llllllllllllltll{lll+lrll 5 t TTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT -- _‘ ‘ - a r. ‘\“\\\‘1Wl‘\““lw Y '3' " "'1‘"- 1:.I: ”'N'rg u. «.1 "I L-.-: :r::.;::=, — I 293 106893 MSU RETURNING MATERIALS: P1ace in book drop to ”mums remove this checkout from “ your record. FINES W1" be charged if book is returned after the date stamped be10w. 1"" _ f , "477 w awa- 31¢“ \ ' R ”We 4%? .13.,bfi8093 L W , 20 K187 25 88! 1mg) 322.2 mm“! W 3.5» A9697 VAN ETHNOGRAPHIC STUDY OF THE FACTORS AFFECTING 1 J_;h3-. 5_- {§ STUDENT, PARENT, AND STAFF ADJUSTMENTS CREATED Ah‘ -fl ‘f BY THE CLOSING OF AN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL U A I~ By p 1" ’IIyI— 1. r 4~‘ A "Hxa' Sally Mulder Edgerton A DISSERTATION v - , ‘31. A. 1- .- l ‘ ‘ 1-, . . I ,-g,‘ _ Submitted to ._..\;‘“‘ E;H:- ‘ Michigan State University ‘35.g—j-. ‘ififlé: n partial fulfillment of the requirements 1:““- 'a$§*§ for the degree of - ————‘..—.. mar- .- —v— ABSTRACT AN ETHNOGRAPHIC STUDY OF THE FACTORS AFFECTING STUDENT, PARENT, AND STAFF ADJUSTMENTS CREATED BY THE CLOSING OF AN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL BY Sally Mulder Edgerton From 1983 to 1985, an ethnographic study was under— taken to investigate the adjustments of students, parents, and staff members experiencing an elementary school con— solidation following a school closing. The school commu- nity was located in a midwestern urban school district and had experienced a school closure due to declining student enrollments and the maintenance of fiscal responsibility. The transferred community was studied primarily through participant observations and interviews. In addi- tion, a sociometric questionnaire, student and teacher journals, key informant student workshops, school documents, and students' performance on a standardized achievement test were all used to establish key linkages in the adjust- ment process of the students, parents, and staff members. Events in the school closing such as community hearings, a final school program, and student visitations to receiving schools were instrumental in easing students' and parents' transition in schools. .,.._.—- _. _ _ o Sally Mulder Edgerton The school merger was facilitated with the simulta— neous transfer of the school principal, secretary, four teachers, and one-fifth of the student body. Students were observed to be the most resilient, and after time, estab- lished friendships in and out of the classrooms. Older students experienced stronger ties to the closed school than younger students. Academic performance of the transferred student body was not affected by the closing or the consoli- dation process. In time, the primarily white parents adjusted to the busing of their children to a school selected to maintain racial balance within the school district. Parents appre- ciated the transfer of familiar school personnel. Resident parents also experienced a period of adjustment to the new community and administration. Frequent school communica- tions and the Parent Teacher Association helped establish positive community support. Staff members experienced the greatest resistance to change. A smooth physical move, immediate active involve- ment in the school's educational program, and satisfaction in grade placement were instrumental in creating positive adjustments in the staff. Both resident and transferred staff members needed time to adjust to the consolidated community and faculty. The transferred school principal O t u kw E a d u M V. 1 1 a S s an important role in creating a unified faculty and 7tive school climate. Ar‘I‘ 4 A - . EVERGREEN SCHOOL I ... Q2 4 Sui DESTINED FOR CLOSURE - JUNE 17, 1933 'February 10, 1983 _ 11:25 a.m. - Lunch time 'ZfiiFF, A first grader: ”What are they going to do with this school when it goes out of business?“ 1 U“ ‘ an, 1'_.~1 "‘§&3¢BER: I‘I really don't know." he? tiff: "Well, I want to buy it!“ I ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Many outstanding individuals provided support and guidance in the completion of my doctoral program and dissertation. My warmest appreciation is extended tun my committee chairperson, Dr. Sheila Fitzgerald. Dr. Fitzgerald provided unlimited patience throughout my studies. Special gratitude is extended to my committee members, Dr. William Cole, Dr. Majorie Kostelnik, Dr. Richard Navaro, and Dr. William Walsh. Dr. Navaro was particularly helpful in guiding the ethnographic research. Many members of the teaching profession offered continuous support throughout my studies. I am especially grateful to Dorothy Ling, David Cross, James Ewing, Betty Javoroski, and Barbara Tate. They provided unending support and understanding in my undertaking. Over the years, members of my family have patiently supported my studies. I am grateful to my husband, Greg, and my children, Lisa and Michael, for their continuous assistance, patience, and love. Special appreciation is offered to my parents, Robert and Kathryn Crozier. A final expression of gratitude is extended to the elementary children, the ultimate reason for this research in education. TABLE OF CONTENTS Page LISTOFTABLES....................Viii LIST OF FIGURES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . X Chapter I. THE RESEARCH PROBLEM: POLITICS OF SCHOOL CLOSINGS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Statement of the Problem . . . . . . . . . . 4 Importance of the Study . . . . . . . . . . 7 Literature on School Closings . . . . . . . 9 Ethnography of Schools . . . . . . . . . . . 14 An Ecological Framework . . . . . . . . . . 16 II. THE RESEARCH DESIGN . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Introduction: The Process of Inquiry . . . . 22 Data Collection: Fieldwork . . . . . . . . . 24 Role of the Researcher/Teacher . . . . . . . 26 Research Questions . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Rationale for the Decision to Study Woodhaven . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Methods of Data Collection . . . . . . . . . 34 Participant Observation . . . . . . . . . 34 Interviews . . . . . . . . . 35 Small— —Group Student Workshops . . . . . . 38 School Documents . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 Sociometric Questionnaire . . . . . . . . 42 Journals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43 Academic Achievement . . . . . 44 Geneology: The Involved Schools and the Population of the Study . . . . . . . 45 Format of theEkhnographicReport . . . . .. 52 III. A SCHOOL CLOSING: EVERGREEN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. 54 Evergreen School, A Rich Historical Background . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 School Boundary Changes . . . . . . . . . . 60 iv IV. V. The First Hearing . . . . . . . . . . The Second Hearing . . . . A Final School Activity: "Link to the Pas Vignette . . . . . . . . . . . . Visitations to the New Schools . . . . . Staff Members' Resistance to Change . . The Adjustment Period . . . The Last Day at Evergreen: A First—Grade Classroom Vignette . . . . . . . . . . Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . t" A SCHOOL CONSOLIDATION: WOODHAVEN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Overview of the Geographical Location . School Population of Woodhaven . . . . . School Community . . . . . . . Influence of the Federal Courts . . . . Physical Setting. Spatial Mapping . . . A Place in Time: Temporal Mapping . . . School' 5 Participants: Social Mapping . Students . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Parents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Staff . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Support Staff . . . . . . . . . . . . Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . THE ADJUSTMENTS OF STUDENTS . . . . . . . Introduction: Key Assertions . . . . . . Findings From Literature . . . Positive Effects of Transferred School Personnel on Student Adjustment . . . Factors in the Adjustment of Transferred Students . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Breaking the Ties to Evergreen . . . . Role of Busing . . . . . . Adjustments of the Resident Students . . Development of Friendship Patterns Outsid the Classroom . . Development of Friendship Patterns Within the Classroom . . . . . . . . . . . . Findings From Sociometry . . . . . . . Findings From Student Journals . . . . Small- -Group Workshops . . . . . . . . . National Evergreen Day . . . . . . Older Students: A More Difficult Process School Adjustment . . . . . . . . . . e 101 103 106 109 109 111 114 116 119 119 123 131 134 138 VI. VII. Students' Academic Performance . . . . . . Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . THE ADJUSTMENTS OF PARENTS . . . . . . . . . Introduction: Key Assertions . . . . . . . The Strange Becomes Familiar . . The Positive Effect of the School Personnel. Time to Adjust: The Need to Maintain Past Attachments . . . An Element of Safety: The Provision of Bus Transportation . . . . . . . . The Neighborhood School Concept: Maintain— ing Racial Balance . . . . . . . . Adjustments of the Resident Parents . . . Positive Effects of School Communications Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . THE ADJUSTMENTS OF STAFF MEMBERS . . . . . . Introduction: Key Assertions . . . . . . . Transfer of Staff Members . . . . . . . . Physical Move . . . . . . . . . . . . Time to Adjust . . . . . . . . Effect of Grade- Level Placement in Job Satisfaction . . Resistance to Change: Weakest in Children, Stronger in Parents, Strongest in Staff Staff Involvement: The First Semester . . Assimilation Into the Educational Community . . A Cooperative Relationship With the Transferred Administration . . . . . . The Resident Staff . . . . . . . A Conflict in the Local Teacher Associa— tion Representation . . . . . . . Perceptions of the Resident Staff . . . . Interactions Among All Staff Members . . Developing a Feeling of Belonging and a Sense of Trust: The Second Year . . . . Social Network . . . . . . . . . . . . . School Climate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vi Page 142 148 151 151 154 157 161 165 166 168 175 179 182 182 185 185 188 195 200 203 205 207 208 212 214 218 222 226 236 240 ~.4... VIII. SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS, IMPLICATIONS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . The Closing of an Elementary School . . A Transition in Schools . . . . . . . . Conclusions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The School Closing . . . . . . . . . . . A Review of Outcomes . . . . . . . . . . Implications . . . . . . . Recommendations for .Further Research . . . Concluding Remarks . . . . . . . . . . . . APPENDICES A. CHRONOLOGY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B. STEPS LEADING TO ADOPTION OF REVISED ELEMENTARY BOUNDARIE S . . . . . . . . . . . C. GLOSSARY OF SCHOOLS AND INTERVIEWED PARENTS, STUDENTS, AND STAFF MEMBERS . . . . . . . . D. MEMO TO STAFF: PARTICIPANT OBSERVATIONS . . E. INTERVIEW QUESTIONS FOR TEACHERS, PARENTS, AND STUDENT PARTICIPANTS IN SMALL-GROUP WORKSHOPS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . F. CONSENT LETTERS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . G. SOCIOMETRY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . H. STUDENT JOURNALS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . BIBLIOGRAPHY O I l O O C l O O I I O I C O I I I I I GENERAL RESOURCES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vii Page 242 242 243 245 248 248 250 256 261 263 266 267 268 272 273 274 277 292 300 LIST OF TABLES Table of Interviews: 1983-84 School Year . Small-Group Workshops: Transferred Student Composition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Small-Group Workshops: Resident Student Composition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Declining Enrollments at Evergreen School . Tenure of Teachers at Evergreen . . . . . . Tenure of Principals at Evergreen . . . . . Reassignment of Elementary School Attendance Areas to Maintain Racial Balance . . . . Woodhaven Student Population: Transferred and Resident Majority and Minority Students . Tenure of Teachers at Woodhaven . . . . . . Classification of Topics Discussed in the Fourth-Grade Journal Entries . . . . . . Classification of Topics Discussed in the First-Grade Journals . . . . . . . . . . Results of Statistical Tests of Woodhaven Students' Academic Performance . . . . . A Sample Ranking of Transferred Students on Sociometric Questions . . . . . . . . . . Comparative Ranking of Transferred Students on Sociometric Questions According to Grade: September 1983 and May 1984 . . . Percent of Change in Rank Order of Transferred Students on Sociometric Questions From September 1983 to May 1984 . . . . . . . viii Page 37 40 40 56 58 59 62 96 98 125 129 146 278 279 280 Page Comparative Ranking of Resident Students on Sociometric Questions According to Grade: September 1983 and May 1984 . . . . . . . . . 281 Percentage of Change in Rank Order of Resident Students on Sociometric Questions From September 1983 to May 1984 . . . . . . . 282 i, . . 'v n,. u . ,5! J . “1.; 3",. .. 4‘ la ¢r r )g' L y or .T 4" ‘w l : 31 9‘ )‘A \- 4 ' wahf .‘1 ,. LIST OF FIGURES Page Dissemination of Evergreen Staff and Students I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I 4 7 Woodhaven Staff and Student Population Involved in the Study . . . . . . . . . . . 48 List of Participants Mentioned in the 1983 Study of Evergreen . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 List of Participants Mentioned in the 1983-85 Study of Woodhaven . . . . . . . . 50 Woodhaven School . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91 Classrooms in Woodhaven School . . . . . . . 92 Social Network of Woodhaven Staff: ‘ Septemer 19 8 3 I I I I I I I I I I I I I I 2 3 3 Social Network of Woodhaven Staff: January 198 I 0 I I I a o I o 0 o a o o I o I I l 235 CHAPTER I THE RESEARCH PROBLEM: POLITICS OF SCHOOL CLOSINGS Many of the economic concerns that educators were forced to consider during the 19705 have escalated significantly and been dramatized in the 19803. School districts throughout the country have had to adapt to double-digit inflation and an ever-increasing belt-tightening economy (Abramowitz & Rosenfeld, 1978; Boyd, 1979; Cuban, 1979). Suburban, rural, and urban school districts have been forced to plead their plight to a disenchanted public responsible for carrying the financial burden for education (Dean, 1981; Watchtel & Powers, 1979). In light of a tight economy, increasing inflation, and growing millage requests, school districts have been required to trim expenditures sharply (Fowler, 1980; Odden & Vincent, 1979). In the process of cutting expenditures, school districts have needed to demonstrate to the public their plans for maintaining a balanced budget (Fowler, 1980; Grant, 1982). Inflation required school districts to evaluate the costs of personnel, energy, and maintenance, three of the areas in which costs continued to spiral upward (Abramowitz {I I 1 2 & Rosenfeld, 1979; Brodinsky, 1981). Increased costs of heating and salaries of school personnel were coupled with another factor of grave concern to education-—declining enrollments. As enrollments declined and costs per pupil continued to rise, many school districts recognized a new problem--the surplus space in secondary and elementary schools (Brodinsky, 1981; Gorden & Hughes, 1980; Grant, 1982; Sargent, 1974; Zerchykow, 1982). After students from the post-World War II baby boom graduated fronl high school, the high enrollments of the 19605 could not be maintained. Enrollment in the elementary grades peaked in 1969 and then declined sharply throughout the 19705 and early 19805 (Bishop, 1979; Michigan Department of Education, 1977; NSBA, 1976; Sargent, 1974;). In the 19705, schools, especially elementary schools, were partially filled with students. As costs of maintaining and equipping buildings continued to rise at a blistering pace, the cost of educating fewer students in these buildings also increased. In evaluating their present and future financial situations, many school boards maintained that an efficient and necessary cost-cutting measure was to close some underused elementary and secondary schools (Brodinsky, 1981; Watchtel & Powers, 1977; Zerchykow, 1982). In the 19705, the management of decline was a political process unknown in public education. As school district's financial resources fell victim to inflation, .. ._..._...-_ L“ 3 declining student enrollments compounded the problem and resulted in potentially stressful situations, often political in nature (Cuban, 1979; Iannoccone, 1979). The policy-making process that followed in many school districts started with the definition of the problem of declining enrollments and ended with the eventual decision to close schools (Boyd, 1979). Iannoccone (1979) described this procedure as one that involved policies of technical efficiency and political input. Iannoccone noted that the issue of declining enrollments was a problem of management of political conflict, a policy-process problem. As school districts reviewed their individual situations, the most common decision was to close elementary schools. The decision to close schools, however, was frequently an unpopular one (Abramowitz & Rosenfeld, 1979; Wachtel & Powers, 1979). In some cases in which conflict and tensions developed, those conflicts had, been present within the involved community before the school-closing issue arose (Berger, 1982; Boyd, 1979). As the issue of declining enrollment evolved, issues that had lain dormant within the community became central to the issue of enrollment declines and affected the decision-making process (Iannoccone, 1979). The primary avenue for effectively managing the closing of schools was appropriate timing. Time provided the concerned community a period to absorb forthcoming school 4 closings, to debate the political issues, and to generate input into the decision-making process (Berger, 1982; Iannoccone, 1979). A series of events such as these led to the closing of several schools in Lincoln, the midwestern urban city that was the setting of this study. In June 1983, Evergreen Elementary School was closed by the Lincoln School District. Evergreen students and staff were transferred to three different neighborhood elementary schools. The researcher who was also a teacher at Evergreen was transferred along with a portion of the Evergreen staff and students to one of the receiving schools, Woodhaven Elementary School. This study examines the events that occurred when one neighborhood school, Evergreen, was closed and some of its faculty, students, and parents were required to adapt to a new school environment, Woodhaven Elementary School. In the process of conducting a descriptive study of the staff, parents, and students in an elementary school, it is necessary to protect the anonymity of all participants. Therefore, the names of the city, school district, schools, and all participants have been changed to ensure confidentiality. Statement of the Problem Closing a school is a result of the policy processes that a school district develops to meet the demands of declining enrollments. An issue that many public school W -1 r..-. -_..L __.———.- ._.-— ”~’~o_. 5 administrators have had to address is the declining need for the number of schools in operation within a school system. The results of closing schools, however, extend beyond the administrative issues of management and economy to the individual school communities. Unfortunately, the effects of school closings on the total school community have received little attention in the professional literature, other than recommendations for ways school districts can meet social pressures and community resistance to the closings (Boyd, 1979; Pauline & Petruzzello, 1982; Zerchykow, 1982). How the school community accepts a school closing is the school district's responsibility (McGlothlin, 1981). What happens to the school community after a school closes is also the school's responsibility, but this issue rarely is considered or investigated. As Cuban (1979) pointed out, the literature on declining enrollments and school closings has comprised little more than "cookbooks giving recipes to administrators on how to avoid the task of community anger or research on the technology of projections" (p. 389). As most of the published literature has focused on "how to" close schools, many important questions have yet to be uncovered, and the full political effect of school closings and consolidations has yet to be revealed. A sampling of issues that warrant an examination was reviewed by Cuban (1979), who asked: 1. What are the instructional and organizational effects on an aging staff? was 6 2. Do teachers who are forced to shift schools benefit or suffer damage? 3. Do budget cuts in programs improve the prime instructional mission of the school system? 4. Does community conflict over shrinking enrollments lead to an examination of educational priorities? 5. Have closed schools affected children positively or negatively, both or neither? (p.392) It is the fifth question with which this researcher primarily concerned. As Cuban continued in discussion of questions for further research, transition that students, parents, and school personnel must Few, if any, researchers have investigated students who transferred to other schools to see what changes, if any have occurred. Academic achievement, attitudes towards school, leadership performance, and dozens of other indicators would be useful guides to discover answers to these questions. (p.392) Bussard (1981) also discussed the need to study the make following school closings: Probably, too, school districts should document the experiences of children and parents a year or two after the school closing. An enormous amount of publicity is generated during the decision to close a school, much of it. negative. However, most children, parents and teachers adapt well to new circumstances (if community divisions are not so great as to be unbridgeable). Parents can make a positive contribution by monitoring the transition and experiences in the new schools and providing guidance on improving transitions in the future. (p.38) In writing of his experiences as a superintendent, Thomas (1980), concurred with Bussard and Cuban: Further, the problems associated with school closures are not educational; they are human. Educational leaders must be skilled in responding ,.__. 'm’.‘ to the "people problems" when faced with fewer and fewer students. (p.21) In gaining an understanding of what happens to the school community as a result of a school closing, the need for future research was clearly voiced by Bussard, Cuban, and Thomas. Recent professional literature on the topic has offered many examples of how school systems have met and tackled the problem of declining enrollments. Many districts have shared the procedures that they followed in the successful, or sometimes unsuccessful, closing of schools-- their only feasible alternative to declining enrollments. The implication of Cuban, Bussard, and Thomas's hypotheses, however, is that current research has not followed the issue of closing schools to gain an understanding cm the full effects of a closure on the entire community of students, parents, and school staff. Information on how a community adjusts to a new' educational setting could offer school districts faced with declining enrollments and possible school closures valuable insights into successfully closing a school. The scope of this ethnographic study, therefore, concerns how students, parents, and school personnel adjusted to the consolidation of schools after an elementary school closing necessitated by declining enrollments. Importance of the Study A political decision to close a school does not come to a conclusion when the school doors are closed. Much of .v‘w - 8 what transpires during the final hours of a closing and the beginning hours of a consolidation is stressful to the community and often political to school districts. Conducting indepth fieldwork research of an elementary school whose students and staff personnel were displaced as a result of that school's closure provides an opportunity to identify the positive and negative factors influencing adjustment. to a new school community. To understand the effects of a school closing, one must follow the transferred school community to determine their adjustments and their acceptance by the receiving school community. Perhaps the insights gleaned from such a study will contribute to a more successful implementation of future school closings. Unfortunately the literature is sorely lacking in follow- through research on the effects of school closings. Yet the final chapter of a school closing is, in effect, the beginning of a new chapter in the experience at a receiving school. Ethnographic research offers an opportunity to identify the adjustments of the school community in detail, and it provides many opportunities to test theoretical implications and hypotheses. The purpose of this study was to identify the behaviors of students, parents, and staff members within the school community. How the transferred and receiving community members adjusted to the new school situation was the focus of this research. -——.r .. “o“. 9 The researcher, who was also an Evergreen teacher, had an important advantage because a pilot ethnographic study on the closing school, Evergreen, had been conducted during the school's final six months. By comparing data from the initial study with the results of the research at Woodhaven, a better understanding of the student, parent, and staff adjustments experienced in transferring to a new school was gained. Declining enrollments are likely to continue in Lincoln School District, the setting for this study, and necessitate future school closings. The identification of student, parent, and staff behaviors should help the Lincoln school system and educator's in other urban school districts understand the adjustments the school's participants underwent in the closing and consolidating of schools. Literatureggg School Closings In the 19705 and 19805, the phenomenon of closing schools in urban school systems developed in response to the actions of school officials dealing with declining student enrollments and fiscal responsibility. The major focus of the literature on closing schools is on political forces affecting school districts as school officials implement school closure policies (Cibulka, 1982; Dembowski & Gay, 1980; McLennan, 1981; Tyler, 1982; Zerchykow, 1981). Unfortunately, the reports of school closures in the educational literature have been based on little empirical 10 research (Berger, 1982; Cibulka, 1982). Zerchykow (1982) provided a thorough review of the limited literature on school districts' policy responses to declining enrollments. In this review, Zerchykow presented an overview of the kinds of literature identified, a summary of the main policy issues identified in the literature, a codification of the professional. consensus on how best. to manage decline, a review of research on management of and adjustment to decline, and a discussion of the policy implications of research findings. As Zerchykow (1982), Cuban (1979), Berger (1982), and Divoky (1979); pointed out, the literature has stressed a "how to" approach to school closures. Zerchykow (1982) stated: Advice is prominent in the literature. We have discovered the emergence of a definite professional consensus, a "craftlore" of writings about good practices in retrenching. This advice is typically found in professional association periodicals and is codified in handbooks, often sponsored by professional associations and/or state education agencies. While not typically based on generalizable research evidence, this literature is no less empirical in so far as much of it is written as observations, caveats, suggestions, and "memorablia" from the firing line. (p.xiii) Berger (1982) wrote a. four part analysis of the literature on communities and their protest of school closings. In reference to school boards' decision—making process, he stated: The first perspective states that comprehensive, deliberate planning techniques are preferred to .o-O— -'——1- ~ 11 less-systematic, short-term planning processes. Essentially, this means that districts experiencing enrollment decline should collect and analyze data and this effort, in turn, will produce organizational responses which will be acceptable to all parties. Technical rationality, in other words, will identify the "one best solution" for everyone concerned. (p. 3) Research supporting this analysis was conducted by Bishop (1979), Burns (1978), Bussard (1981), and Sargent and Hardy (1974). Concerning the second element of his analysis, Berger related: The second perspective argues that greater credibility and commitment are generated, and less resistance to change occurs when people are involved in decisions that affect them. This theory suggests that board members and administrators should broaden participation in the school closing process. The appeal of this argument is that it promises to reduce the inevitable tension between policy-makers and those who will be affected by policy decisions. (p. 5) The advisability of allowing the community to participate in closure decisions was supported by the findings of Allopenna (1977), Bishop (1979), Eisenberger (1974, 1975), Fowler (1980), Sargent and Hardy (1974), and Thomas (1980). Berger continued with an analysis of the literature describing communities' responses to closing schools: The third view on community opposition contends that schools are perceived not only as instruments for education, but also as the means for other non-education functions as well. When resistance occurs, it stems not from a loss of the educational aspects of particular facilities; Deva..- - - ‘5'" 12 it comes instead from the sense of loss of the functions and relations which bind the community together and maintain its identity. (p. 6) Berger concluded his report with findings related to the effect of the environment on the closing school community. He wrote: For over three decades, the dominant thinking in the management literature has been that the environment poses significant contingencies and constraints for organization behavior. While the specification of environmental variables continues to be debated, it is logical to assume that community opposition will be conditioned, in part, by the contextual characteristics of the district itself. (pp.7-8) The limited empirical research on school closure has been directed primarily to educational policy management processes (Boyd, 1979; Burlinggame, 1979; Colton & Frelich, 1979; Cuban, 1979; Dean, 1981; Valencia, 1980; Zerchykow, 1982). Iannoconne (1979) pointed out, "The stress of declining' enrollments does not create a new politics of education" (p. 430). He stressed that important elements of the problem are educational administrators who are either unaware of recent studies on political-conflict-management processes or have :hi the past been ineffectual in using existing knowledge to address the problem of declining enrollments. Follow-through research on the effects of a school closing is almost nonexistent in the educational literature, although Zerchykow (1982) did discuss the effect of school closings on the individuals and neighborhoods involved. 13 There is also little evidence, again despite the newsmaking headlines, of any dramatic impact, either upon children's schooling experiences or school community-relations, of retrenchment decisions, especially those leading to school closure: 1. There is 1K) documented long-term impact of school closure on children's cognitive or emotional-social development. 2. The impact of school closings on neighborhood quality of life appears to defy objective measurement. Survey data on residents' perceptions of the impact of schooling is mixed. 3. There is no general evidence of any negative perceptions leading to behavior--lower levels of electoral support for school levies, or flight to private education, for example--manifesting public disenchantment with the schools as a result of retrenchment decisions. (p. xi) The only research cited by Zerchykow (1982) that related to students' attitudes toward a school closing was a report by Richards and Cohen on elementary school children's responses to school closings in Ithaca, New York. The researchers collected data through individual interviews, interviewer ratings, sociometric tests, parents questionnaires, and teacher evaluations. Their results indicated that the 143 children in the study population did respond negatively to anticipated or actual school closings. Children anticipating a school merger were nmst negative (80%), students who attended the school that hosted the new students were least negative, (35%) and those who had experienced a school closure nine months earlier were somewhat negative (70%). The students' reaction to a school closing was both negative and persistent, but it was not related significantly to age, sex, popularity, or how well ‘fi--' - - w I". 14 the children liked school in general. The children's reactions were run: necessarily related to their parents' responses or to how well the children performed in school academically, socially, or emotionally. With a view to the limited research on the effects of a school closing on students, the following research was formulated and framed within an ethnographic approach. Ethnography of Schools Because of the dearth of literature and research on the effects of a school closing on students, parents, and staff members, the researcher sought other sources that were relevant to an ethnogrphic study within an elementary school. Writings by Erickson (1979), Jackson (1968), Kantor and Lehr (1975), Ogbu (1981), Spindler (1980), and Spradley and Mann (1975) contributed to the conceptual framework for the inquiry on the effects of a school closing. Erickson (1979) laid the framework for ethnography in education with his description of the inquiry process used in fieldwork settings. In The Cocktail Waitress, Spradley and Mann (1975) presented insights into the study of a field situation and offered opportunities to compare and analyze the activities of participants in a micro-setting. In Life in the Classroom, Jackson (1968) provided insightful comparisons within a particular setting, in this case a school situation. 15 The study of adjustments following a school transfer may be allied to the research by Kantor and Lehr (1975) of the theoretical underpinnings of family ecosystems. The authors proposed several theories on family ecosystems, using an ethnographic research design. They maintained that a family ecosystem revolves around the access dimensions of time, space, and energy, as well as the target dimensions of affect, power, and meaning. The similarities in theoretical analyses of family' ecosystems and staff personnel in an elementary school are striking. The relevance of Kantor and Lehr's research to the conceptual framework of this study is that the concepts of target and access dimensions may be directly related to interactions within an elementary school. The target dimensions described by Kantor and Lehr included affect-- intimacy and nurturance exchanges; meaning-—ideas and_ the communication of ideas within the social, spiritual, conceptual, and material world; and power--a goal seeking behavior that focuses on the aspects of freedom and restraint within an organization. The access dimensions include the influences that time, space, and the use of physical and informational energies have on the social network of an elementary school staff. Kantor and Lehr's analyses of family ecosystems provided a comparative framework in which to understand the participants in a school setting. 16 In an ethnography of schools, Ogbu's (1981) research on minority children in California provided insights into the interrelationships between the school and other settings in a larger society. Ogbu's work demonstrated the importance of the interconnections between the school, family, and neighborhood and the economic conditions and community attitudes in school effectiveness. His research stressed the importance of the field setting and its participants within an ecological framework. An Ecological Framework Bronfenbrenner (1979) provided an ecological framework upon which the conceptual framework of this ethnographic research study on school closings was based. He described a theoretical foundation for the ecology of human development. In his theory, the human being and his/her changes and growth within an immediate setting are affected by the interrelationships within the context of larger settings. In Bronfenbrenner's theoretical framework of the ecological environment, a nested arrangement of concentric structures is conceived. He describes a single immediate setting as a microsystem. In a microsystem, individuals experience activities, play roles, and participate in interpersonnal relations within a particular physical and material setting. Bronfenbrenner stated that "experience,“ 17 in a microsystem, is important in understanding how participants perceived the activities. In this study of a school consolidation, observations of many microsystems were conducted to better understand the adjustments of the students, parents, and staff members. A classroom at Evergreen School, the playground at Woodhaven School, and an all-school ice cream social are exmples of the settings in which the researcher observed the activities, roles, and interpersonnal relations of the students, parents, and staff members. Next on the ecological structure is a system of microsystems that Bronfenbrenner terms mesosystems. A mesosystem involves the developing person who participates in interrelationships among two or more settings. For example, the transferred Evergreen students actively participated in the former Evergreen School, home settings, neighborhood peer groups, and the receiving Woodhaven School. The interrelationships of transferred staff members included participation in both closing and receiving schools, and other other outside activities such as staff get-togethers. The mesosystems studied in this research project included Evergreen School and Woodhaven School. Interconnections among the participants in the settings, the intermediate links in the social networks, formal and informal communications, and the attitudes of the 4‘ 18 participants toward the settings were major elements in the participant observations conducted in this study. Bronfenbrenner describes the next larger design in the ecological framework, the exosystem. In an exosystem, events that occur affect, or are affected by, individuals, but the exosystem does not involve the developing person in all aspects of it. The setting of Woodhaven and Evergreen are examples of exosystems which affected but did not always involve each developing student, parent, or staff member. The exosystem helps explain the interrelationships of the transferred and resident parents, the relationships between the transferred and resident staff members, and the interactions among the students. The Lincoln School District, surrounding neighborhoood school communities, and the local media were also influencing exosystems. The macrosystem is the broadest point in the hierarchy of the ecological framework. Bronfenbrenner refers to the macrosystem as the level of the subculture or culture. Belief systems and ideologies underly the macrosystem which takes into account the micro—, meso-, and exosystems. The macrosystem, too, was influential in this study. A prime example of the macrosystem is the role of the federal court and court ordered integration of the Lincoln School District. Significantly, the federal court and its role was felt strongly by the Evergreen and Woodhaven exosystems. '5‘; v 19 Within the structure of the ecological framework may occur an ecological transition which has particular relevance to this study. An ecological transition, according to Bronfenbrenner, occurs whenever an individual's relationship in the ecological environment is changed as the result of a change in role, setting, or both. The transfer of the principal and a portion of the Evergreen School community from Evergreen to Woodhaven School was an ecological transition for students, parents, and staff members in both the transferred and resident communities. In fact, the bulk of the research report describes the affects of ecological transitions on the involved community. These transitions are interconnected and intertwined in a complex series of interactions. Another point made by Bronfenbrenner for establishing ecological validity has particular relevance to the researcher's role in conducting a valid ethnographic study in a school where she was also a teacher. Bronfenbrenner discussed the environmental content of research, ecological validity, in referring to the role of scientific investigation and the supposed assumed properties of the subjects as related by an investigator. To meet the demands of validity the role of participant observer/teacher constantly scrutinized her roles in the micro-, meso-, exo—, and macrosystems. 20 In emphasizing ecological validity in micro-, meso-, exo-, and macrosystems, Bronfenbrenner (1979:33) describes Cole's analysis of the research subject and settings. Cole substantiated the researcher's role as a participant in a study. He gives credance to the observer who participates with other involved individuals, experiencing the subculture of the setting. Cole relates that the opportunities for errors or misinterpretations are reduced when the investigator also participates in the setting. In the following chapter on research design, the role of researcher/teacher in this study is described within an ethnographic framework. It is noted that Cole's analysis of ecological validity follows closely the researcher's stated advantage of being part of the transfer process at Evergreen and Woodhaven schools. In ecological research, Bronfenbrenner describes the interdependence of individuals and their environment, the structure of the environmental settings, and the processes within and between the settings. It is within this ecological design that the researcher formulated the conceptual framework for the study. This ethnographic research is strengthened by the theoretical foundations of Bronfenbrenner's ecology of human development. It is a way of looking at the research and interrelating the multiple micro-, meso-, and exosystems operating in the school consolidation process. Also, insights gathered from '._ I c I“ 21 ‘ a . V L, Unificational school management research and writings on -.‘ ‘ 9"fithnographies of schools contributed to an understanding of vathe transfer and consolidation adjustments of a school Q. t 3; 3 ..community confronted with a school closing. on . -v—.- V...» CHAPTER II THE RESEARCH DESIGN Introduction: The Process of Inquiry This study of the adjustments of students, parents, and staff members transferring to a new school after a school closing employed the research method used in ethnographic research. Spindler (1982) described an ethnography as the discovery of "cultural knowledge possessed by people as natives (members of groups or communities), as well as the ways in which this cultural knowledge is used in social interaction" (p. 458). The goal of ethnography is to focus on a setting and to discover what is happening there (Wolcott, 1975). In a review of ethnographies and their application to the study of schooling, Wilcox (1982) identified five key characteristics that are central to the ethnographic- research process. First, the researcher needs to set aside preconceptions or stereotypes about what is occurring and explore the setting as it was viewed and constructed by its participants. Second, the researcher must make the familiar strange, as if viewing it for the first time, to note what is taken for granted and to question why an event takes place. Third, the relationship between the setting and its 22 23 context should be recognized to understand why events occur as they do. Fourth, the researcher uses knowledge of existing social theory to guide and inform his/her observations. Fifth, the research needs to be initiated without predetermined categories of observation, questionnaires, or precise hypotheses. Wilcox (1982) concluded, The researcher is constantly drawing on relevant bodies of theory and knowledge to move the research process forward, to assess the significance of what s/he has seen and heard, to develop specific hypotheses and categories of observation, and continually to refocus and redefine the process of study. (p. 460) In collecting data in an ethnography, the researcher uses an inductive approach. Theory is developed from the bottom up, "from many disparate pieces of collected evidence that are interconnected" (Bogdan & Biklen, 1982 p. 29). The hypotheses in the study are developed while the research is being conducted. Data are not gathered to prove or disprove a theory, but rather to form an interconnected set of concerns or hypotheses. This approach results in what Glaser and Strauss (1967) termed grounded theory. The process of consolidating a section of a closed school community with a receiving school community in an urban school district can be studied by means of ethnographic research. Filling (1980) described the potential of ethnographic research to provide an understanding of the problems of urban schools and the _._.. -‘-.. 24 effect of classroom environments on urban education. He suggested three considerations for ethnographic research that are central to the problems of urban schools. First, be viewed the issue of improving education in terms of only academic achievement as ineffectual. Second, an understanding of the relationships among societal factors, classroom behaviors, and output variables such as academic achievement can be gained through ethnographic research. Third, the ethnographies can be used to describe the interactions between cultural characteristics and classroom behaviors. Filling stated, “Conceptually, ethnographic research suggests that without knowledge and experience within the social milieu of a community, no realistic evaluation or understanding of the critical factors operating on people in that community can be made" (p. 273). Data Collegtion: Fielgwggk Fieldwork research on the adjustments of a school community following a school closing was initiated during the final. year at Evergreen School. As Erickson (1973) pointed out, fieldwork study in schools should be conducted as an inductive inquiry. Inquiry in the field is done through a triangulation approach, whereby data are gathered from several sources. After gathering a wide variety of data, cross-validations can be conducted (Bogdan & Biklin, 1981; Erickson, 1973). Data for this study were collected from participant observations, interviews, student and 25 teacher journals, and pertinent documents such as communications from the principal, the parent-teacher association, and the central office of the school district. An ethnographic report provides vivid descriptions of the field situation. Disconfirming evidence was collected and analyzed. Data inconsistent with the key linkages were documented and presented so that the researcher could substantiate the possibility of replicating the study (Erickson, 1973,1979). Conducting the inquiry within a field situation provided the researcher with opportunities to collect data through both explicit and implicit questioning processes. Erickson (1973) described an ethnography in schools as a questioning process. The ethnographer has the advantage of learning about the field situation by actually being in the situation. The ability to view the situation and concomitant behavior in the field, in this case the closing and receiving school settings, facilitates the discovery of a wide variety of human behaviors (Erickson, 1973,1979). Essential components of the fieldwork were interviews with teachers, administrators, and parents during the 1983-84 school year. Initially, a series of questions guided the interviews, and other relevant questions arose during the interview process. Open-ended interviews were used to encourage the flow of thoughts from the interviewees (Gorden,l980; Spradley, 1979). 26 Student data were collected through participant observations, student journals, and discussions with a small group of students used as key informants (Graves, 1982; Schatzman & Straus, 1973; Sitton, 1980; Spradley, 1979). Additional data were gathered from relevant school documents, standardized tests, and sociometric questions (Almy, 1974, Bennett, 1981). The present inquiry was guided by several questions that Erickson (1973) said need to be asked when conducting ethnographies. They include: How did you arrive at your overall point of View? What details did you leave out and what did you leave in? What was your rationale for selection? From the universe of behavior available to you, how much did you monitor? Why did you monitor behavior in some situations and not others? (p. 13) These questions helped guide the data-collection process developed by the researcher as a participant observer. Role of ResearchergTeacher The major technique used in the fieldwork was participant observation (Schaztman & Straus, 1973; Spindler, 1982). The researcher was a teacher at Evergreen and gathered data during its final year. She was also a teacher at Woodhaven School, so observations were made throughout the 1983—84 school year and into the first semester of the 1984-85 school year. Hymes (1979) recognized a need for the participant observer to develop trust and confidence among ~.—.w-'— 27 members of the field. He felt that developing trust and confidence could outweigh and compensate for any potential participant partiality. With this in mind, the researcher attempted to gather as much relevant data as possible taking advantage of the positive attributes of the roles of both observer and participant (Sitton, 1980). Myrdal (1969) suggested: "There is no other device for excluding biases in social sciences than to face the valuations and to introduce them as explicitly stated, specific and sufficiently concretized value premises" (p. 103). In this investigation, the researcher attempted to be aware of the subjectivity implicit in the thoughts, feelings, and. actions of the subjects under study. The researcher faced the possibility of bias in formulating conceptual and operational frameworks. As Schwartz and Schwartz (1969) suggested, The observer must (1) be motivated to look for his biases; (2) look for them actively and, having come upon a bias, explore its meaning and ramifications; and (3) look upon the uncovering of his biases as a continuous process of discovery--as an ongoing process to which there is no end. (p. 103) Continuously reflecting on biases is essential when attempting to control subjectivity in both the researcher and the subjects under study. The researcher's awareness of the possibilities of bias can serve as a valuable tool in understanding past experiences and how to interpret the way people act and 28 think in the school setting. During the data-collection process, it is important to be able to shift angles of observation and become skilled enough to recognize when it is appropriate to do so. To hear the whole range of views within the community, such a shift provides a balance for what the observer sees, experiences, and feels. Also, it is important not only to look for verification of observations, but also to search for disconfirming evidence in the field setting. considerable time, the volumes of data must demonstrate the researcher's interpretations. As the data took on many dimensions, the researcher needed to be aware of and reflect on her own subjectivity in the fieldnotes. With a clear conception of the inquiry process, the writer tested, observed, and learned what to discount and what to retain. The writer's dual role as researcher and teacher helped reduce and control bias in the field. First of all, being a teacher provided the researcher accessibility to many situations and information that would not have been possible for an outsider. Trust in the researcher is necessary in developing a working relationship, openness in communication, and a degree of confidence among teachers, parents, and students. As trust was developed, the informants were assured that all information they provided was confidential. In all interviews, parents and teachers were assured that the researcher role was separate from that 29 of the teacher role. Staff members shared what they considered to be significant insights into the study of their school. How and why staff and parents shared their thoughts became part of the data used in developing hypotheses on the consolidation of schools. Such information also helped in understanding the adjustments on the part of the receiving and transferred school personnel. In effect, the observer's presence in the dual role of teacher and researcher was recognized in the ethnographic study. The role of researcher/teacher also had limitations. For example, in performing the duties of teacher, it was not possible to leave the classroom and to observe students in classrooms at different grade levels. Secondly, the researcher/teacher was limited in student interactions, particularly in the small group workshops, because she was perceived as a transferred teacher. Also, the researcher was perceived by resident parents and staff to be part of the transferred community. Because of the transferred/teacher role, it took longer to develop a trust among the resident community. Thirdly, it was important to to be sensitive to the need for vigilance in data collection and analysis as well in writing the body of the research report. Most importantly, all assertions needed to be verified repeatedly in the collection of data. Finally, it was important to understand and reflect upon the limitations created in being 30 part of the transfer process and to maintain objectivity in all ecological transitions. Because the researcher worked and belonged in the school, the presence of an outside participant observer did not disturb the inner workings of the school setting. It was often important, however, for the researcher to maintain her distance and not become overly involved in certain activities or discussions so as to authenticate and preserve impartiality in her observations. In essence, the participant observer had to nmintahu a delicate balance between dual roles, continuously guarding against bias in the field setting. Research Questions In the final year at Evergreen School, the events involved in closing an elementary school, one with a rich historical background, were deemed important in terms of a long-term descriptive, qualitative study. Realizing the relevance of the issues related to adjusting to and coping with a change in schools brought about by declining enrollments, an ethnographic study appeared important for understanding what really occurs when a school closes. What happens to the school community and the adjustments necessitated by the closing process were questions underlying the study of Evergreen School. Much of what happens when a school is closed has been investigated in terms of the political effects on 31 school districts (Berger, 1982; Cibulka, 1982; Zerchykow, 1982) and the use of school buildings after a school closure (Sargent & Hardy, 1974; Watchel & Power, 1979; Zerchykow, 1982). In observing the students, parents, and teaching staff at Evergreen, it became increasingly apparent that the ramifications of a school closing extend far beyond what has been reported in research on school closings. The happenings involving Evergreen school community and the immediate school culture abounded in social interactions of cultural significance within the educational setting. The story of a school community that was losing its elementary school provided many questions relevant to educational research. The primary research (question that initiated the grounded research in this ethnography was: What adjustments must students, parents, and staff members make when they transfer to a receiving school from an elementary school that has been closed? Subquestions that guided the fieldwork study were: 1. What do students, parents, and staff members think of their new school? , 2. What adjustments and resistance to change are reflected in student, parent, and staff behaviors? 3. How do transferred students, parents, and staff members adjust socially within the receiving school? 4. Is there a noticeable difference in the observed behaviors and attitudes of transferred and receiving students? Is there a change in the observed behavior and 32 socialization of transferred students with receiving students during the school year? 5. To what extent do the attitudes of transferred and resident parents affect the students' adjustment to school? 6. Are students affected academically by the change in schools? 7. How does the school principal contribute to student and staff adjustment? 8. How does the receiving community of students, parents, and staff members accept the transferred school community? 9. What factors, both positive and negative, contribute to the consolidation of a new school community? 10. Which of the activities surrounding the closing of the elementary school contribute to a successful adaptation to the receiving community? What factors facilitate or negate a successful adaptation to the receiving school? These questions directed the inquiry process in generating additional questions and in formulating hypotheses concerning factors affecting the adjustment of students, parents, and staff members at Woodhaven. Rationale for the Decision to Study Woodhaven This research on the effects of a school closing on students, parents, and staff was limited to one of four geographical locations in the Evergreen attendance area in which students experienced a transfer. The decision to focus the study in this way was made for several reasons: 33 1. An in-depth study of only one school that received transferring students and teachers would offer a rich opportunity to study the effects of a school closing. 2. Studying a school receiving a transferred principal would be more informative than investigating one with a resident principal already at the receiving school. 3. The transfer of the closing school's principal, secretary, and four teachers would have affected the ease with which students adjusted to the receiving school. 4. The unanticipated change in the assignment of students to a different receiving school to adjust the district's racial balance caused some negative parental attitudes that needed time to eliminate. 5. Only one of the three schools to which students from the closing school were transferred could be studied effectively in depth. 6. Because Woodhaven was designated late in the school year to be a receiving school, the data collection process did not include participant observations at the consolidated school prior to the closing of Evergreen. 7. Simultaneous data on the effectiveness of the resident principal at Woodhaven were not possible due to late administrative staffing decisions in the Lincoln School District. The role of the previous principal at Woodhaven could not be compared with the transferred principal due to additional administrative changes in Lincoln. Ethnographic research provides Opportunities through interviews and participant observations to record qualitative data in extensive, descriptive detail. Because little research has been conducted on the effects of school closings, the theoretical underpinnings for the research were adopted from theories outside the field of education 34 and expanded to form a conceptual framework. The inferences and relationships gathered from the data provided a basis for a grounded theory on the adjustment of one group of students, parents, and school. personnel ‘who underwent a school transfer due to a school closure. Methods of Data Collection The primary method of data collection in this study is the triangulation of many different sources of information. In the triangulation process, multiple sources of data are collected from different perspectives. The basic methodological procedures include participant observation, interviews, the conducting of small-group workshops with key-informant students, collection of school documents, the gathering of a sociometric questionnaire, review of student journals and a teacher journal, and the collection of scores on a standardized achievement test. Each method of data collection is a key element in developing the conceptual framework for the ethnographic research. Participant Observation Participant observation is a process in which the observer's presence in a social situation is maintained for the purpose of scientific investigation (McCall, 1961; p.91). In the case of this ethnographic study, observations were conducted from January through June 1983 at Evergreen School and from September 1983 through January 1985 at 35 Woodhaven Elementary School. Both schools are located in the Lincoln School District. At Evergreen School, observations were conducted as a pilot study before school, after school, at all Parent Teacher Association functions, and at extra closing-school activities. The primary locations and times for observations of teachers, parents, and students at Woodhaven School were before, during, and after school in classrooms, hallways, the school office, and the teachers' lounge. Staff members were told the purpose of the study during the first week of the 1983-84 school year. (See Appendix D.) Teachers' lunch- time activities were observed in the teachers' lounge, and, when possible, students were observed in the gymnasium, which doubled as a student lunch room. The researcher observed parent involvement at all Parent Teacher Association meetings and at extra school functions. Because of the researcher's teaching assignment, she was able to observe students in a first-grade classroom. In addition, the total student body was observed during assemblies and in after-school activities. Interviews Interviews were conducted during the final 1982-83 school year at Evergreen and during the 1983-84 school year at Woodhaven. Principal participants in the interviews were parents, staff members, and students at Woodhaven. Interviews were conducted at Evergreen with a small sample 36 of parents and staff members (Gorden, 1981). A list of the 82 individuals interviewed is provided in Appendix C. During the 1983-84 school year, several questions weredeveIOped that formed the basis for most interviews with parents, teachers, and key informant students. (See Appendix E. Interview Questions for Teachers, Parents and Student Participants of Small Group Workshops). The original interview questions were followed with many additional opportunities for open-ended discussions as recommended by Spradley (1978). Most of the interview sessions were tape recorded with the permission of the interviewees. Table 2.1 summarizes the interviews conducted with transferred and resident parents, key informant students, teachers, principal, and secretary at Woodhaven (McCall & Simons, 1969). Additional interviews were conducted with parents of former Evergreen students attending' other receiving elementary schools, principals of schools receiving former Evergreen students, and selected. central school administrators. 37 Table 2.1 Table of Interviews Group Interviewed Number Interviewed A. Evergreen School: 1982-83 School Year 1. 2. 3. Evergreen staff members Evergreen parents Follow-up interviews (with staff members) B. Woodhaven School: 1983-84 School Year 1. 2. 3. 7. 8. 9. 10. Transferred parents at Woodhaven Resident Woodhaven parents Parents from the Evergreen area transferred to other receiving schools Transferred staff at Woodhaven Resident Woodhaven Staff Other school district staff: Principals Central Administrators Helping teacher Transferred students at Woodhaven Resident Woodhaven students Follow-up interviews with parents Follow-up interviews with staff members Total Number of Interviews FJH (nqu NU‘lmi-‘NN 0‘ 96 38 Small-Group Student Workshops During 'the 1983-84 school jyear, two small group workshops were conducted with transferred students from the Evergreen area. The workshops were held to provide Opportunities for Observing the adjustments of "key student informants" who had transferred to Woodhaven. Nineteen students served as key informants. In ethnographic research, key informants are insiders in the field whom the researcher observes and questions to obtain emic data. Spindler (1982) discussed Hymes's definition of the emic perspective as “the view from within the culture, the folk view, in terms Of native categories" (p. 7). The students, all informed and cooperating key informants, participated ix: a language arts workshop held bimonthly during the school's lunch period. The transferred students were recommended by their teachers as interested in being involved. The students had their parents' permission to participate in the small-group workshops (See Appendix F: Consent Letter to "Key Informant" Parents). The transferred students in the workshops, who were described by their teachers (as 'verbal children, participated in an ongoing series of small-group discussion sessions. The groups Of students were grouped by age, the first and second graders meeting together and the fourth and fifth graders meeting together. The fourth and fifth graders also read to younger 39 students and occasionally wrote in individual journals (Almy, 1974; Graves, 1982; Jackson, 1968; Sitton, 1980). The workshops were scheduled intermittently during the 1983-84 school year, the older group meeting 15 times and the younger group 10 times. As Table 2.2 indicates, the Older group included four fifth graders (two boys and two girls) and six fourth graders (four girls and two boys). Only one fifth-grade girl was a minority student. The younger group included five first graders (two girls and three boys) and five second graders (three girls and two boys). One second-grade girl was a: minority student. The percentage of minority students, although small, corresponded to the small percentage of minority students transferred to Woodhaven from the former Evergreen area. At the beginning of the second semester, a second group of students was chosen to participate in the small group workshops, as indicated in Table 2.3. Each of the transferred students picked a friend from among the resident students to join them in the small group workshops. The combined groups of resident and transferred students met for several sessions in January and February in the first year of the school merger. 40 Table 2.2 Small-Group Workshops: Transferred Student Composition Grade Total Boys Girls Minority First 5 3 2 0 Second 4 l 3 1 Fourth 6 2 4 0 Fifth 4 2 2 1 Table 2.3 Small-Group Workshops: Resident Student Composition Grade Total Boys Girls Minority First 5 3 2 2 Second 4 2 2 4 Fourth 4a 0 2 2 Fifth 4 2 2 3 a Because the workshops were held during the lunch-period outdoor free time and the boys wanted to gO out to play, twO fourth-grade boys did not pick a resident friend to join the workshops. 41 Because of the increased sizes of the combined groups of transferred and resident students, the children met according to grade level, rather than by lower-and upper-grade groups. The combined groups participated in several small-group discussion sessions in which the students informally related the development of their friendships with each other during the school year. After spring vacation, the workshops disbanded until the final weeks of school. During the last week in May 1984, the students participated in individual interviews to conclude the school year activities. The transferred students were also involved in a final field trip to a local fast food restaurant as a token Of the resercher's appreciation for participating in the small-groups throughout the school year. (See Appendix F: Consent Letter to Key Informants and Parents.) School Documents All support data related to Woodhaven were gathered during the 1983-84 school year and the first semester of the 1984-85 school year. School documents that provided support data were newsletters and memos from the principal and the Parent Teacher Association. Other school-related data were gathered from pertinent articles on closing schools from the local newspaper and documents from the central school district. Documents collected during the 1982-83 school year at Evergreen were also used to compare methods of 42 communicating with the parents, school community, and school personnel. Sociometric Questionnaire During the 1983-84 school year, students in grades one through five were given a sociometric questionnaire containing five statements (Bennett, 1981). Each individual classroom teacher administered the sociometric questionnaire according to the directions specified by the researcher (See Appendix G: Sociometric Questionnaire for Grades One Through Five). Students in each classroom were asked to rate the other class members individually. Each student was given a list containing the names of all the students in the classroom. All students in the class were rated by each other as follows: Best friends were given a 1; good friends, a 2; Okay friends, a 3; kids they didn't know well, a 4; and kids they didn't know at all, a 5. A score of l was considered a positive rating and a 5, a negative rating, with ratings of 2 through 4 falling in between. Teachers were asked to administer the sociometric questionnaire in late September 1983 and May 1984. Following administration, the numerical score each child received was tabulated and cross-referenced by the names of the students. The distributions of the raw scores on the three questionnaires were listed in rank order for transferred and resident students in each classroom. (See Appendix H: Sample 43 Ranking for One Classroom of Transferred Students on Sociometric Questions.) Journals Information from teacher and student journals was gathered during the 1982-83 and 1983-84 school years. In the final year at Evergreen, one teacher kept a journal during the final months before the school closed in a method described by Yinger and Clark (1981). In addition, two classrooms of students at Woodhaven wrote in journals during the first year of school consolidation. Students in the small-group workshops also kept journals to some extent on their own. In elementary school, writing in journals is one method by’ which students can come to terms ‘with their feelings toward each other and toward school. Canfield and Wells (1976) stressed the use of journals and their effectiveness stating: Keeping a journal has several advantages. It allows the student to keep an ongoing account of how he is growing, Of what is happening to him, of how he uniquely responds to a given situation. It provides a cumulative statement of who he is, how he sees himself, and how others see him. (p. 21) Students in two classrooms, a first grade and a fourth grade, maintained journals during the 1983-84 school year (See Appendix F: Consent Letter to Parents of Students Writing in Classroom Journals). The organization of the student journals varied according to each classroom. Twenty 44 four students in the fourth grade were given Specific topics for each writing session (See Appendix H: Topics for Fourth Grade Journals). Because the fourth-grade classes participated in a team-teaching situation and switched between classes, not all students wrote cum all of the suggested topics. Also, some students were absent or attending special classes during various writing sessions. Twenty-four first graders maintained journals in which they wrote stories dictated to parent volunteers or to upper-grade students acting as tutors. In the second semester, many first-graders wrote and illustrated entries independently. Some topics for dictated stories were suggested; others were the students' own ideas. The first graders also created original stories for their writing folders following a procedure suggested by Graves (1982). A final writing activity was uniting dictated stories about friendship and school closings (See Appendix H: Topics for Student Journals and Discussions in Student Interviews.) Academic Achievement Data were gathered on the transferred students to ascertain their academic growth. Scaled scores on the Stanford Achievement Test for the transferred students were gathered for the 1983 school year at Evergreen and the 1984 school year at Woodhaven. Scaled scores on the Stanford Achievement Test were also gathered on the resident Woodhaven students for the 1983-84 school year. These scores 45 were analyzed by means of a paired t-test to determine if there had been any changes in the students' academic achievement from one year to the next. A t-test to was employed determine if any differences in academic achievement existed between the transferred and resident students. Geneology: The Involved Schools and the Population of the Study The temporal events in the school closing and consolidation process are presented in Appendix A: Chronology. In addition, to help the reader understand the relationships between participants involved in the closing of Evergreen School and the transfer to Woodhaven, a geneology of the Evergreen staff and students and the Woodhaven staff and student population is presented. In Figure 2.1, the dissemination of the Evergreen staff members to their prospective new schools is shown, along with the projected placement of the Evergreen students for the following school year. Figure 2.2 shows the geneology of the staff and students who were transferred to Woodhaven in the 1983-84 school jyear, along with the resident staff and student population at Woodhaven. This ethnographic study of student, parent, and staff adjustments to a new school following a school closing involved many schools, students, parents, and staff members. For the reader to assimilate the many participants in the 46 closing of Evergreen and the consolidation of Woodhaven, a list of participants mentioned in the dissertation is presented in Figures 2.3 and 2.4. Referring to these figures while reading the report will help the reader avoid confusing the names of participants and schools mentioned throughout the study. It should be noted that the names of all students, parents, staff members, and schools have been changed to protect the anonymity of the participants. 47 Evergreen School-Closed June 1983 Total student body and staff transferred to the following receiving schools: l I l I I l Hudson Evergreen Whitman Woodhaven Poorman Other Place Middle Elementary School Schools 90 30 0 70 100 O Stude nts Stude nts Stude nt 5 Stude nts Stude nts Students 3 O 2 4 l 3 Teachers Teachers Teachers Teachers Teacher Support Staff Dissemination of Evergreen staff and students 1 Principal 1 Secretary Figure 2.1 48 Woodhaven l983-84 School Year Transferred staff and students Resident staff and students 4 77 3 14 266 90 I I I I I Evergreen Students Teachers Teachers Students Pne-Primary Teachers front front Students Evergreeri other area schools Principal Secretary Figure 2.2 Woodhaven staff and student population involved in the study 49 List of Participants A. Evergreen School: 1982-83 School Year QQO‘U'IobWNH o o 9. 10. 11. Staff Members Mrs. Michelle Franks Mrs. Pam Scott Mrs. Margaret Wright Mrs. Lisa Jackson Mr. Tom Harrison Mrs. Judy Jacks Mrs. Vanessa Hilton Mr. Sam Williams Mrs. Dorothy Hellman Mrs. Jennifer White Mr. Simon Nelson B. Evergreen School: 1982-83 School Year 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Parents Mrs. Damon Mrs. Gilbert Mrs. Edison Mr. Roberts Mr. Henrys Mrs. Roberts C. Evergreen School: 1982-83 School Year 1. 2. 4. 5. Administrators Mr. Dennis Adams-Principal, Evergreen Mrs. Grant-Pupil Personnel Director Mr. Howe-Principal, Evergreen Place Mr. Brown-Principal, Hudson Dr. Holt-Central Administrator Figure 2.3 List of participants mentioned in 1983 study of Evergreen A. Woodhaven Schoo 50 List of Participants 1: 1983-84 School Year Woodhaven Staff Members Transferred Staff Members 1. Mr. Dennis Adams 2. Mrs. Michelle Fr Mrs. Lisa Jackso Mrs. Judy Jacks Mrs. Pam Scott Mr. Tom Harrison aunt-w O O O B. Woodh Mr. Mr. Mr. Dr. thH O 0 Resident Staff Members Mr. Matt Daniels Mrs. Willa Mae Champman Mrs. Laura Bolt Mrs. Linda Wood Miss Ann Burns Mrs. Joyce Barnes Mrs. Karen Turner Mrs. Sherry Woods Mrs. Terry Turner anks n \OGDQO‘U'Inwal-J O aven School: 1983-84 School Year Administrators Dennis Adams-Principal,Woodhaven Howe-Principal, Evergreen Place Brown-Principal Hudson Holt—Central Administrator Figure 2.4 List of participants mentioned in 1983-84 study of Woodhaven 51 List of Participants C. Woodhaven School: 1983-84 School Year Parents of Transferred and Resident Students Parents of Parents of Resident Transferred Transferred Parents of Evergreen Evergreen Woodhaven Students Students Students Attending Attending Other Woodhaven Receiving Schools 1. Mrs. King 1. Mrs. Fox 1. Mrs. Fuller 2. Mrs. Gilbert 2. Mrs. Page 2. Mr. Seller 3. Mrs. King 3. Mrs. Carter 3. Ms.Powers 4. Mrs. Miller 4. Mrs. Fisher 4. Mrs. Washington 5. Mrs. Hinton 5. Mrs. Roberts 5. Mrs. Cain 6. Mrs. Robinson 6. Mrs. Kent 6. Mrs. Knox 7. Mrs. Foster 7. Mr. Kent 7. Mr. Drake 8. Mrs. Russell 9. Mrs. Jones 10. Mrs. Mann 11. Mrs. Klein D. Woodhaven School: 1983-84 School Year Transferred and Resident Woodhaven Students in Small Group Workshops Transfered Transferred Resident Resident Fourth First and Fourth First and and Fifth Second and Fifth Second Graders Graders Graders Graders 1. Janet 1. Sue 1. Nancy 1. Anne 2. Jill 2. Brent 2. Isabel 2. Bob 3. Sarah 3. Janice 3. Ling 3. Suzanne 4. Paul 4. Jimmy 4. Joy 4. Frank 5. Ryan 5. Ron 5. Randy 5. Chad 6. Suzie 6. Marie 6. Joseph 6. Bruce 7. Gerry 7. Jon 7. Mary 7. Neal 8. Gail 8. Helen 8. Donna 8. Wanda 9. Matt 9. Vicky 9. Debra lO. Lyn lO. Garry Figure 2.4 (Cont'd) 52 Format of the Ethnographic Report A description of the events surrounding the closing of Evergreen School provides important background information of the community transferred to a new school and the events that led to the closing of an elementary school. This background information forms the basis for Chapter III, A School Closing: Evergreen School. In Chapter III, as well as in succeeding chapters, key linkages are developed and are often presented through detailed descriptions of observed events called vignettes. In ethnographic studies, vignettes are an important element in making the strange familiar. Vignettes provide vivid, and detailed descriptions of events that help validate the assertions developed from tflma data-collection process (Erickson, 1979). The setting of the school to which the study participants were transferred is described in Chapter IV, The Consolidated School: Woodhaven Elementary School. This section makes the unknown, in terms of the school members, the community, and the activities of an elementary school, familiar to the reader. Chapters V, VI, and VII describe the adjustments of members of the transferred and resident school communities; students, parents, and staff members respectively. It should be noted that there was considerable overlapping in the collection of data in the field situation. For the students, 53 parents, and staff members, the key linkages in the research findings often overlapped, with multiple or similar key linkages among the three groups under study. To provide for a clear and concise description of the research participants, however, the three groups are discussed separately with occasional cross-validations described in the vignettes. Finally, Chapter VIII contains a summary of the study, conclusions, implications, and recommendations for further research. CHAPTER III A SCHOOL CLOSING: EVERGREEN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL Evergreen School, A Rich Historical Background Evergreen School, a school in a racially integrated neighborhood, was situated on a busy intersection in the south end of Lincoln. In June 1983, the year Evergreen was scheduled to close, it had a student population of 290 children in ten classrooms. Children in kindergarten through sixth grade walked to school from apartments, townhouses, a small trailer court, small one-family homes, and a planned subdivision of middle-to upper middle-income homes. The neighborhood included professionals and blue-collar workers, as well as some unemployed individuals. Some families were headed by single parents. Although the school district was under a federal order to guarantee racial integration, the Evergreen area's housing patterns provided a naturally integrated neighborhood school of white and black students, thus escaping any court-ordered busing of students to and from the area. Evergreen's history spanned more than 140 years; it began as a one-room schoolhouse built in 1837. Children from surrounding farms attended Evergreen, and the school grew into a small community center located on the edge of the 54 55 "big city." The first schoolhouse burned down and was replaced by another single-room schoolhouse. The second school also burned and was replaced by a brick structure in 1929. This two-story structure remained a part of the present Evergreen School. Additions were made to the building in 1949 and 1953. In 1955 another school, Evergreen Place was constructed. These two schools made the Evergreen area a viable rural school district until it consolidated with the city in 1958. From 1955 until the 1970s, the population of the area eXpanded, and became racially integrated, so white and black children lived and went to school together. The school population grew until 1975. During Evergreen's final ten years, however, the student population gradually declined, as indicated in Table 3.1. 56 Table 3.1 Declining Enrollments at Evergreen School School Year Total Enrollment 1974-75 409 1975-76 400 1976-77 387 1977-78 349a 1978-79 340 1979-80 340 1980-81 333 1981-82 293b 1982-83 289 a Drop of 38 children b Drop of 40 children, the year Evergreen's closing was announced 57 From 1974 through 1983, Evergreen's student population constantly declined; there 'was an increasing trend toward transitory pupil attendance, especially in the primary grades (Lincoln Demographic Data, 1983). During the same period, however, the teaching staff remained stable as indicated in Table 3.2. As shown in Table 3.2, 8 out of 11 teachers had taught at Evergreen for ten or more years. Principals, on the other hand, had a short tenure at Evergreen; there had been five principals during a ten-year period, as indicated in Table 3.3. The effect of long-term tenure among the teaching staff and short-term tenure of administrators was observed in the self-sufficiency of the Evergreen teachers. 58 Table 3.2 Tenure of teachers at Evergreen Grade Taught Years at Total Years Evergreen Teaching Kindergarten 11 11 First 2a 16 Second 10 25 Second/third 12 20 Third 10 25 Fourth 10 15 Fourth Fifth 15 15 Fifth 17 23 Sixth 2a 10 Sixth 15 16 Resource teacher 2 6 a Two teachers replaced retiring teachers of long tenure at Evergreen in 1981. 59 Table 3.3 Tenure of principals at Evergreen Year Principal Years at Evergreen 1966 Principal A l 1967 Principal B 5 1972 Principal C 4 1976 Principal D 1/2 1976 Principal E 1 1/2 1978 Principal F 3 1981 Principal G 2 60 School Boundary Changes The school district's administrative policy determines final boundary plans for closing schools in February of the year a school is scheduled to close (See Appendix B). As the result of conferences with the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and officials from the Lincoln School District, boundaries for the transferring Evergreen community were changed to serve the district's total commitment to racial balance as ordered by the federal courts. As a result of joint administrative meetings, two geographical locations within the EWergreen area designated tentatively to be within walking distance of the nearest neighborhood schools, were reassigned to different nearby elementary schools. One school, Hudson, which was already receiving a group of transferring Evergreen students, was designated to receive an additional group of Evergreen children. This group of students, because of the walking distance, were to be bused. The second group of children, instead of being assigned to Riverside, a neighborhood school within walking distance, was reassigned to Woodhaven, a school that was farther away but was still considered within walking distance. The proposal was announced in the city newspaper but gave no specific information about exact changes in school boundaries. The following week, the Evergreen's principal announced the preposed boundary changes. Plans were also 61 announced for a public hearing held at the school. The school district, following recommendations of many authorities on declining enrollments and school closings (Abramowitz & Rosenfeld, 1978; Allopenna, 1977; Bishop, 1979; Brodinsky, 1981; Burns, 1978; Fowler, 1980; Gotti, 1981; Kaye, 1978; McGlothlin, 1981; Spathelf, 1978; Wholeben, 1980; Zerchykow, 1982), conducted hearings in all schools affected by the boundary changes, including those that were scheduled to close during the following two years. Table 3.4 shows the changes in boundaries for the four geographical locations within the Evergreen area. 62 Table 3.4 Reassignment of Elementary School Attendance Areas to Maintain Racial Balance Evergreen Initial Plan: Final Plan: Busing Attendance School to School to Needed which which students will students were be transferred transferred Area 1- Predominantly single-family homes Hudson Hudson No Area 2- Predominantly apartments, townhouses Evergreen Hudson Yes Place Area 3- Apartments/ single-family Evergreen Evergreen No homes Place Place Area 4- Single-family homes/ apartments Riverside Woodhaven No a a Students in Area 4 eventually were bused for safety reasons. 63 The First Hearing The first hearing on the proposed boundary changes was held on Wednesday, March 3, 1983, at 7:00 p.m. in the Evergreen gymnasium. Chairs were set up facing a Speaker's podium, with an overhead projector and screen in the background. At the gymnasium entrance was a table containing information on the procedures the school board had followed in determining boundaries and a map of the area designating proposed boundaries for the following school year. The hearing drew a modest crowd of 40 parents and children, 5 administrators, and 2 Evergreen teachers. Most of the parents, who were also white, were from the area reassigned from Riverside to Woodhaven School (see Table 3.4). Before the meeting began, parents were clustered around the map talking with the guest speaker, Mrs. Grant. At 7:00 p.m., Mrs. Grant, an administrator from the central school district office, was introduced by Mr. Adams, Evergreen's principal. The audience was described by one teacher, who was sitting in the back of the gymnasium, as ”hot and ready to attack at a moment's notice.“ Mrs. Grant began the hearing by describing how the boundary changes would affect each attendance area. She explained that the proposed boundary changes had been designed to bring a racial balance to all elementary schools. She described specific boundary changes and then, 64 at 7:20 p.m., opened the hearing to the audience for a question-and-answer session. Initially, parents reassigned to the Woodhaven area had anticipated that their children would be walking to Riverside. This idea was first proposed to parents during an informational Parent Teacher Association meeting held early in November. At the fall meeting, a school district administrator described tentative plans for student transfers to Riverside School, a somewhat farther walk for the students, but not as far away as Woodhaven. At the first hearing, however, when the parents discovered that their children would have to cross Ridgewood Road, a busy four- 1ane street to reach Woodhaven School, they were anxious and apprehensive. Because the children could have walked to Riverside, which was closer, without crossing a busy road, safety was of paramount concern. During the first hearing, many parents voiced their worries about the danger of their children crossing Ridgewood Road. Mrs. Gilbert spoke for many parents when she commented that, to her, the change was "just not logical." During the barrage of questions from parents regarding the children's safety, Mrs. Grant, who was a low ranking administrator in the school district, gradually lost credibility with the audience. The parents were not willing to accept her statement, ”This is just a proposal. Nothing is definite until the school board adopts it late in April 65 or May." At the end of the hearing, she stressed that parents should submit their unanswered questions in writing for the school board's consideration in their final determination of proposed changes in elementary school boundaries. Parents' frustrations were expressed by one father, who stated during the hearing: We are in limbo. Our children are in limbo. We are ix: a dilemma which started over two years ago. We are so confused. Why can't you just say where we are going? The question-and-answer session then drifted away from the topic of boundaries to the question, ”Why are they closing Evergreen?" In circumventing this issue, which the school board had decided two years before, Mrs. Grant stated, “That is not an issue which I can address." Another mother then remarked, "It's nice to know our alternatives." Mrs. Grant, who indicated repeatedly that she was only a spokesperson for the school district and not a decision maker, replied, ”We didn't come with alternatives to this meeting." A father then asked, "What can we do to change your mind?" With no definitive answer to this question, Mrs. Grant concluded the meeting by reviewing the schedule of events for implementing the boundary issue. Mr. Adams, the principal, wrote the address of the Lincoln School District on an overhead projector so that parents could write to the school board concerning questions they felt were still unanswered. As the hearing drew to a close, another parent asked, "Will any of the teachers go 66 with our kids? I have heard that the teachers already have put in their assignment requests and Woodhaven wasn't a consideration at the time. We don't know a thing about Woodhaven." In response to parental concerns Iabout the quality of instruction at Woodhaven, another administrator in the audience offered to meet with the parents and give them a guided tour of the new school. Still not satisfied, Mrs. Gilbert spoke up from the back of the room: "When is the next school board meeting? Maybe we should go and sit in on it." As the meeting was breaking up, Mrs. Gilbert obtained the names of seven or eight parents who would write a joint letter to the school board and attend its next meeting. While parents talked informally with each other after the meeting, the Evergreen principal was observed walking quietly around the room and talking with many parents--those who were upset and others who were just interested in how the proposed boundary changes might affect them. Because many parents reassigned to the Woodhaven attendance area were not satisfied with the answers they received during the first hearing, Mrs. Gilbert's suggestion of going to the next school board meeting did, in fact, materialize. Several parents documented their concerns for the safety of their children in a letter that Mrs. Gilbert and another parent presented to the school board. The letter produced results; the school board promised another hearing 67 at Evergreen to try to answer parents' questions and concerns. Also, before the second hearing the city traffic commission conducted a safety check on the four-lane road in question. Between the two public hearings at Evergreen, a Parent Teacher Association executive board meeting was scheduled; several concerned parents from the prospective Woodhaven area attended that meeting. Mr. Adams, the principal of Evergreen, was observed to follow detailed notes in his presentation to parents. The Evergreen teacher vice-president who attended all the board meetings reported that Mr. Adams planned in detail the agenda for this and every Parent Teacher Association executive board meeting. After the meeting, Mrs. Gilbert and other parents said that they had a better understanding of the school board's actions. The exosystem at Evergreen was a source of frustration to many parents, those on the Parent Teacher Association executive board as well as other interested parents. It was observed repeatedly that the unanticipated ecological transition confronting the parents was eased with the help of the principal at Evergreen. The principal's carefully planned actions at meetings with parents was noted by the researcher to help some of the community most affected by the change in school boundaries to become more 68 receptive to Woodhaven, the school their children would soon attend. The Second Hearing The safety of the children walking more than a mile to school and crossing a busy road remained the parents' primary concern. A month after the initial hearing on proposed boundary changes, a second hearing was held in the Evergreen gymnasium. As promised, a school board member was present to answer parents' questions and concerns. The meeting began exactly at 7:00 punk; Mr. Adams introduced Dr. Holt, the central administrator in charge of school boundaries. Dr. Holt announced the results of the safety check, reviewed the city's recommendations and, on the traffic commission's recommendation, promised busing for the students in the Woodhaven area. Although more than 40 parents attended the first meeting, only 20 parents attended the second meeting, which lasted just ten minutes. At 7:12 p.m., Dr. Holt asked if there were any further questions, and on hearing none, dismissed the meeting. The prospective Woodhaven parents attending the meeting appeared satisfied that their children would be provided bus transportation to the new school. While the meeting was breaking up, one parent commented to Dr. Holt, "One thing that would help us a lot is to have Mr. Adams go to Woodhaven as the principal. That would really help us." This request was granted at the end of the school 69 year, when it was announced Mr. Adams would be the new principal of Woodhaven. Although the parental request was not the only reason Mr. Adams was assigned to the administrative post at Woodhaven, that appointment did provide the community with a definite sense of satisfaction. Initially, parents did not think their request that Evergreen teachers also be transferred to Woodhaven would be met because the teachers had already submitted their requests for future placements. As a result of final administrative staffing decisions, however, three classroom teachers, a special education resource teacher, and the school secretary were transferred to Woodhaven along with the principal. Thus, the new Woodhaven parents' fears that no Evergreen staff members would follow their children were not realized. In fact, in the final analysis, more. faculty members followed the Evergreen students to Woodhaven than to the other transfer schools. A Final School Activity: ”Link to the Past“ Vignette To acknowledge Evergreen's rich heritage, the principal staged a finale to bring a satisfactory sense of school closure to the community of students, parents, and staff members. During the last months of school, students and staff personnel planned a school program based on Evergreen School's history. The Parent Teacher Association 70 historian, Mrs. Damon, researched the history of Evergreen in Parent Teacher Association scrapbooks, books, and newspaper articles; she also interviewed former Evergreen personnel. Mrs. Damon wrote and rewrote the script for the program so that the school's history could be expressed musically and artistically by all of the kindergarten through sixth grade students. Mr. Adams called on additional school district personnel to assist in planning the program. The school district music specialist helped plan the music, and a high school theater teacher organized the school's lighting system above the stage. The district's media center, with an ex-Evergreen principal serving as the director, videotaped the second of two performances. Most important, the classroom teachers organized student songs, dances, and art work. The entire Evergreen student body Spent several weeks practicing their songs and dances; older students helped prepare art work and backdrops for the program. Students learned about the school's history through individual classroom programs presented by Mrs. Damon who showed slides of the school from previous years. In addition, each classroom visited a preserved one-room schoolhouse across town to help the students develop a feeling for their school's history. The program, ”A Link to the Past," was presented on two consecutive nights. To add to the authenticity of the 71 historical setting depicted in the presentation, many parents helped their children dress in costumes appropriate to the historical period being depicted. In one scene, the first graders sang an alphabet song in a log schoolhouse, the first Evergreen School. On the night of the performance, many girls came dressed in long skirts and bonnets, and several boys wore short pants and suspenders. The boys, who were not used to short pants, entered the classroom sheepishly, but with smiling faces. The frequent snap of suspenders could be heard in the hallways as the boys and girls were waiting to perform. Cameras flashed as teachers and parents took pictures of the students dressed in their costumes for the last Evergreen School program. During both performances, the audience was filled with parents and many former Evergreen students, teachers, and principals. Many former students and teachers who had come to bid farewell to their school were in their sixties and seventies. Following the program, Mr. Adams voiced his appreciation to all former students, teachers, and principals who attended the pageant. For the final song, "Make New Friends," all students and teachers donned red and white T-shirts depicting a one-room schoolhouse and the words "Evergreen School.” The Tbshirts were the result of several fund raising projects and had been purchased for the students as a remembrance of the school. Extra shirts were given to former principals and others actively involved at 72 Evergreen; the shirts were so popular that many adults who had attended Evergreen wanted them. In fact, the principal later reported that many people were disappointed when they learned it was impossible to get an Evergreen T-shirt. The students frequently wore their commemorative T-shirts afterwards. The school pageant provided a culminating eXperience that increased the students' identification with Evergreen School. Staff members, parents, and students, physically exhausted by the performances and weeks of preparation, displayed pride in the entire extravaganza as they watched themselves on cable television the following week. The school community also appeared to be very impressed by the undertaking. A local television station covered the event; accounts were reported in newspaper articles; the videotape of the program was shown again in classes; comments and letters from central school administrators, parents, teachers, and students voiced approval. In the final analysis, the principal and staff's attempt to close the school ”in style" was successful. The school community's need to identify, to have a sense of belonging, was fulfilled during the final school program, which accentuated Evergreen's heritage without developing a feeling of regret about its closing. The aim of the program was to provide a respectful end to an era. The students perceived the program as a fun-filled, exciting 73 event. Adults, parents and former Evergreen members, many of whom viewed the program nostalgically, appeared pleased with the youthful enthusiasm displayed in the presentation. However, the sense of belonging to Evergreen that was heightened in the spring had to pass as the school staff prepared the students for the .next step in the school closing--visitations to each receiving elementary school. Visitations to the New Schools In an attempt to ease the students' adjustment to closing Evergreen, Mr. Adams, with the support of central administrators, planned Visitations to the receiving elementary schools. This activity, which has been suggested by educators writing on school closings (Bussard, 1981; Thomas, 1980; and Zerchykow, 1982) helped prepare Evergreen students for their transfer to a new school. The Visitations began with the fifth and sixth graders, who were scheduled to attend middle school the following year. Next, kindergarteners through fourth graders who were scheduled for placement in three different elementary schools, visited their respective schools. The first visit was to Woodhaven. The 70 students going to Woodhaven were those who initially had anticipated going to Riverside School. The students, with the principal of Evergreen, four teachers, and four parents, rode to Woodhaven on a school bus. The receiving principal talked to the students for about ten minutes giving them an overview 74 of the school. He then had fifth and sixth graders show the visitors around the building. Half an hour later, at the end of the tour, the students, parents, and teachers returned to the hallway. The students asked a few questions and then boarded the school bus for the return trip to Evergreen. The second visit was to Hudson. Hudson's principal talked to the 90 students, 4 teachers, and 6 parents in the gymnasium. He then walked the entire group around the school, noting various features of the building. Students at the front of the group could hear, but those at the back heard very few of the principal's comments. At the end of the tour, after answering a few questions, the principal sent the students back to Evergreen with an informational note about Hudson for their parents. The last group of students to visit their new school for the following year were 30 children attending Evergreen Place. Upon arriving at Evergreen Place, there was a slight delay because the receiving principal, Mr. Howe, had forgotten about their visit. However, he did not appear upset about the sudden appearance of a group of 30 students, 3 teachers, and the principal of Evergreen. Mr. Howe began a tour of the building, starting with the kindergarten and proceeding to the media center and reading room. Next to this area, at an open outdoor court, the principal stopped to describe the plan to plant a dogwood tree in honor of a student who had died recently 75 after a long illness. While Mr. Howe Spoke, he tried to instill in the children a sense of pmide in good behavior and in working hard to do one's best in school. He concluded by saying, ”Remember Scott and what he meant to our school. Next fall make sure you see the dogwood. tree and the changing of leaves on the tree." Each student was invited into a classroom at his/her grade level for the following year. After the group toured the playground, they were invited to sit on the floor in front of the school office. At that time, Mr. Howe talked to the students about Evergreen Place, his eXpectations, and those of the teachers. He concluded by commenting on safety, school policy, and routines. He then entertained questions. When the bus arrived, each child and teacher was given a drink of juice to take back to Evergreen. As the principal handed the children their drinks, he said he looked forward to seeing then again in the fall. Two teachers visited all three schools with the students and remarked at the differences in the three visits. One teacher noted that the comments of the students going "to Woodhaven occasionally reflected 'the dissatisfaction of their parents but that these feelings were tempered by the friendliness of the student guides. The students going to Hudson, who were massed in one large group, did not relate any negative comments; neither, did 76 they eXpress much enthusiasm about or interest in their new school. Mr. Howe's presentation at Evergreen Place was spontaneous, but it was observed to elicit positive attitudes and enthusiasm about attending Evergreen Place. Overall, the students going to Evergreen Place were impressed and excited about attending the new school. Jeff, a third grader, evidenced the students' enthusiasm as he skipped along the hall to his classroom at Evergreen after visiting Evergreen Place. He yelled to a passing student, “I'm a Panther now,“ with a smile on his face and his arms raised in excitement. The visits ‘took place: in May, after the school program and other extra school trips. The students and parents had prepared for Evergreen's closing for more than two years. Throughout the year, students at EWergreen had eXperienced many activities and programs planned by the principal and the teachers. Those activities had instilled in the students a sense of pride in the school, a positive feeling about closing Evergreen, and a sense of anticipation about moving to a new school. Staff Members' Resistance to Change During the final school year, resistance to change caused Evergreen teachers some stress. The teachers were aware of their own feelings, those of parents, and, to some extent, those of students as they resisted the processes of 77 change. Staff members who had worked closely together throughout the year to help prepare students for the school closure were themselves victims because their efforts had reinforced their closely knit, cohesive group organization. Because of the closeness that developed among the staff members, the actual school closing was most difficult for them. During the final year at Evergreen, teachers committed themselves to an intense involvement with the students. For example, they planned many extra-curricular activities with the students for the "last time at Evergreen." The teachers' roots, so to Speak, were entrenched at Evergreen due to the extra activities and to their many years of service to the school community; at least seven teachers had taught at Evergreen more than ten years. The principal commented in an interview that the main problem associated with the school closing was the ”task of staff relocation." Although the teachers had the same two-year period in which to adjust to the school closure as did parents and students, their future placement was tentative and was not announced until a few months before the school actually closed. In the end, most teachers followed the students to the receiving schools, but problems in placement had evolved several times during the year. In fact, the summer after the school closure, two teachers and 78 the school secretary were relocated to Woodhaven; this had not been proposed as a possibility the previous spring during the closing events. Resistance to changing schools was observed in the informal events the teachers planned during the last year at Evergreen. Throughout the year, the following comment was frequently heard: "Since it's our last year together!" In some cases morning coffees for the teachers became elaborate breakfasts, and celebrations of staff members birthdays became more and more extravagant as the year drew to a close. Achieving parent and student satisfaction with the activities at Evergreen was one goal of the principal and teachers during the final year at the school. The teachers' active involvement with the students helped achieve a satisfactory adjustment on the part of the community members; nevertheless, the teachers' final attitudes toward Evergreen's closing were nostalgic and stressful. The Adjustment Period It is important to consider the period of time involved in the closing of Evergreen School. Evergreen's position in the school district's closing schedule allowed a two-year adjustment period before final closure (see Appendix A: Chronology). This time factor was not planned by the school district, but was the result of readjustments in the districtwide school-closing schedule. It was simply one 79 element in the master plan for adjusting to declining enrollments and establishing sound fiscal responsibility. During Evergreen School's final two years, parents came to accept the school closing. Although some parents resisted the closure of Evergreen because the outcome was unknown, for the most part the two-year period appeared to help the community accept the school closing. Although parents and staff members viewed the two- year period as a positive element, some administrators did not see it that way. Dr. Holt, the administrator in charge of school demographics for the district, indicated in an interview that two years was too long before the closing of a school. He commented: There's just a longer time for the parents to get worked up over the concept of closing...once you make the decision to close the school you ought to have a reasonable time for orientation for the students and parents and a reasonable time for reassigned staff...I think six months is long enough. Dr. Holt seemed to believe that parents would continue to resist school closure until the very end. Because he was the one who received the brunt of parental complaints, a shorter time between the announcement and final school closure would have given him an advantage in fulfilling his administrative responsibilities. After implementing a school closing, merging schools, and finalizing school boundaries, Dr. Holt's responsibilities toward the closing school were ended. 80 As Dr. Holt indicated, the Lincoln School District's obligations toward the Evergreen community ended when the school was closed. This characteristic procedure of school districts was noted by Bussard (1981), who indicated that school districts usually terminate their responsibilities toward a community when a school closes. The Last Day at Evergreen: A First Grade Classroom Vignette The following vignette was recorded during the last day at Evergreen. It demonstrates the range of adjustments the school community needed to make in transferring children to Woodhaven School. It was the last day of school in the first-grade classroom. The children were being assigned to second grades in three different schools for the following fall, and six of the children were assigned to Woodhaven. The mood in the classroom was one of excitement, mixed with a bit of nostalgia, especially for the adults. Almost all of the children and teachers were dressed in their red and white Evergreen T-shirts. Two room parents, with encouragement from a teacher, had visited each classroom in the building on the preceding day, reminding the staff and students to wear their Evergreen T-shirts the last day of school. Twenty-seven first graders, three room parents, and a student teacher had planned a surprise party for the first 81 grade teacher. Similar festivities had taken place in other classrooms as the students thanked their teachers in the way they knew best: parties. On the bulletin board were posters and a special card for the teacher, with each child's signature. Each child made a Special picture that he/she presented individually to the teacher in front of the classroom. The teacher asked one room mother, "Will you take each child's picture when the kids come up to give me their drawings?” The mother then used the teacher's camera and took a picture of each child. One by one, the children went up to their teacher, presented her with their drawings, and in turn received a hug, kiss, and special wish. When a child presented a picture that meant something Special to the teacher, both she and the child had tears in their eyes. The party continued with flowers, gifts, and a snack for everyone. Each child received an award and a copy of the final school program, which the children signed like an autograph book. The students then formed a large group to sing familiar songs and share their favorite activities of the school year. They had many experiences from which to choose: five students decided camp was their favorite activity; five others thought visiting their new school was a favorite activity; field trips, such as a visit to the fire station were mentioned; several students remembered the final school 82 program, and others recalled a recent field-day competition. One gregarious student mentioned all his friends as his favorite experience during the school year. The morning concluded with talk about summer vacation and the distribution of report cards. As the students left the building, two local television stations filmed the final event while the police safety officer, crossing guard, principal, and several teachers talked to time students leaving Evergreen for the last time. Evergreen had officially, and for the last time, closed its doors for summer vacation. The following fall, all the students would be attending new schools. What was in store for the students, parents, and teachers transferring to Woodhaven School forms the basis for the following ethnography. Summary In observations and interviews with parents and Evergreen staff members, it was evident the Evergreen community appreciated the two year period that anticipated the school closing; they indicated it was a positive element in their adjustment to the forthcoming school merger. The school community had an established time in which to transfer their sense of belonging and to become accustomed to the fact that a change in schools was inevitable. The adjustment to change was assisted by special school events 83 during the final two years. The only group that appeared to react negatively to the school closing was those who had short notice about the transfer of their children to Woodhaven School. A change in the planned ecological transition was difficult for some parents to accept. The school principal, with the support of the Parent Teacher Association and the school board, informed parents of the closing and held hearings in which parents' questions could be answered. The principal. kept. parents informed through communications in the Parent Teacher Association newsletters. Communication was also ,assisted by the teachers, who planned many classroom events involving students and parents. Students participated in special closing activities to commemorate their feelings for Evergreen School. The Evergreen staff provided the Evergreen community with a sense of closure through the final school program, "A Link to the Past." The principal and teachers guided students to look forward to the merger of the Evergreen student body into their new elementary school; this they accomplished primarily through classroom discussions and school Visitations. In the end, the community of parents and students accepted the closing of Evergreen through the help of the central administration, the school principal, and all Evergreen staff members. It was observed that the staff members, who worked hard to 84 accomplish positive attitudes among students and parents, were the most disheartened by the school's closing. CHAPTER IV A SCHOOL CONSOLIDATION: WOODHAVEN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL For the reader to understand the mesosystem operating at Woodhaven School, a description of the physical, temporal, and social settings of the school population is necessary. These settings are discussed in detail in the following sections. Overview of the Geographical Setting Woodhaven School is one of 39 elementary schools in the Lincoln School District. Lincoln, an urban school district, is located in a midwestern city of the same name with a population of approximately 130,000 residents (Lincoln Demographic Data, 1983). The city is a state governmental center and the home of several large industries, including an automotive factory. The city is composed primarily of blue-collar workers. A major state university is located nearby, and many white-collar workers and professionals live in the surrounding suburbs. During the 19705 and 1980s, Lincoln experienced rising unemployment due to the area's economy and a steady rise in inflation. Also during this period, the school district's student population gradually declined, resulting in the closing of a high school, a junior high school, and 85 86 seven elementary schools (Lincoln Document, 1984). In addition, many families moved to the suburbs or enrolled their children in private schools. Overall, in 1983, public school districts in both the city and the suburbs experienced a decline in enrollments, whereas enrollments in nonpublic schools increased slightly. (Lincoln Demographic Data, 1983). School Population of Woodhaven In the 1983-84 school year, Woodhaven experienced two major changes that affected its enrollment. The first was the readjustment of the student population from a kindergarten through sixth grade configuration to a kindergarten through fifth grade one. All sixth graders in the area were transferred to the school district's first middle school. The second change was the transfer of 77 kindergarten through fifth-grade students from Evergreen School to Woodhaven. In fall 1983, Woodhaven's total enrollment was 430 students, including 77 children from Evergreen and 90 pre-primary pupils enrolled ix: the Special education program. The pre-primary pupils, ages two and one-half to Six, were bused to Woodhaven from areas throughout Lincoln. Students from the former Evergreen area were also bused to Woodhaven. The combined student pOpulation made Woodhaven the fourth largest of the 39 elementary schools in the Lincoln School District. (Lincoln Demographic Data, 1983). 87 School Community The area surrounding Woodhaven includes single-family dwellings located in a planned subdivision built in the 19605 and 19705. Approximately 50 percent of the families living in the area are minorities with low to medium incomes (Lincoln Demographic Data, 1983). Since the area is naturally integrated, the community was not involved in the school district's court-ordered integration plan, which mandated the busing of some students. Thus Woodhaven remained a neighborhood school. Yet, the community seemed to be changing. According to one resident teacher, Mr. Daniels, the area appeared to be changing from a population with some professionals to a blue collar residential area. Mr. Daniels described the Woodhaven community environment as follows: I think it is a mixed community and I think it is a community that is beginning to stabilize after a period of transition. I think that creates challenges for the teacher, but I also think it creates a unique situation for children because they are exposed to a diversity of socioeconomic and cultural groups. Now you ask, what do I think of the people that have been here for a long time? I assume 'by a long time,‘ that you mean the small core that we have at the school that has been here for a period of five years or more. I think they are basically strong, middle class, relatively well educated, many professionals, somewhat snobbish, and I think they are a little bit afraid of the groups that have come in here during the transitional period when the community was in flux. I'm referring primarily to the Woodhaven people, the active parents; that's the population that I'm used to dealing with. 88 Children bused to Woodhaven from the Evergreen area are primarily from lower-middle-income white families who reside iJi single-family dwellings iJi an older residential area. In addition, both the Woodhaven and Evergreen areas have some low-income families with one or both parents unemployed. Nearly 80 students were bused to Woodhaven. Initially, the Evergreen area designated for transfer to Woodhaven was considered within walking distance, but because students would have had to cross a busy four-lane road, bus transportation was provided. The background of planning the change in schools and the influence of racial balance in that transfer are described in the next section. Influence of the Federal Courts From 1978 to 1983, the ethnic population of the neighborhood surrounding Woodhaven increased steadily until Woodhaven School enrolled the highest percentage of minority students agreed on by the school district and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). Since the school district'continued to be guided by a federal court order for racial integration, it was imperative that the total minority student population not exceed the federally set guidelines. In an attempt to relieve the pressure of a minority enrollment that exceeded the limits established by the court, the school district's administration in concurrence with the NAACP readjusted its boundary recommendations when Evergreen School was being 89 closed. 1; school administrator, Dr. Holt, summarized the school board's decision: We are under court order for desegregation. As we set up the boundaries, we were originally going to take a piece of Evergreen and put it into Riverside School. We then were going to take an equal piece from Riverside and put it into Woodhaven School. The problem with the initial decision was that the portion that we were going to put into Woodhaven was basically black. We had to submit our plan to the NAACP. When we sat down and talked with them and discussed how the boundaries were going to affect the various schools, they pointed out that our plans at Woodhaven would increase the number of minority students. We considered that information and then took a piece of Evergreen which is relatively low socioeconomic status, but white, that would reduce the total black population at Woodhaven. The NAACP agreed with this plan. But, the reaction of the transferred community was that it was not safe for the kids to cross Ridgewood Road. They told us at the hearing that if you can provide for the safety of our kids going across Ridgewood, then it's O.K. With the busing of students from Evergreen to Woodhaven, Woodhaven's percentage of minority students was lowered to within the limits mandated by a federal court order for racial integration of the schools (Lincoln Demographic Data, 1983). Physical Setting: Spatial Mappipg Built in 1960, Woodhaven is a modern, light-brick elementary school; all rooms are on ground level. Woodhaven is one of the larger schools in the district, with the potential for 25 classrooms. During the 1983-84 school year, the school building was used to capacity. Figure 4.1 shows the placement of Woodhaven within a planned subdivision in 90 Lincoln. As Figure 4.2 indicates, Woodhaven currently houses 14 kindergarten through fifth-grade classrooms, a Special education resource room, six cflassrooms housing the pre—primary special education unit, a media center used by the media specialist and reading teacher, two classrooms housing the science department, and one classroom used for storage and reading instruction. Woodhaven is located in the center of a subdivision; a large park area adjoins the school playground. The school is surrounded by acres of open space, giving a feeling of spaciousness to the setting. Playground areas are located on the north, south, and west sides of the building. Next to the north playground and adjacent to the school is the schoool parking lot. 91 Park Park- :ng Lot I 3::::: SCHOOL u ' V Figure 4.1 Woodhaven School 92 I;: my".1 September '933'3“ IZO l7} - N - I19 12L P'l" Prir'uf. " '1 ID We 7 r" I I—n-q .— l »—-4 I v ' l I06 '09 "C 'II I '05 H2 3 r0u-":° I/2 (04‘ ,;2 3 IIS II‘ L ‘03 Ill: 5 5 P R. STORAGE a :15 INDIVICCLL 3,. "_'l“Tv (52’s: IHQTF;:~ ‘ TI?" :‘;;- [Quit-{NT .. H6 R :{uTED ('aU'-’ 7 Y t RESZ‘J‘HE T f i : :33- L_ ._rJ J1,i i 1 g I T j LibrarV ( U ’ Orr! E [:1 c - I ‘ E I . ' L.“ ‘1 :-_i Figure 4.2 Classrooms in Woodhaven School 93 A Place in Time: Temporal Mapping In 1983, the first year after Evergreen closed, school began the week after labor Day and continued for 38 weeks. There were two weeks off for Christmas vacation and one week off for spring vacation. Students and teachers were dismissed for summer vacation the second week in June. The school day began for teachers at 8:00 a.m.; students arrived at 8:40 a.m. During the 40-minute planning period in the nwmning, teachers prepared their classrooms for the day's activities, duplicated worksheets for students, and picked up mail in their boxes at the main office. Many teachers also stopped to chat with each other in the teachers' lounge next to the office. Students had a 50 minute lunch break, whereas teachers had a 40-minute ”duty free" lunch break. The lunch period was supervised by the principal; he was assisted by lunchroom aides who helped with meals in the gym and watched the students on the playground. The students ate lunch in two sessions and then went outside to play on the north playground. School was dismissed at 3:00 p.m., and teachers were free to leave 15 minutes later. In September, immediately after Labor Day, the teachers had two planning days to organize their rooms and participate in staff meetings before the students started school. The principal and secretary began their duties two weeks before the teaching staff officially arrived. During 94 the two weeks before school actually started, all the transferred Evergreen teachers were in their rooms unloading boxes, arranging furniture and supplies, and attempting to settle into a new environment. Also, most of the resident Woodhaven staff arrived throughout the week before school to organize their rooms, meet the new principal and secretary, and prepare for the coming year. When the school year commenced, some staff members were observed after school working in their rooms, talking with each other, and preparing study materials for their students. Also, each night after school, both Boy and Girl Scout troops used the building. In fact, the school was so busy with different outside groups, that the secretary commented at the beginning of the school year, ”This school has the largest number of Scout troops in one building that I have ever seen. There are always groups here after school and in the evening.” Other outside recreational groups also used the building during the evening hours. School Participants: Social Mappipg Students The Woodhaven student population contained both regular and special education children. The regular education group included 340 children in three kindergarten sessions, two first grades, a first/second split, a second grade, a second/third split, two third grades, two fourth and two fifth grades. The pre-primary special education 95 group included 80 children. Table 4.1 indicates the composition of each regular education classroom. As Shown in Table 4.1, only 15 of the 68 students who transferred from “Evergreen were minorities. Just the morning kindergarten sessions received transferred students because the bus schedule could only provide transportation for kindergarteners in the morning. With this exception, the resident and transferred students were distributed evenly throughout the grades. In spring 1984, the pre-primary unit added another class, which brought the total pre-primary population to almost 100 children. Because of the students' age and the pre-primary wing's physical isolation, little interaction occurred between the pre-primary and regular education students. 96 Table 4.1 Woodhaven Student Population: Transferred and Resident Majority and Minority Students Grade Number of Number of Resident Resident Total Evergreen Minority Woodhaven Minority Number of Area Evergreen Students Students Students Students Students K 11 2 10 7 21 K _ 7 1 16 10 23 K 0 0 18 7 l8 1 10 l 14 10 24 1 4 1 20 12 24 1/2 4 1 19 9 23 2 4 2 22 14 26 2/3 4 0 20 8 24 3 5 2 24 10 -29 3 5 2 24 11 29 4 7 2 20 9 27 4 8 0 22 13 28 5 3 1 27 ll 30 5 3 1 25 17 28 Total _ 76 15 226 144 342 97 Parents The major organization through which parents could eXpress their concerns and interests was the Parent Teacher Association. The controlling group behind the Parent Teacher Association was the executive board which consisted of a small group of resident parents and a transferred parent who agreed to accept the position of mother vice-president. As the year progressed, several other transferred parents became more active in the Wbodhaven Parent Teacher Association and assumed chairmanships of several committees such as the Reading Is Fundamental committee. self: The teaching staff at WOodhaven included 18 classroom teachers, 4 aides for the pre-primary unit, and 3 support staff: a reading teacher, a media specialist, and a special education resource room teacher. The secretary and principal shared the main office; the science department secretary had an office down the hall. Table 4.2 shows the tenure staff members, as well as their length 'of time on the faculty at Woodhaven. The average number of years in teaching among the total staff was 14 years, whereas the average number of years for the classroom teachers was 17. The average length of years at Woodhaven for the total staff was seven years; the resident teaching faculty had been at Woodhaven an average of 12 years. 98 Table 4.2 Tenure of Teachers at Woodhaven Grade Years Years at Teaching Woodhaven K 15 l K 13 8 K 18 15 1 18 16 1 17 1* 1/2 24 23 2 18 18 2/3 19 16 3 l7 1 3 l6 7 4 l8 1* 4 ll 1* 5 24 12 5 8 8 Pre-primary 13 5 Pre-primary 10 S Pre-primary 3 l Pre-primary 6 2 Support Staff 7 1* Support Staff 23 3 Support Staff 15 6 * Transferred Evergreen staff 99 Support Staff For the most part, the 18 classroom teachers were responsible for educating the students at Woodhaven. They had the help of a media specialist who was in the building four days a week and a reading teacher who was in the building three and one half days. These support personnel had assignments in other schools the rest of the week. The principal and secretary coordinated the students' and teachers' activities. They also regulated the services of the many specialists who visited the building to help the classroom. teachers. Support personnel included speech teachers, school social workers, school psychologists, pre-primary aides, music and art specialists, special education coordinators, and university personnel. The principal counted 93 professionals or semi-professionals who served Woodhaven in some capacity during the first semester of the 1983-84 school year. Major additions to the educational staff at Woodhaven were student teachers who worked in classrooms and university professors who offered a college reading program at the school. Twice a week, college students in the university reading program visited the classrooms of teachers who were willing to participate in the ;program. The college students assisted. in Iclassroom activities and taught small-group reading classes as the year progressed. 100 Summary At the time of this study, Woodhaven School had an enrollment of 430 students: 266 resident students, 76 bused from the former Evergreen area, and 90 in a pre-primary special education program. The teaching staff included 18 classroom teachers and three support staff members, as well as many additional school district personnel and volunteers from a local university. The PTA served as a vehicle whereby parents became involved in schoolwide activities and programs. The interactions of the participants in the mesosystem at Woodhaven formed the basis for the following three chapters, which describe the interrelationships that developed among resident and transferred students, parents, and staff members. CHAPTER V THE ADJUSTMENTS OF STUDENTS Introduction: Key Assertions Transferring to a different school after a school closing affects students in many different ways. The students' adjustment process had several components which are described as assertions and are based on the collection of data in this ethnography. .1. The transferred students related positively to the simultaneous transfer of school personnel from the closed school to the receiving school. In particular, the principal appeared to be a central figure in facilitating adjustment to the new school. 2. The students' adjustment to the new school developed gradually over time. 3. The students' transferred to Woodhaven eventually accepted the provision of bus transportation. 4. Resident students went through adjustments to strange teachers and students that were similar to those transferred students went through. 5. Outside the classroom, students formed. many friendships in the informal atmosphere of the playground and through extracurricular activities such as scouting. 101 102 6. Within the classroom, transferred and resident students developed friendships after an initial period of adjustment to the new school environment. 7. Transferred students maintained ties to the closed school, even when they had adjusted well to the new school. The older the student, the harder it was for him/her to accept the transfer. 8. The academic performance of transferred students did not change dramatically after they were in the new school. A statistical test revealed that no significant difference existed between transferred and resident students in terms of academic jperformance in the year following school merger. The preceding' assertions concerning students' adjustments were based on the fieldwork conducted from January to June 1983 before Evergreen closed, and from September 1983 to June 1984, the first year of Evergreen's consolidation with Woodhaven. Throughout the data-collection period, the researcher had Opportunities to verify or disconfirm the assertions. The combination of participant observations, sociometric questionnaires, a small-group workshop of key informants, classroom journal writings, and student interviews provided the researcher with a multitude of useful information. 103 Findings from Literature Before developing key linkages from the data on students, it was important to examine related literature on group dynamics, social interactions, and social cognition of children. Because the closed Evergreen school community was studied as a group, it seemed helpful to review group dynamics in formulating valid interpretations of the data. Slawski (1981) defined a primary group as a naturally occurring group to which one belongs, with a reference group as one with which a member identifies in his/her imagination and from which he/she learns certain norms of behavior. A real group has three basic characteristics. First, it is comprised of a number of individuals who interact with one another on the bases of established patterns. Second, individuals who interact define themselves as group members. Third, the individuals are defined by others as members of the group (Slawski, 1981). Using Slawski's basic description of groups, it was evident that the staff, parents, and students from Evergreen had to cope with major changes in their established friendship patterns and participate in the formation of new groups at Woodhaven. In an examination of peer relations in childhood, (Campbell,l969) supported the importance of peer interactions and peer relations in the broader social context. Fieldwork at Woodhaven confirms the notion of the a peer group as a socializing agent, an important concept in 104 describing the developing relationships between the former Evergreen. students and the Woodhaven students. Campbell ‘(1969) also recognized the influence of the family and peer group on children, stating: Although the family is rightfully viewed as a prime influence in the child's individuality, his activities in the company of other children contribute to his developing picture of the social world, help to establish his identity, and provide him an opportunity for group experience relevant not only to present functioning but to future social relationships as well. (p. 303) Understanding personal and social characteristics of the children by observing their interactions in the school environment was one aim of the researcher. In reviewing influencing processes in the peer groups, Campbell (1969) concluded: Patterns of peer relations offer considerable variability. The individual child and the group as a whole are subject to a number of factors that tend to channel actions in particular directions. The forces at work are of various sorts. Some are inherent in the character of the situation; others derive from characteristics of children--as recipients of influence as well as influence agents; and when adults are participants, they too shape the course of children's functions in groups. (p. 309) Shantz (1975) revealed the importance of understanding the deve10pment of social cognition in children. She wrote, It provides a more complete picture of the child's cognitive development indicating what types of concepts and processes are evident in both the nonsocial and social domains at particular age periods. Second, the way in which children conceptualize others presumably has an important effect of their social behavior with 105 others. The concepts of people held by children and adults make possible a system of sufficient predictive utility that one can interact with others adaptively and efficiently. (p. 258) Glidewell, Kantor, Smith, and Stringer (1966) defined socialization in the classroom as, The process by which an individual learns the alternative modes of behavior available in various social settings and the consequences of adopting each mode. The socialization process may also be viewed as a continuing sequence of interpersonal interactions by which an individual first acquires and then modifies a position in a social system. Three of the several dimensions along which one may differentiate an individual's current or changing position in a social system are (a) emotional acceptance, (b) personal competence, and (c) social power. (pp 222-223) According to Glidewell, et al., emotional acceptance refers to the affective aspect of interpersonal relations. Competence is the ability to do well in the school situation, and social power is children's ability to influence others in the classroom social structure. In reviewing literature on the use of sociometric questionnaires, Glidewell et a1. noted, Classroom social structures develop quickly, remain relatively stable, produce reasonably accurate perceptions by individuals of their own position in the structure, are composed of stable pairs and subgroups of mutually attracted and respected children, plus a few continuing isolates. The subgroups, their individual members, and the isolates can be differentiated with respect to at least three variables: emotional acceptance, perceived competence, and social power. (p. 227) 106 Positive Effects of Transferred School Personnel on Student Adjustment Assertion 1: The transferred students related positively to the simultaneous transfer of school personnel from the closed school to the receiving school. In particular, the principal appeared to be a central figure in facilitating adjustment to the new school. The first year following consolidation was a time of adjustment for both the transferred and resident students. In the classroom, students were caping with new teachers and new classmates. The transferred students were also adjusting to a totally new physical environment, to riding a bus to and from school, and to the loss of many former friends and teachers. For the 57 former Evergreen students in grades one through five, seeing familiar faces at Woodhaven facilitated the transition to the receiving school. On the first day of school, as they got off the school bus, the students were greeted by the school principal, Mr. Adams. The children immediately recognized their former principal. In recalling the first few days of school, many transferred parents commented that they especially appreciated the time the principal spent in greeting their children. One mother mentioned that her daughters' recognition of Evergreen's former principal and secretary helped them accept more easily the change in schools. ‘ Mrs. Jones related, I thought they (Carol and Paulette) were going to be scared with Carol going to a new 107 school...Carol thought it might be difficult 'cause she missed the school down here. The thing that really helped her was when she seen Mr. Adams and Mrs. Jacks. I thought, Oh, wow. It's not going to be that difficult. Carol knew there were some old faces that she knew. She got a big smile on her face like it's not all new and all different. I think that helped. Mrs. Jones had been observed at school activities the previous year at Evergreen and was interviewed the year following school consolidation. Her daughter Carol was repeating first grade, and Paulette was just starting kindergarten at Woodhaven. Mrs. Jones, who had not been active in Evergreen's activities, indicated she did not know what to eXpect in the school transfer. She commented that she had not opposed the school closing or the change in receiving schools. In fact, she had not even been aware that Evergreen was going to close until late in the school's final year. In the fall, Mrs. Jones accepted the school change without question. Her only reservations about the new school were related to her daughters' worry about the unknown, the new school. In the interviewu Mrs. Jones emphasized that her immediate concerns about the new school were allayed when her daughters recognized some familiar faculty members from Evergreen. Interviews ‘with transferred students, as well as parents, revealed the transferred community felt the placement of former Evergreen staff members at Woodhaven was a positive link in the transfer process; that the students appreciated recognizing familiar faces at the new school was 108 verified through observations in and out of the classroom, in the small-group workshops, and in individual interviews. In May 1984, after almost nine months of school, 19 transferred and 14 resident students discussed how they had felt about Woodhaven in the fall and how they felt about the school at the end of the year. In reviewing the student interviews and year long observations, the researcher noted that the transferred personnel stood out as important factors contributing to the students' adjustment to Woodhaven. In particular, half of the interviewed students commented on the positive role the transferred principal, Mr. Adams, had played in helping them accept the new school. Paul, a fourth grader, related his feelings and those of other transferred students in a: small-group discussion in the fall: "I like having Mr. Adams because I know him." The resident students formed their own judgments of the new principal during the first months of school. Based on the positive comments made by newly transferred students, as well as their own experiences, many resident students soon came to accept their new principal. Gail, a resident fifth grader, shared her feelings about Mr. Adams: I like the new teachers and Mr. Adams and Mrs. Jacks better than I did last year. They are nicer. They understand better than some of the teachers. This year Mr. Adams has been nicer and he treats the kids like they should be treated. Like if someone gets in a fight, and instead just right away punishing them, he talks it out and then decides with the teacher what a good punishment is. 109 In the same light, almost every interview with transferred and resident students indicated the classroom teacher had played a major role in promoting a positive attitude about the school. When students were asked, "What do you like about Woodhaven?" they frequently mentioned their teachers. Janet, a transferred fourth grader, said, ”I liked the Evergreen teachers coming over here because I would have been lost without knowing anyone.“ Matt remembered, "I was worried when I first came here in the fall. I felt like a new kid in school. When I heard some of the teachers came over, that helped me have confidence." Factors in the Adjustment of Transferred Students Breakingpthe Ties to Evergreen Assertion 2: The students' adjustment to a new school developed gradually. Time was an essential factor in the students' adjustment process because the tie to Evergreen remained, especially with the older students. Mrs. Jackson, a fourth- grade transferred teacher, commented at the end of the year about her English class: "Every time we have a spelling test, they become involved in the activities at the new school. Her perceptions of Hudson centered on the white middle-class parents' acceptance of an active minority parent. Mrs. Fox felt that the receiving school community resisted the involvement of minority families in the school. The researcher observed that two parents transferring to Hudson, Mrs. Carter and Mrs. Fox, had difficulty adjusting to their new school. Both parents noted in the interviews that they did not have anyone at the new school with whom they could talk or with whom they had established trust. Both Mrs. Carter and Mrs. Fox indicated that they were committed to helping in their children's schools and wanted the best education for their children. In follow-through observations, the researcher learned that the Carters moved out of the city. Over a period of time, and through gradual acceptance of the resident community, the Foxes developed a more positive adjustment to Hudson School. The example of the Fox and Carter families illustrates how the search for disconfirming evidence about the ways families adjust to a new school adds to yet complicates the development of key linkages and theoretical constructs in fieldwork studies (n1 schooling. Both the Fox and Carter families had been very happy to hear that their children would be transferring to Hudson. Yet after the school merger, the situation changed for a variety of 161 reasons. One reason may have been the lack of familiar school personnel with whom these parents could communicate and whom they could trust. It is also probable that many other factors were involved in these families' failure to develop interrelationships in the transitional process at Hudson. For the families of students transferred to Woodhaven though, the attitude that seemed to prevail was described by Mrs. Foster, the mother of two girls: I like the school. I think it has a lot to do with the fact that Mr. Adams is here and the teachers, too. Well, my kids have teachers from that school (Evergreen). It also helped. Time to Adjust: The Need to Maintain Past Attachments Assertion 3: For the parents, time was an important factor in the process of loosening their ties with the former school and developing a sense of belonging at the new school. Dr. Holt, a Lincoln School administrator, commented in a spring 1984 interview that the parents needed time to adjust to a new school. He felt that within a year the transferred school community would adjust to the newly consolidated school. The parents who were interviewed concurred with Dr. Holt's statement. They did, however, retain many attachments to Evergreen. One parent commented in January 1984, "I wish they would have kept Evergreen open." Another parent, in talking“ about. her daughters' 162 adjustments to Woodhaven, noted, "They have adjusted fine. I haven't, but they have." The time necessary for adjusting to the new school was discussed by Mrs. Fox, whose children had been transferred to Hudson. Referring to Evergreen School, she said, "It's just like a void that has been taken. Lost at that corner. It's just not the same. I really don't feel close to Hudson. That may take longer." Time was also important to the Kents, a family who had been transferred to Evergreen Place. Mr. Kent remarked about Evergreen Place, I think the school is...trying on the child...We were very welcome in coming, in the activities. We were just involved at Evergreen for so long, that it was hard not to make comparisons. Evergreen is like home....Evergreen Place is like strangers. Ties to the old school remained even after more than half of the school year had passed. In discussing her daughters' friendships, Mrs. Foster commented, Half of their friends went the other way. It's like those three years didn't exist. They had to start over to make new friends, even with the ones that did come over. It's like moving out of a house and moving in again, but they have been assimilated quickly into the educational environment, immediately undertaking an active commitment to the new school's exosystem. A Copperative Relationship with the Transferred Administrator Assertion 6: The transfer of a respected administrator with a loyal following among the transferring staff facilitated a harmonious school consolidation. A notable advantage voiced by the transferred staff members was that they had moved to a new school with an administrator whom they knew and trusted. It was observed that the staff members' willingness to become involved in the school and to spend extra time on school activities was the direct result of having a administrator whom they respected. Tom Harrison, who shared his thoughts concerning the role of the principal and his initial adjustment to Woodhaven, stated, Oh, I think that really does make a difference. We knew Dennis and could deal with something that is a known. I didn't have to learn how' he operated. I knew where I stood with the administration. I think when you take on a group 208 of students, you are in control, so there is not a problem, but when the administration changes you find you are not in control. With a new administration you have to find out what the do's and don'ts are. . Along the same lines, Michelle Franks commented in a winter 1984 interview: We knew ‘what was expected of us. The administrator is like a mother of a family. The administrator sets the tone for the entire family....The office, and that means Judy, (the secretary) too, did not, and does not, play favorites. They do everything they can to assist. They are supportive, helpful, kind, and accepting. For the four transferred staff members and the secretary, knowing the administrator's policies and philosophy was related in discussions to be a distinct advantage. It was observed, though, that some resident staff members reacted negatively to the: mass transfer of the administrator and staff members. This reaction is discussed in the next section. Resident Staff Assertion 7: Following consolidation, the resident staff members adjusted to a new administrator and new staff members with varying degrees of apprehension and acceptance. The resident staff initially adopted a wait-and-see attitude toward the new administrator and teachers. As a result of the merger, resident Woodhaven staff members needed to adjust to 77 new students, their families, seven teachers, a secretary, and a principal. Accepting the 209 new students was probably the easiest adjustment staff members had to make. In interviewing and observing parents and staff members, the researcher noticed few difficulties between resident staff and transferred parents. Over a period of time, positive interactions between teachers and parents developed as the two groups became acquainted. For example, most of the new parents attended the scheduled parent teacher conferences, an. important. microsystem :for parents and staff. The resident staff related that the most pronounced and complex adjustment was adapting to the new administration. In a February interview, Ann Burns reviewed the resident teachers' feelings about adjusting to a new administrator: I think they the receiving schools. Evergreen parents were encouraged to become active on the receiving schools' Parent Teacher Association executive boards, and this also facilitated the ecological transition. Some Evergreen staff members had difficulty adjusting to the final school closing. Their commitment to closing the school harmoniously for the parents and students engendered close friendships among the staff members. Many teachers had a long-term commitment to Evergreen, and the closing was more difficult for them than for others. Deciding about transfer requests to specific receiving schools, severing relationships with the community, and changing grade levels caused some apprehension among the teaching staff. Although staff members' actions made Evergreen's closure easier for the parents and students, it was the staff members who resisted change most strongly and felt the greatest sense of loss in the transfer process. In any school closing, the events that precipitate closure and the activities surrounding the actual closing affect the adjustments of the combined school community at a new school. In analyzing the factors that contributed to the school community's adjustment to the closing, it was important to determine what elements positively and 250 negatively affected the ecological transition in schools for the students, parents, and staff members. A Review of Outcomes The assertions developed from the triangulation of data gathered at the receiving school were discussed in chapters describing the adjustments of the students, parents, and staff members. In reality, the interrelationships formed an exosystem of interactions among the school community' of resident and ‘transferred staff, students, and parents. It is important to note that most of the assertions concerning each group were cross dimensional and to some extent were true of all three groups of transferred school members within the micro-and meso-systems of the consolidated elementary school. Time was an important factor in establishing the interrelationships involved 1J1 the: ecological transition. Students, parents, and staff members needed time to accept the new school as their own and gradually to break their ties with the closed school. How the transferred community adjusted to the new school community over a period of time was the primary focus of this ethnographic research. In the beginning, the relocated school community evidenced immediate need to relate to the familiar. The students, parents, and staff members expressed the security they felt in seeing familiar faces at the new school. The 251 fear of change was diminished by the presence of those members of the former school. For the entire transferred community, the opportunity to reminisce about their experiences in the old school appeared to be therapeutic. The transitional process was eased through such supportive events as the final school program and the special closing activities. The students were eSpecially proud of the commemorative T-shirts they received during their final days at Evergreen. Over time, the transferred community formed attachments to the new school, and their bonds with the former school dissolved. The process of breaking ties with the old school and establishing bonds with the new school was facilitated by the immediate involvement of students, parents, and staff members in the consolidated school. The staff and principal planned. many activities for the students and themselves which guaranteed participation in events at the consolidated school. Transferred parents were encouraged to participate in events planned by the Parent Teacher Association which helped initiate their involvement in the new school. The transition to the new school appeared to be easiest for the students. Though observations and other indices of adjustment, the researcher noted that students easily formed attachments to the new school. The younger students appeared to break their ties with the former school before the older students did. 252 Students' academic progress did not appear to change appreciably after consolidation. Transferred students' math and reading scores did not change after the school transfer. In interviews and observations, parents had more positive than negative reactions to the educational program at the new school. For the most part, parents accepted the change in elementary school transfer after busing had been provided and familiar staff members had also been transferred. Most parents interacted satisfactorily with the staff at Woodhaven and expressed confidence in their children's educators. The provision of bus transportation was viewed differently by the various school groups. The transferred students viewed busing as merely a different mode of getting to school and were most concerned with the personality of the bus driver. The parents for the most part were satisfied with the school district's decision to bus their children. The primarily white transferred parents did not make public any references to racial issues, even though their children were being bused to a mainly minority school to balance the school's ethnic ratio. The staff members were concerned primarily with the logistics of one group in the classroom riding a bus and another group walking to and from school. Within the exosystem of the consolidated elementary school, social interactions developed (n1 several different 253 levels. Interactions among students developed within the microsystem of the classroom. In the beginning, transferred students had few friends, but by the end of the school year they had been assimilated into the mainstream of the student body and had established friendships. Some resident students had reservations about accepting the new students; others accepted the transferred students without question. The microsystems outside the classroom--the lunchroom, the playground, and the after-school scouting program--provided students many additional opportunities to interact with other students and form new friendships. In the beginning, the transferred parents exhibited some reservations and insecurities about the new school. However, such reservations were minimized by the presence of the transferred principal who had established a positive line of communication with parents and with staff members from the closed school. Whereas some resident parents resisted including a new set of families and involving them immediately in the school, other families considered the transferred parents a welcome addition to the school community. The Parent Teacher Association helped bridge the gap between the two communities. Also, frequent communications from the school helped parents stay informed about their children's activities and academic progress. The staff members appeared to experience the greatest difficulty' in adjusting to the new educational 254 environment. Reasons for resistance appeared to vary with the individual. Some teachers had had difficulty adjustinge because they had been at Evergreen a long time, had positive ties to the old. school, had been satisfied. teaching a particular grade, had an increased work load at the new school, and/or were not yet accepted by the resident staff. The staff interactions were the most complex and showed the most resistance to change. The Simultaneous move of a principal and fellow staff members from the previous school facilitated the adjustments of the transferred staff. The physical move was especially demanding for experienced teachers with many personal teaching supplies. Also, grade placement had a great deal to do with job satisfaction at the new school. Transferred staff members experienced stress in attempting to teach effectively while adjusting to a new school, new staff members, and new grade-level placements. Resident staff reacted to the new staff and principal in various ways. Some resident staff welcomed the exposure to new teaching styles and methods. Other staff members viewed the new staff as invaders. Adjusting to new staff members was difficult for some teachers. In the first year, resident staff members adopted a wait-and-see attitude toward the new staff. In the second year, some staff members adjusted easily to the new administration, but others disliked the new environment. 255 The intricate social network of the Woodhaven faculty developed in a number of stages. The transferred staff's sense of belonging was expedited by having had previous contacts with the administration. Staff were afforded opportunities for fulfillment by becoming actively involved in school activities. Resident minority staff members were the first ones to assimilate the transferred staff and community. Personality factors undoubtedly played a major part in the development of interactions among the total staff. Staff members initially clung to the familiar and resisted change in a variety of ways, depending most often on their individual personalities. Over time, groups developed and changed. One portion of the resident staff still resisted the administration's policies. The researcher observed that the target dimension of power (Kantor and Lehr, 1979) appeared to be the most important factor in the social networking process. The Woodhaven School climate changed with school consolidation. One important element in that change was the transferred administrator. Transferred parents' reactions to the principal were positive; they believed his presence evidenced support by the central school district administration. Most resident parents immediately were impressed by the educational policies initiated by the new principal. Also, resident and transferred students came to 256 accept the principal's policies enthusiastically. Staff members were given opportunities to develop educational programs in and out of the classroom with administrative support. Transferred teachers were most comfortable with the administrative leadership. It is important to note, however, that some resident staff members reacted negativeLy to the change in administrative policies. Implications This study is the first to examine what happens to a school community that is forced to leave its school and transfer to a new school environment. The longitudinal nature of ethnography necessitated studying the effects of what happened to the community beyond the initial school closing procedures. The researcher attempted to analyze a transferred community's adjustment following consolidation with an established school community. The events highlighted in this two-year ethnography bring into focus the factors school districts need to consider in closing a school. Each school closing, because of the uniqueness of the school building itself, the other schools in the district, and the composition of the school community, must be evaluated individually. What worked for Evergreen, in a midwestern urban school district during a time of fiscal retrenchment and declining enrollments, may not be appropriate for a school in suburbia, a rural community, or an urban city in the West or East. In fact, because of the 257 individual nature of Evergreen's closing and consolidation, some of the forthcoming recommendations may not even be appropriate for a school across town in Lincoln. It is important, therefore, to examine the successful elements of Evergreen's closing and its consolidation with Woodhaven, to determine what factors were meaningful and can be considered in other potential school closings and consolidations. In closing the exosystem at Evergreen, elements that contributed to successful school consolidation adjustments and appear important to educators include: 1. A district that closes a school needs to recognize the school community as an important entity. In the case of Evergreen, the final school program paid tribute to the school and its heritage. 2. Transferred students need to be given an opportunity to praise and bid farewell to their school through final school activities. At Evergreen, teachers provided means for students and parents to lobserve the school closing’ and opened the way for the future school transfer. Students transferring to the new school also need to be given an opportunity to visit and become familiar with that school. 3. The principal needs to provide the necessary leadership in closing a school with dignity. In Lincoln, the central school district's closing procedures were 258 delineated, and the principal organized and supervised most elements in the closing process. 4. Staff members of a closing school need to be afforded options in transferring to a new educational facility. The Lincoln School District was large enough that staff members did not have to worry about job layoff or termination. Transferred teachers' preferences for grade-level placements were the most difficult to satisfy. Stress among staff concerning future teaching assignments was most apparent during the school closing. 5. Parents need to be afforded opportunities for their children to attend schools as near as possible to their present neighborhood. In Lincoln, adjustment was easiest for families whose children could walk to a nearby elementary school. Families who had to adjust to an unanticipated change in receiving schools were the most negatively affected by the school closure. In the consolidation of schools, positive elements as found in this particular case that have important implications for education include the following: 1. A school community reacts positively to the simultaneous transfem' of familiar educators. Having ‘the support of known faculty members appears to help students and their parents adjust to a new school. Members of the transferred Evergreen community appreciated having a familiar support system during the change of schools. 259 2. The educational climate depends largely on the principal's actions. Hence the simultaneous transfer of a. well-known principal facilitates a positive school climate for students, parents, and staff. Also a school administrator must command the school community's respect. In the case of Woodhaven, a proven administrator already had the respect of the transferred community and soon gained the esteem of many in the resident community. 3. The Parent Teacher Association, with the active support of the faculty and administration, can contribute to successful school consolidation. The Parent Teacher Association can encourage the surrounding community to support the school's educational programs and activities. 4. It is important to consider the needs of the resident community following school consolidation. The resident community needs time to adjust to the influx of a new school community into its exosystem. The adjustments required of both groups must be balanced so that a unified community can be created. 5. Students who are transferred to a new school appear to form friendships naturally after an initial adjustment period. At first, peer interactions are limited, but in time transferred students are assimilated into the mainstream of the new school. At Woodhaven, students perceived the contacts they made outside the classroom as being important in forming friendships. They also eXpressed some 260 dissatisfaction about the limited contact with consolidated school members beyond the school grounds. 6. Students' academic performance does not appear to be affected by the closing of an elementary school. Transferred students' math and reading scores were comparable to those of the consolidated school members. 7. Transferred parents may not be comfortable with consolidation in the beginning, but they soon seem to develop a sense of belonging to the new school. Factors that facilitated the transition included frequent communications from the teachers and principal and active involvement in school activities and events such as those sponsored by the Parent Teacher Association. 8. The physical move following school closure must be well organized. Teachers, in particular, are affected by the physical move, especially in the first months following school consolidation. In addition, placing transferred staff members in a suitable grade level is directly related to job satisfaction and perceived teaching excellence. Adjustment to a new school is hastened when transferred teachers immediately involve themselves in the schools' educational activities and social structure. 9. The social network of a school is delicate and intricate. The interrelationships between resident and transferred faculty following a school merger need Special consideration in creating a unified school community. 261 Recommendations for Further Research Realizing the unique nature of each school closing certain elements of Woodhaven's consolidation suggest questions that need further research: 1. Harmonious school consolidation does not occur by chance, but is the result of complex decision making on the part of school administrators. It is, therefore, suggested that the administrative decisions preceding school consolidation need to be more carefully studied to determine the imact of particular decisions on the proess of consolidation. 2. The time period necessary for closing a school should be investigated further. For example, what turned out to be an appropriate timetable for closing Evergreen School may not be feasible for other schools. How temporal factors impede or expedite a closing and consolidation also deserves attention. 3. The principal's influence in school consolidation merits further research. In this study, the administrator's influence was a positive factor. The adjustments of a school community and staff cohesiveness under' a different leadership style or when the principal is already established in a resident community should be investigated. In Ihindsight, a study of the former principal's actions in comparison with the new principal's actions would 262 be important for understanding the significance of the principal in school transfers. 4. This researcher did not consider the effects of school closure on the community beyond the exosystem of the transferred students, parents, and staff and some of the resident students, parents and staff. Community involvement in and outside of school should be investigated further to provide interconnections between the involved mesosystems. Also, the established neighborhoods should be studied to determine what effect, if any, a closed school has on the residential area and on property values in the surrounding community. The cultural implications from further community study provide for interconnections in forming an understanding of the macrosystem under operation. 5. Students' adjustments were explored through standardized test scores, sociometric designs, journals, interviews with key informants, and participant observations. The researcher did not attempt to measure individual students' emotional and social adjustment to the transfer. The "experiences" of the developing student could be studied in greater detail to provide for an understanding of the interconnections in the school microsystems. This should be a topic of future research. 6. As stated previously, school consolidation at Woodhaven occurred with few negative overtones. A study of adjustments of a community rife with dissent about a school 263 closing could produce vastly different results. School consolidation within a community that is highly resistant to the school closing Should be studied to compare the social and temporal factors in that community's adjustment. Such a comparison could provide a wealth of understandings of the interconnections in the settings of the micro-, meso-, and exosystems of schools and the community. 7. Because the students' academic performance was measured by only one standardized achievement test for a two year time span, the full extent of students' academic achievement was not measured in depth. Further studies should include formal academic tests amd teacher assessments of students' performances on a long term basis of three to four years. 8. Because this researcher attempted In) study the transferred community as a whole, many subtleties in the interactions and interconnections in the role of power between transferred and resident staff members, parents, and students were not explored in great detail. Elements underlying behaviors exhibited by the adjusting communities, which were beyond the scope of this investigation, deserve specific attention in future ethnographic studies. Concluding Remarks It appears that through further extensive fieldwork study, many of the underlying and sometimes "hidden” elements of a school culture can be revealed. This study 264 offered a wealth of information concerning the adjustments of children, parents, and elementary staff members. Further ethnographic research offers rich opportunities for establishing premises that have theoretical significance for education. The participants in this study, the students, parents, and faculty, were examined in a variety of settings. The microsystems within the school were analyzed, interconnecting the forces that affected the students as well as the adults. The transferred and resident school population participated in a series of interconnections within the multitude of settings that formed the mesosystems. The intersetting communications were transmitted and recorded relating interactions between staff and staff, staff and parents, staff and students, parents and students, parents and parents, and students and students. The interconnections between these interactions provided valuable knowledge relating to a school exosytem involving the ecological transition of a school closing and school consolidation. Within an ecological focus, this research studied the interconnections between a defined event, a school closing and resultant consolidation, and the participants in the event, the students, parents, and faculty. The study alluded to the macrosystem underwhich all settings evolved; 265 however, the scope of the research did not transcend beyond the school exosystem. The role of power in the interconnections of the settings pervaded the entire study. The macrosystem provided significance for the interconnecting series of events within micro-, meso-, and exosystems. The participants in the study all experienced growth within the settings, and through time participated in new roles and interpersonnal interactions. The activities of the developing participants were separated in order to focus on Specific roles and settings, yet the interconnections between the participants and settings pervaded throughout the research study. The variables involved in sytematically analyzing the effects of the macrosystem provide possibilities for future research. The importance of this study is that it initiated an ecological approach to an important transitional school event and interconnected the significant micro-, meso-, and exosystems in the developing population: the students enrolled in a midwestern, urban, fully integrated” neighborhood. elementary school, their parents and their teachers. APPENDICES APPENDIX A CHRONOLOGY 266 APPENDIX A CHRONOLOGY March 1981-Master Plan for closing six elementary schools was announced by the Lincoln School District. Evergreen and Central Schools were scheduled to close in June 1983. September 1981-Mr. Dennis Adams, who was also the science consultant with offices located at Evergreen, assumed principalship of Evergreen School for the 1981-82 and 1982-83 school years. March 1983-The first school hearing on the proposed school boundary changes was held at Evergreen School. March 1984-The second public hearing was held at Evergreen on the proposed boundary changes for students. May 1983-Lincoln School Board officially adopted the school boundaries for the 1983-84 school year. January-June .1983-An ethnographic study ‘was conducted at Evergreen School. June 1983-Evergreen School closed. September 1983-A group of 77 students, the principal, the secretary, and four teachers were transferred to Woodhaven School from Evergreen. September 1983-January l985-An ethnographic study on the adjustments of students, parents, and staff members transferred to a new school was conducted at Woodhaven School. APPENDIX B STEPS LEADING TO ADOPTION OF REVISED ELEMENTARY BOUNDARIES 267 APPENDIX B STEPS LEADING TO ADOPTION OF REVISED ELEMENTARY BOUNDARIES 1. Present preliminary boundaries to the Board for discussion 2. Discuss preliminary boundaries and process for approval with board attorney 3. Discuss preliminary boundaries with NAACP 4. Have building hearings on preliminary boundaries 5. Revise boundary proposals 6. Seek NAACP concurrence with boundaries and process 7. Board conducts public hearing 8. Board adopts boundaries 9. Seek court approval Source: Lincoln School District Document APPENDIX C GLOSSARY OF SCHOOLS AND INTERVIEWED PARENTS, STUDENTS, AND STAFF MEMBERS II. III. 268 APPENDIX C GLOSSARY OF SCHOOLS AND INTERVIEWED PARENTS, STUDENTS AND STAFF MEMBERS Schools: Lincoln School District A. B. C. D. Evergreen-~Closed: 1983 Woodhaven--Receiving school for 6 staff and 77 students from Evergreen: Target of the study Hudson--Receiving School for 90 students and 3 Evergreen staff members Riverside--Initially planned to receive Evergreen students: students ultimately transferred to Woodhaven Evergreen Place--Receiving school for 30 students and no staff from Evergreen Whitman--Receiving school for students of another closed school, 2 staff members from Evergreen and no Evergreen students Poorman Middle School--Receiving school for 100 students and 1 Evergreen staff member Interviewed Administrators: 1984 A. DOG! Mr. Dennis Adams--Principa1 of Evergreen and Woodhaven Mr. Brown--Principal of Hudson Mr. Howe--Principal of Evergreen Place Dr. Holt--Central Lincoln School District Administrator Interviewed Staff Members A. Evergreen staff: Pilot study, 1983 Mrs. Lisa Jackson--Sixth-grade teacher Mrs. Wright--Fifth-grade teacher Mrs. Ellen Cowles--Second-grade teacher Mrs. Hilton--Kindergarten teacher Mrs. White--Fifth-grade teacher Mrs. Michelle Franks--Sixth-grade teacher Mrs. Judy Jacks--School secretary Mr. Dennis Adams--Principal (paramount-J 269 B. Evergreen staff transferred to Woodhaven: 1984 1. Mrs. Michelle Franks--Fourth-grade teacher 2. Mrs. Lisa Jackson--Fourth-grade teacher 3. Mr. Tom Harrison--Evergreen and Woodhaven special education resource room teacher 4. Mrs. Judy Jacks--School secretary B. Resident Woodhaven staff members: 1984 1. Mr. Matt Daniels--third-grade teacher 2. Mrs. Willa Mae Chapman--Fifth-grade teacher 3. Miss Ann Burns--First-grade teacher 4. Mrs. Sherry Woods--Support staff: Reading teacher 5. Mrs. Karen Turner--Support staff: Media specialist 6. Mrs. Dorothy Walters-~School district support staff: Instructional specialist IV. Interviewed Parents A. Evergreen parents: Pilot study, 1983 1. Mrs. Roberts--Parent of one student . Mr. Roberts--Parent of one student . Mrs. Damon--Parent Teacher Association historian, parent of two students Mrs. Edison--Parent of three students Mr. Henrys--Parent of one student Mrs. Carter--Parent of one student Mrs. Jackson--Parent of three students . Mrs. Miller--Parent of two students Mrs. King--Parent of two students WM 0 (0004mm:- 0 270 Transferred Evergreen parents with children attending Woodhaven: 1984 1. Mrs. Jefferson--Parent of three boys, two at Woodhaven . 2. Mrs. Gilbert--Parent of two students 3. Mrs. King--Parent of three students, two at Woodhaven 4. Mrs.Miller--Parent of three students, one at Woodhaven 5. Mrs. Hinton--Parent of two students, 6. Mrs. Robinson--Parent of three students, one at Woodhaven 7. Mrs. Foster--Parent of five students, two at Woodhaven 8. Mrs. Russe11--Parent of two students 9. Mrs. Jones--Parent of two students 10. Mrs. Mann--Parent of one student 11. Mrs. Klein--Parent of four students two at Woodhaven Transferred Evergreen parents with children attending other receiving schools: 1984 1. Mrs. Fox--Parent of five students, four at Hudson 2. Mrs. Page--Parent of one student attending Riverside School with Special permission 3. Mrs. Carter--Parent of two boys attending Hudson 4. Mrs. Fisher--Parent of one student attending Evergreen Place 5. Mrs. Roberts--Parent of two students attending Hudson 6. Mr. and Mrs. Kent--Parents of two students one attending Evergreen Place Resident Woodhaven parents: 1984 . Mr. and Mrs. Fuller-~Parents of three students Mr. Seller--Parent of two students Ms. Powers--Parent of three students Mrs. Washington--Parent of two students Mrs. Cain--Parent of one student Mrs. Knox--Parent of five students Mr. Drake--Parent of three students (toms-um H 271 V. Students in the small-group workshpps: 1984 A. Transferred fourth-and fifth-grade students 1. Janet Jill Sarah Paul Ryan Suzie Gerry Gail Matt 10. Lynn \DGDQO‘U'lnhWN O O O O O B. Transferred first-and second-grade students 1. Sue 2. Brent Janice Jimmy Ron Marie Jon Helen Vicky Gary w 0 Contact 0 esident fourth-and fifth-grade students Nancy Isabel Ling Joy Randy Joseph Mary Donna O O mummwaI—Iw H‘Dmflmmb esident first-and second-grade students Anne Bob Suzanne Frank Chad Bruce Neal Wanda Debra 10(D~JO\UH§(»§DF‘W APPENDIX D MEMO TO STAFF: PARTICIPANT OBSERVATIONS 272 APPENDIX D MEMO TO STAFF: PARTICIPANT OBSERVATIONS Date: September 9, 1983 To: Teachers and Interviewed Parents From: Sally Edgerton Topic: Participant Observations During the School Year The results of declining enrollments of students in have forced the closing of some elementary schools. Over 50 students now attending experienced a school closing when closed in June 1983. As part of a continuation of a study on school closings, I am presently following the students, parents, and teachers affected by the closing of . The intent of the study is to eXplore the effects of the school closing and to determine the adjustments made by the students, parents, and staff members in the year following a transfer to a receiving school. The research is part of a doctoral dissertation under the direction of Dr. Sheila Fitzgerald of the College of Education at Michigan State University. The research is ethnographic in nature, meaning that participant observations will be made by myself during the school year. Observations will be made before and after school, during lunch, and at any extracurricular activities such as PTA meetings. Participant observations will be recorded in field notes written after the school day. Interviews, when appropriate and possible, will be conducted to extend and validate my observations. Also, a small-group of students will be observed regularly during a small group creative writing workshop. I appreciate your consideration in my research, which will continue throughout the school year. Any information gathered will be strictly confidential, and all subjects will remain anonymous. All voluntary interviews will be confidential, and no names will be used in any research report based on any interview. APPENDIX E INTERVIEW QUESTIONS FOR TEACHERS, PARENTS, AND STUDENT PARTICIPANTS IN SMALL-GROUP WORKSHOPS 273 APPENDIX E INTERVIEW QUESTIONS FOR STAFF, PARENTS, AND STUDENT PARTICIPANTS IN SMALL-GROUP WORKSHOPS Questions for staff, parents, and students: 1. 8. What do you think about Woodhaven? How do you think you were received by the resident community? What are your positive thoughts about the new school and the change? What are your negative thoughts? What do you think others think about Woodhaven? What do you think about your own feelings about the school? What do you remember about your thoughts during the school closing of Evergreen? Do you have anything else to add? Questions for parents: 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. What do you think about your child's adjustment? What thoughts has your child told you about Woodhaven, positive or negative? What do you think best helped you and your child's adjustment to Woodhaven? What would you change in the transfer process of your child to better his or her adjustment to Woodhaven? What events were significant in the adjustment process at Woodhaven? APPENDIX F CONSENT LETTERS 274 APPENDIX F CONSENT LETTER TO "KEY INFORMANT" PARENTS Dear I A creative writing workshop is being planned for a group» of students tat . Your child's teacher recommended your child may be interested in participating in this project . Present plans center around creating motivations for writing, which would include small-group discussions, art activities, listening to good literature, and possibly some computer work. The group will meet every other week during the lunch period, eating lunch in my room. I would appreciate your consent in allowing your child to take part in this project. A secondary goal for the workshop is to observe children's adjustments in transferring to a new school after attending a closed elementary school. The observations will be ‘used in Ia doctoral dissertation on students, parents, and staff experiencing a school transfer after the closing’ of an elementary school. My research is under the direction of Drl Sheila Fitzgerald of the College of Education at Michigan State University. All observations of children will remain strictly confidential, with all names remaining anonymous in any research report. Your interest is greatly appreciated. If you have any questions or desire additional information, please feel free to contact me at 374-4290 before or after school. Sincerely, Sally Edgerton I have read the above information and agree to allow my child to participate. He or she may discontinue the workshop at any time. I prefer that my child not participate in the workshop. Parent's Signature Date 275 APPENDIX F CONSENT LETTER TO PARENTS OF STUDENTS WRITING IN CLASSROOM JOURNALS September 12, 1983 Dear Parents, Our class will be writing in journals this year as part of a dual project to develop reading and writing skills. The importance for students in the primary grades to speak and write frequently in beginning to read was expressed repeatedly in my summer readings. Our activities in motivating students for writing will center around a vdde variety of experiences. Some of our favorite songs will be encouraged to be written down as the students remember them. Ideas from good literature, science, social studies, math, and art activities will be incorporated into our journal writing. Students will also be encouraged to write about their experiences in school. Some activities will involve older students and parent volunteers writing the students' thoughts from dictation into the journals. I would appreciate your consent in allowing entries in the journals to be copied and used in a doctoral dissertation on students, parents, and teachers who experienced a school transfer as the result of a school closing. The research is under the direction of Dr. Sheila Fitzgerald of the College of Education at Michigan State University. All journal entries will be kept confidential. No names will be used in any research report. The students will be able to keep their journals at the end of the school year. Your interest is greatly appreciated. If you have any questions or desire further information, please feel free to contact me at 374-4290 before or after school. Sincerely, Sally Edgerton I have read the above statement and allow my child's jourfiEI'to be used in the study. I prefer that my child's journal not be used in the study. Parent's Signature Date 276 APPENDIX F CONSENT LETTER TO KEY INFORMANTS AND PARENTS: A FINAL FIELDTRIP May 1984 Dear Parents, To conclude our small-group writing activities for the school year, I have planned a special after school voluntary meeting. I will meet with two students during each after- school session. The activities will include writing a story and tape recording an interview related to school transfers. Please note that all stories and interviews are confidential; with no names will be used in any research report. Before I take the students home, we will stop at McDonalds for a snack. If your child wishes to participate, please Sign the form below and also the attached field trip form. Sincerely, Sally Edgerton after school activity is planned for Yes, I would like to attend the after-school activity. Student signature Yes, my child may participate in the after-school activity. Parent signature My child cannot attend on the scheduled date. Please reschedule. APPENDIX G SOCIOMETRY 277 APPENDIX G SOCIOMETRIC QUESTIONNAIRE FOR GRADES ONE THROUGH FIVE* Directions for Administration by the Classroom Teacher: I am going to ask you to put a number by the name of each student in our class. Listen to the directions before you begin. Put a l by the names of all your very best friends in this class. Put a 2 by the names of your good friends, not best, just good friends. Put a 3 by the names of kids who are not your friends, but who are Okay. Put a 4 by the names of kids you don't know very well. Put a 5 by the names of kids you don't know at all. Older students may then continue on their own. You may want to put the following list on the chalkboard for assisting students. . Best friends . Good friends . Okay friends . Kids you don't know very well . Kids you don't know at all U'lubwwl'd Lower grades may want to have the list of students in the classroom read to them, as they give each name a number. Have the students circle their own name upon completion of the questions. Thank you for your assistance. *Questions for this sociometric questionnaire were adapted from ideas from Bennett, (1981). 278 APPENDIX G Table A.1 A SAMPLE RANKING OF TRANSFERRED STUDENTS ON SOCIOMETRIC QUESTIONS Grade 2/3* September January May 34 22 20 Jon 41 23 26 42 24 27 43 28 29 Maria 46 28 34 47 29 35 49 30 36 50 31 37 50 Jon 32 37 54 34 37 56 34 Maria 39 57 35 39 57 36 Jon 39 57 Tim 36 Tim 44 57 41 45 57 42 46 58 48 51 60 Maria 59 58 Tim 62 59 66 63 66 *This is a sample of a 1983-84 school year ranking of transferred students within a classroom of second and third graders based on five sociometric questions administered in September 1983, January 1984, and May 1984. 279 APPENDIX G Table A.2 COMPARATIVE RANKING OF TRANSFERRED STUDENTS ON SOCIOMETRIC QUESTIONS ACCORDING TO GRADE: SEPTEMBER 1983 AND MAY 1984 Ranking in the Classroom Top third Middle third Lower third Ranking in the Classroom Top third Middle third Lower third Ranking in the Classroom Top third Middle third Lower third Fifth Grade Sept. May 0 1 0 3 5 1 Third Grade Sept. May 1 5 3 2 7 4 First Grade Sept. May 4 3 2 3 4 4 Fourth Grade Sept. May 2 4 3 3 7 5 Second Grade Sept. May 0 2 3 l 3 3 Total Transferred Students Sept. May 7 15 ll 12 26 17 280 APPENDIX G Table A.3 PERCENT OF CHANGE IN RANK ORDER OF TRANSFERRED STUDENTS ON SOCIOMETRIC QUESTIONS FROM SEPTEMBER 1983 TO MAY 1984 Placement within the Classroom Percent of Transferred Students 1. Lowering in status by 10 to 16 places 6.8% 2. Lowering in status by 4 to 9 places 13.6% 3. Maintaining status by 3 places 31.8% 4. Rising in status by 4 to 9 places 15.9% 5. Rising in status by 10 to 18 places 31.8% 281 APPENDIX G Table A.4 COMPARATIVE RANKING OF RESIDENT STUDENTS ON SOCIOMETRIC QUESTIONS ACCORDING TO GRADE: SEPTEMBER 1983 AND MAY 1984 Ranking in the Classroom Top third Middle third Lower third Ranking in the Classroom Top third Middle third Lower third Ranking in the Classrooms Top third Middle third Lower third Fifth Grade Sept. 13 16 10 Third Grade First Grade Sept. l6 16 14 May 13 13 13 May 15 16 15 May 12 16 18 Fourth Grade Sept. 14 11 13 May 13 12 13 Second Grade Sept. 15 12 8 May 13 13 9 Total Resident Students Sept. 77 68 59 May 66 70 68 282 APPENDIX G Table A.5 PERCENTAGE OF CHANGE IN RANK ORDER OF RESIDENT STUDENTS ON SOCIOMETRIC QUESTIONS FROM SEPTEMBER 1983 TO MAY 1984 Placement within the Classroom Percent of Resident Students 1. Lowering in status by 10 to 16 places 7.3% 2. Lowering in status by 4 to 9 places 23.5% 3. Maintaining status by 3 places 39.2% 4. Rising in status by 4 to 9 places 24.5% 5. Rising in status by 10 to 18 places 5.4% APPENDIX H STUDENT JOURNALS 13. 14. Write Write Write Write Write feast Write feast Write Write Write Writing topic: Writing topic: Writing topic: H) 283 APPENDIX H TOPICS FOR FOURTH-GRADE JOURNALS about about about about about about about about about yourself yourself and your school a good day or a bad day what you did in school today your part in preparing the Thanksgiving your favorite part of the Thanksgiving your Christmas vacation what you did in school yesterday your activities in school A School Closing: (See Appendix H) A Letter to a Student (See Appendix H) Having a Friend Overnight (See Appendix Write about what you think about the school year Write about your summer vacation 284 APPENDIX H CLASSIFICATION OF TOPICS INCLUDED IN THE JOURNAL WRITINGS OF FIRST AND FOURTH GRADE STUDENTS* 1. Positive nonacademic topics: References to tOpics such as holidays, scouts, activities outside of school 2. Positive academic tOpics: References to activities such as liking school, writing with computers, reading, math, and field trips 3. Negative nonacademic topics: References to activities out of school such as not liking a time of year such as winter 4. Negative academic tOpics: References to topics such as not liking a subject or having a substitute teacher in the classroom 5. Positive or negative comments mentioning a resident student: A specific reference in the journal entry naming a resident student 6. Positive or negative comments mentioning a transferred student: A specific reference naming a transferred student 7. Positive or negative sibling comment: Specific references to a name of a sibling in the writing 8. Positive or negative comments about a teacher: Specific references to a teacher on the Woodhaven staff 9. Positive or negative comments about friends: Writings of first graders with reference to general friendships with other students rather than specific references to the names of students. *The topics revealed in: the students' writings were collected and classified into nine categories. The categorization was based on a system used by Rohrkemper (1981). 285 APPENDIX H ROB Rob is a second (fifth) grader at Woodhaven School. This is his first year at Woodhaven. Last year, Rob went to Evergreen School. Evergreen was closed at the end of the school year and, this year, many of Rob's friends went to a different school. In the fall, when Rob started school, there were::many new faces among both his teachers and classmates. Tell a story about how Rob felt at the beginning of the school year in September. How did he feel about his new school at Christmas time? 286 APPENDIX H SUE Sue is a second (fifth) grader at Woodhaven School. This is her first year at Woodhaven. Last year, Sue went to Evergreen School. Evergreen was closed at the end of the school year and, this year, many of Sue's friends went to a different school. In the fall, when Sue started school, there were many new faces among her teachers and classmates. Tell a story about how Sue felt at the beginning of the school year in September. How did she feel about her new school at Christmas time? 287 APPENDIX H JASON Jason is a second (fifth) grader at Woodhaven School. In the fall, Jason had a teacher who was new to Woodhaven. Also, there were seven new boys and girls in his room when he didn't know from last year. Five of the kids live in a different area and ride the bus to Woodhaven. They used to go to Evergreen School, but now that the school is closed, they go to WOOdhaven. Tell a story about how Jason felt, in September, at the beginning of the school year. How did he feel about his school and classmates at Christmas time? 288 APPENDIX H ANDREA Andrea is a second (fifth) grader at Woodhaven School. In the fall, Andrea had a teacher who was new to Woodhaven. Also, there were seven new boys and girls in her room whom she didn't know from last year. Five of the kids live in a different area and ride the bus to Woodhaven. They used to go to Evergreen School, but now that the school is closed, they go to Woodhaven. Tell a story about how Andrea felt at the beginning of the school year in September. How did She feel about her school and classmates at Christmas time? 289 APPENDIX H AN OVERNIGHT INVITATION Marti was a new student at Riverside School and in the fourth grade. When She started school in the fall, she didn't know many students in her class. None of the students were close friends. As the school year went on, Marti got to know many of the boys and girls in her classroom and in the other fourth grades. Some of the kids rode the bus with her, and others lived close enough to the school to walk home. By Spring vacation, though, Marti had met many students at Riverside and had made many friends. Because her family could not go anywhere during the vacation period, Marti's mother said she could invite one of her friends to her house to stay overnight. In thinking about her new friends, it was a hard decision for Marti to pick only one friend. Pretend you are Marti. Who would you pick to stay overnight? Tell about a friend whom Marti might pick, and then tell why She decided to ask that one friend. What might the friend be like? What might happen when Marti asks her friend to stay overnight? 290 APPENDIX H A LETTER Next year another elementary in Lincoln school is going to close. The boys and girls from that school are going to go to a new school. Some of the kids will walk to a different school, and some of the kids will ride a bus to a school that is quite a distance from their old school. This year, the students at Woodhaven had new boys and girls because of the closing of Evergreen. Now some of the students who used to go to Evergreen ride a bus to Woodhaven. The students from the closing school and the students from the receiving school will have many of the same experiences next year that you had this year. In order to help' the students at their new school, would you write a letter to a pretend boy‘ or girl. In that letter, you may tell them how you felt getting to know new kids in your school. You might tell them how it felt to change schools, and ride a bus to school, instead of walking to school. Also, you might like to include in your letter your ideas for helping make the new school year happy and enjoyable. 291 APPENDIX H NEWS ARTICLE Yesterday an article was printed in the newspaper about a school being sold. 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