Date of Award

8-1-1984

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Education (EdD)

Department

Teaching & Learning

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to assess how the Cleveland public elementary schools were perceived by teachers, principals, parents, and students to be addressing the basic skills. The hypotheses state that the perceptions of these groups did not differ significantly in the following variables: planning, organizing, delivering, and monitoring of basic skills in regard to school policies and procedures, the school plan, learning support, teaching strategies, verification of student learning, performance expectations, and parent involvement.

Parent and community volunteers administered and collected both adult and student surveys. The instruments yielded data on 184 statements in the adult survey and 38 statements in the student survey about how the schools addressed basic skills. Multivariate analysis of variance was the statistical procedure used in the treatment of the data. Findings among the teachers, principals, and parents showed significant differences at the .05 level or less. There were no significant differences in perceptions between the third- and fifth-grade students.

Conclusions drawn from the results were that principals perceived a more favorable picture of how schools addressed basic skills in all areas than did parents. When compared to teachers, principals held a more favorable view than did teachers. Teachers' perceptions of how schools were addressing basic skills were more favorable than parents, however they were more aligned with parents than they were principals in nearly all areas.

The study permitted comparative rationales that suggested what the schools may have been doing to address basic skills. The significant differences among the adult groups suggested an apparent lack of communication and understanding between the groups--both oral and written--on vital school processes which affected basic skills. As a beginning point for those who administer in, teach in, and send their children to the Cleveland public elementary schools, this information could assist them in making decisions on future plans that will affect student achievement on basic skills.

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