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A NN A R B O R , Ml 4 8 1 0 6 18 B E D F O R D ROW. L O N D O N WC1R 4 E J , E N G L A N D 8006202 VAN WAGNER, SUZANNE KAY PERCEPTIONS OF PRACTICING MIDDLE SCHOOL TEACHERS HOLDING THE MICHIGAN MIDDLE SCHOOL ENDORSEMENT REGARDING MIDDLE SCHOOL TEACHER COMPETENCIES Michigan State University University Microfilms International PH.D. 300 N. Zeeb Road, Ann Arbor, MI 48106 1979 18 Bedford Row, London WC1R 4EJ, England Copyright 1979 by VAN WAGNER, SUZANNE KAY All Rights R eserv ed PERCEPTIONS OF PRACTICING MIDDLE SCHOOL TEACHERS HOLDING THE MICHIGAN MIDDLE SCHOOL ENDORSEMENT REGARDING MIDDLE SCHOOL TEACHER COMPETENCIES By Suzanne Kay Van Wagner A DISSERTATION Submitted to Michigan State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY Department of Secondary Education and Curriculum 1979 ABSTRACT PERCEPTIONS OF PRACTICING MIDDLE SCHOOL TEACHERS HOLDING THE MICHIGAN MIDDLE SCHOOL ENDORSEMENT REGARDING MIDDLE SCHOOL TEACHER COMPETENCIES by Suzanne Kay Van Wagner PURPOSE The purpose of this study was to assess the degree to which Michigan middle school endorsement programs were producing teachers with competencies felt to be desirable for effective middle school education. To assess whether teachers earning the endorsement developed attitudes and competencies congruent with those identified as desirable by two Michigan middle school task forces, the study focused on teacher perceptions. perspectives: Perceptions were examined from three (1) the extent to which endorsed middle school teachers considered several middle school variables to be important, (2) the extent to which they implemented the variables, and (3) the extent to which college/univer­ sity courses were preparation for dealing with the variables. PROCEDURES All holders of the endorsement, as identified by the Michigan Department of Education, were surveyed. Only the responses of practicing middle school teachers were used to answer the questions posed by the study. A questionnaire was developed based on twenty-five teacher competencies Suzanne Kay Van Wagner identified by two middle school task forces within the state Sixty-two items were written to reflect the intent of vari­ ous competencies. Field testing and input from experts in the field helped to produce the final document. School Survey consisted of two parts. The Middle Part I sought infor­ mation concerning importance, implementation, and education­ al preparation. A Likert-type scale of 1-2-3-4 was used. Park II sought specific data about the respondents. Two weeks prior to the mailing of the survey, a letter to alert possible participants was mailed (628). The survey was sent, and two weeks later a follow-up postcard was sent. FINDINGS Each of the sixty-two items contained in the survey was grouped with the competency it was designed to represent for purposes of analysis. The data were reported in frequencies (%). The most frequent responses regarding the extent to which each survey item was important for middle school edu­ cation were "somewhat" (3) to "extremely important" (4). When the importance of involving parents in the educational experience of the transescent was considered, "of little im­ portance" (2) was a frequent response. Responses regarding the extent to which the various sur­ vey items were implemented ranged between "sometimes" (3) and "most of the time" (4) with "sometimes" more frequently Suzanne Kay Van Wagner chosen. The competency area dealing with parental involve­ ment received the highest frequency of "never" (1) responses. Responses regarding the extent to which college/univer­ sity courses were perceived as preparation for dealing with each survey item were fairly evenly distributed among "no" (1), "little" (2), and "some preparation" (3). The responses made to items concerning their importance for middle school education were consistent over half of the time with responses concerning the extent to which items had been implemented. CONCLUSIONS The conclusions reached as a result of the study w e r e : (1) programs leading to the Michigan middle school endorse­ ment option did not appear to prepare teachers to implement middle school concepts, (2) middle school teachers with a Michigan middle school endorsement felt 25/25 competency areas to be "extremely important" for middle school educa­ tion, (3) they "sometimes" implemented the competencies, (4) they had "little" or "some" college/university prepara­ tion to deal with the competency areas, (5) the extent to which they perceived a variable as important most influenced the extent to which the variable was implemented. Suzanne Kay Van Wagner RECOMMENDATIONS Recommendations made as a result of the study focused on the roles of the Michigan Department of Education and teach­ er training institutions. It was recommended that the en­ dorsement be more closely regulated or eliminated. Middle school teacher certification was recommended as an alterna­ tive. It was also recommended that teacher training insti­ tutions develop middle school teacher education programs at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Dedicated with love to my parents— Gerald and Eleanor Van Wagner ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Many people have contributed assistance and support leading to the completion of this project. I am apprecia­ tive of the efforts made by my doctoral committee— Chair­ person, Dr. Peggy Riethmiller; Dr. Richard Gardner; Dr. Robert Hatfield; Dr. Louis Romano; and Dr. Earl Newman. I am also appreciative of the support, encouragement, and guidance provided by Dr. Lawrence Borosage and Dr. Charles Blackman. Dr. Dennis Yockers and Ms. Barbara Reeves were especial­ ly helpful and encouraging. I am thankful. Dr. Jim Hewitt's contributions from beginning to end were invaluable. I am grateful. Dr. Mike Wolfe's friendship, faith, and caring were truly special. I am extremely fortunate. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF T A B L E S ....................................... CHAPTER I: THE P R O B L E M ............................ vii 1 I n t r o d u c t i o n ................ 1 Purpose of the S t u d y .......... 6 Need for the S t u d y ............................ 7 Definition of Terms ............................ 8 A s s u m p t i o n s .................................... 8 L i m i t a t i o n s .................................... 9 Questions Answered 9 ............................ P r o c e d u r e s .................................... 10 Overview of the S t u d y .......................... 10 CHAPTER II: REVIEW OF RELATED L I T E R A T U R E .......... 12 I n t r o d u c t i o n .................................. 12 Growth and Development ofC o n c e p t s .......... 12 Junior High and Middle School Teacher C o m p e t e n c i e s .................................. 21 Middle School Teacher Education and C e r t i f i c a t i o n ....................... 28 Interest in the Middle School Concept in M i c h i g a n ....................................... 48 Middle School Teacher Education and Certifi­ cation in M i c h i g a n ............................ 51 S u m m a r y ......................................... 53 CHAPTER III: DESIGN OF THE S T U D Y .................. 56 I n t r o d u c t i o n .................................. 56 Restatement of Purposes ofthe S t u d y .......... 56 Population and S a m p l e ....................... 57 iv . Development of Survey I n s t r u m e n t ............... 57 The Survey I n s t r u m e n t .......................... 59 Part I of the Q u e s t i o n n a i r e ............... 59 Part II of the Q u e s t i o n n a i r e ............. 62 Data Collection Procedures ..................... 63 Data Processing and T r e a t m e n t ................. 65 S u m m a r y ......................................... 66 ANALYSIS OF THE D A T A ................... 68 Introduction .................................... 68 Data C o l l e c t i o n ................................ 68 Description of R e s p o n d e n t s ..................... 70 F i n d i n g s ......................................... 80 CHAPTER IV: S u m m a r y ......................................... CHAPTER V: SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS, AND RECOMMENDA­ TIONS 131 134 I n t r o d u c t i o n .................................... 134 S u m m a r y ................. 134 C o n c l u s i o n s .................................... 136 Recommendations for Michigan Department of E d u c a t i o n ....................... 148 Implications for Michigan Department of E d u c a t i o n ...................................... 148 Recommendations for Teacher Education 149 ........ Implications for Teacher Education ............. 150 Recommendations for Future R e s e a r c h ........... 150 C o m m e n t s ......................................... 151 APPENDIX A ........................................... 152 APPENDIX B ........................................... 166 APPENDIX C ........................................... 170 v APPENDIX D LIST OF REFERENCES LIST OF TABLES 2.1 Significant Events in the Growth and Develop­ ment of the Junior High and Middle School . . . 14 2.2 Middle School Certification Practices ........ 45 3.1 Middle School Teacher Competencies and Related Survey Question Numbers ............... 60 4.1 Description of Mailed Survey Data Collection 69 4.2 Gender of Middle School Teachers with an E n d o r s e m e n t ................................ 70 Age of Middle School Teachers with an E n d o r s e m e n t ................................ 71 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 4.7 4.8 4.9 Michigan Teaching Certificate Held by Middle School Teachers with an Endorsement . . . 72 Work Preference of Middle School Teachers with an E n d o r s e m e n t ....................... 72 Level of Education Completed by Middle School Teachers with an E n d o r s e m e n t ...... 73 Number of Years Middle School Teachers with an Endorsement Had Worked in the Profession . . 74 Teaching Responsibilities of Middle School Teachers with an E n d o r s e m e n t ............. 75 Number of Hours Per Week Spent on Planning and Preparation by Middle School Teachers with an E n d o r s e m e n t ....................... 76 4.10 Number of Hours Per Week Spent with Students Beyond the Regular School Day by Middle School Teachers with an E n d o r s e m e n t ...... 77 4.11 Institutions Granting Endorsements to Middle School Teachers with an E n d o r s e m e n t ...... 78 4.12 Reasons Given by Middle School Teachers with an Endorsement for Seeking the Endorsement . . 79 4.13 Undergraduate and Graduate Courses Completed by Middle School Teachers with an Endorsement 81 vii . 4.14 General Middle School Competency A and Related Survey Questions ....................... 82 4.15 General Middle School Competency B and Related Survey Questions ....................... 83 4.16 General Related 87 Middle School Competency C and Survey Questions ....................... 4.17 General Middle School Competency D and Related Survey Questions ................... . . 89 4.18 General Related Middle School Competency E and Survey Questions ....................... 90 4.19 General Related Middle School Competency F and Survey Questions ....................... 93 4.20 General Related Middle School Competency G and Survey Questions ....................... 94 4.21 General Related Middle School Competency H and Survey Questions ...................... 97 4.22 General Related Middle School Competency I and Survey Questions . . ................ 98 4.23 General Related Middle School Competency J and Survey Questions ...................... 100 4.24 General Related Middle School Competency K and Survey Questions ...................... 101 4.25 General Related Middle School Competency L and Survey Questions ...................... 103 4.26 General Related Middle School Competency M and Survey Questions ...................... 104 4.27 General Related Middle School Competency N and Survey Questions ...................... 105 4.28 General Related Middle School Competency 0 and Survey Questions ...................... 107 4.29 General Related Middle School Competency P and Survey Questions ...................... 108 4.30 General Related Middle School Competency Q and Survey Questions ...................... 109 4.31 General Related Middle School Competency R and Survey Questions ...................... Ill viii 4.32 General Middle School Competency S and Related Survey Questions ........................ 113 4.33 General Middle School Competency T and Related Survey Questions ........................ 114 4.34 Specific Middle School Competency A-l and Related Survey Questions ................... 116 4.34 Specific Middle School Competency A-2 and Related Survey Questions ................... 117 4.34 Specific Middle School Competency A-3 and Related Survey Questions ................... 118 4.35 Specific Middle School Competency 5 and Related Survey Q u e s t i o n s ..................... . 121 4.36 Specific Middle School Competency C and Related Survey Questions ....................... 123 4.37 Specific Middle School Competency D and Related Survey Questions ........................ 124 4.38 Specific Middle School Competency E and Related Survey Questions . . ................. 126 4.39 The Degree to Which Responses Were Consis­ tent Between Survey I t e m s ..................... 128 4.40 The Number of Survey Items Appearing in Each Percentage Group Representing Degree of C o n s i s t e n c y ............... 130 5.1 Most Frequent Responses for Items Represent­ ing Each C o m p e t e n c y ............................ ix 137 CHAPTER I THE PROBLEM Introduction Coping with the ten- to fourteen-year-old is not always as easy as many adults imagine. The junior high child has always been considered the most dif­ ficult to handle...It is far easier to teach high school students than to teach the ten- to fourteenyear-old, who is looking for an identify (Kindred, Wolotkiewicz, Mickelson, Coplein, and Dyson, 1976, p. 174). Educators have characterized the ten- to fourteen-yearold youngster as unique, regardless of the educational setging in which the youth is found. . Whether the student is a part of a middle school, a junior high, or some other school organization, the physical, emotional, social, and mental needs are identifiable and, over the years, have remained consistently the same. The development of the junior high school in the late 1890's and the recent emergence of the middle school in the 1960's were movements which resulted from a recognition of the uniqueness of the transescent. New insights into the growth and development of this child have led to an increased awareness of the differences which apparently exist among elementary, middle, and high school youth. They have also led to a concern about the effectiveness of teacher 1 education programs to adequately prepare teachers for work­ ing with these students. In an attempt to address the concern, this study exam­ ined one teacher education effort in Michigan. The state offers a middle school endorsement through its teacher train* ing institutions. An individual may earn such an endorse­ ment by completing a planned program of courses related to the philosophy and methodology of the middle school. The general purpose of the study was to assess the effectiveness of the endorsement program by examining the perceptions of practicing middle school teachers who had completed the op­ tion. On many occasions, Michigan educators had considered the issues surrounding the preparation of teachers to work with transescent youth. Discussions centered primarily on the appropriateness of middle school/junior high teacher certification as a method to ensure adequate preparation. At the 1973 Michigan Association of Secondary School Princi­ pals annual conference, such a discussion led to the forma­ tion of a task force to address this concern. The task force included representatives from the Michigan Department of Education, the Michigan Association of Elementary School Principals (hereafter referred to as MAESP), the Michigan Education Association, the Michigan Association of Secondary School Principals (hereafter referred to as MASSP), the Michigan Association of School Boards, the Michigan Congress of Parents and Teachers, the Michigan Association of School 3 Administrators, the Michigan Federation of Teachers, the Michigan Association of Middle School Educators (hereafter referred to as MAMSE), the Michigan Council of Mathematics Teachers, as well as representatives from several Michigan colleges and universities (Wayne State University, Central Michigan University, Alma College, Western Michigan Univer­ sity, Michigan State University, and the University of Mich­ igan) . They met throughout the spring and summer of 1974 and were guided by these objectives: 1. Establishing an acceptable rationale for a separate educational program for emerging adolescents which would be different from elementary or senior high school programs. 2. Identifying acceptable philosophies, goals and objectives, and desirable methodologies appropriate for students at this stage of development. 3. Describing the kinds of knowledge and skills which teachers would need in order to func­ tion effectively in these separate kinds of school programs. 4. Developing models for preservice and inser­ vice learning experiences which would assist teachers to develop or improve the competen­ cies described. 5. Making recommendations in regard to appro­ priate changes in the Teacher Certification Code which would assure that in-coming teach­ ers could have the competencies needed to enable the junior high or middle school to accomplish its historical mission (MAMSE, 1974). The result of the task force effort was a position pa­ per addressing each of the five objectives. The third ob­ jective is of particular importance to this study as it led to the development of a list of teacher competencies deemed 4 necessary to achieve the goals of middle school education. Twenty general competencies were identified. A.) (See Appendix The position paper was submitted to the State Board of Education, and was approved by the Board in March, 1976. On March 2, 1976, the State Board of Education offi­ cially directed that a middle school task force be organized. Members were appointed at the November 2, 1976, meeting and were charged with these tasks: 1. Identify and described teacher competencies necessary to function effectively at the junior high/middle school level. 2. Prepare recommendations regarding preservice and inservice experiences designed to enable teachers to develop these competencies. 3. Make recommendations regarding teacher cer­ tification. 4. Make recommendations concerning the imple­ mentation of these issues to the State* Board of Education and the educational community (Michigan Department of Education, 1977, p. 1). The group worked intensively in the summer of 1977. The result of the effort was to add substantially to the list of competencies compiled by the original task force in 1974. While the earlier group had developed a list of general mid­ dle school teacher competencies, the new task force focused on competencies specific to middle school teachers. The formation of the two forces, and the objectives of each, indicated considerable interest in middle school teacher education throughout Michigan. The first task force had been formed as a result of the concerns of educators throughout the state; the second was the result of a State 5 Board of Education mandate. A task common to both groups was to make recommendations relative to teacher certifica­ tion in Michigan. Two types and two levels of teacher certification are available in Michigan. The types of certification include . the initial Provisional and the eventual Continuing. levels are Secondary and Elementary certification. The The Teacher Preparation and Professional Development Services division of the Michigan Department of Education (1977) de­ scribed the existing options as: A secondary level certificate is valid for teach­ ing all subjects in grades seven and eight, and majors and minors in grades nine through twelve. An initial Michigan elementary certificate issued after July 1, 1970, is valid for teaching all sub­ jects grades kindergarten through eight and majors and minors in grade nine. An initial Michigan elementary certificate issued before July 1, 1970, is valid for teaching all subjects in grades kindergarten through eight. NOTE: the endorsement for teaching majors and minors in grade nine WAS NOT and IS NOT available when the initial Michigan elementary level certi­ ficate was issued before July 1, 1970. Both the Secondary and Elementary certificates can be en­ dorsed for certain specialized majors in grades kindergarten through twelve (p. 1). In 1971, a middle school endorsement was offered as an optional addition to an existing elementary or secondary certificate. The endorsement was the result of earlier ini­ tial efforts within the state to address concerns relative to middle school teacher preparation. It was described as: All approved Michigan teacher education institu­ tions now have authority to "plan" an eighteen or 6 more semester hour program for adding a "middle school--grades five through nine" specialization endorsement to an already existing Michigan teaching certificate. It is the prerogative of each such approved teacher education institution to determine the specifics of such "planned pro­ gram" of additional credit, and the candidate wishing to qualify for such endorsement must work directly with an approved Michigan college in such regard (Teacher Preparation and Professional Devel opment Services, 1977, p. 8). Purpose of the Study The efforts of both Michigan middle school task forces resulted in recommendations effecting teacher preparation and certification. Both groups called for movement beyond the vague 1971 middle school endorsement option to ensure that teachers were indeed properly prepared to work with transescents. The 1976 task force called for a new, sepa­ rate certificate: \ After considering many alternatives, the Task Force believes that the establishment of a se­ parate certificate will provide the catalyst for improving teacher preparation and, at the same time, improve school programs (Michigan Department of Education, 1977, p. 55). The recommendation to offer a separate middle school teaching certificate was made, yet efforts had not been ini­ tiated to assess the ability of the 1971 endorsement option to produce teachers with the competencies necessary to suc­ cessfully effect middle school education. The purpose of this study was to assess the perceptions of practicing middle school teachers who had earned the mid­ dle school endorsement. Teachers with competencies described in the various task force reports were viewed as likely pro­ ducts of a suggested change in the teacher certification code. Yet, it was possible the endorsement was achieving the same results. An examination of perceptions regarding the extent to which certain variables were important for middle school education, the extent to which the variables were implemented, and the extent to which college and/or university courses were perceived as preparation for dealing with the variables helped clarify the degree to which en­ dorsed teachers' perceptions and task force competencies were congruent. Need for the Study The Tenth Annual Gallop Poll reflected the public's growing concern for teacher quality. When asked what the public school should be doing that they were not doing now, the second most frequent response was "better teachers" (Gal­ lup, 1978). A "good" teacher was described as "...teachers who take a personal interest in each student, who try to understand each student and his or her problems..." (Gallup, 1978). This study of practicing middle school teachers with a Michigan middle school endorsement was an attempt to provide data necessary to determine the future direction of middle school teacher education and certification efforts in Michi­ gan. The general attitude reflected by the various task force reports supported certification as a way to meet the 8 public's demands for "better teachers." However, data were lacking relative to the effectiveness of the middle school endorsement program to meet the demand. This study also attempted to contribute insights rela­ tive to middle school teacher education. The literature generally had described what programs to prepare middle school educators should be like, but few programs had been formulated based on data from actual research findings (Gatewood, 1973; Wiles and Thomason, 1975). Definition of Terms Middle School: any separate intermediate school that has combined one or more of the upper ele­ mentary grades (five and six) with the lower se­ condary grades (seven and eight) (Pumerantz, 1969, p. 15). Middle School Certification: any teaching certificate offered by a state which provides for the teaching of any grades five through nine. Transescent: a youngster in that stage of develop­ ment which begins prior to the onset of puberty and extends through the early stages of adolescence (Eichhom, 1966, p. 3). Michigan Middle School Endorsement: a planned eighteen or more semester hour program for adding a "middle school--grades five through nine" spe­ cialization endorsement to an already existing Michigan teacher certificate granted by an approved teacher education institution (Teacher Preparation and Professional Development Services, 1978, p. 8). Assumptions The following assumptions were made for purposes of this study: 9 1. Middle school teachers with a Michigan middle school endorsement perceived and evaluated themselves accurately on the survey instrument. 2. The survey instrument accurately reflected the general and specific middle school teacher competencies identified by the two Michigan middle school task forces. 3. The middle school teacher competencies identi­ fied by the two Michigan middle school task forces were representative of a nationally accepted ideal. 4. The population of the study was normal so as to allow the findings to be generalizable to other similar populations. Limitations The major limitations of this study were: 1. The use of a paper and pencil survey instru­ ment and/or the fact that it was mailed may not have been the most effective means to collect data pertinent to the study. 2. The survey instrument designed to measure the congruence of teacher competencies with the standards established by the middle school task forces may not have been an adequate measure. 3. The perceptions of teachers may not have ac­ curately reflected the actual circumstances in which they were involved. Questions Answered The questions this study attempted to answer were: 1. To what extent are the teacher competencies identified as desirable by Michigan middle school task forces perceived as important by middle school teachers with a Michigan middle school endorsement? 2. To what extent are the teacher competencies identified as desirable by Michigan middle school task forces perceived as implemented 10 by middle school teachers with a Michigan middle school endorsement? 3. To what extent do middle school teachers with a Michigan middle school endorsement perceive their college/university courses as preparation for their roles as middle school educators? 4. What are the demographic data of middle school teachers with a Michigan middle school endor­ sement? Procedures A survey instrument was designed to gather the data necessary to answer the research questions. Items for this instrument were designed to match or reflect the intent of all General and Specific Middle School Teacher Competencies identified by the two Michigan middle school task forces. (See Appendix A for a complete listing of the general and specific competencies.) The Middle School Survey was mailed to all holders of a Michigan middle school endorsement as identified by the Michigan Department of Education— Teacher Preparation and Professional Development Services. Data were analyzed from respondents indicating they were practic­ ing middle school teachers. Overview of the Study Chapter I of the study provided information relative to the background of the problem as well as the purpose of and need for the study. dressed. Assumptions and limitations were ad­ Terms were also identified. 11 Chapter II consists of a literature review relative to the historical development of the junior high and middle school, the past and present middle school teacher compe­ tencies considered to be important, the extent of interest in the middle school concept in the State of Michigan, and the status of middle school teacher education and certifi­ cation in Michigan. Chapter III discusses the design of the study and in­ cludes a description of the sample, the survey instrument and its development, the collection of the data, and the data analysis procedures used. Chapter IV presents an analysis of the data collected. Chapter V includes a summary of the study, conclusions, recommendations for the future of the Michigan middle school endorsement, recommendations for teacher training institu­ tions, and recommendations for future research. CHAPTER II REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE Introduction This review of literature addresses five questions as they relate to the purposes of the study. The questions are: 1. How did the concepts of junior high and middle school grow and develop? 2. What competencies were/are sought for junior high teachers and middle school teachers? 3. What is the status of middle school teacher education and certification throughout the United States? 4. What is the extent of interest in the middle school concept in Michigan? 5. What is the status of middle school teacher education and certification in Michigan? Growth and Development of Concepts Interest in the development of schools appropriate for ten-to-fourteen year olds and in the education of teachers especially trained to deal with them had its origins in the latter half of the nineteenth century. Although the events of these early years were not necessarily intended as such, they may be regarded as the initial steps in the 12 13 development of the m o d e m middle school. Table 2.1 depicts events of significance. As early as 1867, educators began thinking in terms of new patterns of school organization. Kansas City, Missouri, offered a grade organization of 7-4. In a speech to the National Education Association in 1888, Charles W. Eliot, President of Harvard, urged that the length of time spent in school should be shortened. He sought such a change so as to allow young men to enter college at earlier ages. The Committee of Ten on Secondary-School Studies was ap­ pointed in 1892 and issued its final report in 1893. The report called for the introduction of certain subjects earlier in the educational program of students. The recom­ mendations received support from the Committee of Fifteen who, in 1895, called for similar action. This committee reported a need for more elementary and secondary coopera­ tion with subjects being introduced earlier. Also, in 1895, the Committee on College Entrance Requirements was formed. The purpose of this NEA committee was to investigate the problem of college entrance requirements. When it issued its report four years later (1899), it favored a unified six-year high school with a course of study beginning in the seventh grade. As each of the committees made recommendations and various educational leaders called for changes, school sys­ tems began to react by experimenting with new patterns of organization. In 1896, Richmond, Indiana, had seventh and Till*Ie 2 .1 . S ig n if ic a n t E vents In th e ijrowlli snul hevclojiuiciiL o f th e .lu lilu r High anil K iddle School ao • n Virginia ''Cor.” Curriculum n * a O A n, n m Safi M» »- 1667 1920 1930 O. O a> a a a sr 3* V 4ft I960 H* PI n pi 2. w 15 eighth graders in a separate building called an intermediate school. In 1901, Lawrence, Kansas, also acknowledged the formation of an intermediate school. The State of Florida reported giving financial aid to junior high schools as early as 1903. However, the term "junior high" may have meant the first two years of a student's high school educa­ tion and did not necessarily assume a new pattern of school organization. At this time, too (1905), New York City iden­ tified intermediate schools in operation. Several new committees were formed at this time. The reports of these groups were to be significant in the de­ velopment of the junior high and middle school because new plans for school reorganization were, proposed. The Commit­ tee on Economy of Time in Education was formed in 1903 and issued a comprehensive report ten years later. The purpose of this National Education Association committee was to study the results of shortening the years of elementary and secondary education. In the comprehensive report, sup­ port was given to the concept of the intermediate school. The Committees on Six-Year Courses began working in 1905 to study the reorganization of the 8-4 plan. In a report issued two years later, the Committees gave strong support to the 6-6 plan of school organization. The North Central Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools conducted an investigation of school organization in 1914. The report of the committee was given by Harry E. Brown and strongly 16 recommended that the 6-3-3 plan was the most beneficial for all students concerned. The results of many studies of importance to school reorganization were released which influenced the develop­ ment of intermediate schools. The 1907 Thorndike study, the 1909 Ayres study, and the 1911 Strayer study all were concerned about the rate at which students withdraw from school. grade. Many students did not continue past the fifth The Ayres study, in particular, reported that only forty percent of the student body in several city schools went on to the ninth grade (Popper, 1967, p. 15). Re­ searchers looked at examples of reorganized schools de­ signed to better meet the needs of pupils at this crucial time and reported significant results. Under the new 6-3-3 plan, students tended to remain in school at least through the ninth grade (Popper, 1967, p. 15). Adolescence was published by G. Stanley Hall in 1904. He traced the transition from childhood to adolescence us­ ing a small number of young people. He found this period to be one of accelerated growth accompanied by considerable anxiety, emotional turbulence, erratic behavior, and inde­ pendent assertiveness (Alexander, Williams, Compton, Hines, 1969, p. 24). This work by Hall contributed significant support to the school organization plan which called for a separate intermediate level school. The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teach­ ing was established in 1905. Although the purpose for 17 which the foundation was formed was to dispense pensions to college professors, an additional purpose became the deter­ mination of education standards (Stoumbis and Howard, 1969, p. 215). The Carnegie Unit, a national common measure for the amount of time spent on a school subject, was establish­ ed as a result. Carnegie Units eventually were given for a school year's study of a subject beginning in the ninth grade. The necessity of adherence to Carnegie Units became a cause to revise the 6-3-3 plan. These units could be more easily administered and recorded by the leadership of a single school. A 5-3-4 plan developed in part as a re­ sult of the acceptance of the Carnegie Unit. School districts throughout the nation experimented with new patterns of school organization. ley, California, had a 6-3-3 pattern. In 1910, Berke­ Columbus, Ohio, opened a three-year school for early adolescents in that same year. A year later Grand Rapids, Michigan, and Los Angeles, California, opened three-year schools for inter­ mediate education. Ultimately, the period of time between 1920 and 1930 saw a rapid increase in this pattern of school organization. In 1930, the Eight-Year Study of the Commission on the Relation of School and College released a report. This Progressive Education Association group called for a "unified studies" core curriculum based on a reorganization of traditional subject matter (Stoumbis and Howard, 1969, p. 227). This approach to the organization of subject 18 matter was to become a basic component of the middle school concept--interdisciplinary teaching. In that same year (1930), the state of Virginia de­ signed and experimented with a "social functions" core cur­ riculum. It differed from the "unified studies" approach in focus. The area of attention and concern was the de­ veloping world of the student, not subject matter. The blending of these two core curriculum concepts formed the ideal model for future middle schools. In 1940, Benjamin Bosse High School in Evansville, Indiana, experimented with an interdisciplinary approach to teaching. The pro­ gram was called "General Living Core" and involved three teachers, one-hundred ninth graders, and a three period * block of time (Stoumbis and Howard, 1969, p. 322). Team teaching emerged as an obvious and essential result of an interdisciplinary approach to subject matter. The Research Branch of the United States Army contri­ buted somewhat indirectly to the growth of the middle school. In 1941, the Information and Education Division was formed (Popper, 1967, p. 4). As a result of the so­ cial research undertaken by this group, a more widespread interest in social science research was created. What followed was an increased awareness of the social forces acting to influence behavior. Of particular importance to the growth of the middle school concept was the necessity to identify forces influencing the beliefs of the school principal. The principal was the agent recognized as 19 having the greatest degree of control over implementation of innovations. An awareness and understanding of social forces perceived as threatening to the implementation of a concept might lessen resistance and enhance implementation. The Adolescent Growth Study of the University of Cali­ fornia at Berkeley examined the growth rates of early and late maturing children. The results, released in 1951, in­ dicated wide differences in rates of growth and supported the development of an educational program designed to ac­ comodate this physical diversity (Alexander, et al., 1969, p . .27). By 1952, the reorganized secondary school was the pre­ dominant type of school in America (Gruhn and Douglass, 1956, p. 19). The United States Office of Education re­ ported fifty-seven percent (57%) of the schools to be or­ ganized in a junior high-senior high arrangement. An increased awareness of the pre-adolescent student led to experimentation to accommodate new understandings In 1962, Brookhurst Junior High School in Anaheim, Califor­ nia, introduced flexible scheduling. Ninth graders were allowed to choose a variety of time options for learning. This increased awareness of pre-adolescents also raised some concern about special teacher preparation for dealing with them. The state of Indiana became the first to offer a separate junior high school teaching certifi­ cate in 1963 (Pabst, 1962, p. 2). 20 The NASSP published Guidelines for Junior High and Middle School Education in 1966. The publication was the work of the Committee on Junior High School Education. It supported flexibility in admissions and promotion and en­ couraged a variety of course offerings (Alexander, et al., 1969, p. 7). By 1966 the growth of a unit identified as a middle school had begun. Malinka reported the results of several studies which illustrate this substantial, growth: Alexander (1968) provided statistics which showed that approximately 1100 middle schools were operational. Kealy (1971) followed the Alexander study and located nearly 2300 middle schools in 1970. Several years later, Compton (1974) published a report on the growth of middle schools in the United States which showed that more than 3700 middle schools can be found in operation across the nation. Surveys (Sinks, 1977) conducted in the upper midwest area since 1970 on three-year intervals indicate that the number of middle schools there has grown from approximately two hundred twenty to more than nine hundred in a six-year period (Malinka, 1977, p. 50). A recent 1977 study by Brooks indicated 4,060 middle schools (Brooks, 1978). Samuel H. Popper (1967) suggested that the middle school in the United States was modeled after the Danish middle schools which were established in 1903. However, he found the American middle school was significantly differ­ ent in two aspects. While the Danish system had distinct tracks (the examination middle school and the prevocational middel school), the American school did not make any se­ parate distinction of students. Also, the American middle 21 school was organized primarily around the unique physical, social, and psychological needs of early adolescents rather than for political purposes as was the case in Denmark. Even though early schools had various names (intermediate school, upper grammar school, junior high school), they were similar in their support for education based on these unique needs (pp. 10-11). Junior High and Middle School Teacher Competencies ...regardless of the motives of the school's establishment, the most m o d e m facilities and materials and the best planned curriculum are of no avail unless the staff is prepared to work with transescents. Teachers make the difference in any school. The better prepared the staff is to work with youngsters of this age, the greater the likelihood that the middle school will be successful (Compton, 1973, p. 214). The call for teachers specially trained to deal with the unique needs of transescent youth was not a recent phe­ nomenon in American education, but a recurring demand seen as early as 1890. At this time National Education Associa­ tion study committees and various leaders in the move to reorganize education called for upper elementary teachers who would be better prepared in their teaching fields than teachers were at the time (Gruhn and Douglass, 1956, p. 12). Since this early call for teachers with more than tra­ ditional competencies, many plans were formulated for the education of teachers of transescent youth. Perhaps the most copied plan came from the University of Florida. 22 A result of the University of Florida Middle School Project (Gainesville, 1972) was the development of several key competency areas for middle school teaching. The com­ petencies identified were deemed most crucial to the achievement of the middle school concept. The competencies a middle school teacher should demonstrate were listed as: 1. Shows awareness of his own behavior patterns and how they are influenced by situations and by his beliefs; awareness of personality cha­ racteristics ; acceptance of a variety of be­ havior in others that differs from his own. 2. Interacts constructively with other adults and with transescents; shows regard for persons; is approachable, responsive and supportive. 3. Understands the physical development process of the transescent student and organizes his teaching according to that process. 4. Understands the intellectual development pro­ cess of the transescent student and organizes his teaching according to that process. 5. Understands the socio-emotional development process of the transescent student and organ­ izes his teaching according to that process. 6. Understands the career developmental process of the transescent student and organizes his teaching according to that process. 7. Understands and applies various theories of the teaching-learning process; analyzes the learning patterns of individual students, prescribes for these and evaluates results. 8. Incorporates a knowledge of group dynamics in his teaching and helps students understand group process: group decision-making, leader­ ship skills and peer influence. 9. Promotes positive relationships between the school and community, between the teacher and parents and between various sub-cultures in the school. 23 10. Organizes curriculum plans and opportunities appropriate to the middle school (those that facilitate the developmental tasks of transescence and are responsive to community problems). 11. Uses appropriate procedures of managing an instructional program--designing, conducting, evaluating and revising curriculum and in­ struction. 12. Makes effective presentations using appro­ priate media. 13. Deals effectively with unusual classroom problems. 14. Counsels individual students, promoting selfdirection through indirect guidance. 15. Helps students to consider alternative values and to develop personal workable valuing sys­ tems. 16. Teaches students techniques of problem-solving. 17. Provides opportunities and guidance to help students become independent learners (define own goals and problems, identify resources and evaluate outcomes). 18. Designs and conducts group activities accord­ ing to the kinds of learnings that are facil­ itated by the different groupings. 19. Has skills of working in cooperative teaching situations— with other teachers, paraprofessionals, and resource persons. 20. Accepts responsibility of multi-disciplinary instruction; plans thematic and coordinated studies with other teachers and assists them in teaching subjects outside of his own area of specialization (Gatewood and Mills, 1975, p. 256). The University of Florida list of desirable middle school teacher competencies was widely adopted as a guide for program development. The various competencies identi­ fied by the Michigan middle school task forces were taken 24 from this list almost verbatim. The list was comprehensive in nature as it attempted to deal with all teacher roles necessary for working with the transescent youngster. The list of competencies developed in Florida resulted from a combined Florida Department of Education-University of Florida effort. The Teacher Education Advisory Council of the State of Florida appointed a task force to draft guidelines for the preparation of middle school teachers. The work of the task force produced a list of fifty-four teacher competencies. The University of Florida at Gaines­ ville was contracted to develop instruments and procedures to measure the competencies. Field testing involving the initial list of fifty-four competencies reduced the list to thirty competencies which researchers felt could be mea­ sured unambiguously. The consolidation of competencies produced the final listing (Lawrence, 1971, p. 60). Southworth (1968) proposed a list of competencies con­ sidered important to include in the preparation of a middle school staff. The list appeared as more general than that proposed by Florida, but seems to include many of the basic areas of concern. A teacher was demanded with abilities in: 1. Developing pupil self-appraisal and acceptance in the broad context of human development. 25 2. Providing for an encouraging individual learner self-direction closely related to his unique characteristics, readiness, and aspirations. 3. Providing and maintaining a learning environ­ ment which fosters relevant objectives, skill mastery, inquiry, discovery, problem-solving, and critical or imaginative thinking through individual and group processes. 4. Exploring with youth the structure, concepts, classes of phenomena, and relationships within and among the several content disciplines. 5. Selecting and utilizing varied media and com­ munication devices through corporate partici­ pation by the learners. 6. Personal appraisal and systems analysis, in­ cluding feedback mechanisms with learner in­ volvement. 7. Designing, testing, evaluating, and reformulat­ ing program and materials as related to soci­ ety, knowledge, the learner, relevant theories, and personnel development (p. 126). Curtis (1972) offered a somewhat more abbreviated but similar list of middle school teacher competencies. sary competencies included: (1) self awareness, (2) recog­ nition of variabilities among emerging adolescents, termination of objectives, tools, Neces­ (3) de­ (4) utilization of diagnostic (5) facilitation of learning, and (6) specialization in resource materials (p. 63). Kealy and Fillmer (1970) stressed understandings and skills related to: (1) the nature of the transescent, the nature of the middle school program, the teacher-counselor, struction, (2) (3) the role of (4) the individualization of in­ (5) the teaching of continued learning skills, and (6) subject field specialization (p. 273). 26 Specific recommendations for middle school teacher competencies made by Hubert (1972) included: 1. Ability to interact constructively with early adolescents. 2. Personal commitment to education as growth and to the democratic process in the educational setting. 3. Understanding of the learning process', the qualities of the American educational system, the goals and functions of the junior high/ middle school and the methods necessary for their realization, and the nature and struc­ ture of one's subject matter fields. 4. Techniques for classroom counseling and gui­ dance; values clarification integrated into the curriculum; working with other teachers; promoting divergent, independent thinking; classroom management consistent with democratic process and growth; and appropriate use of re­ sources and audio-visual equipment (Abstract). McMaster (1977) described certain competencies as "im­ peratives" for effective middle school teachers. were: They teachers who practice democracy, teachers who are secure people, and teachers who are committed to middle school kids (p. 4). Brown (1971) surveyed selected principals as to the qualities, competencies, and experiences they considered to be desirable for junior high and middle school teachers. Two competencies not previously mentioned were identified. To meet the needs of pre-service teachers, the respondents felt supervising teachers in junior highs and middle schools should be especially trained to work with student teachers. They also felt that reading teachers should have the skills necessary for working with other teachers as 27 well as the traditional diagnostic and prescription skills (p. 126). In addition to professional competencies, attention has also been given to the personal characteristics felt to be important for successful middle school education. DeVita, Fumerantz, and Wilklow (1970) suggested a middle school teacher was one w h o : 1. Should know himself, accept his own weaknesses and be able to work out his own problems without involving his students, thus providing a good example. 2. Should have a positive attitude toward his stu­ dents. Should be consistent and firm and pa­ tient in helping them to reach high standards while showing he likes them, respects them and is interested in them. 3. Should understand his students in terms of their being products of their environments and their being at a unique stage in their growth and development. 4. Should be enthusiastic and exciting so that he can stimulate the curiosity of youngsters. 5. Should show resourcefulness in providing the varied experiences that middle school young­ sters need. 6. Should be flexible so he can adapt to a variety of new situations that will arise during the day. It is essential that students at this age have exposure to models of responsibility. 7. Should not take himself too seriously and miss the humor in the actions of youngsters. He should possess a sense of humor so that he can share in the delight and the amusement of a variety of situations. 8. Should be ready to cooperate and share with colleagues in planning and developing the new and exciting programs and approaches in the middle school. 28 9. Should have unlimited horizons, a bright vi­ sion of the future, and faith in young people so that they can contribute to a program of schooling that will help children achieve the realization of their potentialities (p. 136). Regardless of the length of the list of competencies, there seemed to be general consensus as to the professional and personal qualities necessary for effective middle school education to occur. The competencies supported by the Michigan task force were congruent with the general con­ sensus. Gordon Vars very simply summarized the general ca­ tegories of competencies when he described the middle school teacher as one who should: ...understand and enjoy working with youngsters in this age range; know something worth teaching to young people; and know some effective ways to teach (1969, p. 172). Middle School Teacher Education and Certification Clearly, middle school teacher preparation is teacher education's most neglected area (Gate­ wood and Mills, 1975, p. 254). The actual process of educating teachers to work in middle schools indeed had been neglected. Studies were conducted which focused on teacher training institutions as the important factor. Krinsky and Pumerantz (1972) reported the results of a survey conducted in 1969-70. Only twenty-three percent of the responding institutions had middle school teacher pre­ paration programs at any level. Eleven percent had an un­ dergraduate curriculum dealing with middle school education, 29 and five percent indicated plans to establish such courses. Twelve percent reported a graduate curriculum in this area, and two percent had plans to establish a program (p. 469). A more recent study by Gatewood and Mills (1973) re­ vealed the degree to which middle school teacher prepara­ tion was supported by institutions of higher education. A survey of over six hundred colleges and universities in the United States revealed that over seventy-five percent had no formal programs of middle school pre-service teacher preparation, five percent had a special program separate from the elementary and secondary preparation programs, and the remainder had middle school teacher preparation sub­ sumed tinder the elementary or secondary teacher education programs (1975, p. 19). The results of the Gatewood and Mills study revealed no change in the degree to which teacher training institutions were involved in middle school teacher preparation. The situation is further supported by Mitchell (1975). A comparison of junior high and middle school development concluded that these institutions were traditionally staffed with teachers not trained for their uniqueness. Even though junior high and middle school advocates desired such professionals, colleges and universities failed to respond to the need. Despite the failure of teacher training institutions to respond, considerable attention was directed to the issue of middle school teacher preparation. attention focused on two areas: Specifically, the appropriate content 30 for teacher training and the best way to organize a program for dealing with experience and content. Ackerman (1962) critically analyzed existing junior high school teacher education. He concluded that profes­ sional education and psychology were essential ingredients for a pre-service program (p. 394). In 1965, Vars proposed a junior high teacher training program which contained a broad general education; some depth in at least two teaching fields; and special attention to (1) the nature of the young adolescent, of reading, (2) the teaching (3) the teacher’s role in guidance and counsel­ ing, and (4) the history and philosophy of the junior high school (p. 81). Student teaching at this level was also included. Moss (1969) divided the content appropriate for middle school teacher preparation into courses about growth and development, learning theories, foundations of education, and methods of teaching (pp. 212-217). Any differences be­ tween this approach and traditional elementary or secondary teacher training were minor. However, the focus was the transescent student in such areas as growth and development and psychology. Academic preparation, professional preparation, and student teaching were the areas addressed by DeVita, Pumerantz, and Wilklow (1970). They proposed a middle school teacher who was educated in the social sciences, humanities, sciences, mathematics, and the arts so as to provide 31 ...the foundations from which he can project to the level of relevance and application which is appro­ priate to the problems of the pre- and early ado­ lescent (p. 139). The professional preparation proposed included train­ ing in (1) learning theory; (2) teaching strategies; child growth and development; (5) guidance practices; ture of personality and (3) (4) curriculum development; (6) psychology, including the struc­ the conditions of its growth; and (7) a clinical student-teaching or intern experience pre­ ferably in a school of the middle grades (DeVita, et al . , 1970, p. 140). The teacher rather than the nature of the learning en­ vironment was considered to be the key to student teaching. What is vital is that the student teacher be placed with experienced teachers who themselves are out­ standing and are committed to middle school young­ sters (DeVita, Pumerantz, and Wilklow, 1970, p. 140). Compton, in 1971, identified several areas of emphasis for middle school teacher education. These areas included general and specific content specialization. Also included were a concentration on the child as a learner, with an em­ phasis on the helping relationship of the adult model; methods; materials; communications skills; the teaching of reading; the development and use of instructional media; and the development of skills in diagnostic teaching stra­ tegies (1973, p. 216). Clarke(1971) suggested that an integrated course of­ fered over a period of three years should include such sub­ jects as human development, general psychology, foundations 32 and philosophy of education, and a study of middle school or­ ganization and curriculum. He also stressed the need for in­ tensive study of transescence and preparation in the teach­ ing of reading. Student teaching in a middle school exempli­ fying the desire for openness, activity, and flexibility was regarded as an appropriate experience to culminate mid­ dle school teacher preparation (pp. 219-221). Andaloro (1976) surveyed several teachers, administra­ tors, and North Central Association associate chairpersons as well as teacher educators to assess their opinions re­ garding the desirable components of a junior high/middle school teacher preparation program. The factors he con­ sidered to be of highest importance dealt with experiences in the schools, human and interpersonal relations, and teaching in the classroom. Teachers in Colorado rated the following areas as es­ sential to middle school teacher education: (2) developmental reading; and development; (1) discipline; (3) pre/early adolescent growth (4) middle school curriculum; (5) middle school philosophy, activity approach to instruction; utilization of multi-media materials; (6) (7) individualization of instruction; and (8) orientation to instructional ma ­ terials designed for the pre/early adolescent (Swain, 1976, Abstract) . Similarly, teachers in Kansas supported extensive teacher training in middle school philosophy and objectives (Glenn, 1973, Abstract). 33 A recent study by Morrison (1978) conducted in New York revealed that few teachers involved in the education of middle school youngsters in that state had been specifi­ cally trained to do so. He called for the university sys­ tem to react to meet the needs of those teachers by offer­ ing a program which would include elements of elementary and secondary education as well as experiences unique to the middle school concept (p. 25). Grooms (1969) gave attention to the interpersonal com­ munications skills middle school teachers would need. As members of teaching teams, teachers would have to become skilled in dealing with the complexities bound to arise from close work with peers (p. 52). In summary, proposals dealing with content appropriate for middle school teacher education and professional preparation. included general General preparation fo­ cused on the humanities, social sciences, mathematics, sciences, and the arts. Professional preparation fo­ cused on middle school philosophy, middle school curricu­ lum, methods for teaching an activities approach, reading instruction, the psychology of the transescent, and student teaching at the middle school level. Personal qualities necessary for teaching in a middle school were also empha­ sized. They included the ability to communicate effective­ ly with peers. The Association for Supervision and Curriculum Develop­ ment (hereafter referred to as ASCD) recognized, in 1973, 34 ...a major national effort to specify pre-service teacher education for the middle grades (was) ap­ parently still far off (Toepfer, 1973, p. 212). As a result, the organization decided to develop a program based on a "hands on" approach which could be used by inservice teachers and administrators to improve middle school instruction. The six packages which resulted focused on: Educating Emerging Adolescents - Some Operational Problems, Implications of the Curriculum - Boyce Medical Study, The Nature of the Emerging Adolescent, Learning Strategies for the Emerging Adolescent, The Impact of Social Forces on Children, and Adult Models for the Emerging Adolescent (p. 212). The approach taken by ASCD was supported by Jarvie (1973). Recognizing the need to educate in-service teach­ ers , he surveyed teachers, administrators, and educational leaders throughout Pennsylvania to assess what should be included in such a program. important topics to be: Teachers considered the most (1) motivation, (2) individualiza­ tion of instruction, (3) pupil evaluation, and (4) problem solving techniques. Administrators and experts rated philo­ sophy and rationale of the middle school and the changing role of instructional leadership as being important for inservice teacher education (Abstract). A similar study by Pane (1973) in Nebraska revealed additional methods for meeting the needs of practicing teachers. Included in the recommended experiences were (1) visits to observe effective teachers, and (2) orientation 35 of beginning junior high/middle school teachers (Abstract). Colorado middle school teachers were surveyed by Swaim (1976). A majority rated the following as areas where in- service training was needed: discipline, developmental reading, activity approach to classroom instruction, and middle school curriculum (Abstract). In summary, when preparation for in-service middle school teachers was considered, elements of importance were identified which were similar to those identified for pre­ service teachers. They included middle school philosophy, middle school curriculum, transescent psychology, learning strategies appropriate for the transescent, individualiza­ tion of instruction, and observation of exemplary practic­ ing teachers. Much attention was given to "how" to prepare middle school teachers as well as to "what" to teach. Gatewood and Dilg (1975) suggested a middle school teacher preparation program appropriate for the university undergraduate level. The program they proposed should: 1. Be field-centered; that is, carried out in actual middle school claasrooms. 2. Be competency-based, with focus on the de­ velopment of necessary and observable compe­ tencies considered significant for the middle school teacher. 3. Involve teaching candidates with actual pupils and classrooms in the first year and in the succeeding years as often as possible. 36 4. Involve all schools and departments in the uni­ versity concerned with teacher education and also middle school educators in the field in an integrated, coordinated, and long-term pro­ gram to prepare middle school teachers effec­ tively. 5. Include a variety of opportunities for experi­ ences in such areas as principles and methods of reading in the content areas for the middle school, characteristics of the emerging adoles­ cent pupil, guidance approaches for middle school teachers, and general principles and methods of teaching in the middle school. 6. Involve preparation in related fields or lo­ gical combinations, such as math-science, En­ glish-social studies, and related or unified arts. 7. Include field-centered laboratory experiences in tutoring, micro-teaching, observation, and a full-time internship (pp. 21-22). The five guidelines outlined by Kerly and Fillmer (1970) proposed a middle school program of teacher educa­ tion as one which should: 1. Promote continuity of educational experience, 2. Assure the development of personal qualities as well as professional abilities, 3. Be highly personalized, 4. Be a simultaneous blending of didactic in­ struction and practical experience, and 5. Use those principles, techniques, and materi­ als appropriate to middle school teaching in­ sofar as they are consistent with the levels of understanding and maturity of perspective middle school teachers (pp. 270-273). Clarke's (1971) plan for the training of teachers to work in middle schools included an emphasis on process as well as content. A plan was called for which involved teach­ er trainees in methods of instruction considered to be 37 important for teaching transescents. The courses offered would be integrated into professional seminars resembling the interdisciplinary approach used in exemplary middle schools. The key to the program was a methods class which modeled ideal middle school strategies and techniques. Included was the elimination of grades, the establish­ ment of a democratic classroom, student involvement, the discussion of theory, the encouragement of creativity and innovation, the broadening of a knowledge-base, the experi­ ence of working together, and the fostering of a question­ ing attitude (p. 219). Compton (1973) outlined a program which included field experiences in the public schools on a regularly scheduled basis beginning in the sophomore or junior year. Prepara­ tion in two areas of subject specialization as well as gen­ eral education in humanities, social sciences, mathematics, sciences, and physical education was also included. The final part of the program described dealt with a four-phased approach to professional preparation. Throughout each phase, the student was involved in a classroom where speci­ fic competencies were practiced and demonstrated. This experience was culminated by student teaching in a middle school, (pp. 215-6). Three experiences were identified by Brown (1971) as important elements of pre-service training. They were: to make observations in a junior high or middle school (1) 38 early in their pre-service education, (2) to student teach at this level, and (3) to be a teacher aide in a junior high or middle school (p. 125). Moon (1975) proposed a continuing education model for preparing middle grade teachers. The sequence included screening, field experiences, course work, counseling, and evaluation (Abstract). Grooms (1967) emphasized teaching experience in a middle school as the major component of a program. An internship of one full school year was an integral part of a proposed five-year program (p. 43). Armstrong (1974) proposed a similar internship. The model he described was financed by both public school and university funds. Interns were given educational exper­ iences both within and without their classrooms. Interns were also paid approximately forty percent of a beginning teacher's salary. Upon satisfactory completion of the internship, the intern was recommended for employment in the school district and given credit for one year's teach­ ing experience for pay purposes (Abstract). Hanson and Hearn (1971) described seven roles a teacher plays. They included: a professional, a manager of learn­ ing, an interactor, a counselor, a mediator, an organiza­ tion person, and a liaison (p. 98). They described a pro­ gram of preparation for assuming these roles in a middle school which involved general and specific preparation, but 39 they, too, supported a fifth year of interning to be coop­ eratively sponsored by school and university. In summary, the one element which seemed to be common to each proposed plan for organizing middle school teacher education was experience. Whether it was in the area of observation, student teaching, or a one-year internship, it was the contact with the middle school student and environment which was felt to be most important. The growth in the number of middle schools led to increased interest in certification for teaching pre­ adolescents . Swezig (1976) surveyed several middle school principals and veteran teachers throughout the state of Ohio. 'A pur­ pose of his survey was to collect structured as well as un­ structured comments concerning the question of middle school certification (p. 67). He assessed whether those teachers participating in the survey felt certain characteristics were significant for consideration and inclusion in middle schools. Seventy-four percent or more indicated each item was significant. 1. The specific responses were: Continuous progress non-graded organization 93% Multi-material approach rather than basic text 90% 3. Flexible schedules 81% 4. Social experiences not high school emulated 96% Physical experiences/intramural activities 97% 2. 5. 40 6. Team teaching 807, 7. Planned gradualism in transition for students 747, 8. Exploratory and enrichment studies 867, 9. Guidance services by school counselor 1007, 10. Independent study 967, 11. Basic skill repair extension by clinical help 947, 12. Creative experiences 867, 13. Security factor with a teacher and group 897, 14. Evaluation individualized and positive 897, 15. Community relations to understand local environment 867, Student services from specialists in community 817, Auxiliary staffing with diversified persontiel (pp. 78-9). 837, 16. 17. Swezig assessed the degree to which the teachers felt colleges had provided them with the expertise necessary for teaching in a middle school. Sixty percent indicated in­ adequate college preparation, while thirty-three percent indicated adequate preparation (p. 81). When asked if they were adequately prepared by college training to understand the physical growth characteristics of the middle school student, thirty-three percent of the teachers responding indicated they were adequately prepared in this area, and sixty-two percent indicated inadequate preparation (p. 85). When asked if they were adequately prepared by college training to understand the intellectual growth characteristics of the middle school student, twenty-five percent of the teachers responding indicated they were ade­ quately prepared while sixty-five percent indicated inade­ quate preparation. When their preparation relative to un­ derstanding the emotional growth characteristics of the mid­ dle school student was questioned, thirty-eight percent of the teachers responding indicated adequate college prepara­ tion in this area, while sixty percent indicated inadequate preparation (p. 89). Thirty percent of the teachers re­ sponding indicated they were prepared by college training to understand the psycho-social growth characteristics of the middle school student, and sixty-five percent indicated inadequate preparation in this area (p. 91). Teachers in the Swezig study strongly supported the seventeen charactersitics often associated with exemplary middle school education. However, in the four areas of un­ derstanding essential for working with middle school young­ sters (physical, intellectual, emotional, psycho-social), nearly two-thirds indicated they had been inadequately pre­ pared by their college training to deal with these areas. The model for middle school teacher certification pro­ posed by Swezig in 1976 seemed to be the most recent. It was especially relevant because it was based on input from many practicing middle school teachers and administrators. Sixty-six percent of the teachers and seventy-three percent of the administrators from the state of Ohio involved in the development of the model felt working with middle school 42 students was different enough from working with elementary or secondary students to warrant special certification (Swezig, p. 96). cluded The proposed certification program in­ course work in the following areas: chology of transition, (1) the psy­ (2) elementary and secondary staff development for teachers reassigned to the middle school, (3) curriculum of the middle school, (4) practice in middle school teaching supervised by teachers and leaders in the field, (5) transescent psychology, dance for the teacher and leader: (6) techniques of gui­ individual and group or­ iented, and (7) seminars in research--today's transescent (pp. 122-125). Indiana was the first state to officially offer certification for teaching transescent youngsters. Walker (1962) reported the results of a study on the preparation of junior high teachers in the state. Teacher certifica­ tion at that level was indicated as an area of greatest need.(p. 398). One year later, the Indiana teacher certifi­ cation code was amended to include three approaches to junior high teacher preparation. They were: (1) teachers with a traditional high school orientation may teach junior high by completing courses in adolescent psychology, development­ al reading, and junior high curriculum; (2) teachers with a traditional elementary school orientation may qualify to teach junior high by completing the three courses described above; and (3) teachers may earn a Bachelor's degree in junior high teacher education by completing an undergraduate 43 curriculum designed to especially prepare them for teaching at this level (Pabst, 1962, pp. 2-3). Dixon (1965)reported the results of data collected in 1963 on certification for teaching in junior high schools. At that time twelve states reported special certificates or endorsements for junior high school and eight states had de­ finite plans for special certification. Ironically, in 1969, the National Education Association issued a somewhat different report. certification, On the issue of teacher the NEA said: No state now offers special certification as a middle school teacher, although in some states both elementary and secondary certification are valid for the middle-school grades (p. 52). Curtis (1972) addressed this issue: ...middle school teaching is probably the most difficult area for teachers, and to imply that either an elementary or secondary teacher is automatically qualified to teach at this level is short-sighted, to say the least (p. 69). Vars (1966) recommended that a middle or junior high endorsement be attached to an elementary or a secondary cer­ tificate in recognition of additional preparation (p. 16). This is the endorsement currently available in Michigan. Pumerantz (1968) conducted a survey which attempted to determine the extent to which states had instituted middle school teacher certification opportunities. and Nebraska offered such a program. Only Kentucky Nine states indicated plans to establish middle school certification in the fu­ ture. However, most states indicated no plans to alter 44 their current certification practices. A recent assessment of the status of middle school teacher certification by Gillan (1978) revealed some type of certification or endorse­ ment in fourteen states with thirteen others proposing it for the future. The study by Gillan replicated much of the research conducted ten years earlier by Pumerantz. Therefore, it of­ fered data for making viable conclusions as to the changing status of middle school certification throughout the nation. In 1968 only two states offered a program (four percent); in 1978 fourteen states offer middle school certification/ endorsement programs. The number had increased by twenty- four percent. Although the number of states planning to establish certification did not change quite so significantly, an in­ crease of eight percent did occur. Nine states (eighteen percent) reported such plans in 1968; thirteen states (twenty-six percent) indicated similar plans in 1978. When this information was examined more broadly, the ex­ tent of change became more evident. The number of states offering or planning middle school certification programs had increased from twenty-six percent in 1968 to fifty-four percent in 1978. Table 2.2 compares past and current mid­ dle school certification practices. As this study was concerned with the endorsement program in Michigan, the status of certification in the state as de­ termined by Pumerantz and Gillan was of some significance. 45 Table 2.2. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 1 4. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. 26. 27. 28. 29. 30. Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota 31. 32. 33. 34. 35. Ohio 36 . Oklahoma 37. Oregon 38. Pennsylvania 39 . Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas 44. Utah 45. Vermont 46. Virginia 47. Washington 48. West Virginia 4 9 . Wisconsin 50. Wyoming 51. Discrlct of Columbia 40. 41. 42. 43. TOTAL: Middle School Certification Practices Have Established Middle School Teacher Certification Plan to Establish Middle School Teacher Certification Pumerantz 1968 Pumerantz 1968 ™ — — — — —— ■— ----—— ----— —— ---yes -----------------yes — ------— -- — --— -— --— --— --------— ---not Included 2/50 4. OS Gillan 1978 Gillan 1978 yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes ves yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes ves yes yes yes yes yes yes yes not included 14/50 28. OS 9/50 13. OS 13/50 26. OS 46 In 1968, Michigan did not have and did not intend to develop a middle school certification program. Ten years later, however, such a program did exist. Studies conducted in New Mexico (Hubert, 1972) and in Colorado (Swaim, 1976) indicated teacher support for middle school teacher certification in those states. Morrison (1978) reviewed the role of the State Depart­ ment of Education in New York relative to implementation of the middle school concept. Based on the belief that the current practice of designating sixth grade as elementary and seventh and eighth grades as secondary was impeding the development of successful middle schools, the following sug­ gestion was made: "Requirements for certification of middle grade teachers and administrators should be developed..." (p. 24). A recent comprehensive study of middle schools by Brooks (1978) surveyed principals' opinions of teacher cer­ tification. Middle schools with mostly secondary-certified teachers numbered thirty-seven percent. Middle schools with a majority of elementary-certified teachers numbered twentyfour percent. Approximately thirty-nine percent of the mid­ dle schools had an equal representation of elementary- and secondary-certified teachers. The same study by Brooks questioned middle school prin­ cipals as to their perceived need for special certification requirements. A large majority (eighty-one percent) indi­ cated their states did not have certification requirements 47 directly aimed at middle school teachers. However, sixty- six percent of the principals favored such a certification code. Although efforts were made to establish special intermediate school teaching certificates, these efforts were not especially successful. Armstrong (1977) suggested seversl reasons for this situation. They include the reluc­ tance of legislatures to force elementary or secondary cer­ tified teachers to return to school to take additional courses identified as components of a new intermediate school certification program. Also, an intermediate certi­ ficate was viewed as restrictive and limiting. Why be certified only for (5) 6-9 when K-8 or 7-12 certification was possible? Finally, the intermediate school was viewed as lacking in direction and purpose. Teacher training institu­ tions were unwilling to make commitments to training because of this vagueness of purpose (Armstrong, 1977, pp. 251-4). Vars (1969) supported the position that viewed certification as limiting employment opportunities. He felt large numbers would not be attracted to the program because it would allow them to teach only a few grades (p. 176). In summary, the move to a special certification for teaching in the middle school seemed to be slowly gaining support. Specialized teacher preparation seemed to have overwhelming support from teachers, administrators, and educational leaders. An endorsement or addition to an 48 existing elementary or secondary certificate appeared to ac­ commodate this situation. Teachers with such an endorsement in Michigan were the focus of this study. Interest in the Middle School Concept in Michigan The evolution of interest in middle schools in Michigan followed a pattern quite similar to national growth and ex­ pansion. The formation of MAMSE illustrated this point. The Michigan Association of Middle School Educators (MAMSE) emerged as a definable group in 1968. Twenty-four middle school principals were participating in the first middle school section offered University's extern program. as a part of Michigan State Dr. Louis G. Romano was the University staff member responsible for working with the group. Discussions centered around the feeling that the l^SSP really didn't do anything of particular benefit for the middle school segment of its membership. The group asked Romano to approach the executive board of the MASSP to ask only one question: what can MASSP do within the organi­ zation to give the middle school movement greater flexibil­ ity? Romano returned to the middle school e x t e m s with the MASSP response which ultimately led the group to a decision to form its own organization. A constitution was written and submitted to teachers as well as administrators for ap­ proval. It was unanimously approved and implemented. Joe Raymer, a middle school principal (Northville, Michigan), was chosen to be the newly formed organization's first 49 president. There were approximately one hundred, seventy original members. The goals of MAMSE were and remain: middle school philosophy in the schools, (1) to promote the (2) to implement the philosophy in the schools, and (3) to provide services to schools. The demand for MAMSE services grew from the year of the organization's inception. The small mimeo­ graphed bulletin which began circulation in 1968 was re­ placed in 1974 by the Michigan Middle School Journal. A yearly conference was offered in 1972. Attendance at this event mushroomed so that the 1977 conference at Mt. Clemens became the largest middle school conference any­ where. Conferences usually were of a two-day duration and ' held in middle schools. been: mos, (1) East Lansing, 1974; Clemens, The conference sites to date have 1972; (4) Plymouth, 1975; 1977; (2). Saginaw, 1973; (5) Marshall, 1976; (3) Oke(6) Mt. (7) Lowell, 1978; and (8) Detroit, 1979. East Lansing is the planned site for 1980. The increasing interest in middle schools in Michigan led to the offering of other MAMSE services. tion now maintains a current resource bank. The organiza­ It provides the membership with articles, books, and videotapes rela­ tive to the middle school. A human resources bank is also maintained and coordinated by the executive secretary. The personnel are contacted to deal with specific middle school problems as the need arises. 50 MAMSE is currently responding to a need for information by producing a filmstrip to be distributed state- and na­ tionwide. The organization is also undertaking the publica­ tion of five focus papers which will center on issues of im­ portance to middle school education. The growth and development of the organization as well as the increased demand for services made MAMSE an obvious example of the increasing interest in middle schools in Michigan. There was other evidence to indicate considerable pro­ fessional interest in the middle school concept throughout the state. In 1978, Michigan had the greatest number of members in the National Middle School Association of any state. Nearly ten percent (9.5%) of the NMSA members were from Michigan while Pennsylvania and North Carolina member­ ship figures total seven and six percent respectively (NMSA, 1978). Other states provided less significant contributions to the total NMSA membership. The growth of MAMSE also ref lected the professional in­ terest in the middle school concept. The initial 1968 group of forty grew to nearly 1,100 by 1979. The organization showed a 486.93% increase in membership over the last three years (1975-78). The percentage of change over the three- year period was 386.9% (Pavlick, 1978). Members of MAMSE sitions in the NMSA. assumed national leadership po­ Dr. Thomas Gatewood served as presi­ dent of the national organization for the first year, and 51 Dr. Louis Romano served in this capacity for the 1978-79 year. The level of interest in and concern about the educa­ tion of the transescent grew substantially in Michigan. Middle School Teacher Education " and Certification in Michigan"" No certification for teaching in the middle school was available in Michigan. A middle school endorsement could be added to an existing elementary certificate. The endorse­ ment, which was a focus of this study, was earned after com­ pleting eighteen hours of course work related to the func­ tion and philosophy of the middle school and was given by the state based on the recommendation of a teacher training institution. It was the option of the institution to plan a program consistent with the endorsement guidelines. Planned programs were not approved or rejected by the Michi­ gan Department of Education (examples in Appendix D ) . The move toward special intermediate certification for teaching grades five through nine (5-9) continued within the state. A proposal is scheduled to be submitted to the State Board of Education in August, 1979. This proposal was a product of the two original task forces. Under the direc­ tion of the Superintendent of Public Instruction's office, members of the two groups worked to refine and synthesize the original reports. The paper which ultimately resulted was sent through the review procedure of the State Board of Education which required that copies be distributed 52 to all major professional associations throughout the state. The comments of the various groups were then considered and incorporated into the final document. One chapter of the paper (#8) set forth the require­ ments for intermediate (middle school) teacher certification. Original plans called for the paper to be submitted for Board approval without the inclusion of this chapter; how­ ever, later decisions were made to submit the entire paper (Trezise, 1979). The Board will be asked to approve the whole paper, but will be requested to approve the concept of the chapter dealing with certification. It would then b e ­ come the task of the Certification Committee to plan the details. The paper will appear before the State Board of Educa­ tion as a document upon which action is recommended by the Superintendent of Public Instruction. The Board may exer­ cise various options regarding the paper. tally reject the entire paper, They may (1) to­ (2) accept the whole paper and the concept of certification, or (3) accept the paper in support of middle school education but reject the concept of intermediate teacher certification. Future directions for middle school teacher education and certification in Michigan may be somewhat determined by the Board's reaction to the middle school position paper. 53 Summary The review of literature sought to address five ques­ tions which were considered important to this study. The questions concerned (1) the historical growth and develop­ ment of the middle school, (2) the competencies sought in middle school teachers, (3) middle school teacher education and certification from a national perspective, (4) the growth and development of interest in middle schools within the state of Michigan, and (5) middle school teacher educa­ tion and certification within the state of Michigan. The middle school evolved from many early efforts to reorganize the time and place best suited to all parties in­ volved in public education. The junior high school was in­ cluded as a part of the 6-3-3 plan in 1910. A concern for meeting the needs of the early adolescent was the impetus for the development of such a school. not, however, develop as planned. The junior high did It became a model of the high school for which it was "preparing" students. Research into physical and emotional growth of early adolescents led to renewed calls for schools designed to meet the needs of these youngsters. In the 1960's, middle schools evolved as the appropriate answer to these calls. The number of schools identified as middle schools grew from over one thousand in 1968 to over four thousand in 1978. The University of Florida at Gainesville produced a list of professional middle school teacher competencies which served as an example for interested individuals and 54 agencies. The competencies were concerned with the teach­ er's ability to understand the physical, socio-emotional, and intellectual development of the transescent child and plan instruction based on this understanding. Personal characteristics appropriate for middle school teachers were described along with the professional compe­ tencies . They included the ability to work cooperatively with peers, a sense of humor, flexibility, and enthusiasm. Middle school teacher education was concerned with what should be taught as well as the organization of appropriate experiences. Generally, the content of an appropriate pro­ gram included early adolescent psychology, middle school philosophy, middle school curriculum, middle school methods of teaching, and appropriate general and specific content specialization. Experiences working with transescent youth were highly regarded. Student teaching in a middle school classroom was considered as essential while other additional experiences were desirable. A one-year internship was also proposed. The number of states having or planning middle school teacher certification was small. Studies showed some in­ crease over a ten-year period extending from 1968 to 1978. Michigan was a state in which interest in middle schools spread widely. The formation of MAMSE, the national leader­ ship roles assumed by Michigan educators, and the large Michigan membership in NMSA illustrated the involvement and interest within the state. 55 Michigan, despite the interest in middle school educa­ tion, was not among those states offering appropriate teacher certification. An eighteen-hour planned program of courses related to the middle school led to an endorsement. The en­ dorsement was in addition to a regular elementary or secon­ dary certificate and allowed teaching in grades five through nine (5-9). Chapter III examines the development of the instrument used to gain the data necessary to answer the questions posed by the study. ods of data analysis. It also describes the sample and meth­ CHAPTER III DESIGN OF THE STUDY Introduction The design of the study is the focus of Chapter III. The purposes of the study are restated to show the appro­ priateness of the methodology used. sample are described. The population and The development and field testing of the survey instrument are discussed. cedures, are also outlined. Data collection pro­ Finally, the processing and treatment of the data are explained. Restatement of Purposes of the Study The basic purpose of this study was to examine the re­ sults of the Michigan middle school endorsement plan. To assess whether teachers receiving the endorsement developed attitudes and competencies congruent with the ideal model proposed by State of Michigan task forces, the study focused on their perceptions. perspectives: Perceptions were examined from three (1) the degree to which endorsed middle school teachers supported basic elements of the middle school concept, (2) the degree to which they implemented the concept, and (3) the degree to which their college/university education prepared them to implement 56 the concept. 57 Population and Sample The Michigan Department of Education was contacted to determine whether it was possible to obtain a listing of in­ dividuals earning the Michigan middle school endorsement. The Teacher Certification Division processed the request and furnished a list of holders of the endorsement. The list was made available in its original computer printout form. The names and home addresses for each individual were given, approximately 628 of them. pled. The entire population was sam­ To answer the questions of importance to this study, however, only responses of teachers currently teaching in middle schools were considered. * Development of Survey Instrument As no instrument was available which would answer the questions posed by the study, it was necessary to develop such an instrument. The reports of the two Michigan task forces concerned with middle school education provided a list of competencies considered to be desirable for middle school teachers in Michigan. The competencies were de­ scribed as "general middle school teacher competencies" and "specific middle school teacher competencies." dix A .) (See Appen­ Twenty general competencies and five specific com­ petencies were identified, each having been described in some detail in one of the two task force reports. Several questions were written which were designed to assess the degree to which teachers supported, implemented, 53 and were academically prepared to deal with the twenty-five identified competency areas. Each of the twenty-five compe­ tencies was represented by at least one question. Some com­ petencies were repeated when they were described as specific competencies. Therefore, it was possible to apply certain questions to more than one competency area. The Middle School Survey was pilot tested three times. The original survey contained thirty-eight general questions related to the identified competencies. The staff of an area middle school was asked to evaluate the instrument in terms of clarity of directions, amount of time required to complete ttie task, understandability of the questions, and general effect. Approximately eighteen teachers participated in this initial effort. A common criticism of the instrument dealt with the survey questions which were viewed as somewhat difficult to answer because terms used were too general. Also, some questions were seen as really requiring two answers, not just the one answer requested. Based on the recommendations of these teachers, revi­ sions were made in the instrument. Specific terms were clarified, and the number of questions was significantly increased to sixty-nine to make each item somewhat narrower in scope. This revised instrument was submitted to a panel of university experts for examination. No significant changes were recommended, and the instrument was then mailed to fifteen middle school educators throughout the state. 59 Included in this small sample were teachers, counselors, and administrators. The results of this sampling indicated no major changes were necessary; however, a few items were identified as being repetitive. Thus, the sixty-nine items were refined to a final list of sixty-two. Table 3.1 shows the competencies and the survey ques­ tions designed to measure each competency. The portion of the survey designed to elicit demogra­ phic data remained relatively unchanged throughout the field testing process. The Survey Instrument The survey instrument was divided into two parts. Part I was designed to elicit data necessary for answering the questions posed by this study. Part II was designed to gather demographic data descriptive of the survey respon­ dents . (See Appendix B .) Part I of the Questionnaire Part I of the Middle School Survey consisted of three basic questions regarding sixty-two items. The format re­ quired a respondent to make 186 responses to complete this portion of the survey. — The three basic questions were: To what extent is it important for middle school teachers to: - - T o what extent do you currently: — To what extent did your college/university courses prepare you to: 60 Table 3.1. Middle School Teacher Competencies and Related Survey Question Numbers General Middle School Teacher Competency A B C D E F G H I J K L M N 0 P Q R S T Specific Middle School Teacher Competency A-l A-2 A-3 B C D E Survey Question Number(s) 26 27,28,29,30,31,32 50,51,52,53 20,21,54 55,56,57,60,61,62 58.59 33,34,35,36 37,38 39,40,41,42 3,7 43 9 44,45,46 16 15 54 10.60 8,37 47,48 49 Survey Question Number(s) 1,2,3,4,5,8 10,11,12,13 14,15,16,17 18,19 19,20 6,7 22,23,24,25 61 These were organized into three columns at the right of each survey page. The sixty-two items necessary to complete each question were listed at the left of each survey page. Respondents were directed to do the following: For each question in this section, you are re­ quested to make three responses. The first col­ umn asks for your opinion as to the importance of each item for middle school teachers. The second column asks the extent to which you perform each item. The third column asks how well your college or university education prepared you to do each item. Circle the number in each of the three col­ umns which most accurately represents your situa­ tion and opinions. For each question, four choices were given for a re­ sponse. When asked "To what extent is it important for middle school teachers to:" the possible responses were: 1 2 3 4 * * * ® Not Important Of Little Importance Somewhat Important Extremely Important When "To what extent do you currently:" was assessed, possible responses included: 1 2 3 4 = = » » Never Rarely Sometimes Most of the Time Choices for "To what extent did your college/univer­ sity courses prepare you to:" were: 1 2 3 4 * = = = No Preparation Little Preparation Some Preparation Excellent Preparation A participant in the survey would have read each of the sixty-two items and responded in this manner: 62 To what extent is it important for middle school teachers to: (1) team teach? 1 = 2 (2) = 4 = Not Important Of Little Importance Somewhat Important Extremely Important To what extent do you currently: ® 2 3 4 = = = = (1) team teach? Never Rarely Sometimes Most of the Time To what extent did your college/university courses prepare you to: (1) team teach? (I) = 2 = 3 = 4 = No Preparation Little Preparation Some Preparation Excellent Preparation Part II of the Questionnaire Part II of the Middle School Survey was designed to elicit data about the respondents, all of whom were identi­ fied as having a Michigan middle school endorsement. teen items sought information regarding: sent job, ting, (3) current work setting, (5) teaching responsibilities, (7) certification, (8) age, (12) planning time, (2) pre­ (4) preferred work set­ (6) level of education, (9) years of work in education, (10) undergraduate courses taken, taken, (1) sex, Fif­ (11) graduate courses (13) time spent with students beyond the regular school day, (14) reasons for getting an endorsement, and (15) the institution granting the endorse­ ment . Each item was presented as an unfinished statement with at least two possible conclusions. The respondent was 63 directed to circle the letter of the most appropriate re­ sponse for items 1-15. Multiple responses were solicited for the items dealing with undergraduate (Question 10) and graduate (Question 11) courses taken. A respondent to the Middle School Survey might have completed an item in this manner: 2. My present assignment is: c. d. e. Teacher Administrator Counselor Librarian/Media Specialist Other - specify __________ Data Collection Procedures The data collection procedures used to complete this study were outlined by Don A. Dillman in Mailed and Tele­ phone Surveys: the Total Design Method (1978). A letter was mailed to the 628 individuals identified as having a Michigan middle school endorsement by the Michi­ gan Department of Education. (See Appendix C.) The pur­ pose of this letter was to alert the population to the arri­ val of the Middle School Survey. This also was an attempt to increase the ultimate number of respondents. The in­ troductory letter served an additional function, however. Forty-one envelopes were returned to the researcher indi­ cating the addressee had moved and had left no forwarding address. Two weeks after the introductory letter was mailed, the Middle School Survey was sent. A cover letter, the 64 questionnaire, and a stamped, pre-addressed envelope were sent to all individuals who were part of the original mail­ ing except the forty-one who had not been reached initially. The return envelopes were mango (red) to allow for easy sorting upon their return to the researcher. Each envelope was coded with a number which was matched with a numbered list containing the names of each person to whom a survey was mailed. When a survey was completed and returned, the number on the list corresponding to that on the envelope was checked before the survey was removed from the envelope. The coded envelope was then destroyed, and the enclosed survey was assigned a number based on the order of return. (The new number was only necessary for computer use.) Two weeks after the questionnaire was mailed, a post card (see Appendix C ) was sent to all who had not responded, urging their participation in the project. Individuals were encouraged to call for new questionnaires if they were unable to locate the original documents. Six calls were received, and six duplicate mailings were made in response to these calls. The total number of post cards sent amounted to 366. A date was established six weeks after the survey had been distributed as a point after which responses would not be accepted for consideration in the study. An attempt was made to obtain the correct addresses of the forty-one identified to have moved. The Michigan Edu­ cation Association in East Lansing was contacted by phone. 65 The purpose of the research was outlined, and an inquiry was made as to whether it would be possible to search the organ­ ization's membership list for current addresses. The organ­ ization did not refuse this request; however, because it was unique to the association, considerable checking and re­ checking was felt to be necessary. The amount of time re­ quired made it unfeasible for the researcher to pursue. The Michigan Federation of Teachers in Detroit was also con­ tacted by phone. Similarly, the purpose of the study was described, and a request was made to search the federation's membership list for current addresses. At this point a re­ fusal was made based on the purpose of the study. It was concluded by the federation's representative that such a study would lend support to middle school certification ef­ forts in Michigan, an issue totally opposed by the MFT. Data Processing and Treatment The data from each returned survey instrument were re­ corded on computer data cards. each questionnaire. Four cards were used for The first contained responses for items 1-62 related to the importance of the variable. The second card contained responses for items 1-62 regarding implementation of the variable. The third card contained responses for items 1-62 relative to the degree of teacher preparation to implement the variable. The final card con­ tained the responses to items in Part II of the survey in­ strument . 66 For several questions in Part II of the survey, "other specify ____________" was a possible response. Whenever this was chosen by a respondent, the correct response of "other" was recorded on the computer card while the specific infor­ mation written there was recorded on a separate list. The computer facilities at Michigan State University were used to process the data. Social Studies Statistical Package for the (SPSS) was used for data analysis. Frequen­ cies were generated as well as the basic statistical infor­ mation (mean, median, mode, standard error, standard devia­ tion, variance). in this manner. All of the data collected were analyzed However, for the purposes of this study, data obtained from current middle school teachers were se­ lected for further in-depth analysis. The responses of this group were analyzed to show how often an individual had made consistent responses for each of the three questions asked about each variable. Frequencies were generated. Summary The purpose of this study was to assess the degree to which a Michigan middle school endorsement was producing teachers with competencies felt to be desirable for effec­ tive middle school education. All holders of the endorse­ ment, as identified by the Michigan Department of Education, were surveyed to determine the extent to which they sup­ ported the middle school concept, the extent to which they implemented the concept, and the extent to which they felt 67 they were prepared by college or university courses to im­ plement the concept. It was necessary to design an instrument to collect these data. A questionnaire was developed based on the twenty-five competencies identified by two middle school task forces within the state. Sixty-two items were deter­ mined to be reflective of the various competencies. Field testing and input from educational experts helped to pro­ duce the final document. The Middle School Survey consisted of two parts. Part I sought information necessary to answer the questions posed by the study concerning importance, implementation, and teacher preparation. used. A Likert-type scale of 1-2-3-4 was Part II sought specific data about the respondents. A letter alerting possible participants about the sur­ vey was sent. Two weeks later the questionnaire was mailed. A follow-up post card was sent after two additional weeks. All of the data gathered were processed to determine basic statistics and frequencies. Data pertaining to current middle school teachers was selected for further study. Chapter IV presents the data obtained from the survey. The focus of the analysis is the middle school teacher with a Michigan middle school endorsement. CHAPTER IV ANALYSIS OF THE DATA Introduction This chapter focuses on an analysis of the data col­ lected from middle school teachers completing the survey. Included is a description of the data collection process and the results of this procedure. Also included is a detailed description of the respondents. The data are presented and discussed from two perspectives. They are first shown as they relate to each of the twenty-five middle school teacher competencies. Data are then described relative to the con­ sistency with which teachers responded to the three main questions of the survey. Data Collection The population of the survey was all individuals earning a Michigan middle school endorsement since it became avail­ able in 1971 through the summer of 1978. From this popula­ tion, current middle school teachers were identified to pro­ vide the data necessary to answer the questions of the study. Table 4.1 describes the population and steps taken to obtain the necessary information. The total number of surveys mailed was 587. Ten surveys were returned because of incorrect addresses; two were 68 69 Table 4.1. Description of Hailed Survey Data Collection Number Introductory Letters Mailed 628 Introductory Letters Returned: Address Incorrect 41 Middle School Surveys Mailed Middle School Surveys Returned: Address Double Mailing of Survey: 587 Incorrect 10 2 Name Problems Number of Follow-up Postcards Mailed 366 Telephone Inquiries and Requests by Population 6 Surveys Remailed upon Request 2 Total Surveys Completed and Returned 317 Surveys Completed by Middle School Teachers 150 Surveys Returned too Late to Include in Data Analysis 7 returned by respondents who indicated they received dupli­ cates. The total return, based on the original mailing (628) and completed surveys (317), was 50.47%. The return, based on the actual mailing (575), was 55.13%. The responses of middle school teachers (150) used as the focus of this study were 23.89% of the total popula­ tion (628) and 26.09% of the total population identified as having been sent a survey instrument (575). 70 Description of Respondents The individuals upon whose responses the study focused were all identified as teachers currently teaching in middle schools, each of whom had earned a Michigan middle school endorsement. dents . Table 4.2 indicates the gender of the respon­ Approximately sixty percent of the middle school teachers with an endorsement were female, and approximately forty percent were male. Table 4.2. Gender of Middle School Teachers with an Endorsement (N=150) Sex Percent Female 59.3 Male 40.7 100.0 Table 4.3 shows the approximate ages of middle school teachers with an endorsement. Over one-half were in the 31- 40 age group, and nearly three-fourths (74%) of the teachers were forty years of age or younger. A middle school endorsement is available in Michigan only as an addition to an elementary or secondary teaching certificate. An individual would first need to satisfy the requirements for initial certification. Those middle school teachers earning the additional endorsement overwhelmingly 71 Table 4.3. Age of Middle School Teachers with an Endorsement (N=150) Age (in years) Percent 23 or younger 0.7 24-30 17.3 31-40 56.7 41-50 12.7 51-60 12.7 61+ 0.0 • 100.1 sought original secondary certification. T.ble 4.4 indi­ cates that 91.37o chose this preparation. Only two percent chose elementary certification. Although all respondents were teaching in middle schools, 30.11% indicated they prefered to be working in a high school setting. Approximately two-thirds (67.31%) ex­ pressed some preference for working with pre-adolescent youth. Specifically, 56.2% preferred their current middle school teaching environment. Table 4.5 shows the preferences indicated by all respondents. Table 4.6 shows the level of education completed by middle school teachers with an endorsement. percent (68%) had Sixty-eight completed a Master's degree. Those with 72 Table 4.4. Michigan Teaching Certificate Held by Middle School Teachers with an Endorsement (N=150) Certificate Percent Elementary 2.0 Secondary 91.3 Elementary and Secondary 1.91 Permanent 1.91 Provisional 0.96 K-12 Guidance 0.48 K-12 Special Subject 0.48 Secondary and Reading Specialist 0.48 Continuing 0.48 100.00 Table 4.5. Work Preference of Middle School Teachers with an Endorsement (N=150) Preferred Situation Percent Elementary School 0.0 Junior High School 8.2 Middle School 56.2 High School 26.7 Middle School/High School 2.05 Middle School or Junior High School 0.68 Middle School, High School, or College 0.68 73 Table 4.5, continued College 0.68 Junior College 0.68 Adult Education 0.68 Consultant to Teachers 0.68 Maybe High School 0.68 Satisfied 0.68 Quit 0.68 Anything 0.68 99.95 less than a Master's degree totaled 26.6% of the teachers surveyed. Table 4.6. Level of Education Completed by Middle School Teachers with an Endorsement (N=150) Level Completed BA - BS BA + 13 (semester hours) MA - MS Percent 5.3 21.3 68.0 EdS 2.7 EdD - PhD 2.7 1 0 0 . 0 74 Table 4.7 indicates the number of years teachers in the education profession. had worked Nearly one-half (49.3%) had worked from eleven to twenty years. Slightly fewer than this number (42.0%) had been employed as educators from three to ten years. The subjects most frequently taught by middle school teachers with an endorsement were language arts, social studies, or a combination of both. Table 4.8 lists the wide range of subjects for which the survey respondents were primarily responsible. Table 4.7. Number of Years Middle School Teachers with an Endorsement Had Worked in the Profession (N=150) Years Percent 2 or less \ 0.0 3-10 42.0 11 - 20 49.3 21 - 30 7.3 31 - 40 1.3 41 + 0.0 99.9 The amount of time spent on planning and preparation was between three and ten hours per week for a majority of the respondents. Table 4.9 reveals that 32.9% were involved in three to five hours of planning per week, while 41.6% planned between six and ten hours per week. 75 Table 4.8. Teaching Responsibilities of Middle School Teachers with an Endorsement (N=150) Sub.ject (s) Percent Language Arts 22.0 Math 16.7 Social Studies 16.0 Language Arts/Social Studies 7.3 Science 6.7 Home Economics 6.0 Industrial Arts 4.0 Typing 3.65 Music 3.3 Physical Education 3.3 Reading 2.43 Business Education 1.83 Language Arts/Reading 1.22 Art 0.7 General Language 0.61 Foreign Language 0.61 Science/Health 0.61 Home Economics/Physical Education 0.61 Hygiene 0.61 Gifted 0.61 Special Education/Learning Disabled 0.61 All Subjects 0.61 1 0 0 . 0 1 76 Table 4.9. Number of Hours Per Week Spent on Planning and Preparation by Middle School Teachers with an Endorsement (N=150) Hours Per Week Percent 2 or less 6.7 3 - 5 32.9 6-10 41.6 11 - 15 12.1 16 + 6.7 100.0 Time spent with students beyond the regular school day appeared to be quite limited. Table 4.10 reveals that 52.0% of the surveyed teachers spent two hours or less per week, while 26.0% spent three or four hours. Some respondents in­ dicated that school policy did not allow youngsters to re­ main after school; thus, the situation was out of the realm of teacher control. A majority of the teachers (63.1%) had received a mid­ dle school endorsement from Wayne State University. The Detroit school system has a middle school organizational plan. The proximity of the university may be a reason so many have completed the endorsement requirements there. 77 Table 4.10. Number of Hours Per Week Spent with Students Beyond the Regular School Day by Middle School Teachers with an Endorsement (N-150) Hours Per Week Percent 2 or less 52.0 3 - 4 26.0 5 - 8 15.3 9-12 4.0 13 + 2.7 100.0 Other Detroit colleges and universities (University of De­ troit, Madonna College, Marygrove College, Oakland Univer­ sity) accounted for an additional 10.7% of the middle school endorsements. Table 4.11 summarizes the Michigan colleges and universities from which survey respondents received mid­ dle school endorsement. Table 4.12 lists the reasons given for seeking the mid­ dle school endorsement. The reason given by a plurality (467o) indicated they were responding to a school district requirement. A somewhat smaller number (22.0%) indicated they wanted to be better prepared for their teaching as­ signment . 78 Table 4.11. Institutions Granting Endorsements to Middle School Teachers with an Endorsement (N-150) Institution Wayne State University Percent 63.1 Central Michigan University 9.4 University of Michigan 7.4 University of Detroit 5.35 Eastern Michigan University 4.0 Madonna College 3.34 Michigan State University 2.7 Western Michigan University 2.7 Marygrove College 1.34 Oakland University 0.67 100.00 79 Table 4.12. Reasons Given by Middle School Teachers with an Endorsement for Seeking the Endorsement (N=150) Reason Percent a. Because my district requires it 46.0 b. Because I wanted to be better prepared for my teaching assignment 22.0 c. Because I wanted to ensure keeping my job in case of declining enrollments 8.0 d. Because someone recommended it to me 2.0 e. Because I thought it would enable me to get a better job 0.67 To be able to teach minor to fifth, sixth grades as well as my major 0.67 f. a,b above 4.67 \ b,c above 4.67 a,c above 3.99 a,b,d above 1.33 a,b,e above 1.33 b,e above 1.33 a,b,c above 0.67 c,e above 0.67 1 0 0 . 0 0 80 The review of the literature revealed several areas of agreement by those concerned with middle school teacher pre­ paration as to what should be included in such programs. Table 4.13 lists the most frequently mentioned course topics. The percentage of respondents indicating they had taken courses at the undergraduate or graduate level is also listed. The only course taken by at least one-half of the teachers was Early Adolescent Psychology (62.0%). Seventy percent (70.0%) had student teaching experience in a mid­ dle school or junior high. Although the number of teachers taking courses considered to be important for middle school teacher preparation increased in most areas at the graduate level, only about one-half of the teachers indicated such experiences. The courses included reading (46.7%), curricu­ lum (53.3%), methods (48.0%), and philosophy (46.7%). Findings The general purpose of this study was to determine the extent to which the Michigan middle school endorsement was producing teachers with competencies determined to be impor­ tant for successful middle school education. The study dealt specifically with the extent to which middle school teachers perceived certain variables important, the extent to which they implemented the variables, and the extent to which they perceived their college or university courses as adequate preparation for dealing with the variables. Table 4.13. Undergraduate and Graduate Courses Completed by Middle School Teachers with an Endorsement (N=150) Completed as Undergraduate Completed as Graduate Reading 24.0 46.7 + 22.7 Early Adolescent Psychology 62.0 55.3 - Middle School/Junior High Curriculum 29.3 53.3 + 29.0 Middle School/Junior High Methods 41.3 43.0 + Middle School/Junior High Philosophy 19.3 46.7 + 27.4 Guidance/Counseling 18.7 36.0 + 17.3 Middle School/Junior High Student Teaching 70.0 12.0 - 58.0 Course Rate/Direction of Change 6.9 6.7 82 The reports of two Michigan middle school task forces provided a listing and description of twentyfive general and specific competencies determined to be desirable for middle school teachers in the state. Questions for the survey instrument were designed to reflect the intent of each of the twenty-five competen­ cies. The specific survey items, together with the competencies they were intended to represent, were grouped for data analysis. The competencies presented in the tables were listed and described in the reports of two Michigan middle school task forces. They are included in Appendix A . In the following tables (4.14 - 4.38), all figures are reported in percentages. An N of 150 is assumed for each table. Item 26 was written to reflect the intent of general competency A. The data which are presented in Table 4.14 indicated most respondents (92.0%) considered it was "some­ what" to "extremely important" for middle school teachers to show acceptance of their life styles and behavior. A similar percentage (90.6%) felt they demonstrated this be­ havior "sometimes" or "most of the time." However, 57.5% reported they had "little" or "no preparation" for dealing with such matters. Six items were designed to reflect the intent of general competency B as shown in Table 4.15. Each item was regarded as "somewhat" to "extremely important" by Table 4.14. General Middle School Teacher Competency A and Related Survey Questions Competency A: Show an awareness of her/his own behavior patterns and how they are influenced by situations and by her/his beliefs; an awareness of personality characteristics and an acceptance of a _____________ variety of behavior in others that differ from her/his own.___________________________ Survey Questions: Importance O Hi a 0 rt M a o Show acceptance of life styles and behavior which differ from that of the teacher? CA O H € Irt) ID 3" P r» in M rt P 3 rt 1.3 6.7 a •§ ° a t ? H p 3 ID < P H» rt H 26.0 66.0 M X n f* n rt 55 O H* rt rt »-* P O Hi *3 H P *3 »3 H P •3 s o a •3 O H rt P 3 rt Preparation t ? rt a M ■3 O K rt P 3 n p 3 26. r* Hft rt H ID Implementation ID 2.0 O rt a 3* ID ft H* a ID (0 7.4 30.9 P HI H* a n 59.7 p CA O a p H* H P 3 rt 3 T> H P ■3 P •3 P P P P O 3 o 3 Ho 3 O 3 P H rt H- H rt 31.8 25.7 H P H rt 27.7 p P H rt H- 14.9 Table 4.15. Competency B: General Middle School Teacher Competency B and Related Survey Questions Interact constructively with other adults and with transescents; show regard for persons; be approachable, responsive, and supportive. Survey Questions: Importance Implementation O mi H- rt H IP i-i o d rt pi d rt 27. r M t 0» d o id a o i rt P> d rt » rt O M B *d r O ID H ^ M *d o g m d" to rt M a B •d M a s (A B *d n o rt P> d n M n ID * _ t* rt a rt 25 O rt M x to O f4 Preparation S ID M (D h * o 8 ® rt H* 9 id Hi rt d* H* rt ^ w ^ 55 h O 2 a ID *d H* 9 a ID *d rt *d td H fl> r| IP rj ID *d P) *d P> pi rt H0 d p> rt H- P> rt H* P> rt H* *d p> ■d (U H IP id H Ha co id 2 d 2 d 2 d Avoid showing favoritism toward students? 0.7 1.3 15.3 87.7 0.7 2.0 23.3 74.0 20.8 24.8 33.6 20.8 28. Avoid labeling students? 0.0 1.3 9.4 89.3 1.3 4.0 20.8 73.8 16.3 25.2 31.3 27.2 29. Seek personal knowledge about students? 0.7 6.2 39.7 53.4 0.0 6.9 55.2 37.9 20.0 28.3 34.5 17.2 Organize classroom acti­ vities and procedures based on student interests? 1.3 7.3 49.3 42.0 2.0 10.0 56.7 31.3 10.1 23.6 47.3 18.9 3.4 24.3 72.3 0.0 6.8 33.3 59.9 9.7 21.4 46.2 22.8 30. 31. Establish a classroom cli­ mate students perceive as open and responsive to them? 0.0 Table A . 15. General Middle School Teacher Competency B and Related Survey Questions Compe tency B, contInued: Survey Questions: Importance Implementation Preparation - M X O w ss o rt r* t* rt rt !-* (D M M B •3 o 3 rt P 3 rt 32. Give individual attention to students outside the classroom? 0.0 o g P C 3* P rt O P1 X rt 3 s o B1m5 B M to •3 o g rt •3 O 3 P 3 P 3 P 3 O P B rt rt A.7 43.9 B 3 rt rt 51.4 ss o 3J rt »-* M T3 O rt p o 2J 1 rt O H rt M pi p » P (U rt 3 O CD ® H vi rt H 0 rt O O H rt K O h* Preparation M tn f* Implementation CO O 0 rt O 11 OS tu < rt P rt (0 ro ( *i O H P* n rt 0 rt rt n H (0 * ® rt ID 0 5d O Hi m 0 n It1 hrt rt as rt rt rt o tl m rt m ® H m w M O ® in o 0 m rt (U m »i w H m rt m *i w rt rt rt h rt O P rt rt rt rt rt ® P rt rt H ® rt p» tl fa rt o O P rt O P 29.7 27.0 19.6 p 2.0 10.0 44.0 44.0 4.7 14.1 25.5 Plan for physical movement during a class to allow for muscle relaxation and shifts in body position? 6.7 14.7 42.0 36.7 11.3 21.3 35.3 32.0 34.2 28.8 24.0 13.0 Arrange for furniture con­ ducive to wide ranges in physical maturity? 5.6 11.9 39.2 43.4 20.4 28.2 25.4 26.1 46.1 25.5 17.0 11.3 Accept differences in physical growth rates as normal and convey this to students? 1.3 4.7 21.5 72.5 2.0 6.7 21.5 69.8 13.6 20.4 34.0 32.0 55.7 23.6 88 wide ranges in physical maturity. In each of these speci­ fic instances, teachers reported "little" or "no prepara­ tion" for implementing appropriate action. General competency D focused on an understanding of transescent intellectual growth and development. The data reported in Table 4.17 indicated each of the items designed to reflect the intent of the competency was considered "extremely important" by a majority of respondents. The data also indicated a high level of implementation for each item associated with the competency. Respondents expressed they were "little" or "somewhat prepared" by college courses to deal with the behavior described, however. Approximately 70.9 percent responded in this way regarding the use of textbooks at different reading levels, 73.7% indicated simi­ lar responses concerning the presentation of concepts at varying levels, and 69.3% so indicated in reference to plan­ ning to encourage divergent thinking. The focus of general competency E was the socioemotional development process of the transescent student. Table 4.18 lists the six items designed to reflect that focus. Each item was considered "somewhat" or "extremely important" by most respondents. It is important to note that the most frequent response for items dealing with an­ swering questions relating to sex (item 57) and setting up private areas for students within a classroom (item 62) was "somewhat important." The data generally reflected high levels of implementation. However, 52.670 indicated they Table 4.17: Competency D: General Middle School Teacher Competency D and Related Survey Questions Understand the intellectual development process of the transescent student and plan and implement his/her teaching according to that process. Importance Survey Questions: Preparation Implementation tv o m tr> H * rt 2! O rt M % o > 1 rt Pi 3 rt 20. 21. 54. rt H IP 0 0 & rt 1PI I(P CO •1 & a rt O rt M 0 X) o n rt Qi a n ID •S O ►1 rt Pi 3 ft Use a variety of textbooks at different reading 0.7 levels? 1.3 Present concepts at vary­ ing levels? 0.7 0.7 27.5 Plan instruction which encourages divergent thinking? 2.1 1.4 26.9 CO o B •d o 0 ft rt E». rt % ip n s? *1 (P H IP rt 0 ID (0 tti rt 3* IP 0 IP O t-* H* rt rt H* IP ►d »t IP Tl PI rt ID T) P) HO 3 Pi rt HO 3 2! rt pi rt rt a o ip IP I-* H* ID 3 rt •d fd ID •d Pi Pi rt HO 3 ID •d pi ►t pi rt HO 3 CO O 0 rt rt rt 14.7 16.7 38.0 30.7 14.9 32.4 38.5 14.2 71.1 2.7 8.1 41.6 47.7 13.5 28.4 45.3 12.8 69.7 2.1 6.3 43.1 48.6 10.5 23.8 45.5 20.3 31.3 66.7 Table 4.18: C om petency E: General Middle School Teacher Competency E and Related Survey Questions U n d e r s ta n d t h e s o c io - e c o n o m ic d e v e lo p m e n t p r o c e s s o f t h e t r a n s e s c e n t s t u d e n t l e a r n e r and p l a n and im p lem en t h e r / h i s t e a c h i n g a c c o r d i n g t o t h a t p r o c e s s . Survey Q u e s tio n s : Im portance o Hi 2j r1 F* 0 PI X rr C 3* S (D 0 ID h r ; H rt 2J ID < ID H rt 55. P ra is e stu d e n ts p u b lic ly ? 0 .7 0 .7 1 8 .7 8 0 .0 0 .0 56 . P u n is h s t u d e n t s p r i v a t e l y ? 4 .0 1 0 .7 4 1 .6 4 3 .6 57. O penly a n s w e r q u e s t i o n s r e l a t i n g to sex? 6 .8 1 2 .2 4 4 .6 G ive s t u d e n t s o p p o r t u n i ­ t i e s t o assum e r e s p o n s i ­ b i l i t i e s f o r s o m e th in g o t h e r t h a n a c a d e m ic p r o ­ g r e s s ( o p e r a tin g equ ip ­ m e n t, r e c o r d k e e p i n g , o f ­ f i c e w o rk , t e a c h e r a i d e , e tc .)? 0 .0 2 .7 3 4 .0 O w ID M « t .o Hi (A O rt 0 3* S d l D I D 3 rt H H* H 3 0 F* H* ID 0 in id 0 .7 x O C f- _ *i id o m 3 rr r t w M H 0 M 0 * 3 0 0 * 3 0 * 3 * 0 O H O O t i r t H H rt 3 rt 3 3 3 3 3 0 3 3 rr ID rt 60. P re p a ra tio n pi 05 O rt rt Im p le m e n ta tio n 2 6 .7 7 2 .7 4 .7 1 2 .8 4 8 . 6 3 6 .5 1 2 .2 6 3 .3 0 .0 O I »d *1 ID -3 3 H 3 rt ■ H* O 3 8 .8 D rt t- H ID *3 3 H 3 rt H* O 3 cn I D O 9 f r *1 ID *3 3 H H 3 rt H* O O 3 3 r * € cr m rt M B ■o o H rt Pi 3 ft rt H B ID H* *< M B t3 O H ffi rt SJ O O Hi m H a U1 o gc» w rr 3* ID ID •o (D ti ♦V tl ID *d 0i H 01 rt HO 3 a ID O ID I-* H ID 3 rt •V H ID •O ID H 01 rt H* O 3 nj ►3 ID -d 3 H 3 rt t* O 3 C/l o rt rt Pi S3 n ID Include activities re­ quiring student inter­ action to meet social needs? 1.3 4.0 40.3 54.4 0.7 14.8 53.7 30.9 21.6 41.9 25.7 10.8 Set up "private" areas in the classroom to allow individual students to be along when they feel it is necessary? 4.7 15.3 50.0 30.0 25.3 27.3 34.0 13.3 43.2 25.7 20.9 10.1 rt rt 3 rt S3 a ID rt Ha ID 10 r* Hrt rt I-* ID <5 < ID n r| ID M H £ ID 01 rt HO 3 92 ’’rarely" or "never" set up private areas in the classroom. Except for praising students publicly, where 71.6% indicated "some" or "excellent preparation," most indicated "little" or "no preparation" for behavior considered to appropriately reflect this competency. Nearly one-half (48.6%) indicated "no preparation" for answering questions relating to sex. Table 4.19 represents the perceptions of respondents concerning an understanding of the career development pro­ cess of the transescent student. There was support for the importance of each item designed to reflect the intent of the competency. mentation. Also indicated was a high degree of imple­ However, 53.1% reported they had received "little" or "no preparation" to help students explore vari­ ous dimensions of the world of work. Similarly, 51.4% indi­ cated they had received "little" or "no preparation" to incorporate career education concepts into the regular in­ structional program. Table 4.20 reports data pertaining to understanding and analysis of learning based on various theories. The respon­ dents generally recognized the items listed were "somewhat" to "extremely important." They did feel the ability to identify several learning theories was "of little" to "some­ what important" (65.0%). The responses regarding the ex­ tent to which this particular item was implemented were similar, as 68.3% indicated they "rarely" or "sometimes" used this information. The area reflecting the greatest degree of college preparation concerned the ability to Table A.19: Competency F: General Middle School Teacher Competency F and Related Survey Questions Understand the career development process of the transescent student and plan and Implement her/his teaching according to that process: Importance Survey Questions: t-» H * rt 53 O rt 58. 59. rt H ID 1/1 0 IQ> Preparation Implements tion tt H* rt n § ’ <» rt ca a I U1 ID ID H* O a *d 1 ID •o p> n PI rt HO a ►a H •a Q> *a n ID •a m (D 53 O Hi rt rt rt O ID tu X o ID M H* ID a rr ►a n *o 01 H ID *Bo o M rt fu a IO a o n rt 8 a 0.0 4.0 36.2 59.7 3.4 21.5 43.6 31.5 24.5 28.6 34.0 12.9 Incorporate career edu­ cation concepts as a re­ gular part of the instruc­ 0.7 tional program? 5.4 41.6 52.3 4.7 21.5 45.0 28.9 31.1 20.3 33.8 14.9 Provide for students to explore various di­ mensions of the world of work? n tt ID •o8 rt o rt § rt ID rt 5 a «S ID (0 n rt a* ID H a ID n 01 rt HO a •i tu rt O a pi rt HO a Table 4.20: Competency G: General Middle School Teacher Competency G and Related Survey Questions Understand and apply various theories of teaching-learning process, analyze the learning patterns of individual students, prescribe for these, and evaluate results. Importance Survey Questions: o t-ft f H* a 0 rt M a XI o tl 35. ID M a •d o tl ID tt X rt a 3* P> M n M rt a •d o tl St 0 o td d ID •d (U d (U rt t* O d td d ID •d fu d P> rt H* O d o a ID to O a •d o ti in rt Hrr rt M ID u: d rg a tr K * a H ID rr ID 29.9 24.3 18.1 23.6 37.5 20.8 10.3 17.9 41.4 30.3 42.5 5.5 20.0 44.1 30.3 17.4 Identify several major learning theories and the philosophical assumptions upon which they are based? 16.4 26.0 39.0 18.5 20.0 31.7 36.6 11.7 Evaluate student perfor­ mance according to cri­ teria based upon stated objectives? 32.4 56.8 2.0 7.5 38.8 51.7 4.8 1.4 (D 9.5 rr rr ID (0 H* a ID a ID •d d ID XI ID d PI 28.5 37.7 rr rt o HO d 15.1 Explain instructional strategies used in terms of learning theory (in­ quiry, problem-solving, etc.)? P> 0 o rt in M X n ID M h* ID d rt td d ID •d Pi d ID rt HO d P» d rt E? ti 5 o ID *-* M ID ar t XJ pi ►i pi rt H* O m n m X) pi »i pi rt HO ID XJ Pi M Pi rt HO ID XI PI ri Pi rt HO 12.8 31.8 33.1 22.3 n> a a a *1 a 96 evaluate a student's performance based on stated objectives. Seventy-two percent reported "some" to "excellent prepara­ tion." In the remaining areas, teachers perceived "little" to "some preparation." The ability to understand group dynamics and to incor­ porate this understanding into classroom use was the focus of general competency H. Data relative to group dynamics are reported in Table 4.21. While 72.0% indicated it was "extremely important" to make students aware of group dyna­ mics, 50.0% said it was "somewhat important" for teachers to use a similar awareness to plan for teaching. The ex­ tent to which teachers perceived they made students aware of group dynamics was indicated as less than the degree'to which they felt this was important, as 70.2% responded "rarely" or "sometimes." The data show over one-half of the teachers felt "little" or "no preparation" in this com­ petency dealing with group dynamics. General competency I was concerned with the development of positive relations among the community, parents, the school, and teachers. The responses listed in Table 4.22 revealed strong support for the importance of each item de­ signed to reflect this competency. For each item approxi­ mately ninety percent indicated it to be "somewhat" or "ex­ tremely important" (#39 - 39.3%, #40 - 99.3%, #41 - 9 9.3%, #42 - 90.4%). The responses also reflected frequent imple­ mentation, but to a lesser degree. The extent to which teachers perceived preparation for dealing with community Table 4.21: Competency H: General Middle School Teacher Competency H and Related Survey Questions Incorporate knowledge of group dynamics in her/his teaching and help students understand group processes as group decision making, leadership skills, and peer influences on group dynamics. Survey Questions: Importance o r t» H 0 0 (D § M 0 ID 0 n> H M 0 0 0 * 0 0 * 3 * 0 O rt rr 3 3 rt 37. 38. rt rr 3 0 3 3 3 3 O rt rr rr K o to W M O 3 3 3 rt o rt rr O 2; © < © rt W tu rt © F* 0 ID r» 0 © n h> rt 3* ID H H* 0 © s?o ir* H* „ *1 3* 3 rr H (D * X rt O H* rr rt Preparation M in tr* O rr Implementation rt rt r- 2{ O © M *3 rt (D rt rt (U rr H* 3 3 O 3 rt ro H (D T> r| ID *3 (U 3 rt F* O ID rt *3 I-* fl> 3 *3 (D *0 fl> ►“* cp o 0 (0 3 rt rt 3 O rt H- 3 3 O rr H* 3 Use a knowledge of group dynamics to plan for teaching? 4.9 17.4 50.0 27.8 7.7 18.2 43.4 30.8 19.9 31.2 35.5 13.5 Make students aware of group dynamics? 0.7 4.7 22.7 72.0 14.6 27.8 42.4 15.3 29.1 29.8 28.4 12.8 Table 4.22: Competency I: General Middle School Teacher Competency I and Related Survey Questions Promote positive relationships between the school and the community, between teacher and parents, and among various subcultures in the school Survey Questions: Importance O rti S3 o rt M S T3 O rt rt 39. 40. 41. 42. r* H* rt rt H m M a •a O r| rt Work to promote positive relations between school and community? rrtt a a o aa 2.0 Use community resources as part of the instruc­ tional program? Work to promote positive relations between teacher and parents? cn o a § aa rr M a •a o rt rt Implementation M X rt rt K O (0 rt O 8 (0 t-1 X rti M a o' •d o t| S3 0 rt CO 0 *3 rt H* rt K o CP rt o H T3 o ID X1 o IP M I-* ID P rt ►tj rtj r* 0 01 SI rt $ o h- n co sd P rt O 0 (ft rt H* rt cr ip S3 rt o IP nt rt ip •o P> rt *d P rt CO o a x> P i rt •a rt <0 •O rt rt O O a rt ip P rt H* rt ID P P rt H* P P rt H- ip a rt »<4 m a ID Ho a 4 5 .6 9 .4 34.0 24.0 32.7 9 .3 1 9 .9 2 7 .3 2 5 .2 3 5 .7 1 1 .9 < 3. Use learning centers? 4 .0 7 .4 4 7 .7 4 0 .9 2 0 .8 2 4 .2 7. Use flexible grouping according to interest? 4 .1 1 1 .0 3 9 .0 4 5 .9 1 5 .1 2 4 .0 (0 4 1 .1 P O a Table 4.24: Competency K: General Middle School Teacher Competency K and Related Survey Questions Use appropriate procedures of managing an instructional program: designing curriculum, im­ plementing the design, evaluating it, and revising it on the basis of the evaluation results. Survey Questions: Importance Implementation Preparation O Ml v> 53 o rt ID S 3* P> rt K O » rt B ID H X O Ml n rt Pi 3 rt TD O ti Ct P 3 rt M 0 TD O M rt P 3 rt ES ID 0.7 1.4 25.5 72.4 0.7 o Use a plan, conduct, evaluate, and revise method? o B M 0 T> O M rr D» 3 n ID t-t 0 -a 43. f H* rt rt H ID rt S’ rt ti ID M B < ti ID ID H 5.6 in O 0 (D rt rt 3* ID 0 ID 10 & 32.6 ID 61.1 3 O tl ID TD P . M p rt HO 3 12.4 rt rr I-* ID LO o 0 P tV ti P •V P ti P rt H* m n <5 •V 3 3 o 16.6 p •i P rt t* o 40.0 Jf n p M M P 3 rt tv ti P TD p M P rt H* O 3 31.0 102 Responses to the item designed to reflect general com­ petency L also reflected "some" to "excellent" educational preparation. Table 4.25 shows 71.0% of the respondents per­ ceived their college courses prepared them to use a variety of audio and visual materials. Data relative to effectively dealing with unusual class­ room problems are presented in Table 4.26. More than eighty percent indicated each item to be "extremely important" for middle school education. The degree to which teachers im­ plemented the items was perceived as "sometimes" or "most of the time" by equally large percentages (#44 - 85.3%, #45 - 92.0%, #46 - 94.7%). Teacher preparation for dealing with a variety of school day emergencies was considered as non­ existent by 40.7%. Over one-half (54.3%) indicated "little" or "no preparation" for identifying symptoms of mental ill­ ness, while 58.0% felt a similar lack of preparation for identifying symptoms of physical illness. Table 4.27 illustrates the importance teachers assigned to counseling ability. The role of teacher as counselor has been strongly supported by middle school advocates (Romano, Georgiady, Heald, 1973). Most respondents agreed with the advocates of this role for middle school teachers as 96.7% indicated it was "somewhat" to "extremely important." Many respondents (68.0%) reported "little" to "some preparation" for counseling students. Helping students to consider alternative values was considered as "somewhat" to "extremely important" by 99.3% Table 4.25: Competency L: General Middle School Teacher Competency L and Related Survey Questions Make use of appropriate media. Survey Questions: Importance O rti f Hs; o rt m 3 rr 9. Use a variety of audio and visual materials? 0.0 H (D t— t B •o o rt rt JU 3 o ID 2.7 a m X rt n § g CA O sr P> rr H B •o o . r| rt tu 3 rr 29.5 to X O ID S o to rt ID H* M 0 •o o Preparation O C/1 n rt m 3 rt =5 ID < 67.8 0.7 ID tl Hi o 0 ID rr 1 ID H4 HB ID (0 H H* B 8.1 50.0 rt 3* ID ID 41.2 ES O rt rt H* ID td »d n ID •tl P> M ID '3 rt rt H* O S3 6.1 P» tt (a H. O 3 23.0 CA O B ID *0 H ID •d P) t-> I-* ID 3 rt •o tt tt P» rt HO 3 ID X) p> tt p> rt H* O 3 42.6 28.4 103 H B -O O tl rt rt rr Implementstion Table 4.26: Competency M: General Middle School Teacher Competency M and Related Survey Questions Deal effectively with unusual classroom problems related to emergencies, accidents, stu­ dent illnesses and emotional problems and student disruption. Survey Questions: Importance Implementation Preparation m x o m O h» S5 O rt H B •0 0 44. 45. 46. 3 rt 01 3 r.t . r* H* rt rt tm M B •3 O 3 rt P> 3 O . m. cn O B rJt? 3 ro < 3* P> rr m M B ■3 O 3 g •3 3 pt o rt 3 . r .t r t r* K CO o O a B m w m 3 m m m rt rt H* m f* m m ^ rt 2: 3 < 3 m s 10 r rtt O rti rt rt p * P* m st O . m TJ •3 m » 3 3 B B H- (0 t o m d 3 t-3 0 O cp O . 31 3 m •3 m 3 3 3 m 3 r ID B (D m m 0 31 3 m r rt t F» F » £B rrt t rt 3 . rtt F* H * 0O d3 O rt m *1 m x) tj m m 3 3 m r m r t 0 F- d 0 t H* d Recognize symptoms of mental illness which may indicate the need for re­ ferral of a student to other personnel? 0.7 1.3 15.3 82.7 4.0 10.7 34.0 51.3 27.5 26.8 32.2 13.4 Recognize symptoms of physical illness which may indicate the need for referral of a student to other personnel? 0.0 1.3 14.7 84.0 1.3 6.7 29.3 62.7 26.0 32.0 30.0 12,0 Know procedures for deal­ ing with a variety of school day emergencies? 0.0 0.7 12.7 86.7 1.3 4.0 20.7 74.0 40.7 22,7 24.0 12.7 Table 4.27: Competency N: General Middle School Teacher Competency N and Related Survey Questions Counsel individual students, promoting self-direction through indirect guidance. Importance Survey Questions: O i-h t* H * rr 0 o rt I o H rt Counsel students? H ID •8 o rt 8 8 0.7 2.7 rt 16. rt n ID Ifl 0 0 1D> Implementation Preparation tn r* K rt h H rt H* rr rt 3 a g I-* ID rt ID td rt M £ o M •i o r| rr 8r t (D 26.7 70.0 » rt M K O CO O S 53 % ID n H ID t-* *3 1.3 8.0 rt P* ID ID a ID n B rt 37.3 53.3 n •1 ID T> D> t< •d H* O o D> rt p 16.0 ID P> d m rt H* P 24.7 ID ca § ID td H ID •d 8 m rt H* O p 43.3 ID P rt td d ID •d fb H fit rr H- o P 16.0 1 0 6 of the responding middle school teachers. The data show 93.2% practiced this behavior "some” or "most of the time," the most frequent response being "sometimes" (48.3%). Edu­ cational preparation for helping students to consider alter­ native values was considered as "little" to "some" by 67.1% of the teachers. Table 4.28 represents the data related to general competency 0. Table 4.29 shows responses for the item designed to re­ present the intent of general competency P. Teachers indi­ cated it was "somewhat" to "extremely important" to encour­ age divergent thinking (96.6%). Similarly, 91.7% indicated they offered such encouragement "sometimes" or "most of the time." Responses related to college preparation ranged from "little" to "some" to "excellent preparation," with "some preparation" being the most frequently indicated response (45.5%). General competency Q had as a focus the teacher's abil­ ity to help students become independent learners. The data presented in Table 4.30 showed most teachers supported as "somewhat" to "extremely important" the notions of providing opportunities for students to make choices and assume re­ sponsibilities. Data also showed teachers provided these opportunities "sometimes" or "most of the time." Education­ al preparation was perceived as "little" to "some" by a ma­ jority of the teachers. Over sixty percent responded in this manner to the items related to helping students make choices and assume responsibilities. Table 4.28: Competency 0: General Middle School Teacher Competency 0 and Related Survey Questions Help students to consider alternative values and to develop personal valuing systems. Survey Questions: 15. Help students consider alternative values? Importance Implementation Preparation m a o rt M 0 •o o rr 3 3 rt O tt> f Hrr rr H 3 M 0 •a o ri rt 3 3 o (D CO o 0 3 « 3* 3 rt M 0 •o O ri rt 3 3 rt r? rr n fg 0 ID H* VJ H 0 TS o n rr 3 3 rt 0.7 0.0 32.0 67.3 & » a o 3 rd •1 3 •O 3 rt ► V n 3 *3 3 H rr O O a 3 <: a n 1.4 to 3 H m m 5.4 0 3 rr H- 0 m m 48.3 rr H ID rt CO f H* ft rr 3* h* p 3 H* O 3 3 44.9 6.4 1 3 ft H* O 3 26.7 CO o a 3 *3 n 3 T3 3 X n 3 M H 3 3 rt 3 rd n 3 *3 3 rt 3 H* H* n rt O 3 40.4 rt O 3 16.4 Table 4.29: Competency P: General Middle School Teacher Competency P and Related Survey Questions Help students learn and practice problem-solving techniques. Survey Questions: Importance implementation Preparation pi o "■ h- r* rr rt 2! O rt H a >5 Plan instruction which encourages divergent thinking? M 0 o n> 5 s ft m 3* D> rt ID H H M a T3 o Ii 43 o •§ O pi p id m rt 01 0 ri rt ri rt ID rt 25 o t-* Hrt rt H ID O l-h •3 •3 K o S 0 O n rt 54. H ID « a 53 © n ID >3 ID o HO 3 rt HO 3 45.5 20.3 pi rt H3 23.8 n fit rt 3 K 3 Table 4.30: Competency Q: General Middle School Teacher Competency Q and Related Survey Questions Provide opportunities and guidance to help students become independent learners by defining their own goals and problems, identifying resources, and evaluating outcomes. Survey Questions: Importance o Hi O rt h- a *1 rt c a 53 Pi rt M M M H a x> O a *o a rt rt jn a rt 10. 60. Provide opportunities for an individual student to make choices in the class­ room. 2.0 Give students the oppor­ tunities to assume respon­ sibilities for something other than academic pro­ gress (operating equipment, record keeping, office work, teacher aide, etc.)? 0.0 tt IP Ma o H rt m p o m ET O H rt pi a (0 C/1 ti H rt pi a S3 (0 <* id rt rt H 6.0 36.0 56.0 2.7 34.0 63.3 to rt S3 o h* rt r* H ID O m tt tt H ID rt tt ri ID tt ID Pi rt Pi rt Pi rt P rt O O K o (D O t>i * o ID tt id 2.7 Preparation tt X tt rt O rt c/i Implementation 0.0 2 a a* SO (D n> tt 3 H PI M Pi rt ip a O to ID P H m S 6.7 7.3 rr 60.0 42.0 tt 30.7 50.7 tt a 14.1 22.1 tt a 31.5 35,6 tn O tt tt ID a ar t tt tt rt P ID H ID tt tt a 36.9 26.8 tt P H P rt tt O a 17.4 15.4 110 General competency It concerned the teacher's ability to plan learning activities for a variety of groups. The sur­ vey item to which teachers responded most frequently in the "extremely important" category was included in this compe­ tency. Table 4.31 shows that 95.3% felt using a variety of teaching strategies was "extremely important" for middle school education. Nearly all of the responding teachers in­ dicated they used a variety "sometimes" or "most of the time" (99.3%). They also indicated "some" to "excellent preparation," but to a somewhat lesser extent as the 80.6% response revealed. The knowledge of group dynamics neces­ sary for planning was viewed as slightly less important and was implemented to a lesser degree. Educational preparation was perceived by two-thirds of the respondents (66.7%) as "little" or "some." The focus of general competency S was the teacher's ability to work with other professionals. Over one-half of the teachers felt using peer feedback and utilizing the ser­ vices of other educational personnel were "extremely impor­ tant," while over one-third felt this was "somewhat impor­ tant." The most frequent response concerning the extent to which teachers utilized peer feedback and the services of others was "sometimes." When educational preparation was considered, over one-half (52.4%) indicated "little" or "no preparation" for the use of peer feedback. Preparation to use other educational personnel was considered to be Table 4.31: Competency R: General Middle School Teacher Competency.R and Related Survey Questions Design and conduct group activities according to the kinds of learning that are facilitated by a variety of groupings. Survey Questions: Importance Implementation Preparation tn o 25 O rt j—i a TJ o H rt 37. Use a knowledge of group dynamics to plan for teaching? a « H* XT P> ID t-* I—I M £ xi o x£i rt rt ID M a x» o r| rt P> 8 s ID rt 0.0 0.0 4.9 17.4 u a S «> r» o tt» h rt s 8 a rt a rt Use a variety of teaching strategies? r H* a n P> 8. X o o h r n n rt w S3 P < (D ID id *i h vc; id rt H* a n> (g ►d rt ID CO 2 a 25 o 2. XT id H S(|>’ •a (U 1 to ft HO a r* Hrt rt l-> ID t-» m I-* ID ID o a a a *d tl *d n td tt ID •a ID •a pi n pi rt H* O a •a p> n m rt H* O rt ID Pi a pi rt Ho a rt rt 4.7 95.3 0.7 0.0 24.7 74.7 6.7 12.7 47.3 33.3 50.0 27.8 7.7 18.2 43.4 30.8 19.9 31.2 35.5 13.5 a 112 somewhat better as 71.6% indicated they had "little” to "some preparation." Table 4.32 lists the data relevant to this competency. The final general competency considered in this study concerned the teacher's ability to become involved in inter­ disciplinary instruction, both in planning and implementa­ tion. Forty-nine percent of the responding teachers indi­ cated this was "somewhat” important for middle school educa­ tion. The extent to which they implemented this approach was fairly evenly distributed from "never" to "most of the time." Forty-three percent indicated "no preparation" for dealing with interdisciplinary planning and instruction. The data are reported in Table 4.33 for general competency T. The extent to which middle school teachers with a Mich­ igan middle school endorsement perceived certain items de­ signed to represent the intent of twenty general middle school teacher competencies to be important for middle school education provided a focus for data analysis to this point. Perceptions regarding the extent to which items had been implemented and the extent of educational preparation for dealing with each item also were a focus. Although the competencies were described as general middle school teacher competencies, the assumption can be made that they are com­ petencies desired for teachers at all educational levels. The remaining competencies for which data were analyzed were Table 4.32: Competency S: General Middle School Teacher Competency S a n d Related Survey Questions Work in cooperative teaching situations with other teachers, paraprofessionals, and resource persons. Survey Questions: Importance Implementation Preparation pi o Hi rt w O Q x rt H rt ar m f « o rr rt H 0 0 - 0 0 0 H 48. g CD rt o H * 0 0 O H rt pi 3 rt rt (D 0 0 Utilize peer feedback for self improvement? 1.4 4.8 39.9 54.1 Identify and use other educational personnel in the instructional process (students, teachers, ad­ ministrators)? 0.7 5.4 34.9 59.1 id H rt p> 3 rt rt H| rt 0 0 O rt 9 rt pi * r* fg rt •0 47. re ? id rt X o ID pi H rt pi 0 rt m q rt a* rt S 0 ID rt H* 0 ID ID 3.4 12.3 3.2 41.1 4.7 18.8 41.6 34.9 a; ( O < ID H W pi H id ID rt rt 0 ID in rt 25 o H ID •a H PI rt H* O a rt 1 ID •O H ID •O H ID X) PI H ID •o 0) H Pi rt m rt rt rt ID a rr •O H ID •o p) H Pi rt rt O a rt O a rt O a 26.9 25.5 37.2 10.3 17.6 30.4 41.2 10.8 Table 4. 33: Competency General Middle School Teacher Competency T and Related Survey Questions T: Accept responsibility of multi-disciplinary instruction: to plan thematic and coordinated studies with other teachers and to assist them in teaching subjects outside of her/his own ________________ area of specialization._____________________________________________________________________ Survey Questions: Importance Implementation Preparation PI X O ID o Hi t-i 0 •0 O H rt ID 3 H 49. Accept the responsibility for teaching subjects outside the area of per­ sonal specialization as is appropriate in some team teaching situations? 9.5 ft a ft ft »-* ID ES O ft 5? O h- s h fl> 0 ID H V* id o* ID ft M 0 m h H H D> O O H H ID O o ID rt o Hi cn -5 0 0 0 * 0 * 0 I O D 11.6 0 H 49.0 H H (D 0 H 29.9 « ID < ID H V 22.4 M W O ID H J I 26.5 O 0 ID H H* 0 ID O I 28.6 H o a rt H* ID •0 *o ID 3* ID D rt H H* 0 22.4 •o ID H ID rt HO 3 42.9 H ID *o ID H P> H O 3 25.2 C/1 0 0 ID M ID 3 H *TJ »0 H ID o ID *o ID H M 0 0 H ID ft W1 ID 3* ID »-i * 0 h t S » V ti ' id h m ID 3 rt tn Q 0 ID i J H j n n n id id id ’pdi ' d(tl ' U (D a P) M p> rt H O 3 n> »-* rt rt t-1 (D SS O h» r O r1 h» tl pi rt H O 3 H O 3 !-» p> rt - H O >t pi rt - 3 14.3 26.5 44.9 14.3 52.7 31.3 12.7 3.3 47.0 27.5 21.5 4.0 10.9 15.6 53.1 20.4 51.7 25.9 19.7 2.7 53.7 21.5 20.8 4.0 3. Use learning centers? 4.0 7.4 47.7 40.9 20.8 24.2 45.6 9.4 34.0 24.0 32.7 9.3 4. Use mastery learning? 3.8 8.3 43.6 44.4 11.9 6.0 50.0 32.1 27.2 25.0 34.6 13.2 5. Use multi-age grouping? 11.7 17.2 55.2 15.9 36.4 24.5 17.5 21.7 44.4 27.1 21.5 6.9 8. Use a variety of teaching strategies? 0.0 0.0 4.7 95.3 0.7 0.0 24.7 74.7 6.7 12.7 47.3 33.3 Table 4.34: Competency Specific Middle School Teacher Competency A-2 and Related Survey Questions A-2, continued: Survey Questions: Importance J o 2 rt t-» S •d o h rt p 3 rt 10. 11. 12. 13. Implementation W X n o "■ » e E rt I ID 5 (D rt £ cr P (0 H it *-* 0 XJ o n 3 t» rt pi 3 0 (0 rt n rt P 3 rr s O 0> 0 I-* p H 3 xl O Preparation rt * rt I* 3 j c ID it H> o m B 53 O IT* Hrr rt I-* IP «d H *0 rt ID T3 P ►1 P rt HO 3 •cl P rt P> rt HO 3 fl> id V) o a n> m rt ID •a p •t p rt HO 3 H* H ID 3 rt ►d rt P •d P rt P rt H* O 3 Provide opportunities for an individual stu­ dent to make choices in the classroom? 2.0 6.0 36.0 56.0 2.7 6.7 60.0 30.7 14.1 31.5 36.9 17.4 Provide opportunities for group work in the class­ room? 0.7 2.7 41.6 55.0 0.7 10.0 51.3 38.0 8.7 26.7 44.7 20.0 Provide opportunities for group decision-making? 1.3 8.7 51.7 38.3 2.0 18.8 56.4 22.8 11.4 36.9 33.6 18.1 Positively reinforce all students in class? 0.7 0.0 10.7 88.7 0.0 0.7 32.7 66.7 4.0 19.3 50.0 26.7 Table 4.34: Specific Middle School Teacher Competency A-3 and Related Survey Questions Competency A-3, continued: Survey Questions: Importance Implementation Preparation pi X O Hi m o rt (—i S o t> *1 rt a 3 rt 14. O t* Hrt rt H ID a n> t =r M B •a M B pi rt O tl rt Pi T3 O n> rt rt a o a a o M X rt H (0 B 3 rt CO O B ID E5 f? rt < id CD h* B fl> n H H* ID £ O CO ft a: o o TJ Hi rt 3* ID rt H* B n ID •O (D H P> rt H* O CO ID 3 ID P* H* rt rt H* in B art td »d H ID •a Pi H ar t H Pi rt H* O O ID H- a a H* I-* ID rt H* a Maintain student confi­ dentiality? 0.0 0.7 8.8 90.5 0.0 1.3 12.8 85.9 15.1 24.7 37.0 23.3 Help students consider alternative values? 0.7 0.0 32.0 67.3 1.4 5.4 48.3 44.9 16.4 26.7 40.4 16.4 16. Counsel students? 0.7 2.7 26.7 70.0 1.3 8.0 37.3 53.3 16.0 24.7 43.3 16.0 17. Engage the use of sup­ port staff to help stu­ dents? 0.7 2.0 29.3 68.0 3.3 13.3 46.7 36.7 20.3 31.8 34.5 13.5 15. 119 The data showed 74.5%. of respondents received ’’little” or "no preparation” for team teaching in one subject area. For interdisciplinary team teaching, "little” or "no preparation." 75.2% indicated Fifty-eight percent indicated "little" or "no preparation" to use learning centers. use multi-age grouping, paration." To 71.5% indicated "little" or "no pre­ For five of the six items in this category, over one-half of the respondents indicated their college courses had provided "little" or "no preparation." The second grouping within this specific competency dealt with providing opportunities for students to achieve their maturational development. More than ninety percent of the respondents felt the items representing this ability were "somewhat" to "extremely important." The most fre­ quent response regarding the extent to which implementation occurred was "sometimes" for items about providing oppor­ tunities for students to make choices, for group work, and for group decision-making. The teachers felt they had re­ ceived "little" to "some preparation" for the same items. When positively reinforcing all students in class was con­ sidered, the responses tended to be somewhat higher. The third grouping within this specific competency dealt with providing guidance services for middle school students. At least two-thirds of the respondents indicated that each item was "extremely important" for middle school education. Over ninety percent (90.5%) felt maintaining student confidentiality was "extremely important," and 85.9% 120 said they practiced this ’'most of the time." Responses to the remaining items indicated the extent of implementation to be high; most frequently indicated were ’’sometimes11 and "most of the time" (#15 - 93.2%, #16 - 90.6%, #17 - 83.4%). The extent to which education courses were perceived as pre­ paration to provide guidance services ranged from "little" to "some preparation." Approximately two-thirds of all re­ sponses were indicated as such. Specific competencies B and C appeared to be very simi­ lar, yet were quite different. Teaching developmental read­ ing and reading in the content areas, the focus of specific competency B, reflected a general attitude and behavior. The teaching of reading was regarded as something that could and did occur when appropriate situations arose. Teaching read­ ing as an integral part of a specific content area, the fo­ cus of specific competency C, assumed a regular, planned series of experiences. The data reported in Table 4.35 concerned the teaching of developmental reading and reading in the content areas. Teachers indicated this concern was "extremely important" for middle school education (#18 - 77.4%, #19 - 82.6%). Teachers also indicated they taught developmental reading "sometimes" (34.2%) to "most of the time" (32.2%). They in­ dicated they taught reading in the content areas slightly more, as 24.2% responded "sometimes" while 59.1% responded "most of the time." The responses relative to the extent of Table 4.35: Specific Competency B: Middle School Teacher Competency B and Related Survey Questions Teach developmental reading and reading in the content areas. Importance Survey Questions: Implementation Preparation pi O rt tt rt § ID I ID 3 rt rt 2 O rt Io rt rt 3 3 rt 18. 19. tt (A O 0 K •I O tl rt 8o ID cr r t rt 3 3 rt cn M o rt rt 2 O rtJ *d rt M •o8 & 3 f* H* rt rt H* 2 ID < 8ft ID S? rt ID i ID rt h> rt 3* ID 0 ID U 8 o rt ID ID rt ID •rt •d rt rt rt rt CD D > O 3 3 D> H- o 3 o ID o H* ID ID 3 rt Cfl 0 •d rt ID •d CD rt CD rt HO 3 >d rt ID T3 3 rt 3 rt H* O 3 Teach developmental reading? 2.1 2.1 18.5 77.4 13.7 19.9 34.2 32.2 1.7 26.9 24.8 18.6 Teach reading in the content areas? 0.7 1.3 15.4 82.6 4.7 12.1 24.2 59.1 21.8 24.5 21.8 32.0 122 educational preparation for both items ranged almost equally for each degree of preparation. The most frequent response to the item dealing with developmental reading was "no pre­ paration" as 29.7% so indicated. The data reported in Table 4.36 concerned the teaching of reading as an integral part of a specific content area. Ninety-eight percent of the teachers indicated this was "somewhat" to "extremely important" for middle school edu­ cation. The responses to both items in this competency re­ lative to the extent of implementation were primarily "some­ times" to "most of the time." The distribution of responses was fairly equal when educational preparation for teaching reading in the content areas was considered, The prepara­ tion for using a variety of textbooks was perceived as "little" to "some preparation" by 70.9% of the respondents. Planned gradualism was the focus of specific competency D. The middle school was viewed as providing a bridge for students between elementary school and high school. The use of groups based on different criteria helped to prepare the student to function in the class-changing high school en­ vironment. Teachers indicated the use of flexible groups according to ability and interest was "somewhat" to "ex­ tremely important" for middle school education as the data in Table 4.37 show. Forty-one percent indicated they used both criteria for grouping "sometimes." Sixty percent of the teachers indicated their education had been "little" to "some preparation" for grouping based on interests while Table 4.36: Specific Middle School Teacher Competency C and Related Survey Questions Competency C: Teach reading as an integral part of a specific content area. Survey Questions: Importance o rt rt H IS a M K rt tl s 3 CM h 53 o rt •o rt p p s O a rt 19. 20. XT P rt vj M M M 3 tJ o M 0 rt p n IS IS H 3 o •a P P rt rt P P rt 'O ft rt K a r* o 3 o M o CM 55 IS < IB rt p rt ID X O 3 IS rt H3 IB to H» rt XT IB t-3 H* 3 IB Si O •V •1 IS •o p n P rt H* O P Hrt rt H* IB •V •1 IB •a p tt p rt H* O a CD o 3 IB a Preparation r* Excellent O Preparation Implementation td H P •o P n P rt H* O Teach reading in the content areas. 0.7 1.3 15.4 82.6 4.7 12.1 24.2 59.1 21.8 24.5 21.8 32.0 Use a variety of text books at different read­ ing levels? 0.7 1.3 31.3 66.7 14.7 16.7 38.0 30.7 14.9 32.4 38.5 14.2 Table 4. 37: Specific Middle School Teacher Competency D and Related Survey Questions Competency D: Design and carry through teaching strategies appropriate to the middle school so as to pro­ vide a bridge for the students between the elementary school and the senior high. Survey Questions: Importance Implementstlon Preparation tn O Hi cn O H* 9 M £ 3* rt rt z o rt re M M ■O O n H re re rt 7. o ■re H rt 6. M o rt 9 re 0 rt re rt o t-« rt O cd rt o § re i-* re re H| a •re o H rt re a rt H* ft rt re *re K rt 9 9 'O re x n n> cd O si r e < re h b r re h i H n * re 9 re H hj H re o 9 (D *re H re H re rt *re *0 *d h- rt ho rt rt are* re re w si o B re H re re re re H re o h- re H-* I-* re a rt *re to h re T3 re rt re o h- re re H re rt o h- re Use flexible grouping according to ability? 0.7 4.1 30.4 64.9 6.7 14.1 41.6 37.6 __ 19.0 27.2 41.5 12.2 Use flexible grouping according to interests? 4.1 11.0 39.0 45.9 15.1 24.0 41.1 19.9 ■■■'•. 27.3 25.2 35.7 11.9 125 68.7% indicated their education had been "little" to "some preparation" for grouping based on ability. The involvement of parents in the pre-adolescent edu­ cational experience was the focus of specific competency E. Data relative to this competency are listed in Table 4.38. The responses to the four items designed to reflect the in­ tent of this competency were collectively different from others in this study. Regarding the involvement of parents in yearly plans, 53.7%. indicated this was "not" or "of little importance" for middle school education. Sixty-two percent regarded parental feedback as "little" to "somewhat important," 59.2% felt the involvement of parents in ways to communicate pupil progress was "little" to "somewhat impor­ tant," and 65.4% responded similarly to the use of parents as classroom aides. The extent to which teachers involved parents in any of the ways listed was low. Over sixty per­ cent did not use parents as aides, nor did they involve them in planning for a class. The teacher responses regarding the extent to which their college courses had prepared them to involve parents in the transescent's education experi­ ences were unique for this competency. Approximately ten percent indicated "some" to "excellent preparation" while over two-thirds indicated "no preparation" for each item. Tabic 4.38: Specific Middle School Teacher Competency E and Related Survey Questions Competency E: Draw parents into active involvement in the pre-adolescent educational experience. Survey Questions: Importance S O rt IH 9 *0 O r t rt P 0 it 22. 23. 24. 25. p rt rt H P rt M 0 - 0 0 - 0 H 0 a rt O M rt P ft W O 0 3 it P < (0 Pd P rt P rt 0 ID Hi rt H rt -o •o •O H ID 3* (0 P (D rt ID rt H* 0 H (D u 0 P rt HO o 0 20.1 33.6 32.9 13.4 62.4 29.5 6.0 2.0 0.9 Use parents as class­ room aides? 16.7 24.7 40.7 18.0 60.7 15.3 16.0 8.0 71.8 32.2 27.3 31.5 9.1 64.3 26.9 31.0 29.0 13.1 66.2 4.9’ 14.1 Seek parental feedback to assess strategies and programs? 4.1 17.2 45.1 44.8 35.9 33.8 0 rt n> o Involve parents in de­ veloping a yearly plan for a class? Involve parents in planning ways to com­ municate pupil progress? m. i-* t-* S3 o M 01 H* rt rt H* o 0 rr 0 S g » 0 * P p rt * ^ H (U o H* O rt O M 0 pi X o $ 3* P Preparation M & C/1 O 0 f H* S3 Implementation fl> P H P rt H* O O 17.6 18.1 23.1 22.5 o -o P rt P rt H* O 0 o rt) H P -o P *1 P rt H* O 0 10.1 1.4 8.7 1.3 9.1 7.7 3.5 3.5 To provide additional data necessary for answering the questions posed by this study, the responses of each teacher were compared to determine the degree to which they were con­ sistent for each of the sixty-two survey items. shows the results of the comparisons. Table 4.39 Each figure in the three columns of the table represents part of one hundred percent. To illustrate, survey question 1 has 28.7 listed in the "Importance/Implementation" column. This figure means 28.7% of the teachers made the same response regarding the extent to which the item was important for middle school education and the extent to which it was implemented. Spe­ cific responses (1,2,3,4) were not noted, only the degree to which they were consistent. Table 4.40 shows percentage grouping representing con­ sistent responses and the number of items listed at that de­ gree of consistency in Table 4.39. For forty-seven of the sixty-two items in the survey (47/62), teachers made consis­ tent responses over one-half of the time when they consi­ dered the extent to which an item was important and the ex­ tent to which it was implemented. For all items in the sur­ vey (62/62), teachers did not respond consistently over onehalf of the time when they indicated the extent to which an item was important and the extent to which their education was preparation for dealing with the item. Similarly, for all survey items but one (61/62), they did not respond con­ sistently over one-half of the time when educational prepa­ ration and the extent of implementation were compared. 128 Table 4.39. The Degree to Which Responses Were Consistent Between Survey Items Survey Question Number Importance/ Implementation Importance /Education Implementation /Education 1 * 28.7 22.0 44.7 2 27.3 22.7 46.7 3 35.3 26.0 42.0 4 66.0 35.3 43.3 5 35.3 32.0 39.3 6 51.3 26.0 39.3 7 44.7 26.7 46.7 8 75.3 35.3 44.7 9 62.0 38.0 44.7 10 57.3 30.7 40.0 11 68.7 41.3 44.0 12 64.0 40.7 46.0 13 74.7 32.7 40.7 14 90.7 26.7 28.0 15 68.0 26.0 35.3 16 70.0 26.0 35.3 17 56.0 26.0 40.0 18 47.3 25.3 41.3 19 68.0 34.7 41.3 20 46.7 25.3 38.0 21 62.7 26.7 34.0 22 32.7 30.7 66.0 23 35.3 22.7 62.0 24 13.3 47.3 25 35.3 48.0 14.0 38.7 26 47.7 23.3 26.7 27 81.3 25.3 28.0 28 77.3 28.0 34.7 29 76.7 32.0 34.7 30 72.0 44.0 46.7 129 Table 4.39, cont'd. Importance/ Implementation Importance /Education Implementation /Education 73.3 32.0 36.7 68.0 68.0 28.7 38.0 31.3 40.7 67.3 37.3 35 76.0 44.0 43.3 48.0 36 32.0 43.3 37 68.0 68.0 38.0 44.7 38 62.0 40. 7 49.3 39 55.3 17.3 34.7 40 44.0 28.7 45.3 41 64.7 15.3 24.7 42 64.7 28.0 41.3 43 44 72.7 36.0 42.0 54.0 14.0 33.3 45 66.7 14.7 22.7 46 76.7 16.7 20.7 47 63.3 23.3 32.0 48 56.7 24.7 42.7 49 48.7 34.0 51.3 50 67.3 34.0 33.3 51 62.0 35.3 40.7 52 48.7 29.3 44.0 53 79.3 42.0 48.0 54 65.3 36.0 48.0 55 86.0 39.3 39.3 56 71.3 40.7 42.0 57 62.7 28.7 32.0 58 62.0 18.7 32.7 59 56.7 20.7 38.7 60 73.3 26.0 30.0 32 33 34 130 Table 4.39, cont'd. Survey Question Number Importance/ Implementation 61 62 58.7 44.7 Importance /Education Implementation /Education 24.7 25.3 35.3 36.7 * N=150 All figures are percentages Table 4.40. The Number of Survey Items Appearing in Each Percentage Group Representing Degree of Consistency (N=62) Importance /Implemen­ tation Importance /Education Implemen­ tation/ Education Frequency Frequency Frequency - 10% --- --- --- 11% - 20% -- Consistent Response Percentage Group 0 9 3 21% - 30% 2 28 31% - 40% 5 21 6 26 41% - 50% 8 4 26 51% - 60% 9 --- 61% - 70% 22 ------ ------ 71% - 80% 13 --- ------ 81% - 90% 3 ------ ------ - - - ------ 91% - 100% TOTALS: ----- 62 62 1 62 131 Summary The specific questions to be answered by the study con­ cerned the extent to which middle school teachers with the endorsement perceived certain variables as important, the extent to which the variables were implemented, and the ex­ tent to which education courses were perceived as prepara­ tion for dealing with the variables. The population sampled consisted of all individuals with a Michigan middle school endorsement as identified by the Michigan Department of Education. Practicing middle school teachers drawn from that population became the fo­ cus of the study. An instrument was developed to gather data. An .intro­ ductory letter was mailed two weeks before the survey was mailed. After another two weeks, a follow-up postcard was sent. The typical survey respondent was between thirty-two and forty years of age. The person's sex was not a factor. The respondent had earned a secondary teaching certificate and preferred teaching in a middle school or high school. A Master's degree had been completed by the respondent while she/he had worked between three and twenty years in the profession. The subjects taught were language arts, social studies, or both. Between three and ten hours per week were spent on planning, while four or fewer hours per week were spent with students beyond the regular school day each week. The respondent earned an endorsement from a 132 Detroit-area college or university because a school dis­ trict required it or because better preparation for a teach­ ing assignment was desired. The respondent had student taught in a junior high or middle school and had taken an early adolescent psychology class as an undergraduate. The perceptions of middle school teachers with an en­ dorsement were generally the same for general and specific middle school teacher competencies. The most frequent re­ sponses regarding the extent to which each of the sixty-two survey items was important for middle school education were "somewhat" to "extremely important." The response made most frequently was "extremely important." For specific compe­ tency E which concerned the involvement of parents, a fre­ quently chosen response was "of little importance." ' Responses regarding the extent to which the various survey items were implemented ranged between "sometimes" and "most of the time" with "sometimes" chosen most frequently. Four competencies had frequent responses which indicated the extent of implementation to be "rare" or "never." Spe­ cific competency E, which dealt with parental involvement, received the highest frequency of "never" responses. Responses regarding the extent to which college and/or university courses were perceived as preparation for dealing with each survey item and associated competency were fairly evenly distributed among "no," "little," and "some prepara­ tion." A response of "no preparation" was frequent for 133 fourteen competencies while "excellent preparation" was a frequent response for three competencies. The responses made to items concerning their importance for middle school education were consistent over half of the time with the responses concerning the extent to which the item had been implemented. Responses were not consistent for most items when the extent of importance was compared to educational preparation. Responses also were not consistent for most items when the extent of implementation was com­ pared to educational preparation. Chapter V will report conclusions which were drawn from the analysis of data. Recommendations will also be made. CHAPTER V SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS Introduction This chapter focuses on conclusions which may be drawn and recommendations which may be made as a result of this study. Included is a brief description of the purpose of the study, the data collection and analysis methods, and the population. A general assessment of the Michigan middle school endorsement is made by examining middle school teacher perceptions as they relate to twenty-five teacher competen­ cies. An examination of the extent to which teachers per­ ceive items related to the competencies as important, per­ ceive the extent to which they have implemented them, and perceive their education courses as preparation is included. Areas of strength and weakness are identified and inferences are made. Based on the data, recommendations for the future of the Michigan middle school endorsement option are made as well as recommendations for teacher education in the state. Finally, recommendations for future research are suggested. Summary The general purpose of this study was to determine to what extent the Michigan middle school endorsement was 134 135 producing teachers with competencies necessary to effective­ ly implement the goals of middle school education. Specific questions to be answered concerned the extent to which mid­ dle school teachers with an endorsement perceived certain items important for middle school education, the extent to which they implemented those items, and the extent to which their college and/or university courses were perceived as preparation for dealing with the various items. A sixty-two item survey was developed to elicit data necessary to answer the research questions. The items were designed to reflect the intent of twenty-five general and specific middle school teacher competencies identified by two Michigan middle school task forces. Over a four-week span, an introductory letter, the survey and cover letter, and a follow-up post card were mailed to individuals identi­ fied by the Michigan Department of Education as having a mid­ dle school endorsement. Responses of practicing middle school teachers were considered to answer the research questions. Data were reported in frequencies. Each item of the sixty-two item survey was matched with the competency it was written to represent. Each competency was evaluated by examining the teacher responses for the items associated with it. The items were also analyzed to determine the con­ sistency with which teachers responded to the three concerns (importance, implementation, education) of the survey. 136 Conclusions Middle school teachers generally perceived the sixtytwo items designed to reflect the intent of the twenty-five competencies as "extremely important" for middle school education. They implemented each item "some" or "most" of the time but had received "no," "little," or "some" preparation for dealing with each. When the consistency with which teachers responded to each item was considered, the greatest consistency existed for responses relating to degree of importance and extent of implementation. Table 5.1 illustrates the most frequent responses for items representing each competency. The most frequent re­ sponse was determined by examining the responses for each item matched with a competency. The most frequent responses were usually the same for all items within a competency area. When a response to an item within a competency was quite different from other responses, it was represented on the table relative to its value among all items in the group. Responses indicated on the table totaled to at least one-half of all responses for an item, but in many cases were considerably more. Each of the twenty-five middle school teacher compe­ tencies was considered as "somewhat" to "extremely impor­ tant" by a majority of the middle school teachers. Those competencies and items to which teachers responded "of little" or "somewhat important" were: 137 Table 5.1. Most Frequent Responses for Items Representing Each Competency Importance 1 2 General Competency 3 4 Implementation 1 2 3 4 1 2 X X A x * X X B X X X X X X X X X C X D Education X 3 X X X X X X E X X X X X X X F X X X X X X X G X X X X X X H X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X I X X J X X K X L X X X X X x X X X X x M X X X N X X 0 X P Q R • t X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X S X X X X X X X T X X X X :al: - - 9 20 X - X 3 20 18 10 18 18 (table c o n t i n u e d ) 138 Table 5.1, cont'd. Importance 1 Specific Competency 2 Imp lement a t ion 3 4 1 2 3 A-1 X X X X X A-2 X X X A-3 X B C D TOTAL: 2 3 X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X 6 6 2 13 24 24 4 X X X X X X X - 1 4 7 2 3 - 1 13 27 2 6 26 23 E sub-total: 1 X 4 Education X 4 X 6 5 3 * x's total more than half of all responses • C. Physical development - they felt it was "some­ what important" to provide for and arrange furniture in special ways (44.0%) E. Socio-emotional development - they felt setting up private areas in the classroom (50.0%) and openly answering questions relating to sex (44.6%) were "somewhat important" F. Career development - they regarded the inte­ gration of career education concepts (41.6%) as "somewhat important" G. Learning theories - they felt it was "somewhat important" to analyze the learning patterns of individual students (44.4%) and identifying various learning theories (39.0%) H. Group dynamics - they felt it was "somewhat im­ portant" to use the knowledge to plan for teach­ ing (50.0%) 139 J. Appropraite curriculum organization - they indi­ cated the use of learning centers (47.7%) was "somewhat important" R. Group activities for different learning needs they responded that it was "somewhat important" to use an understanding of group dynamics to plan groups (50.0%) S. Cooperative teaching situations - they indicated the use of peer feedback (39.9%) was "somewhat important" T. Planning and participating in multi-disciplinary instruction - they felt teaching outside the area of specialization (49.0%) was "somewhat important" A-l Variety of teaching strategies - they felt team teaching in one subject (44.9%) or in an interdisciplinary situation (53.1%), the use of learning centers (47.7%), and the use of multi-age grouping (55.2) were "somewhat impor­ tant" A-2 Help students to mature - they indicated that providing opportunities for group decision­ making (51.7%) was "somewhat important" D Bridge the gap - they responded that flexible groups based on interest (39.0%) were "somewhat important" E. Parental involvement - they indicated involving parents in a yearly plan (33.6%) was "of little importance." They also indicated involving parents in a yearly plan (32.9%), using parents as aides (40.7%), using parents to help communi­ cate pupil progress (45.1%), and assess the pro­ gram (44.8%) were "somewhat important." It was reasonable to conclude from the data that middle school teachers with a Michigan middle school endorsement considered the twenty-five competencies "somewhat" to "ex­ tremely important." It was also reasonable to conclude that the competency for involving parents in the transescent's 140 educational experience was considered the least important quality necessary for successful middle school education. The extent to which the twenty-five competencies were implemented by middle school teachers ranged from "never" to "most of the time." The majority indicated implementa­ tion "sometimes" or "most of the time." A response of "never" was indicated as the extent of implementation for the following competencies: A-l Variety of teaching strategies - they "never" team taught within one subject (52.77*) or in an interdisciplinary situation (51.7%) and "never" used multi-age groups (36.4%) E. Parental involvement - they "never" involved parents in developing a yearly plan (62.4%), as aides (60.7%), or to plan waya to communi­ cate pupil progress (32.2%) The competencies which teachers indicated they "rarely" implemented were: H. Group dynamics - they indicated they "rarely" made students aware of the process of group dynamics (27.8%) J. Appropriate curriculum organization - they "rarely" used learning centers (24.2%) or used flexible grouping based on interest (24.0%) T. Planning and participating in multi-disciplin­ ary instruction - they "rarely" participated in other than the area of specialization (26.5%) A-l Variety of teaching strategies - they "rarely" team taught in one subject (31.3%) or in an interdisciplinary situation (25.9%), "rarely" used learning centers (24.27*), and "rarely" used multi-age grouping (24.5%) D. Bridge the gap - they "rarely" used flexible grouping based on interest (24.0%) 141 E. Parental involvement - they "rarely" involved parents in developing a yearly plan (29.5%), developing ways to communicate pupil progress (27.3%), and giving feedback (31.0%) The competencies which were not implemented "most of the time" included: J. Appropriate curriculum organization - they used learning centers (9.4%) and flexible grouping based on interest (19.3%) "most of the time" T. Planning and participating in multi-disciplinary instruction - they participated in planning outside the area of specialization (22.4%) "most of the time" A-l. Variety of teaching strategies - they team taught in one subject (3.3%), team taught in an interdisciplinary situation (2.7%), used learning centers (9.4%), and used multi-age grouping (21.7%) "most of the time" E. Parental involvement - they involved parents in planning for the year (2.0%), to communicate pupil progress (9.1%), to give feedback (13.1%) and as aides (8.0%) "most of the time" It was reasonable to conclude from the data that middle school teachers with a Michigan middle school endorsement had implemented twenty-four competencies "sometimes" or "most of the time." However, the competencies dealing with appropriate curriculum organization, planning, and partici­ pating in multi-disciplinary instruction, using a variety of teaching strategies, and involving parents in the school ex­ perience were implemented to a somewhat lesser extent than most. Teachers "never" or "rarely" involved parents in the educational experiences of the transescent. The extent to which middle school teachers perceived they were prepared by their college and/or university 142 courses to deal effectively with the various competencies ranged from "no preparation" to "little" or "some prepara­ tion." For most competencies, preparation was perceived as "little" to "some." Thirteen competencies were indicated by many as areas of "no preparation." These were: A. Accept differences - they were not prepared to show an acceptance of different life styles and behavior (31.8%) C. Physical development - they were not prepared to arrange the classroom for easy movement (23.6%), to plan for physical movement (32.2%), and to arrange for appropriate furniture (46.1%) E. Socio-emotional development - they were not prepared to openly answer questions related to sex (48.6%) and to set up private areas in the classroom for students to be alone (43.2%) F. Career development - they were not prepared to help students explore the world of work (24.5%) or incorporate it into instruction (31.1%) H. Group dynamics - they were not prepared to make students aware of group dynamics (29.1%) I. School-community relations - they were not pre­ pared to promote positive school-community re­ lations (29.7%), to promote positive teacherparent relations, nor to plan activities taking cultural differences into account (27.6%) J. Appropriate curriculum organization - they were not prepared to establish learning centers (34.0%) nor to plan flexible groups based on interest (27.3%) M. Unusual problems - they were not prepared to recognize symptoms of mental illness (27.5%) nor to deal with school day emergencies (40.7%) S . Cooperative teaching situations - they were not prepared to use peer feedback (26.9%) T. Planning and participating in multi-disciplinary instruction - they were not prepared to become involved with subjects outside the area of spe­ cialization (42.9%) 143 A-l. Variety of teaching strategies - they were not prepared to team teach in one subject (47.0%) or in an interdisciplinary situation (53.7%). They were also not prepared to use learning cen­ ters (34.0%), to use a mastery learning approach (27.2%), or to use multi-age grouping (44.4%). B. Developmental reading - they were not prepared to teach developmental reading (29.7%) E. Parental involvement - they were not prepared to have parents involved in planning for the year (70.9%), to have parents as aides (71.8%), to involve parents in planning to communicate pupil progress (64.3%), or to use parents to provide feedback (66.2%) Four competencies were identified as areas of "excel­ lent preparation." They were: K. Instructional management - they indicated "ex­ cellent preparation" to use the plan, conduct, evaluate, revise method (31.0%) L. Media use - they were excellently prepared to use a variety of media (28.4%) B. Developmental reading, and C. Planned reading instruction - they indicated "excellent pre­ paration" for teaching reading in the content areas (32.0%) It was reasonable to conclude from the data that mid­ dle school teachers with a Michigan middle school endorse­ ment perceived their education courses as "little" to "some preparation" for effectively dealing with twenty-four com­ petencies. It was also reasonable to conclude the teachers received 'ho preparation" through their education courses to involve parents in the educational experience of the tran­ sescent student. The perceptions of middle school teachers regarding im­ portance, implementation, and educational preparation made 144 it possible to generally conclude that they felt the compe­ tencies were extremely important for successful middle school education, they implemented them somewhat. and had little or some educational preparation in the various areas. It was reasonable to assume the competencies were de­ scriptive of the ideal middle school teacher desired in Michigan. As the competencies resulted from extensive work by two middle school task forces, it was possible to make this assumption. If the Michigan middle school endorsement was intended to produce teachers with these desirable compe­ tencies for work with Michigan's transescent youngsters, it was reasonable to infer the endorsement was not accomplish­ ing this goal. The endorsement, as described by the Teacher Preparation and Professional Services, was "...an eighteen or more semester hour program for adding a 'middle school— grades five through nine' specialization endorsement to an already existing Michigan teaching certificate" (p. 8). It was "...the prerogative of each such approved teacher educa­ tion institution to determine the specifics of such 'planned program...'" (p. 8). The data presented in this study in­ dicated that in only four of twenty-five areas considered as important for middle school teachers in the state of Michi­ gan did middle school teachers who had earned this endorse­ ment feel they had received excellent educational prepara­ tion. There were, however, thirteen areas where a large number indicated no preparation. the It was reasonable to infer "...eighteen or more semester hour program..." was not 145 meeting the goal for which it was intended, based on the perceptions of middle school teachers with the endorsement. Some areas emerged from the study as particularly weak when preparation was considered. Team teaching, often pro­ posed as the ideal organizational scheme for middle school instruction, was an area where teachers indicated no prepa­ ration. Also, the use of learning centers and the use of various types of student learning groups were areas for which teachers felt they had received very limited training. An understanding of the physical development of the middle school child and.the implications for schooling were indicated as areas of weak preparation. This particular weakness was in an area (physical growth) which, over the years, has emerged as a significant tenet of the rationale for the existence of middle schools--to best accommodate the wide ranges in transescent physical development. Closely related to this area was sexual development and awareness. For the student, the middle school years are those in which they experience great and rapid change. Their developing sexuality causes them to raise many questions. Yet, teach­ ers indicated they were not prepared to respond. The weakest area, according to the perceptions of the middle school teachers, concerned parental involvement. The nature of the middle school’s operation makes it an ideal environment for parental involvement in a variety of w a y s , particularly as aides. The effort the teacher is required to exert to operate centers, group and regroup, assess 146 individual needs, etc., is considerable. Parental involve­ ment would help alleviate some of the responsibilities. It was possible to infer that, since teachers were not prepared to use parents as aides, they were left with the complete responsibility for all classroom functions. The magnitude of this task made the elimination of certain middle school elements an option many may have exercised. Preparation for the successful involvement of parents in school experiences might have eliminated this problem and may have enhanced the implementation of the total middle school concept. It was possible to infer that "approved teacher educa­ tion institutions" were granting middle school endorsements to teachers but were failing to prepare them in very basic competencies necessary for working with transescent young­ sters . An important implication for middle school education emerged from this study. cies to be important. Teachers perceived all competen­ The attitudes of teachers relative to the importance of survey items were related to the extent to which they implemented the item. The degree to which middle school teachers responded consistently to items was much higher when importance and implemen­ tation were compared than for importance/education and implementation/education. If an item were 147 "extremely important," it was implemented "most of the time"; if it were "not important," it was "never" implemented. It was reasonable to conclude that the extent to which a mid­ dle school teacher perceived an item as important for middle school education influenced the extent to which she/he imple­ mented the item. It was also reasonable to conclude the perceived importance was a greater influence on implementa­ tion than was educational preparation. To summarize, the conclusions reached as a result of this study were: 1. Programs leading to the Michigan middle school endorsement did not appear to nrepare teachers to implement middle school concepts. 2. Middle school teachers with a Michigan middle school endorsement felt twenty-five of twentyfive competency areas to be "extremely impor­ tant" for middle school education. 3. Middle school teachers with a Michigan middle school endorsement "sometimes" implemented the twenty-five competencies. 4. Middle school teachers with a Michigan middle school endorsement had "little" or "some" col­ lege/university preparation to deal with the twenty-five competency areas. 5. Middle school teachers with a Michigan middle school endorsement had not implemented, nor had their teacher preparation courses prepared them to deal with, basic tenets of the middle school concept. 6. The extent to which a middle school teacher with a Michigan middle school endorsement per­ ceived a middle school-related variable as important most influenced the extent to which the variable was implemented. 148 Recommendations for Michigan Department of Education It was possible to conclude from this study that mid­ dle school teachers with an endorsement exhibited attitudes supportive of the middle school concept. It was also pos­ sible to conclude that little or no educational preparation had been provided to successfully implement significant as­ pects of the concept. Finally, it was possible to conclude that the middle school endorsement option offered by the state through its teacher training institutions did not appear to meet the goals for which it was intended. Based on this conclusion, the following recommendations for the Michigan Department of Education are made: 1. It is recommended that the "...eighteen or more semester hour programs...planned...(and) approved (by) teacher education institution(s) ..." (Teacher Preparation and Professional Services, p. 8) be closely examined by the appropriate state certifying agency to ensure the program does include eighteen semester hours focused on the needs of middle school education. - or - 2. It is recommended that the endorsement be elminated as an optional addition to an existing Michigan elementary or secondary teaching certificate. In its place, certi­ fication for teaching students in grades five through nine should be developed and instituted. Implications for Michigan Department of Education Certain implications for the Michigan Department of Education emerged as a result of this study. They include: 149 1. It is implied that the Department closely examine and approve the programs of parti­ cipating teacher training institutions be­ fore allowing them to grant the endorsement. 2. It is implied that the Department continue to support developmental work by groups simi­ lar to the two task forces. Recommendations for Teacher Education It was possible to conclude from this study that middle school teachers with an endorsement perceived minimal pre­ paration from college or university courses relative to several desirable competencies. The data collected indi­ cated most teachers had earned original secondary certifica­ tion. The data also revealed very limited preparation at the undergraduate level for middle school teaching. Based on this information, the following recommenda­ tions are made: 1. It is recommended that teacher education in­ stitutions develop, at the undergraduate level, planned programs for preparing perspective teachers to work in grades five through nine. 2. It is recommended that teacher education in­ stitutions develop, at the graduate level, an eighteen hour planned program specifically aimed at preparing teachers with existing ele­ mentary or secondary teaching certification to work with students in grades five through nine. 3. It is recommended that courses offered by teacher education institutions leading to the issuance of a middle school endorsement be concerned with the rationale for various mid­ dle school teaching/learning methods. It was possible to conclude from this study that per­ ceived importance most influences the extent to which various instructional techniques are implemented. It is, therefore, recommended that attention be directed to helping teachers 150 understand the reasons for employing the vari­ ous middle school teaching/learning methods. Implications for Teacher Education As a result of this study, the following implication for teacher education institutions emerged: It is implied that teacher education institu­ tions identify several examples of exemplary edu­ cation in grades five through nine and encourage educators in these situations to actively parti­ cipate in the pre-service education of perspec­ tive teachers, both to provide laboratories for field experiences and formal instruction. Recommendations for Future Research The following recommendations for future research are made: 1. It is recommended that a similar study be con­ ducted using middle school teachers without an encorsement. Comparisons should be made with the results of this study to determine if any significant differences exist among populations. 2. This study conducted in Michigan and the Swezig study conducted in Ohio reached similar conclusions regarding middle school teacher preparation and certification. An effort should be made to consolidate the results of similar studies to provide national direction for educators interested in similar projects. It is recommended that such a study be conducted. 3. It is recommended that an in-depth survey of teacher training institutions in Michigan be made to determine the content of programs lead­ ing to the granting of a middle school endorse­ ment. 151 Comments This study examined an area that has historically been open to analysis and debate— the preparation of teachers to work successfully with the pre-adolescent youngster. Over the years, the assumption has been made that existing teach­ er education programs have sufficiently prepared the teacher to cope with the ever-changing needs and educational demands of the transescent. If this were indeed the case, the class­ room would be different so as to reflect efforts to accomo­ date these needs. Yet, most situations for the ten- to fourteen.-year-old reflect the secondary preparation of the teachers, regardless of the junior high or middle school name. The teacher is the key to successful intermediate-level education. What happens in classrooms will change only when teachers understand the unique nature of the transescent student and feel competent to plan instruction based on this understanding. Currently, teacher preparation does not place an em­ phasis on intermediate education. Separate preparation pro­ grams which focus on the transescent are necessary to ensure the best possible educational experiences for these young­ sters . APPENDICES APPENDIX A APPENDIX A I. General Middle School Teacher Competencies (MAMSE, 1974) The middle school teacher: A. B. Shows awareness of his own behavior patterns and how they are Influenced by situations and by his beliefs, awareness of per­ sonality characteristics, acceptance of a variety of behavior in others that differs from his own — identify his personal priorities in teacher, collect data regarding his teaching practices and acknowledge gaps which exist between the two — recognize his own values or beliefs and recognize incom­ patibilities between his values and those of specific children and specific social goals — identify and analyze the feelings that another has toward him — analyze his own behavior in a conflict situation from a specific child's point of view — accept the feelings, whatever their nature, that others have toward him x — spontaneously acknowledge legitimacy of others' opinions and decisions and treat them as legitimate — encourage expression of opinions different from his own — acknowledge that he may not be accepted by others because of certain prejudices and identify situations in which this non-acceptance may occur — analyze his own behavior and that of peers and children in terms of personality traits in harmony or in conflict — accept personality patterns as given and identify means of accomodating differences between himself and others Interacts constructively with other adults and with transescents, shows regard for persons, is approachable, responsive and supportive — help students and colleagues sense intrinsic worth in them­ selves (e.g., avoid favoritism toward students and labeling of students) 152 153 C. D. — analyze (by systematic observation) Interaction patterns of his teaching, prescribe for himself, and achieve realistic goals of improvement in those patterns — solicit and receive feedback from a colleague or pupil so that he can identify how his behavior has affected the giver of the feedback and the giver indicates that he believes that his feedback has been accepted and understood — seek personal knowledge of students — organize student activities and classroom procedures to build upon student interests — give individual attention to students in and out of classroom — establish an emotional climate in the classroom which pupils perceive as open to their responses and initiatives — give corrective feedback to students which is perceived as supportive by the students — elicit student reactions as valid data for evaluation of his influence on the students Understands the physical process of the transescent student and organizes teaching according to that process — analyze student behavior according to traits of physiologi­ cal development — plan and manage classroom situations in which students can work constructively at their own tasks which may involve movement within the classroom — identify and provide for the needs of different students for differing amounts and kinds of physical activity — construct lessons which effectively inform students about physiological development and about ways of coping with physical changes — tentatively identify those pupils experiencing health dys­ functions Understands the intellectual developmental process of the transescent student and organizes his teaching according to that process — identify stages of intellectual development in children and identify the kinds of teacher behavior that help children move through those stages 154 E. — identify the cognitive learning strategies of students ac­ cording to some developmental theory and personality theory — design and conduct a lesson to achieve a given objective with concrete materials; design and conduct a lesson to achieve the same objective with iconic materials — structure lessons which encourage divergent thinking in stu­ dents — ask questions dealing with each of the following categories: knowledge of specifics, knowledge of ways of dealing with specifics, knowledge of universals and abstractions, trans­ lation, interpretation, application, analysis, synthesis, evaluation; and obtain student responses appropriate to those categories Understands the socio-emotional development process of the tran­ sescent student learner and organizes his teaching according to that process — plan student activities which rely upon the need for peer approval as a motivating force in the lives of students — refrain from criticizing students openly through sarcasm or cynicism — whenever possible, praise in public and punish in private — provide multiple opportunities during the class hours for students to work together in groups of varying sizes and tasks — provide opportunities for success experiences for all stu­ dents, and minimize those experiences that reward only the few (e.g., proms, beauty contests, exclusive-selective groups or activities) — provides psychological "elbow room" within the class whenever possible — responds to students’ needs for discussion of their physicalskeletal changes and the social implications of their changes — answers questions relating to sex in a comfortable, complete, and unbiased fashion r- be able to discuss and interpret present societal confusion regarding stereotyped sex (gender) roles in the language of the student -- understands the need to be independent, often shown through the resentment of authority 155 F. G. Understand the career development process of the transescent student and plan and organize his teaching to explore that pro­ cess — match career exploratory experiences to student developmental levels — apply theories of career development in working with students in the exploration of the world of work — guide the student to an understanding of the relationships between awareness of self (e.g., heredity, interest, values) and future work roles he may choose — assist the student in clarifying his values relative to the world of work — involve students in exploring rational career decision-making processes — plan experiences that will enable students to explore various dimensions (e.g., occupation groupings and levels) of the world of work — participate in planning and implementing for students a sys­ tematic, exploratory program of occupational clusters — help students investigate the many educational alternatives through which training for future work roles may be attained — reinforce career development concepts throughout the curri­ culum Understands and applies various theories of the teaching/learning process; analyzes the learning patterns of individual stu­ dents, prescribing for these and evaluating results — experiment with varied teaching techniques to determine and use that which is most effective in each situation — set up and utilize an individual student record system — prescribe additional learning activities on the basis of evaluation results — evaluate student performance according to criteria based upon objectives — identify the extent to which a student understands and acts upon the results of the assessment of his achievement — utilize feedback on students' involvement with activities 156 H. — identify socio-emotional and physical development factors that bear on a student's learning situation and take these factors into account in planning his instruction — identify the thinking processes of a specific student in a specific situation — accept the thinking strategy of a student as legitimate for him at that time and start from the student's thinking pro­ cesses in helping him develop further abilities — collect "systematic observation" data on his own teaching, interpret it according to some teaching/learning theory, then prescribe for and achieve a change in one or more of his teaching behaviors — observe a live or video-taped classroom and make reasonable inferences about the learning theory assumptions that the teacher is acting upon — be able to explain his own instructional strategy in terms of learning theory — identify several major learning theories and the philosophi­ cal assumptions upon which the learning theories are based — identify and describe instructional strategies which draw upon learning theories (e.g., inquiry), Socratic method, problem solving, independent study, etc. Incorporates a knowledge of group dynamics in his teaching and helps students understand group process: group decision making, leadership skills and peer influence — identify group roles played by self and others in different situations and interpret the role habits in terms of social needs of self and others — analyze patterns of interpersonal relationships existing in a classroom by use of sociometric and observational techni­ ques — identify patterns of control in teacher-student and studentstudent groups and select those patterns most conclusive to effective group work — conduct group activities so as to demonstrate acceptance of this principle: when people have a voice in decisions that affect them, they function more effectively and they accept restrictions placed on their behavior — identify and interpret the influence of his own non-verbal behavior in the classroom 157 I. — recognize the pathways of communications which function within groups — conduct activities which encourage the free flow of communi­ cations so that all the data relevant to group choices are equally available to all members — utilize strategies which identify polarized opinions that alienate people from one another — avoid strategies which polarize opinions and alienate mem­ bers of a group from one another; employ strategies which establish harmony and full use of personal resources — in a task group, be able to suspend judgment and assume a perceptive attitude until the data of a problem suggests solution — guide students to analyze their own processes (their own ways of operating) in different group situations — structure group activities in which the group must make de­ cisions about objectives and task, about division of respon­ sibilities and leadership, then provide feedback by which students can describe and analyze their decision-making activities — conduct activities in which students learn and use techniques of giving and receiving helpful feedback — conduct group activities in which peer pressure on the indi­ vidual's values and actions are made evident to students Promotes positive relationships between the school and the com­ munity, between teacher and parents, and among various subcul­ tures in the school — identify and analyze cultural patterns in the community that have implications for learning and teaching — seek out factors which affect interaction among persons of different cultures and utilize these factors to promote intracultural compatibility — identify the self-respect needs and political needs of groups of people and the reasons for such needs — accept those self-respect needs and political needs as legi­ timate motivating forces on those groups — conduct activities through which students can gain such understandings and accepting attitudes 158 J. K. — incorporate community resources in the school program — visit homes of students and use knowledge of home situations in planning school activities — encourage parent involvement — establish and maintain a relationship with parents conducive to the frank and constructive reporting of pupil progress, problems and needs — communicate with parents in such a way as insights about the student on the part of and the parent — develop and conduct activities which take into account the cultural similarities and differences among students — identify cultural biases in his own belief system and analyze ways in which his biases affect his relationships with stu­ dents of a cultural background different from his own — identify and analyze language patterns in the classroom that have implications for learning and teaching to bring about new both the teacher Organizes curriculum plans and opportunities appropriate to the middle school (those that facilitate the developmental tasks of transescence and are responsive to community problems) — evaluate a school curriculum plan according to criteria de­ rived from the developmental characteristics of transescent learners — evaluate a school curriculum plan according to criteria de­ rived from an analysis of the experience and requirements of the immediate and larger communities — construct curriculum plans which incorporate student out-ofschool interests — design and conduct exploratory experiences for students which involve them in making functional contributions of time and talent to the community — design an interdisciplinary activity program for children, one which makes use of leaming-interest centers — use instructional games to accomplish the goals and objec­ tives of a task Uses appropriate procedures of managing an instructional program by designing, conducting, evaluating, and revising curriculum and instruction 159 L. — select specific objectives appropriate to given general goals — organize a set of specific objectives into a defensible teaching sequence and give a rationale for the order — identify the prerequisites for given learning objectives — incorporate pre-test data in planning activities to meet specific goals and objectives — develop and use pre-testing procedures which adequately correspond to specific instructional goals and objectives — identify specific student behaviors which can be used as evidence that certain learnings have occurred, both learning processes and products — incorporate student data obtained during Instruction in the planning of subsequent activities — use a variety of evaluative techniques to assess aspects of a student's learning other than subject matter mastery — evaluate the quality of teaching materials (before, during, and after their use) — seek out and incorporate appropriate community resources into the curriculum; e.g., persons, exhibits, materials, and field trip sites — engage students in identifying, seeking out and evaluating resources for learning activities — read, interpret and make use of current professional litera­ ture in curriculum and instruction — use systematic observation techniques to analyze the effec­ tiveness of an instructional design Makes use of effective presentations using appropriate media — organize an appropriate set of instructional materials (audio­ visual media, concrete manipulative materials, paper goods) to achieve a specific set of objectives — plan and use expository techniques which match a specific set of objectives — evaluate the effectiveness of specific media presentation techniques in achieving the purposes of instruction — teach students the use of audiovisual equipment— within the range of their capability and with supervision 160 M. N. 0. — make simple visual materials and teach students how to make and use them — use audiovisual equipment to collect data on his own teaching behavior, for purposes of self-improvement — prescribe for improvement of his own effectiveness on the basis of data collected with audiovisual equipment Deals effectively with unusual classroom problems — maintain a written (and mental) plan of procedures to be followed in case of emergencies that can be anticipated — accurately record an accident where school or teacher liabil­ ity may be involved — recognize symptoms of physical illness or disability (e.g., drug abuse, malnutrition, perceptual difficulties) which may indicate the need for referral of a student to other person­ nel — recognize the kinds of student emotional difficulties which may represent a chronic learning disability requiring special professional attention — identify administration policy regarding disruptive students and clarify to their satisfaction any related questions not covered by written policy Counsels individual students, promoting self-direction through indirect guidance — respond to students such that they feel secure enough to ex­ press themselves freely — structure situations which encourage students to seek the teacher’s counsel on non-academic matters as well as academic ones — counsel students with non-controlling approaches (c.f., Marie Hughes, Ned Flanders, Carl Rogers, Louis Raths, Amidon and Hunter) Helps students to consider alternative values and to develop personal, workable valuing systems — help students perceive and deal with each other as human beings of intrinsic worth — help students develop an empathy for others 161 P. Q. — use conversation and questioning approaches which cause stu­ dents to examine and clarify their values — construct situations in which students identify and analyze conflicts in personal value positions they have among them­ selves — increase students* desire to investigate different views on controversial issues — conduct learning experiences in which students explore the origins and development of values, attitudes and beliefs, how they change, and the impact they have on human relationships — increase the extent of bipartisan attitudes students — identify value structure impositions in our society on the part of Teaches students techniques of problem-solving — teach students how to discover knowledge new to them by de­ ductive and by inductive methods — encourage students to make hypotheses which can be tested with the help of data from experimentation — teach techniques of data collection by research, by experi­ mentation, and by observation — distinguish among activities that are memory-oriented, conver­ gent, divergent, and evaluative, and construct learning situa­ tions which evoke in student^ appropriate use of all four strategies — prepare for and demonstrate the inquiry-oriented approach to teaching for a specific class topic — help students, by use of probing techniques, to give more com­ plete and thoughtful responses — teach students techniques of memorization for personal use Provides opportunities and guidance to help students become in­ dependent learners (define own goals and problems, identify re­ sources and evaluate outcomes) — structure learning situations to maximize each student's ac­ ceptance of responsibility for thinking for himself and mini­ mize the teacher's thinking for the student — help students learn how to plan their own long-range learning goals 162 R. S. — construct situations in which students can see clearly the difference among referral to adult authority, referral to peer group authority, and to personal authority, and can make judg­ ments as to which authority is appropriate for what circum­ stances — help students learn techniques of sorting information, setting priorities and budgeting time and energy — help students determine for themselves appropriate directions and activities to achieve a learning objective — assist students in research problems relating to their inter­ ests — conduct discussions which involve goal-oriented student talk — respond to students in such a way that they are stimulated to inquiring and thinking in depth Designs and conducts group activities according to the kinds of learning that are facilitated by the different groupings — identify the general potential and limitations of organizing classroom groups on the basis of similarity of age, school achievement, learning potential, sex, friendship, interest area and self-selection — adjust group organization and focus to increase involvement of group members — conduct learning experiences in which all class members par­ ticipate in discussion — use role playing, dramatization, pantomime, buzz and discus­ sion groups, independent task groups, and panel activities according to the kinds of learnings these groupings facili­ tate — write a socio-drama or open-ended reaction story which can be successfully acted out in a role-playing situation — design, conduct, and evaluate a program of peer tutoring (same age or cross-age) Has skills of working in cooperative teaching situations— with other teachers, paraprofessionals and resource persons — incorporate his own activities with those of other adults in the classroom — recognize and utilize capabilities of others in total team operations 163 T. — assume varying roles and responsibilities to promote total team operations — participate actively in team evaluation — without evaluative comments, give feedback to a colleague, such that the receiver can identify how his own behavior has affected the giver of the feedback — utilize feedback from peers to change self — support other team members in carrying out their team respon­ sibilities — help aides practice and acquire the specific skills they re­ quire to perform effectively — identify and utilize as resources a variety of personnel in the educational process: administrators, federal and state leaders, team leaders, specialists, other teachers, parapro­ fessionals, high school and college students, parents, com­ munity members, pupils, etc. — recognize the applicability of group process principles to team teaching situations and apply group process skills in appropriate situations Accepts responsibility of multi-disciplinary instruction; plans thematic and coordinated studies w ithNother teachers and assists them in teaching subjects outside of his own area of specializa­ tion — develop thematic programs of study (e.g., pollution, heredity, environment and health) which incorporate two or more areas of study (i.e., math, social studies, etc.) and which demon­ strate the Interrelatedness of areas of knowledge — accept responsibilies for teaching subjects outside his own specialization as it is appropriate to a team teaching plan — accept responsibility for assisting other team members in the teaching of subjects outside their specialization — participate actively in school-wide or district-wide multi­ disciplinary curriculum planning (MAMSE, 1974) II. Specific Middle School Teacher Competencies (MDE, 1977) The middle school teacher will demonstrate an ability to: A. Know and understand the growth characteristics (emotional, so­ cial, physiological, and mental) of the pre-adolescent, and 164 B. — incorporate a variety of teaching strategies through: -team teaching -blocking time -interdisciplinary teaching and teaming -flexible groupings -multi-age grouping -mastery learning -continuous process -learning centers — provide opportunities for students to achieve their maturational development through: -role playing -problem solving -student choice -group work -group decision-making -individual decision-making -positive reinforcement -wise use of independent time — provide guidance services to pre-adolescents by: -maintaining student confidentiality -helping students consider alternative values -using direct and indirect counseling processes -helping students become independent learners -using supportive staff -dealing effectively with the potentially volatile nature of the pre-adolescent Teach developmental reading and reading in the content areas by assisting students to: — ~ — — — — — — — C. draw conclusions make inferences distinguish between fact and opinion obtain meaning from context read for details find the main idea preview, skim, and scan increase their reading rate enjoy reading as a lifetime activity Teach reading as an integral part of a specific content area by: — — — — — teaching necessary vocabulary providing multi-level materials accomodating both visual- and audio-oriented learners in teaching strategies recognizing various student reading rates transferring the developmental reading skills to practical application in the content area 165 D. E. Design and carry through teaching strategies appropriate to the middle school so as to provide a bridge for the students between the elementary school and senior high — demonstrate an ability to group and re-group students within the classroom according to their interests and cognitiveentry skills — demonstrate an ability to present subject-area concepts in terms of varying levels of student readiness Draw parents into active involvement in the pre-adolescent edu­ cational experience by: — — — — using parental input in program development using parents as aides developing a planned program that communicates pupil progress to parents using parent feedback to assess strategies and program (Michigan Department of Education, 1977) APPENDIX B APPENDIX B MIDDLE SCHOOL SURVEY P art I Directions: F or each question in this section you a r t requested to m ake th ree responses. T ha f lrtt colum n aaks ta r yo u r opinion as to th e im portanca o f tech itam ta r m iddla school ta a c h a n . T ha saeond colum n asks th a e x te n t to which y o u p artarm aach itam . T ha th ird colum n asks how w all y o u r collega o r univarsity aducatton praparad y o u t o do aach itam . Q r d a th a n um bar in aach o f tha th raa colum ns w hich m ost accurataiy raprasanta y o u r situation and opinions. To what extant is it Important tar middla school sto: To what extant do you currentty: To what axtant did your college/ university courses prepare you to: 1*2 ui tU H £ 3X O «a ui 2 u i& 2 >« 3 w <2 3O * ees 3 *a2a S U I Om 3 ItSO 1 = 82 3. Usa a variety o f teaching strategics? 4 4 4 4 4 12 3 4 12 3 4 12 3 4 9. Usa a variety o f audio an d visual materials? 12 3 4 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 3 12 3 12 3 12 3 12 3 1. T aam tsach tons subjact araal? 2. Taam tsach (interdisciplinary)?. 3. Usa learning centers? 4. Usa mastary learning? 5. Usa multi-ege grouping? 6. Usa flaxibla grouping according to ability? 7. Usa flaxibla grouping according to interest? 10. Provide opportunities fo r an individual student to maka choices in tha classroom? 11. Provide opportunities for group w ork in tha classroom? 12. Provide opportunities for group decisionm aking? 13. Positively reinforce all students in class? 14. Maintain stu d en t confidentiality? 15. Help students consider alternative values? 10. Counsel studtnts? 17. Engage th a usa o f support staff to help students? 18. Taach developm ental reading? 19. Teach reading in tha co n ten t areas? 166 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 34 3 4 3 4 34 34 3 4 34 34 3 4 34 3 4 3 4 3 4 34 34 3 4 34 34 34 167 | 21. Present concepts a t varying lavala? 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 22. Invoiva paranta in davaloping a yaarlv plan fo r a d a n ? 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 I P iSm OS to 1 2 3 4 m u s» 20. Uta a variatv of ta x t books a t diffarant raiding Iavals? UI 3 h Ul M£ ui N > a Ui b j PO UI UI ui h 23. Usa parents as c la n room aidai? 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 24. invoiva parents in planning w ays to com m unicate pupil progress? 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 25. Saak parental faadbaek to assan ttratagias and program s? 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 26. Show accaptanca o f Ufa stylat and bahavior w hich differ from th a t o f th a reachar? 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 27. Avoid show ing favoritism tow ard students? 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 28. Avoid labeling students? 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 29. Saak personal knowledge ab o u t students? 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 30. Organize classroom activities and procedures based on student interests? ' | < NO PREPARATION | LITTLE PREPARATION | SOME PREPARATION -< EXCELLENT PREPARATION i 3 To wnat extent do you currently: c I | To what axtant did your college/ - WOT IMPORTANT » OF LITTLE IMPORTANCE SOMEWHAT IMPORTANT » EXTREMELY IMPORTANT | 1 3 9 3 | • 1 3 To what axtant ii it important 31. Establish a d e tiro o m clim ate students perceive is open and responsive to them ? 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 32. Give individual atten tio n to students outside th a classroom? 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 33. Explain instructional strategies used in term s o f learning theory (inquiry, problem-salving, ete.1? 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 34. Identify several m aior learning theories and the philosophical assum ptions upon w hich they are based? 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 35. Evaluate stu d en t perform ance according to criteria based upon stated objectives? 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 36. A nalyte the learning patterns o f individual students? 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 37. Use a knowledge o f group dynam ics to plan for reaching? 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 38. Make students aware o f group dynam ics? 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 39. Work to prom ote positive relations between school and com m unity? 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 40. Use com m unity resources as part o f the instructional program? 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 41. Work to prom ote positive relations between teacher and parents? 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 42. Conduct activities w hich take into account the cultural similarities and differences am ong students? 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 43. Use a plan, conduct, evaluate, and revise m ethod? 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 168 To what aatant ft it important for middla school taachan to: To what axtant da you currently: is* UI 3 & * a Hi§ iiii UI isSg2jS 5 * ui 5 -* • ■ lil c a? s X *■ O VL Q Z O e w To what axtant did your collage/ univenrty counts prepare you to: S « tu a . 3 B J ui !!• ■ fi IU > 5 i S ui 8< n5 2S 2 Z W U u 44. Recognize sym ptom s o f m ental illness which m ay indicate tha need for referral o f a stu d e n t to o th e r personnel ? 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 45. Recognize sym ptom s o f physical illness w hich m ay indicate th e need fo r referral o f a stu d e n t t o o th e r personnel? 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 48. Know procedural ta r dealing w ith a variety o f school day emergencies? * 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 47. Utilize peer feedback ta r self-im provem ent? 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 4 8 . Identify end use o th e r educational personnel in the instructional process (students, taachers. adm inistrators)? 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 49. A ccept th e responsibility ta r teaching subjects outside th e area of personal specialization as is appropriate in som a team teaching situations? 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 50. Arrange tha classroom to allow students to m ove easily ab o u t? 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 5T. Plan for physical m ovem ent during a d e s s to allow ta r muscle relaxation and shifts in body position? 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 52. Arrange ta r furniture conducive to w ide ranges in physical m aturity? 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 53. A ccept differences in physical grow th rates as norm al and convey this to students? 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 5 4 . Plan instruction w hich encourages divergent thinking? 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 55. Praise students publicly? 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 56. Punish students privately? 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 57. Openly answer questions relating to sax? 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 £3. Provide for students to explore various dem ensions o f th e w orld o f work? 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 59. Incorporate career education concepts as a regular p a rt o f the instructional program? 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 SO. Give students th e opportunities to assume responsibilities for som ething o th e r than academ ic progress (operating equipm ent, record keeping, office w ork, teacher aide, etc.)? 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 12 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4 61. In d u d e activities reauiring stu d e n t interaction to m eet social needs? 62. Set up "orivata" areas in the dassroom to allow individual students to be alone when they feel it is necessary? t 169 Part II Directions: C irda th a lattar o f th a m ost aporapriata raiponsa for itama t • IS. 1. My ta x is: a. Female b. Mala 2. My prasant assignment It: a. Taachar b. Adm inistrator c. Counselor d. Librarian/Madia Soacialist a. O ther - Spacify _ _ _ _ _ 3. I am currently working in a(n): a. Elementary School b. Junior High School c. Middla School d. High School a. O ther - Soecify _ _ _ _ _ 4. I would prefar to w ork in ain): a. Eiamantary School b. Junior High School c. Middla School d. High School a. O ther —Specify I am m o tt raspontibia for teaching: i . Math b. Scianea c. Social Studies d. a. f. g. h. i. j. language Arts Industrial Arts Hotna Economics Music Art Physical Education O th e r -S p a c if y _ _ _ _ _ 6. Tha level o f education I have com pleted is: a. S A - S S b. SA + 18 ISsmastar Hours! c. M A -M S d. EdS a. E d D - P h O 7. Tha certificate I hold it: a. Eiamantary b. Secondary 10. As an undergraduate student. I took courses in: (Cirda letten o f all that applyj a. Reading h. Early Adolascant ftyehoiogy c. Middla School/Junior High Curriculum d. Middla School/Junior High Methods a. Guidance/Counseling f. Middla School/Junior High Philosophy g. Student Teaching —Middla School/Junior High 11. As a graduate student, I took courses in: (Cirda letters of all that apply.) a. Reading b. Early Adolascant Psychology e. Middla Sdiool/Junior High Curriculum d. Middla School/Junior High Methods a. Guidance/Counseling f. Middla School/Junior High Philosophy g. Student Teadiing —Middla School/Junior High 12. Tha hours par weak I spend on planning and preparation it: a. 2 or lest b. 3-5 c. 6*10 d. 11-15 a. 18+ 13. Tha hours par weak I spend with students beyond tha regular school day is: a. 2 or less b. 3*4 e. 5-8 d. 9*12 a. 13+ 14. I sought a Michigan Middla School Endorsement: a. Because I wanted to ensure keeping my lob in case o f dedining enrollments b. Because I wanted to be batter prepared for my teaching assignment c. Because someone recommended it to me d. Because my district requires it Because I thought it would enable me to gat a batter job f. Other —Specify ■ C. Other — SnerifM 15. 8. My age group it: a. b. e. d. a. f. 9. 23 o r younger 24*30 3M 0 41*50 51-60 81+ My total years of work in tha education profattian era: a. 2 yean or lass b. 3*10 e. 11*20 d. 21-30 e. 31-40 f. 41+ Tha institution granting m y endorsem ent it: Michigan S tate University Central Michigan University University o f Michigan Wayne S tate University Eastern Michigan University Western Michigan University O ther —Specify _ _ _ _ _ _ _ a. b. c. d. a. f. h. RETURN THIS SURVEY TO: Sue Rakittka Secondary E ducation and Curriculum 301 Erickson Hall Michigan S tate University East Lansing, Michigan 48B24 APPENDIX C APPENDIX C MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY COLUCI or EDUCATION EA ST LA N SIN G • M IC H IG A N • W EM D E P A R T M E N T O f S ECO N D A R Y E D U C A T IO N A N D C U R RICU LU M ERICXSON H A L L £3Q 1 March 21, 1979 Dear Colleague: In recent years middla school aducaeion has received a good daal of attendon. In Michigan, especially, incaresc in whac might ba cha base laarnlng experiences for youngsters between tha agas of 10-14 has greatly increased. Tha Staea of Michigan has added tha middla school endorsement to its carcificacion coda as a result of this increased interest. This is to alert you ehae a survey is being conducted to assess your opinions about middle school concepts and your professional preparation for dealing with these concepts. Tha survey Instrument is being sane to only those who have been identified as Michigan Middla School Endorsaaent holders. You have bean identified as such a parson. In order for tha results to truly represent the thinking of those with tha endorsement, it is important for you to have input. This notice given in advance is to encourage you to give the survey serious consideration when it arrives. The results of this research will be made available to officials in our state's government, to university personnel responsible for undergraduate and graduate education and to all interested individuals. You may want a copy of the results. I will explain how to receive a summary when I send cha survey. Be assured that your response will ba kept completely confidential. The survey should arrive wichln the next three weeks. I hope you will give it your attention. I would be happy to answer any questions you might have. Please write or call. The telephone number is (SI7) 333-3796. Thank you so much. Sincerely, Sat Suzanne K. Reklctke 170 171 MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY C O LLEGE o r ED U C A T IO N E A S T LA N SIN G • M IC H IG A N • 4EE24 D E P A R T M E N T O P SECO NDARY E D U C A T IO N A N D C U R RICU LU M ER IC K SO N H A U . *301 April. 1979 Dear Colleague: A few weeks ago you received a letter indicating a survey of teachers with a Michigan MiddleSchool Endorsement would be sent to you shortly. Here is that survey. The number of people holding such an endorsement is relatively small, thus, your input is extremely valuable. For the results of the survey to be truly representative, it is important for you to complete the questionnaire and return it. You may be assured of complete confidentiality. The return envelope is brightly colored to aid in sorting. The number appearing on the envelope is for mailing purposes only. This is so your name may be checked off the mailing list when your questionnaire is returned. Your name will never be placed on the questionnaire. You may receive a summary of results by writing "copy of results requested" on the back of the return envelope, and printing your name and address below it. Please do not put this information on the questionnaire itself. Again, I would be happy to answer any questions you might have. write or call. The telephone number is (517) 3S3-3796. Thank you so much for your input. Sincerely Sutanne K. Rekittke Please 172 April 22, 1979 About two weeks ago a questionnaire seeking your ideas about the middle school and your preparation to teach in a middle school was mailed to you. Your name was selected because you have a Michigan Middle School Endorsement. Please complete and return the questionnaire. Because it has been sent to only a small number of people, it is extremely important that your opinions be included in the study if the results are to accurately represent the ideas of people with the endorsement. If by someschance you did not receive the questionnaire, or it was misplaced, please call me now, collect (517-351-4644) and I will mail you another one today. Suzanne K. Rekittke APPENDIX D APPENDIX D MIDDLE SCHOOL ENDORSEMENT PROGRAMS Middle school endorsement programs from various Michi­ gan universities are described here. The courses listed are required. Wayne State University --Teaching the Emerging Adolescent in the Middle School (TED 5925) — The Middle School and the Junior High School (ELD 6505) Either of the following: — Language and Reading Programs in the Middle School (TED 6531) --Reading in the Content Area (TED 6543) Also: — 15 hours of electives Oakland University — Applied Developmental Principles: (ED 520) Middle Childhood --Personal Growth and Interpersonal Skills (ED 569) — Teaching Reading in the Middle School (ED 533) — The Curriculum and Environment of the Middle School (ED 553) — The Exceptional Child in the Middle School (ED 525) Michigan State University Currently there is no specific planned program. Courses are offered which focus directly on the middle school. They include: 173 174 --Seminar in Middle School Curriculum (ED 821D) --Middle School Administration (ED 852E) — Middle School Philosophy (ED 882) --The Middle School Student (ED 882) --Middle School Seminar (ED 882) LIST OF REFERENCES SOURCES CITED Ackerman, R. E. A critical analysis of programs for junior high school teachers in teacher education institutions of the United States. NASSP Bulletin. 1962, 393-396. Alexander, W. M . , & Kealy, R. P. From junior high to mid­ dle school. The High School Journal. 1969, 3, 151-163. Alexander, W. M . , Williams, E. L . , Compton, M. , Hines, V. A., Prescott, D . , & Kealy, R. The emergent middle school (2nd ed.). New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, Inc., 1969. Andaloro, R. J. Components of a junior high/middle school teacher preparation program. Doctoral dissertation, The University of Arizona, 1976. Armstrong, D. G. Specialized training for middle school and junior high school teachers: prescriptions, problems, and prospects. The High School Journal, 1977, 60, 6, 247-254. Armstrong, M. C . , Jr. A model of an internship for preser­ vice middle school teachers. Doctoral dissertation, The University of Florida, 1974. Avdul, R. N . , Vosberg, J . , and Vosberg, C. Middle school state certification requirements. Middle School Jour­ nal , Summer, 1975, 6. Brooks, K. The middle school - a national survey. School Journal, 1978, IX, 2, 6-7. Middle Brown, L. J. G. A survey of opinions of selected principals concerning preparation and characteristics of teachers for junior nigh and middle schools^ Doctoral disserta­ tion, University of New Mexico, I?71. Clarke, S. The middle school - specially trained teachers are vital to its success. The clearing house, 1971, 218-222. Compton, M. F. How do you prepare to teach transescents? Educational leadership, 1973, 31, 3, 214-216. 175 176 Curtis, T. E. schools. Preparing teachers for middle and junior high NASSP Bulletin. 1972, 61-70. DeVita, J. C . , Pumerantz, P., & Wilklow, L. B. The effec­ tive middle school. West Nyack, New York: Parker Pub­ lishing Company, Inc., 1970. Dillman, D. A. Mail and telephone surveys: the total de­ sign method* New York: John Wiley and Sons, 1978. Dixon, N. R. The search for junior high school teachers. The clearing house. 1965, 82. Eichhorn, D. H. pie middle school. New York: The Center for Applied Research in Education, Inc., 1966. Epstein, H. T. & Toepfer, C. F . , Jr. Neuroscience impera­ tives for transescent education. Michigan Middle School Journal. Spring, 1978, 3, 2, 2-47 Gallup G. H. The tenth annual Gallup poll of the public's attitudes toward the public schools. Bloomington, Tndiana: Phi Delpa Kappa, Inc., 1978. Gatewood, T. E. What research says about the middle school. Educational leadership, 1973, 3^L, 3, 221-224. Gatewood, T. E . , & Dilg, C. A. The middle school we ne e d . Washington, D. C . : Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, 1975. Gatewood, T. E . , & Mills, R. C. Teacher education's most neglected area: middle school teacher preparation. Contemporary education, 1975, 46, 4, 253-258. Gillan, R. E. Middle school teacher certification require­ ments. Unpublished document. Indianapolis, Indiana: Middle School Resource Center, 1978, 1-5. Glen, T. E. A comparative study of middle school and junior high school teachers in Kansas. Doctoral dissertation, University of Kansas, 1973. Grooms, M. A. Perspectives on the middle school. Columbus, Ohio: Charles E . Merrill Books, Inc., 1967. Gruhn, W. T . , & Douglass, H. R. pie m o d e m junior high school. New York: The Ronald Press C o . , 1956. Hansen, J. H . , & Hearn, A. C. The middle school program. Chicago: Rand McNally and Company, 1971. 177 Hubert, J . B . A survey of the recommendations of selected teachers for the preparation of teachers for junior high and middle schools. Doctoral dissertation, The University of New Mexico, 1972. Jarvie, J. P. An analysis of inservice education programs for middle school teachers. Doctoral dissertation, The State University of New York at Buffalo, 1973. Kealy, R. P . , & Fillmer, H. T. Preparing middle school teachers. Peabody Journal of Education. 1970, 270-274. Kindred, L. W . , Wolotkiewicz, R. J., Michelson, J. M. Coplein, L. E . , & Dyson, E. The middle school curriculum - a practitioner’s handbook"! Boston: Allvn and Bacon. Inc., 1976. ------------Krinsky, J. L . , & Pumerantz, P. Middle school teacher pre­ paration programs. The Journal of Teacher Education. 1972, XXIII, 4, 468-475"! Lawrence, G. Measuring teacher competencies for the middle school. National Elementary Principal, November, 1971, 51, 9, 60-66. Malinka, R. The middle school: trends and trouble spots. The middle school: a look ahead (ed., P. S. George). Fairborn, Ohio: NMSA, Inc., 1977. Michigan Association of Middle School Educators. Position statement. Michigan Junior High - Middle School Task Force Report, 1974. Michigan Department of Education. Position paper concerning the education of the early adolescent. Task Force on Middle School Education, 1977. Mitchell, S. T. The development of the junior high and mid­ dle school: implications for Middle school education. Doctoral dissertation, George Peabody College for Teachers, 1975. Moon, H. H . , Jr. Middle school teacher development: a con­ tinuous education model. Doctoral dissertation, The Ohio State University, 1975. Morrison, W. Good schools for middle grade youngsters: characteristics, practices, and recommendations. Fairborn, Ohio: NMSA, 1978. Moss, T. C. Middle school. pany, 1969"! Boston: Houghton Mifflin Com­ 178 McMaster, D. Imperatives for the middle school?? Teachers who caret!! For a teacher, by a teacher. Michigan Middle School Journal, 1977, 2, 2, 4-5. National Education Association. NEA Research Bulletin, May, 1969, 47, 2. Washington, D. C. : NEA Research Division. National Middle School Association. Report of membership for 1978. NMSA Newsletter. Fairborn, Ohio: 1978. Pabst, R. L. The junior high school teacher’s certificate: something new in teacher education. Junior High School Newsletter, 1962, 1, 1. Pane, I. F. A survey to determine the need for specialized preservice and inservice programs for junior high/mid­ dle school teachers in the state of Nebraska. Doctoral dissertation, The University of Nebraska, Lincoln, 1973. Pavlick, P. P., membership chair, MAMSE. Telephone inter­ view, Mt. Clemens, MI, September 18, 1978. Popper, S. A. The American middle school. Waltham, Massa­ chusetts: Blaisdell Publishing Company, 1967. Pumerantz, P. State recognition of the middle school. NASSP Bulletin, 1969, 14-19. Romano, L. G . , executive secretary, MAMSE. East Lansing, MI, October 28, 1978. Interview, Romano, L. G . , Georgiady, N. P., & Heald, J. E. The middle school. Chicago: Nelson-Hall Company, 1973. Southworth, H. C. a framework. Teacher education for the middle school: Theory into practice, 1968, 123-128. Staumbis, G. C . , & Howard, A. W. (eds.) Schools for the middle years: readings. Scranton, Pennsylvania: In­ ternational Textbook Company, 1969. Swaim, J. H. An assessment of middle school teachers* atti­ tudes toward middle school teacher preparation and cer­ tification in Colorado Doctoral dissertation, Univer­ sity of Northern Colorado, 1976. Swezig, G. W. Middle school certification: a rationale and Lfication. Doctoral dissertation, Miami University, Teacher Preparation and Professional Development Services. Facts about Michigan teacher certification. Michigan Department of Education, 1977. 179 Toepfer, C. F . , Jr. Must middle grades education consist of "cast-offs”? Educational Leadership. 1973. 31. 3. 211213. Trezise, R. Michigan Department of Education, Lansing, MI. Telephone interview, June 21, 1979. Vars, G. F. Preparing junior high teachers. house, 1965, 77-81. The clearing Vars, G. F. (ed.) Guidelines for junior high and middle school education" Washington, D. C . : NASSP, 1966. Vars, G. F. Teacher preparation for the middle schools. The High School Journal. 1969, LIII, 3, 172-177. Walker, B. F. A study of the professional preparation of junior high school teachers in Indiana. NASSP Bulle­ tin, 1962, 396-399. Wiles, J. W . , & Thomason, J. Middle school research, 19681974: a review of substantial studies. Educational leadership. 1975, 421-423. 180 SOURCES USED, BUT NOT CITED Barton, R. R. A historical study of the organization and development of the junior high and middle school move­ ment, 1920-1975"! Doctoral dissertation, The University of Arkansas, 1976. Blackburn, J. E. Middle schools: dreams and realities. The High School Journal. 1969, L I I I . 3, 145-150. Bobroff, J. L. A survey of opinions of selected principals concerning preparation, characteristics, and competen­ cies desirable for principals for junior high and mid­ dle schools. Doctoral dissertation, The University of New Mexico, 1973. Bough, M. Theoretical and practical aspects of the middle school. NASSP Bulletin, 1969, 8-13. Clasen, R. E . , & Bowman, W. E. Toward a student-centered learning focus inventory for junior high and middle school teachers. The Journal of Educational Research, 1974, 68, 1, 9-11. Clayton, E. B. An educational rationale for the middle school. The clearing house, 1976, 242-244. Coalition of Organizations for Improving Professional Prac­ tice of Teachers. A position on professional licensure of teachers. 1977. Coffland, J. A. Reexamining the middle school: a student survey. The clearing house, 1975, 154-157. Dean, L. W. A preparation program for junior high school teachers'! Doctoral dissertation, Michigan State Univer­ sity, 1956. Eichhom, D. H. Variations in growth rate. cation, 1968, 286-291. Childhood Edu­ Gardner, R. E. The common professional education competen­ cies of junior high school teacherF! Doctoral dissertion, Oregon State University, 1977. 181 George, P. S. Good news: an operational middle school teacher education program. Unpublished material, Uni­ versity of Florida - Gainesville. Griggs, D. H. The development and piloting of an attitudinal instrument for use in middle schools. Doctoral dissertation, George Peabody College for Teachers, 1976. Havighurst, R. J. Do junior high school youth grow up too fast? NASSP Bulletin. Proceedings of the fortyseven th“annuaT~convent ion, 151-162. Johnson, R. A. An analysis of perceptions of middle school teachers and principals concerning evaluative concepts Eetieved. related to the effectiveness of middle schools. Doctoral dissertation, Central Michigan University, 1978. Lawrence, G . , Deschamps, J . , & Hammond, R. Inventory of concepts about middle school teaching. State of Flori­ da: Department of Education, Division of Elementary and Secondary Education, 1972. Lee, J. E. Predictors of success of middle grade teachers in the United States dependents school, European area. Doctoral disseration, University of Southern Califor-. nia, 1972. Little, A. D. The establishment of guidelines for use by states in the development of a program of certifying, Ticensing, or registering the recreation executive. Doctoral dissertation, University of Georgia, l97l. Martin, R. J. Unpublished document, Michigan State Univer­ sity College of Education Office of Student Affairs, 1978. Menninga, F. T. A suggested program of teacher education for Minnesota junior high school teachers (1957). NASSP Bulletin, 1962, 349-400. Murphy, J. Middle schools. New York: ties Laboratories, HF65. Educational Facili­ McCarthy, R. J. The ungraded middle school. West Nyack, New York: Parker Publishing Company, Inc., 1972. Patterson, F . , Grambs, J. D . , Noyce, C. G . , & Robertson, J. C. The junior high school we n e e d . ASCD, 1961. Sinks, T. A., Mclure, J. W . , Malinka, R . , & Pozdol, M. What's happening to middle schools in the upper mid­ west? The clearing house, 1978, 51, 9, 444-448. 182 Stein, P. J. A participant observer study of team teacher planning behavior in a middle school setting. Doctoral dissertation, Michigan State University, 1578. Stradley, W. E. A pratical guide to the middle school. New York: the Center for Applied Research in Education, Inc., 1971. Tink, A. K . , Shields, P., White, C . , & Wood, D. A. (eds.) Junior high pressure points in the 'YO’s . Danville, Illinois: The Interstate Printers and Publishers, Inc., 1973. Trauschke, E. M. , & Mooney, P. F. Middle school accountatability. Educational leadership, 1972, 171-174.