present study. Cautions were also discussed, including the limitations and delimitations. Finally, implications of the present study were provided for RtI and the field of schoolwide systematic interventions and support.