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Historic Sites in Texas: the Use of Local History in Texas Public Schools
This research study examined the perceptions of school administrators and of historic site directors toward the function of the sites in the public school curriculum. In-depth, personal interviews were conducted, tape-recorded, and transcribed at six selected sites, representing the various ethnic historic settlements of Texas, a variety of population densities, each of the major physical geographic regions, and different economic levels in the state. Data analysis involved careful study of the taped interviews, comparisons of responses given by people of similar roles, and comparisons of responses regarding the same site. Documentation of elements of the historic sites, of programs offered, of participation of the local school district in programs, and of written school policies were examined. The perceptions of the interviewees along with recommendations for changes were noted. Responses varied from expressed impression of students who are steeped in local history and are bored with their heritage, to enthusiastic positive opinions that the prosperity of the community is directly related to the strong identification of the citizens with its local history. The role of local history and of specific sites in the curriculum of the public schools is not consistent in Texas. This research study suggests that positive gains are possible if communication between local historic site/park/museum personnel and professional educators who are responsible for planning and implementation of school curriculum can be improved. Professional educators tend either to value local history and historic sites as part of the curriculum, or to avoid the question of meeting state mandates for classtime through the use of off-campus visits to historic sites by interpreting recent reforms to prohibit them. Professional personnel who oversee the historic sites tend to offer programs to the public schools that will meet the mandated curriculum, while adhering to the scheduling constraints of school reform legislation.
A Study of the Relationship of Selected Wage Criteria to Administrative Salaries in Suburban School Districts in Texas
The focus of this study was to determine the unique contribution to administrative salaries of the following criteria: gender, ethnicity, total years' experience in education, district years' experience in education, degrees held, per pupil expenditure, and school size. The sample was comprised of 1,866 administrators in 27 Texas suburban school districts with an Average Daily Attendance (ADA) over 10,000. The 1986-87 salaries of the following 11 administrative positions were analyzed using a multiple regression equation: deputy superintendent, assistant and associate superintendent, business officer, personnel officer, senior high principal and assistant principal, junior high principal and assistant principal, elementary principal and assistant principal.
Career Paths and Perceived Success Levels of Women Superintendents of Public Schools in the State of Texas
The purposes of this study were to determine the career paths of women superintendents in the state of Texas and their school board members' perceptions of their levels of success. All women currently serving as superintendents of public schools in Texas, as well as all school board members of districts with women serving as superintendents were surveyed. The findings of this study indicate that the "typical" woman superintendent was hired from inside the district, with a master's degree. She was 48.3 years of age. Her first administrative position was the principalship and she moved directly from the principalship to the superintendency. The typical woman served in one district as superintendent. Her teaching and prior administrative experience was at the elementary level. Women superintendents perceived the position of teacher as the most beneficial experience prior to the superintendency. Women superintendents perceived leadership as the most important area of her professional development. School finance was the area perceived by women superintendents as needing to be more extensive in their professional development. Of the women superintendents who responded to this survey, 68.1 percent reported that they did not perceive discrimination in attaining the superintendency. Of the school board members who responded to this survey, 56.2 percent rated their women superintendents as excellent, 2 6 percent rated women superintendents as good, 12.5 percent rated women superintendents as average, 4.1 percent rated women superintendents as below average and 1 percent rated women superintendents as poor. Most school board members either strongly agreed or agreed with statements that women superintendents are capable in areas of school finance, school law, personnel, public relations, bonds and building programs and leadership. Women school board members rated women superintendents slightly higher, on the average, than male school board members.
Texas Public School Principals and Corporal Punishment: the Relationship Between Their Legal Awareness Of It and Their Attitude Toward Its Use
This study is an analysis of the relationship between the attitude of Texas school principals toward corporal punishment and their knowledge of the law pertaining to corporal punishment as it relates to the principals' school and personal characteristics.
Factors Influencing Student Achievement in Texas
This study examines the relationships among student socioeconomic status, school district enrollment, minority enrollment, district expenditure per pupil, and the teaching experience of faculty as these variables influence the achievement scores of secondary students in Texas. Data from a total of 1,061 Texas school districts were used to determine the effects of the indicated district-level predictor variables on three criterion variables: reading, mathematics, and writing scores for the 11th-grade Texas Education Assessment of Minimum Skills (TEAMS). The study led to the following conclusions: 1. Low socioeconomic status of students in Texas, as in the rest of the United States, insures that test scores will be lower if all other variables are held constant. 2. Large minority populations are strong predictors of low test scores, especially in mathematics and reading. 3. Students in districts whose faculty had a high average of years of teaching experience also scored high in achievement tests, especially in mathematics and writing. 4. High average district expenditure per pupil predicts high test scores, especially in reading. 5. School district size or enrollment has low predictive value of test scores. Among several specific recommendations, this study advises that further study be done concerning the most effective ways to educate minority and socioeconomically disadvantaged student populations. The study also recommends that better ways be found to retain experienced teachers in the classroom, including monetary compensation, extra allowances for staff development, and additional resources. The study cautions against simply adding money to a district's budget to increase student achievement scores, asserting that districts should make thorough studies before higher expenditures per pupil are alone used to increase test scores.
A Comparison of the Personality Traits of Effective Teachers of Bilingual and English as a Second Language Students with the Personality Traits of Effective Teachers of Traditional Elementary School Students
The purpose of this study was to identify the personality traits of effective elementary bilingual/ESL teachers, to identify the personality traits of effective traditional elementary teachers, and to compare the two groups.
Site-based Management : A Study of the Changing Role of the Central Office in Decentralization
The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of restructuring associated with site-based management and the change in roles of central office personnel. The study also attempted to determine if districts had a plan with definitions of responsibility and accountability in place. The study included relationships between the decentralization process of site-based management and central office personnel's perception of job satisfaction.
The Use of Group Achievement Test Data to Determine Special Education Referral Accuracy in Texas
This study was designed to ascertain whether group achievement test data can determine special education referral accuracy. One hundred eighty-nine special education referrals from four school districts in Texas were examined. The demographics were limited to group achievement test data: grade equivalents and percentiles in the subject areas of reading, spelling, language arts, and mathematics. Also examined were referral and eligibility outcomes to special education.
A Study of the Functional Competencies of Southern Baptist Missionaries Who Originate Indigenous Churches in the Philippines
This study was designed to identify the functional competencies necessary for a missionary to plant churches in the Philippines, to identify how those competencies can be recognized in individual missionaries, and to determine the percentage of personnel who possess specific functional competencies.
A Descriptive Study of Values Education Programs in Texas Public Elementary Schools
The purpose of this study was to provide descriptive information about values education programs in Texas elementary schools for policy makers, curriculum directors, and educators. Insight into this contemporary issue is augmented by exploring (a) commercially or locally developed values programs that are in place in schools, (b) the relationship between student and school district demographics and values education programs, (c) the role that different interest groups have in the introduction of values education programs, and (d) the extent to which values education programs are accepted by different groups.
Cerebral Laterality and Leadership Assessment
The major purpose of this study was to determine whether a relationship exists between cerebral laterality dominance and leadership behavior and traits. An additional purpose was to determine whether a relationship exists between cerebral laterality dominance and gender, ethnicity, and educational position.
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