A critical evaluation of the student council in the high schools of California
417 67 17MB
English Pages 397
Polecaj historie
Citation preview
A CRITICAL EVALUATION OF THE STUDENT COUNCIL IN THE HIGH SCHOOLS OF CALIFORNIA
A Dissertation Presented to The Faculty of the Graduate School of The University of Southern California
In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Doctor of Philosophy Degree
by Elon Earl Hildreth June,1950
UMI Number: DP23994
All rights reserved INFORMATION TO ALL USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. In the unlikely event that the author did not send a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion.
Dissertation Publishing
UMI DP23994 Published by ProQuest LLC (2014). Copyright in the Dissertation held by the Author. Microform Edition © ProQuest LLC. All rights reserved. This work is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code
ProQuest LLC. 789 East Eisenhower Parkway P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 48106- 1346
Ph.
0.
Eri.
's-°
T h is d is s e rta tio n , w r it t e n by
u n d e r the g u id a n c e o f h..±s— F a c u lt y C o m m itte e on S tu d ie s , a n d a p p r o v e d by a l l its m em b e rs, has been p resen ted to a n d a ccep ted by the C o u n c i l on G ra d u a te S tu d y a n d R e se a rch , in p a r t i a l f u l f i l l m e n t o f re q u ire m e n ts f o r the degree o f DOCTOR
OF
P H IL O S O P H Y
Dean
Date.
Com m ittee on Studies
Chairman
TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER I.
PAGE INTRODUCTION * . . ..................... Statement of the problem
............
Importance of the problem *
.........
California Association of Student Councils
II *
1 1 2 ,
3
Definition of t e r n s ........................
4
Student council ..........................
5
Student participation
7
Summary
7
.........
REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE....................
9
Bulletin of the National Association of Secondary School Principals •
.........
10
Vanderlip study . * . * .........
10
Componsents of leadership - Meyer . » • • • •
10
Purposes of Vanderlip study , • • • • • • • •
11
Standards of a good student council • • . • •
11
Student council in Pennsylvania Nancarrow . . . . . . .
................ •
12
Student government - Butler • * • • • • • • • .
15
Pupil participation in government ♦ * . . . ♦ Fretwell
..............................
15
Organizations for youth - Pendry and Harshborne
. ■* . . . .
16
iii CHAPTER
PAGE B rewry report: Pupil participation in high school control . • • • • • • • • • •
1?
Fennessy study: Administrating extra curriculum activities..................
1$
Jackson study: Pupil government in secondary schools ......................
20
Related studies ..........................
21
Brown’s study: High schools student body bu d g e t............................. . .
22
Twenty Fifth Year Book of the National Society for the Study of Education........
23
Fretwell - Extra Curricular Activities
III.
in Secondary Schools • • • . • « • • • • •
26
McKown - Extra curricular Activities . • • .
2?
Summary •
30
PROCEDURE . . . .......... .............. . .
32
Questionnaire • • • • . • • • • • • • • • •
32
California Association of Student Councils .
33
Statistical procedure . * . . . ..........
34
Appraisal scale . . . . . .
34
..............
Size of schools . * .............
35
Consistency of response and size of schools
36
Pilot Study • # .
37
.........
Number of schools in the study . . . . . .
3$
iv CHAPTER
PAGE Learning values in small, medium and large high schools........................
39
Distribution of schools by sizes ..........
35
Learning values in small, medium and large schools..................................
36
Index numbers and weighting scale • • • •
•
Summary................. IV.
36 73
SCOPE OF THE STUDENT COUNCIL IN CALIFORNIA.
*
75
Number of schools having student councils
«
75
California Association of Student Councils
75
Membership and right to vote * ............
77
Payment of dues as a condition of running for o f f i c e ......... .. ......... Faculty membership in student council
V.
•
78 *
73
Right of faculty members to. v o t e ..........
79
Summary
79
.........................
ORGANIZATION FRAMEWORK OF THESTUDENT COUNCIL
81
Written constitution ......................
31
Charter of authority.....................
81
Chartering of clubs...........
85
Relation of student council to other organizations • • • • • • ...............
36
Veto power of high school principals.
...
86
Veto power of student body presidents
...
86
V
CHAPTER
PAGE Pattern of government *
37
Branches of government. . . . . . . . . . . .
37
Number of houses
....................
91
Student council sponsorship. • ............
91
Summary ¥1*
..................
............................*
93
PLACE AND IMPORTANCE OF THE STUDENT COUNCIL IN CALIFORNIA HIGH SCHOOLS
..............
Credit for student council activities. . . .
95 95
Frequency of Meetings of the Executive branch •
.........................
99
Frequency of meetings of the legislature .. *
100
Frequency of meetings of the judiciary . . .
100
Summary...................................... 100 VII. . ELECTION PROCEDURES............................ 102 t
Qualification for office..................... 102 Nominations
...........
110
Elections.................................... Ill Speeches of candidates........................ Ill Summary VIII.
. . . . . . . . .
STUDENT CONTROL S Y S T E M ......... Student assistance in control •
113 115
.........
115
Official titles in control members. .. . . .
113
Disposition of cases by control officers.........
113
vi CHAPTER
IX.
PAGE Development of school regulations . . . * •
119
Citations ..................
121
. . . . . . .
Does Student control work?............. * .
121
Summary................................. .
122
STUDENT COURT...............................
125
Number of student courts. ................
125
Jurisdiction of student courts. . ........
12£
Closed vs. open student campus...........
129
Prosecuting attorney. ........
. . . . . .
130
..............
131
Attorneys and their function* ............
131
Student court penalties . • • • • • • • • •
132
Presence of faculty member................
134
Trial by jury
135
Public defendant.
.........
Cases referred to principal or vice principal • * ..........
X.
. . . . . . . .
135
Faculty sponsors. ...................... .
136
Summary
137
...................
THE CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF STUDENT COUNCILS
139
Organization procedure................. .
139
Committee of high school principals • • • •
140
Meeting of the Founding Committee . . . . .
142
Sponsorship
143
.........
Student officers..........................
143
vii CHAPTER
PAGE Functional principles of the California Association of StudentCouncils........... Membership.......... . . . ' . .......... Sectional organization......................
144145 146
Assembly organization for Santa Barbara and Ventura Counties......................
147
Section organization, Los Angeles City. ♦ .
14#
Section organization outside Los Angeles. •
150
Opinion of high school principals concern ing the California Association of Student Councils........................ Humber of California Association of Student Councils schools. • • • • • • • • • • • •
151
Reasons for non-membership. • • • . • • • •
156
Financial burden of dues....................
156
Procrastination as a detterent to member ship................................ . . Student disapproval . .
....................
Faculty disapproval ................ Fear of studentsT gettingideas
...
...........
15$ 15$ 159 159
Larger organization vs. smaller local organization.
..................
Disapproval of local boardsof education. .
160 160
California Association of Student Councils member school opinion ......................
162
viii CHAPTER
PAGE Shared values .
. . . . . . . . . .
163
Contribution to statesmanship . . . . . . . .
163
Intercultural education # . . . ............
164
Reactions of convention delegates ..........
166
Paid executive secretary............ . . . •
166
....................
169
Number of meetings of the assembly..........
170
Points of weakness.
Causes of inactivity of sectional organi zations ...................................
171
Appointment of faculty sponsors........... *
171
Cooperation vs* competition . . * ..........
171
Burden and expense of the California Associ ation of Student Councils * *
XI.
............
172
Constructive suggestions...........
172
Summary...................................
175
STUDENT COUNCIL FINANCES............... i ............................... Budget.
177 17$
Basis of b u d g e t ............................
179
Anticipated income as basis of budget • • • •
1$4
Amounts of the budget
1$6
...........
Authorization of the budget •
...........
1$7
Means of determination of the amounts to ............
1$9
What activities share in budget ............
190
appear in the budget. • • •
ix CHAPTER
PAGE Funds not subject to student council jurisdiction ..........................
192
Student activity card. •• • • . . . . . •
194
Activity card uses
194
................. * .
Activities, most remunerative to student councils
..................
195
..............
195
Athletics. . . . . . . .
Activity card sales..................
195
Dramatics admissions ....................
196
School dances...........
196
Student s t o r e . ....................... ..
196
Student body dues. • • • . • • • • • • • •
197
Others
197
...........
Items which appear in the student council budget
..........................
Boys1 athletics.
197
.................
197
Girls’ athletics....................
196
School paper ............................
196
Assembly drawing account................
196
Student dances
199
.......................
Boys’ and girls’ leagues............
. *
199
*
199
Contingency or undistributedreserve • • Student cabinet drawing account,. . . . . Forensics................... * ......
200 200
X
CHAPTER
PAGE Student body accounting service .
XII.
........
200
Student welfare . ....................... .
201
Summary . . . . • ........ • . . . .........
201
LEARNING VALUES IN STUDENT COUNCIL PARTICIPATION . . . . . . .
................
204
Purposes. . . .
. . . . . . . . .
204
...
205
Techniques of leadership....................
234
Group action.
.................
234
Direction of worthwhile activities. . . . . .
235
Responsibility for acts • • • • • • * • • • .
236
Loyalties
236
..........
Evaluation scale. . . . . . .
............................
School spirit • • • • • • •
..........
...
237
..........
23$
Learning values and normal distribution . . .
23$
Respect for law and order
Descending order of values in student participation • ..............
. . . . . .
240
Group action • «We feeling".
241 ...........................
Personal responsibility . . . Social understandings
............
241 •
...........
Student faculty relations* .
.........
241 242 243
Fair p l a y ..................................
243
Democratic techniques
244
. . . . . . .
xi CHAPTER
PAGE Statesmanship
244
Extra curricular v a l u e s ................... Tolerance '. ....................... . . . . Democracy • • • • • • • . . Group values.
...............
246 247
...................
Personality improvement . . . . . Self control.
245
246
..........
.......................... ..........
Democracy vs. totalitarianism .
Public speaking ........................... Academic standards.............
249 249 250 251 251
Faith in American freedoms..............
251
Summary * . * . ♦ . ....................... XIII.
252
EDUCATIONAL VALUE OF STUDENT COUNCIL ACTIVITIES......................
2
Student council activities.................
253
Presentation and presiding at assemblies. *
254
Organization of special events. • • • • • .
254
Administration of elections . . . . . . . .
292
Legislative experience . . . . . Planning assemblies
.
........
•
292
................
293
Management of athletic affairs, ticket sales, etc.
...........................
Student talent assemblies
.
Interschool conferences ...................
293 294 294
xii CHAPTER
PAGE School publicity . * . * . .
.
295
Activities ranking in the middle 50 per .. . . .
295
Courtesy committee work. . . . . . . . . . .
297
School beautification. • .
..............
29$
Cafeteria advisory committee . ............
29$
Presentation of radio program. . . . . . . .
29$
Safe driving, school safety. .
299
cent • • • • . . . .
XIV.
..........
..........
Participation on coordinating council. . . .
299
Service on student court . * ..............
300
Regulation dress board • • « . . • • • . . •
301
Assistance in curriculum appraisal . . . . .
302
Summary
303
...................
GENERAL SUMMARY CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS Procedure. * ............... Questionnaire returns. . . . . . .
305 306
........
306
Scope of student council * • « • • • * • • •
307
Organization framework
30$
Place and importance of the student council.
309
Student elections. . . . ..................
309
Student control systems* • * * • • • • • . •
311
Student courts
312
California Association of Student Councils •
312
Student council finances • . ...............
315
xiii CHAPTER
PAGE Learning values of studentparticipation *
316
Educational value of student council activities . . ....................... XV.
CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS. . . . . . .
BIBLIOGRAPHY
....................................
APPENDIX........................................
317 317 326 336
LIST OF TABLES te E t
Enrollment and names of high schools in Group I ........ • .......................
bf'Z
Enrollment and names of high schools in Group II. ................................
43
Enrollment and names of high schools in Group III
.........................
44
Enrollment and names of high schools in Group I V . ..............................
45
Enrollment and names of high schools in 46
Group V , . . . . ................ .. Enrollment and names of high schools in Groups VI and VII ........................
47
Enrollment and names of high schools in Groups VIII, IX, X and XI Enrollment and names of high
........
4$
schools in
Groups XII, XIII, XIV and XV. . . . . . .
.
49
Enrollment and names of high schools in Groups XVI, XVII, XVIII and XIX ..........
50
Enrollment and names of high schools in Groups XX, XXI, XXII and XXIII............ Enrollment and names of high
51
schools in
Groups XXIV, XXV, and XXVI.. . . . . . . .
52
Eecapitulation of high schools included in this study organized by enrollment groups .
53
XV
TABLE. XIII.
PAGE Group comparisons of evaluation of learn ing values in student council participation Student participation helps to develop the techniques of leadership .
XIV.
57
Student participation helps to develop re spect for law and order* •
XV.
..............
..............
5$
Student participation helps to develop tolerance for the rights of other races, points of view, social groups, creeds, etc., , # # # . #
XVI.
59
Student participation helps to increase respect for academic standards and good grades • • • •
XVII.
................ .. . . . .
60
Student participation helps to teach that authoritarianisms are the antithesis of rule by reason^ compromise and cooperation *
61
XVIII# Student participation helps to develop the ”Wen feeling.............................. XIX.
62
Relative evaluation of learning values of stu dent participation compared by groups of small, medium and large schools as related to these same values for all schools ranked in the order of their importance as indicated by index numbers 63
xvi TABLE XX,
PAGE Educational value of student council activities in planning of special events such as school dances, forensic contests, music festivals, etc. .
XXI,
................
6k
Educational value of student council activities in providing disciplinary controls..................... . . . . . . .
XXII*
65
Educational value of student participation in the executive branch of student government.................
XXIII.
Educational value of student participation in f o r u m s .........
XXIV*
66
. .
6?
Educational value of student participation in appraisal of school curriculum through conferences with principal and faculty
XXV.
68
Educational value of student participation in school safety and the safe driving pr og ra m..................................
XXVI.
Educational value of student participation in service on ground "clean up" committees.
XXVIII. Relative educational value as indicated by index numbers, of student participation in certain randomly selected activities *
69
70
xvii TABLE
PAGE compared by groups of small, medium and large schools as related to the relative educational value of these same activities ranked in the order of their importance » .
XXIX. XXX,
Scope of the student council • • • • • • . .
. . . . . . . . .
$2
Place and importance of the student council in high school . . » . • • • • • • • • • •
XXXII*
76
Organization framework of the student council.
XXXI.
72
Election procedures...........
96 103
XXXIII* Student control systems. • • • • • • • • • •
116
XXXTV.
126
XXXV.
VI. Student court. . . * ............. VII. The California Association of Student Councils • * * * • • . • • • . • • • • • »
152
XXXVI.
Student council finances • « . . • • • • . ,
130
XXXVII.
Student body budget of California high schools. • « • • •
..............
••••
133
XXXVIII.Evaluation of learning values in student council participation.
Learning values
ranked in order of importance. . . . . . . XXXIX.
207
Educational value of participation in activities.........
255
LIST OF FIGURES FIGURE 1.
PAGE
Location of California High Schools in this Study . ......................................
2.
40
Number and distribution According to their Enrollment of the California High Schools in This Study............ .......................
3*
Student Participation Helps to Develop the Techniques of Leadership......................
4.
41
209
Student Participation Helps to Point out the Value and Importance of Cooperation in cproup A c t i o n * ........ * .....................
$*
210
Student Participation Helps to Develop Skills in the Management and Direction of Worth while Activities.......................
6*
211
Student Participation Helps to Realize that Authority Carries the Responsibility for the Consequences of their Acts.
7m
..........
212
Student Participation Helps to Point out the Value of Loyalties to Persons, Principles and Country
5.
................ * ...............
Student Participation Helps to Improve School Spirit. ....................
9.
213
. . . . . . . . .
214
Student Participation Helps to Develop Respect for Law and Order .
....................... *
215
PAGE
FIGURE 10*
Student Participation Helps to Establish an Understanding Among Students of the Power in Cooperative Group Action as Contrasted with the Ineffectiveness of "Unteamed1*
216
Individual Action . ........ . * . ......... 11*
Student Participation Helps to Develop the nWeM Feeling among Students ................
12*
217
Student Participation Helps to Fix the Importance of Personal Responsibility....................
13*
Student Participation Helps to Develop Social Understandings...........................
14*
219
Student Participation Helps to Improve StudentFamily Relationships* ......... . . . . . . . .
15.
220
Student Participation Helps to Instill Faith in the American Concept of Fair P l a y * ........
16*
21&
221
Student Participation Helps to Bring About an Understanding of the Methods of Democratic Techniques (Debate, Group Agreement, Parlia mentary Procedure, e t c * ) , ...................
17*
•
222
Student Participation Helps to Stress the Need for the Improvement of the Standards of Statesmanship in the School and Democratic L i f e ...................
l£.
Student Participation Helps to Point out the
223
XX
FIGURE
PAGE Educational and Social Principles which Underlie Extra Curricular Activities • • • • • • •
19*
224
Student Participation Helps to Develop Tolerance for the Rights and Points of View of Other Races, Social Groups and Creeds . * • • • . • • •
20*
225
Student Participation Helps to Establish that the American Concent of Democracy though Slow is the only Certain way to the Ultimate Security and well being of the Individual . . . .
21*
226
Student Participation Helps Discrimination Between Selfish Individual Interests and Unselfish Group Values. . . . . . . . . . . . . .
22.
Student Participation Helps to Improve Personality Traits. • • • • • • • . • • . • • • •
23.
22&
Student Participation Teaches the Superiority of Self Control over Imposed Controls . . . . . .
24*
227
229
Student Participation Helps to Teach that Authoritarianism and Totalitarianism are the Antithesis of Rule by Reason, Compromise, and Cooperation
25*
Student Participation Helps to Improve Public Speaking.
26*
231
Student Participation Helps to Increase Respect for Academic Standards and tfGood Gradesft. . . . .
27*
230
Student Participation Helps to Reaffirm Faith
232
xxi - FIGURE
PAGE in the Four American Freedoms................
2£*
233
Student Council Activities Offer Educational Values in the Presentation and Presiding at Assembly Programs
29»
..................... *
257
Student Council Activities Help in the Planning, Organization, and Administration of Special Events such as Dances, Forensics, Music Festivals, Etc* . . * ............ .
30*
253
Student Council Activities Offer Educational Value of Student Participation in the Administration of Elections, Etc* * ..........
31•
259
Student Council Activities Offer Educational Value of Student Participation in the Legis lative Branch of the Student Council. •
32*
260
Student Council Activities help in the Planning of Assembly Programs. . . . . .
33*
• . • •
..............
261
Educational Value of Student Participation in Management of Athletic Affairs (Tickets Sales, Gate Control, Rooting Section,
34*
Etc.). . . . . .
Educational Value of Student Participation in Student Talent Assemblies ....................
35*
262
263
Educational Value of Student Participation in Inter-School Conferences Such as California Association of Student Councils Conventions . *
264
x x ii
FIGURE 36.
PAGE
Educational Value of Student Participation in School Publicity, Writing for Local Papers, Making Posters, etc. . . . . .
37*
265
Educational Value of Student Participation in Club Activities.
38*
..............
..........................
266
Educational Value of Student Participation in Regulation of Athletic Letter Awards, School Sweaters, Emblems, etc..
39*
. . . . .
267
Educational Value of Student Participation in Forums, etc* • • • • • • . • • • • • • • • • •
40.
268
Educational Value of Student Participation in Sales Campaigns, of Activity Tickets, March of Dimes, School Plays, e t c . .........
41.
Educational Value of Student Participation in the Development of Codes of Behavior . . . .
42.
269
*
270
Educational Value of Student Speaking Before 271
Adult Service Clubs....................... 43* Educational Value
of Student Participation in
The Executive Branch of Student government • • 44* Educational Value
*
272
of Student Participation in
Patriotic Activities, Color Award, Memorial and Armistice 45* Educational Value Student Finance
Day Committee Work, etc. . . .
273
of Student Participation in (Student Bank, etc.) • •• •
•
274
xxiii FIGURE
PAGE
46*
Educational Value of Interschool Visitation *
47*
Educational Value of Acting as Attendance
• * 275
Monitors, ^Teacher’s Helpers” . . . . . . . . . 4&*
Educational Value of Student Participation in Control of Campus, Corridors, Lavatories, etc..
49*
27&
Educational Value of Student Participation in Junior Red Cross Work
51.
277
Educational Value of Student Participation in Intercultural Activities. ....................
50.
276
...........
279
Educational Value of Student Participation in Providing Disciplinary Control of Students During Assembly Programs. ....................
52.
Student Participation in Service on Ground Clean Up Committee. . . . . . .
..............
2&1 232
53*
Educational Value
of Home Room Activity . . . . .
54*
Educational Value
of Student Participation in
Courtesy Work Acting as Receptionists, etc. . . . 55*
Educational Value
2&4
Educational Value of Student Participation in Cafeteria Advisory Committee Activities. . . .
57*
2&3
of Student Participation in
School Beautification ........................ 56#
2&0
2&5
Student Council Activities Show Educational Value in the Presentation and Preparation of Radio Pro gr am s.................
2$6
xxiv. FIGURE 5&*
PAGE
Educational Value of Student Participation in School Safety and Safe Driving Program
59*
..........
.........
.
2&9
Educational Value of Serving on Girls’ Regulated Dress Board
62*
2$8
Educational Value of Serving on the Student Court in Trial of Misconduct. .
6l.
2&7
Educational Value of Participation on the Coordinating Council*
60*
• . . .
. . . . . . . . .
290
Educational Value in Student Participation in School Curriculum Appraisal through Conferences with Principal and Faculty'. . . . . . . . . . .
291
CHAPTER I THE PROBLEM Introduction#
The question of what it is that has
made a nation great, is one which has perplexed the minds of the greatest thinkers of all times# problem have taken many forms#
Investigations of the
The typical study has
generally investigated the people themselves, their cultures, education, race characteristics, religious practices, and social and economic organizations#
No small part of the
solution of the problem has to do with the government under which people live, for the pattern of government which a people brings into being has a great deal to do with the philosophy of life held by the people being studied* Statement of the problem#
It was the purpose of this
study to evaluate the effectiveness of student council activi ties in the high schools of the state of California#
It
was assumed that the student council was an integral part of the general education program and that it had justified its place in terms of the usually accepted aims of secondary education#
It sought (1) to survey the student participation
activities in the California high schools at the present time and to point out points of difference among the many forms in current use; (2) to investigate the aims sought in
2 the employment of student participation; (3) to present standards or criteria of good student council organizations; (4) to present the history and the present status of the newly organized California Association of Student Councils; (5) the advantages and problems concerned with such a state wide organization; (6) the educational and learning values of student participation in the scheme of free public education in a Democracy, and finally, (7) to suggest a course of action with respect to student participation which might be employed by any of the high schools o f ,the State* Importance of the Problem*
There was little need to
present elaborate evidence that student participation in the high schools of this country has become an increasingly important factor in the general plan of education*
Any mature
educator, whose experience reaches back over the last gener ation, will remember that twenty years ago the idea of genuine self direction by the students was only a theory*
True, it
was being toyed with, and in a good many instances was employed as one of the "projects" or "activities" which had come into demand through the instrumentalist philosophy of John Dewey* But, the fact remains that it has been only within the last decade that there has been a real and sincere acceptance of the point of view that student participation has more to offer than a transitory learning "experience*"
At the present
3 writing almost every high school in the state of California is characterized by some degree of student participation* High school administrators are displaying more and more faith in it*
The question no longer is - shall there be
student participation, but rather - what kind and how much? California Association of Student Councils*
During
the last three years, the student councils within the local high schools have been given a considerable stimulus through the formation of a state-wide association of student councils. Through this organization, it was planned that, ultimately, every high school in the state of California would be assoc iated in a cooperative endeavor for the improvement of the general character of student council activities.
The state
wide organization is jointly sponsored by the California Association of Secondary School Administrators, and the California State Department of Secondary Education* The purpose of the State Association, as stated in the constitution,^"are (1) to stimulate students in their civic responsibilities; (2) to encourage active leadership and states manship; (3) to cooperate with high school administrators, and teachers, in their efforts to provide motivation for students in the fields of citizenship training; (4) to obtain co-ordina-
I Preamble-Constitution of the California Association of Student Councils* Appendix p* 352
k tion and cooperation in activities among the student councils within the State, and (5) to offer practical education and experience in the principles of American Government# This was a bold undertaking and the first of its kind in California*
It consituted a step in the direction of
the larger aspects of co-operative democratic action and should, if it achieves its purposes, make a real contribution to democratic learning# The California Association of Student Councils has now held four state-wide annual conventions and has received the memberships of approximately one-third of the high schools of the State*
The member schools represent the entire
geographical area of the State of California, from the Oregon line to the Mexican border#
Moreover, the member schools
represent over half of the student population of the entire State#
The recency of its organization, and the comprehensive
ness of its program seemed to justify the inclusion of an examination of this larger association along with this general study of the student council* Definition of terms*
In a study such as this one, it
is well to set up a definition of terms so that there will be no confusion concerning what is meant when a particular reference is made to them#
5 Student Council#
The title of this investigation
carries in it a term which will he used often*
For the
purposes of this study, the term nstudent council” refers to any organization of students for the over-all administration of student affairs* From such a definition it is to be inferred that the student council is to be sharply distinguished from some of the narrower conceptions of the past* "Student Government”
Former terms such as
"Student Self Government,”
"Student
Cabinet,” and "Student Congress” are too limited in their scope and connotation*
Any reference to government carries
with it the strong implication of control*
Control is one of
the important functions of the student council, but it is only one#
The student council in the modern high school is
concerned with a great deal more than restrictive controls* Constructive planning and cooperative thinking are character istic of the enlightened student council to a much greater degree than the negative objectives which onee were used to justify "student government”* Perhaps the greatest objection to the use of the older term, student government, is that it was not sufficiently inclusive*
The student council today is conceived as the
means of co-ordination in student activities*
The administra
tion of student affairs has recently become very complex and encompasses many and varied activities*
Planning the extra
-
6 curricular program, coordinating the activities of clubs, setting up the bases of mutual understanding, developing codes of behavior, offering constructive criticism of the educational program, cooperating with the faculty in student control, judging and appraising the behavior of students, etc*, are only a few of the many concerns of the i modern student council. 2 McKown has put it very well in saying, "The use of the inaccurate expression is to be deplored.
There is an
reality no such thing as a student government,....... students possess the ideals, ambitions and intentions....... essential to wise self-government, but they lack experience and judgment.
There is also a legal reason why student self
government is impossible.
The principal of the school is
*
legally charged with the responsibility of the school, its plant, and its student^s welfare.
The students are not so
charged, and could not be, even if it were desirable, because they are minors.” 4
j
Thus from the point of view of the narrowness of the
meaning of the term, from the standpoint of the educational philosophy underlying modern practices, and because of the "5 McKown, Harry C. - Extra Curricular, Activities - New York, The Macmillan Co., 1939, P*97#
legal limitations, the term nstudent government” can no longer be used The term - student council, as it is used in this investigation, is all inclusive and should be thought?of as the sum total of all the agencies in the school which are designed for student participation* Student Participation*
Student participation is a
general term and refers to any activity chosen to accomplish the ends which students are seeking*
Actually, student
participation implies a philosophy of education*
The term has
risen out of the milieu of experimentation with the activity program idea*
In one sense it is .a device or method of education
in the larger-"sense, it is an end in itself. {ft;
’
""x
In student ’
.
participation, students grow in power of self direction, and through it they gain the insight necessary for\intelligent democratic living*
Its activities are many - not one - and
i ^ i s used as the modus operand! of student council work* Summary*
The purpose of this investigation"was to
evaluate the effectiveness of student council activities in the California high schools both on the local and sftatewide levels*
The study proposed to survey (1) present practices
in student participation, (2) to investigate the dims sought K\ •* in student council activities, (3) to present standards of good student council organizations, (4) to review and
s evaluate the place of the newly organized California Assoc iation of Student Councils, (5) to weigh the learning values to be found in student participation as an adjunct to democracy, (6) and to suggest d course of action which might be adopted by any of the California High Schools• The problem seemed important because of the tremendous growth of the student council movement in the State and the fact that up to the present time little attempt has been made to evaluate its worth# The California Association of Student Councils is a new organization in the State, having been in existence for only four years.
It was deemed wise to include this new
organization as an integral part of the study because of the enthusiasm for it which has been shown by many of the high school principals. In order that a basis of common understanding might be assumed, certain of the terms to be used in this study were defined.
The student council is not a new organization but
rather, an old organization which has experienced much change. As the result of those changes, new meanings have developed for old terms and it seemed imperative that these definitions be supplied before the study proceeded.
CHAPTER II REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE There has been a good deal of writing done in the general field of the student council*
Most of it, however,
has been of the college text book nature and is very general in its scope*
Since Dewey1s famous statement,
3
ftIf the school
is to be a preparation fo£ social life, it must have within itself all of the typical aspects of social life," almost every writer on principles of secondary education has carried a chapter on the place of "student government" in the secondary school*
Such writings are intended only as over arching
statements of the purposes of student participation as a part of the general philosophy of modern secondary education# Concerning the actual practice of student participation, what it does and how it operates in specific situations, the literature is meager*
There has been no study of any consequence
concerning the student councils of the State of California and none whatever of the California Association of Student Councils* There is some material of useful nature which has been produced under the direction of the National Association of 3 John Dewey - Democracy and Education - New York: The Macmillan Co., p 9*
10 Secondary School Principals*
The 194^- issue of the Bulletin
of the National Association of Secondary School Principals^ was devoted entirely to the Student Council in the^Secondary School*
For a high school administrator who is confronted
with the problem of organizing a student council for the first time or for one who finds the student council function ing poorly, there is a wealth of information in this mono graph.
One of the most helpful chapters is Chapter V by
Vanderlip, which presents the "standards” of a good student council*
It should prove fruitful to any secondary school
administrator to compare the criteria of a good student 5
council as listed by Yanderlip with those of his own school*.
Chapter XIII of this same bulletin is worthy of mention also* This chapter was written by Meyer, Editor of the American Observer and deals with leadership.
His report attempts to
break down the concept of leadership into its component parts. Meyers lists such qualities as "sportsmanship,” "consistency,” "dependability,” "reliability,” "open-mindedness," "tolerance," "attainment" etc. as the qualities which leaders possess.^ % The Student Council in The Secondary Schools - The Bulletin of the National Association of Secondary School Principals - Washington D.C. - 1946* 5* Op. Cit. pp. 105-114* 6
op* Cit. pp. 214-225*
11 The chapter on Standards of a Good Student Council was based on the doctoral dissertation study made by him at 7 George Washington University* The purpose of the Vanderlip study were to develop standards or criteria of good and effective student councils* Tentative criteria were first developed through extensive consultation with professional educators, high school principals, and student council sponsors.
These criteria
were then submitted to hundreds of appraisers whose judgment was deemed reliable*
Those called upon to evaluate the
criteria ranged from text book writers on extra-curriculum activities, through high school principals, teacher advisers and others interested in student participation*
The study
represented the points of view of authorities in several states of the Union* After weighing the evaluations of the respondents, the results were classified according to five large criteria, with some fifty-two sub-criteria in support of the five* That the results were considered highly useful and satisfactory is attested by the fact that they have been used as the basis for one of the chapters in the 1946 Yearbook of the National Association of Secondary School Principals. 7
Robert C. Vanderlip - Standards of a Good Student Council - George Washington University, Washington, D.C. Unpublished Dissertation, Ed.D.Degree,1940*
12 Another study of. importance in the field of student participation is that of Nancarrow on the Student Council in £ Pennsylvania* Previous to making the study on standards, Nancarrow, who was in the enviable position of being Secretary-treasurer of the Pennsylvania State Association of Secondary Principals, made a survey of the student council movement in that State*
The results of that survey were
reported by him at the 1938 State Convention of Secondary School Principals*
That report led to the follow-up study
on Standards. Whereas the initial survey investigated the location, method of selection, scholastic requirements, length of service on councils, types of organization, selection of faculty sponsors, activities carried on, purposes, procedures, out comes, etc. the principal emphasis of the doctoral study was centered upon the evaluation of activities as then practiced by the councils in the state of Pennsylvania* Nancarrow attempted a method of investigation which was quite unique in that he sent four copies of his question naire to each of the 251 schools investigated.
The school
principal was asked to fill out one, and to have one each “ ”5 James E. Nancarrow - The Student,. Council in Pennsyl vania - Unpublished Dissertation for Eh.D.Degree, University of Pittsburg, 1940*
,
13
filled out by the faculty sponsor of the student council, a student council member, and a non-member of the student council*
These replies were tabulated, and the answers
correlated*
Positive, though not highly significant corre-
lations were found to exist betweon all four classes of respondents.
These correlation problems were multitudinous
in number and it is questionable whether the results justified the effort.
Although all four groups furnished positive
correlations, the closest correlations were found to exist between the opinions of the principal and faculty sponsor on the one hand, and the student council member, and the student council non-member on the other.
Correlations between the
opinions expressed by the principal and the student council member or non-member, or those between the sponsor and member or non-member were less close.
The fact that there was posit
ive correlation in all cases led the investigator to write a strong case in support of student council activities. Activities studied by Nancarrow were grouped into three large classifications: (a) Pupil welfare activities, (b) School welfare activities, and (c) General welfare activities. Under pupil welfare, such activities as lost and found, safety, club programs, student council dances, and hall patrol were treated*
Under school welfare, Nancarrow investigated such
problems as, school discipline, care of school property, interschool relations and school regulations.
Problems
14 investigated under General welfare were, assembly programs, radio broadcasting, public functions, school publicity, and service committees. In general it was found that those activities which furnished the greatest degree of positive learning experience were the most successful, whereas the activities which were designed negatively, to police or control, offered the least promise.
Such items, for instance, as organization of school
dances, presentation of assembly programs, building school spirit through interschool discussions and the like ranked very high.
Activities concerned with enforcing school rules,
hall patrol, care of public property, etc. were often ranked as of only average or less than average value. The findings of Nancarrow in his study of student participation indicate both a trend and a change in point of view with respect to the extra curricular activities in the secondary schools of America.
Evidently the schools of
Pennsylvania in 1940 were justifying their student council activities in terms of educational values. When student participation was first initiated, it was conceived of as a means of reducing the burdens of school discipline.
For example, reference is made to the statement
of President Butler in 1910 in support of the new "student 9 ' government" idea. Said Butler at that time, "the authority
of the faculty is still sufficient, but it is exercized differently*
Student self government is the order of the
day, and the more this prevails, the less is the exercise of faculty authority found to be necessary•" The conclusions offered by Nancarrow indicate a radical re-direction of the student council and its activities*
As
a matter of fact, the change from the concept of "student government" as a means of control, to "student participation" as a method and philosophy of education, was being noted at least a decade before the Pennsylvania study*
In 193.1,
Fretwell wrote - "The use of the present phrase, "pupil participation in government," represents a change in thinking as well as a change in the direction of more exact expression* Later he goes on to say, "The new emphasis is on providing educative experience for pupils rather than on considering 11 pupil participation in government as an end in itself* A little later in the *30s others were beginning to point out the same re-direction in connection with the student council*
Pendry and Hartshome had this to say - "Since to
9 Nicholas Murray Butler - Education in the United States - American Book Company, New York, 1910, p*l6* 10 E.K* Fretwell - Extra Curricular Activities in the Secondary School, Boston - Houghton-Mifflin Co*, 1931, p*100* 11
Ibid, p.116*
16 know does not always mean to do, the problem facing schools 12 far outreaches that of imparting facts." Perhaps the philosophy of the activity program of John Dewey, which was well understood, and had already been put to work in the elementary school, was beginning in 1935 to find a place in the secondary school through student participation* At any rate, the term "student participation" seemed to be replacing the older term, student government, and therbe was wholesale evidence that the emphasis was being made in favor of an activity program for its educative value* at ' '
Student participation is growing very rapidly in the secondary schools of America.
As has already been stated,
almost all of the high schools in the state of California are now committed to some form of "student participation*"
One
should not make the mistake of believing, however, that the movement is new*
Theory always runs well ahead of practice,
and the startling revelation in a study of this movement is that large numbers of professional educators had a rather clear concept of the philosophy of student participation as long ago as twenty-five or thirty years.
In order to emphasize
this, it might be well to look at some of the studies of the late twenties and early thirties*
Such an investigation may
S717 Pendry and H. Hartshorne - Organizations For Youth, New York - McGraw-Hill Co., 1935, p.167.
17 serve to remove some of the "snugness" of the newly initiated in this field* Drewry Report on Pupil Participation in High School Control*
One of the best studies of the late twenties is 13 that by Drewry* Even the title of the Drewry study seems modern, for the term "Pupil Participation" appears in the title itself*
This investigation was based on a personal
survey of twelve senior high schools and a questionnaire study of some four hundred senior high schools throughout this country.
The procedure involved the gathering of
information by questionnaire, and the development of criteria for the evaluation of student participation.
These criteria
were compiled from the writings of the leading psychologists, sociologists and educators of the time.
The data gathered
were evaluated and the conclusions and recommendations were based on the relationship between the criteria of the authori ties and the actual practices in the schools of that time* The conclusions which were presented by Drewry were: 1.
Intelligent, sympathetic and continuous faculty guidance is needed for student organizations existing within the school*
2.
As the best governmentals for adults are those which set free the greatest energies of the
13 R.G.Drewry - Pupil Participation in High School Control - Harcourt,Brace & Co., New York, 192S*
is most people, so the best form of pupil organi zation is that which will put to work in valuable activities, the abundant energies of the largest number of pupils in the school* 3.
The organization should so plan its activities as to give constant practice in thinking, in questioning, and in drawing inferences and conclusions from a study of the pertinent facts, and in terms of the arguments on both sides of the question*
4*
While the most readily observed activity of governing may be its discipline, its more fundamental and important purpose for the school lies in its constructive program for stimulating, guiding, and limiting the normal social activities*
5*
A progressive taking over of responsibilities should be provided as pupils increasingly get preparation for and demonstrate ability to assume these responsibilities* These conclusions might very well have been the ones
proposed by the most modern writer on the philosophy of student participation, for they are up-to-date in the most modern sense of the word.
True, Drewry1s fourth conclusion
reflects the typical emphasis in 192& on discipline, but he is quick to point out that the real value of pupil partici pation is educational rather than disciplinary* Fennessy Study on Administering Extra Curricular Activities*
Another study worthy of note at about this time 14 was the masterfs thesis of Fennessy* Her study may be even 14 Beth.Nash Fennessy - Administrating Extra Curricular Activities in the Senior High School - M.A* in'Education Stanford University, Palo Alto, California, 1930*
19 more enlightening concerning what was actually going on in the high schools, at the time, than the study previously cited.
Whereas the former study reflected the thinking of
the most advanced professional workers of the time, the Fennessy study reported the practices found in twenty-five Southern California high schools. lag between theory and practice, to the principals of the schools.
Here again, one notes the Fennessy1s study was directed The fact that school
principals reflect the real practices which are followed in the schools is generally acknowledged.
The conditions reported
in this investigation probably represent what was actually taking place at the time, because of the unique position enjoyed by the high school principal in shaping school practices, 15 Fennessy found that 96 per cent of the schools studied were organized under a formal type control which rested in the hands of the principal.
Faculty control, sponsorship
and eligibility for participation were pretty much matters of faculty management* Student participation was restricted very generally to keeping date books, planning of social affairs and student control.
Records were being kept, credit given in some kind
of point system, and participation was generally encouraged in appropriate activities, 13
Betii Nash Fennessy - Op, Git, Conclusion chapter
Perhaps the most important inference which can be drawn from the Fennessy study is the degree of lag between theory and practice in 1930#
In actual practice, student
participation was still in the hands of the principals in 96 per cent of the cases* the students*
In theory, it was in the hands of
That this wide disparity existed at the time
is not remarkable*
Student participation was still in its
swaddling clothes*
It had to learn to walk before it could
be expected to run*
School management was considered the
"prerogative" of the school principal, and it is only natural that it would take some time before school principals would learn the advantages of sharing school administration with students*
Prerogatives are generally earned at considerable
cost, and are not lightly surrendered.
The remarkable thing
is that they have been shared at all* Jackson Study on Pupil Government in Secondary Schools* That the movement has been hard fought is illustrated by another and even earlier study by Jackson*
16
Jacksonts study was based on a questionnaire sent to 101 principals and superintendents, to ascertain their points of view with respect to "student government*"
Replies from
eighty-five schools indicated that 46 per cent of the respon dents "did not feel the need for student government" and that
16.
N*A* Jackson - Pupil Government in Secondary Schools Education - 42 pp. 197-210-1921*
21 many were positively opposed to it*
Some schools had started
student governments, but had given them up because of their "dismal failures*w
Among others, Jackson1s conclusions were:
a)
That, to insure success in pupil government, the principal should consider cooperation of the pupils as a means of moral and civic training as well as a means for improving discipline*
b)
That teachers must not discourage the activities, but make conditions such that the system will develop intelligent school spirit*
c)
That although the movement was spreading, student government demands consideration, despite the non-acceptance by many of the present generation* Studies Relating to Restricted Areas of Student
Participation* Among these are: Student Body Finances: by 17 Fife, Organization and Supervision of the High School 1$ Student Body Budget: by Brown, and Administration and Oper ation of StudentStores In the Larger High Schools of 19 California; by Wattelet. These studies were obviously intended by their writers as efforts,to clarify practices already in existence and to
17 Id 19
5amueI™3tewarF^ITe - Student Body Finances-Master Thesis, University of Southern California,193# Thomas R. Brown - Organization and Supervision of High School Student Body Budget-Master Thesis,U.S.C.,1930 T*R* Wattelet - The Administration and Operation of Student Stores in the Larger High Schools of California,over 1000-Master Thesis,U.S,C*,1945
22 find, if possible, the best methods of operating the activity in question*
There is no disparagement intended in the
statement that they are not comprehensive* intended to be* intensive*
They were not
Rather, it was intended that they should be
Within the frames of reference which they investi
gated they are very helpful* Brown Study of Student Body Budgets*
Typical of the
three masterfs studies mentioned above, is Brown’s Study on the organization and supervision of the high school student 20 body budget. It is not comprehensive even within its narrow field for it is based on the practices of an in sufficient sampling of schools*
Nevertheless, the study did
derive some of the answers it sought to obtain*
School
administrators who are new in the field, or faculty sponsors in charge of student body finances would do very well to examine the Brown Study*
Items of particular importance are:
1)
The percentage of the total budget, each activity may be expected to need*
2)
The bases for the determination of need for each activity.
3)
Methods of accounting, authorization of expenditures, purchase practices, etc* which are necessary to safeguard the budget. 2 0 Opp.cit
23 4)
Recommended forms of purchase order blanks, payment vouchers, etc* The Brown Study is now nineteen years old, but it still
stands as a basis for budgetary procedure in the Herbert Hoover High School of Glendale, California*
It was for the
purpose of determining the best practices for that school that the study was made*
It is a genuine compliment to
Mr* Brown that his system of budgetary procedure has been widely copied since 1930* Twenty-Fifth Yearbook of the National Society For The Study of Education Part II*
No review of the literature on
student participation would be complete without mention of the 25th Yearbook, Part II, of the National Society for the Study of Education*
21
This report was published in 1926, and
was edited by Guy Montrose Whipple*
Some of the greatest names
in the field of student participation contributed to the study* To mention only a few - Harry McKown,
22
collaborated on the 23 Chapter on Financial Administration ; Fretwell, wrote the
chapter on the Six Year Elementary,Schools; and another on 24 Assemblies,Athletics,Music,Debating, etc* ; Earle Rugg, a
21 22 23 24
National Society for the Study of Education, Twenty-fifth Year Book, Part II McKown, Harry C« - University of Pittsburgh Fretwell, Elbert K* - Teachers College, Columbia University Rugg, Earle - Colorado State Teachers College
24 chapter on Student Government ; and Koos,
25
contributed the
chapter on Evaluation of Extra Currleular Activities,
Along
with these great figures in the field, some thirteen other school administrators and professional educators made substantial contributions* The Twenty-Fifth Yearbook is now badly outdated*
Modern
research workers are not likely to put too much reliance upon references which are twenty four years old, and yet, it can be said without fear of contradiction that one who is beginning the study of the student participation movement would do well to begin with the classical study in the field, the 25th Yearbook of the National Society For the Study of Educa tion* The study, even at that time, was admittedly descriptive rather than evaluative*
The authors frankly assumed values
which they confessed they had not the data to prove.
Yet it
must be said that, even though statistical and normative methods were but slightly employed many of the principles set forth in that study are in use as accepted practices today* Surveys were made of the professional literature at that time.
As has been noted elsewhere in this chapter,
theory was running far ahead of practice.
Surveys of
*T5 koos, Leonard - University of Minnesota*
25 practice were made in the elementary, junior high and senior high school fields*
Separate chapters were devoted to, direct
training in citizenship,
26
co-operation of teacher-advisor, 2& and special types of activities* Chapters XV through XIX
27
were devoted to local practices in particular cities where outstanding examples of student participation were in progress* 29 The final chapter was given over to evaluation* The study furnishes a wealth of material and is still good, especially on the level of student activities*
Mot much
emphasis was placed upon the function of the student council as the over all coordinative agency for student participation* Little reference was made to framework and organization, and for that reason the work would hardly be sufficient for use today for one who needs help in setting up a new student council in a modern high school. The 1926 study of the Mational Society For the Study of Education lacks much in terms of the most modern standards of student council organization, but it is still useful in the field of student participation*
i6 Htf* C . Eeavis - Chapter VIII - University of Chicago, 27 23 29
Chicago, Illinois Paul ¥* Terry - Chapter IX - University of No. Carolina, Chapel Hill, No* Carolina Eeavis,Terry and Hagie and Fretwell - Chapters XII-XIII-XIV Leonard,V* Koos - Chapter XX - University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota
26 Text Book References*
Before concluding this
discussion of related literature, two professional text books should be cited*
Extra Curricular Activities in 30 Secondary Schools, by Fretwell and (2) Extra Curricular 31 Activities by McKown. Both of these publications have been previously mentioned*
(1)
The textbook on Extra Curricular
Activities In the Secondary Schools was published by Fretwell, in 1931t and grew out of his experience as teacher and principal of secondary schools for some fifteen years, and as a teacher at Teachers College, Columbia for an additional twelve years.
At Teachers College, Dr* Fretwell taught the
course on Organization and Administration of Extra Curricular Activities in Secondary Schools* It was in this course, 32 according to Fretwell that he and his students, studying cooperatively, worked out the material for the book*
The
book is intended as an instrument for use in a college class* It offers complete coverage of the subject*
The scope of the
text is excellent both for that time and this, and deserves to be rewritten and brought up-to-date*
Of particular importance
to the student of the student council are: Chapter IX on Pupil
31 32 33
Elbert K* Fretwell - Extra Curricular Activities in Secondary Schools - Houghton Mifflin Co•-Boston,1931 Harry C* McKown - Extra Curricular Activities - The MacMillan Company,-Hew York,1939 Op.Cit. p.l Preface Op.Cit* pp.12-15
27 Participation in Government; Chapter VII, Analysis of Senior High School Councils, and Chapter VIII, The Student Council at Work*
The activities which characterize student participation,
such as, the assembly, clubs, newspaper, pupil handbook, commencement, athletics and extra curricular finances are also treated.
For present purposes, the first chapter is the most
important for it is there that Fretwell sets up the direction 33 of student council activities in his !,seven sign posts” which are listed below 1#
The school shall develop a constructive program of extra curricular activities.
2.
This constructive program shall grow out of the life of the school.
3*
This constructive program shall recognize that the pupil is a citizen of the school.
4*
Teachers shall accept, whole-heartedly, the responsibility of developing the schools extra curricular activities.
5*
Intelligent public opinion shall be developed.
6.
Extra curricular activities shall be supervised*
7*
The principal is responsible* McKownys Text on Extra Curricular Activities*. The
work of Harry C* McKown in the student participation field is well known.
Ho one is presumed to be acquainted with the
field of student participation unless he has read several of
73
6p.€it« pp.i2-i5
zt
,
the textbooks of Harry McKown* In his preface for the text, 34 Extra Curricular Activities, he acknowledges Elbert Fretwell as the f,Dean of the Movement*”
Notwithstanding his modesty,
McKown is probably just as well known and equally as well accepted as Fretwell* The book, like Fretwell*s was intended as a text for college use*
The coverage is similar to that of Fretwell and
to McKownfs previous text written in 1929*
It does have the
advantage of being nine years more recent and includes materials which have come into the field more recently*
In
terms of the activity program in the secondary schools, the materials relating to clubs, dramatics, athletics, and publications, student control, etc* offer a refreshing ”upto-dateness” which is most gratifying*
'
For the purposes of
this study two items are of particular interest*
The first
relates to the changing emphasis and the new philosophy under lying "student participation” as opposed to "student self government"*
Mention has already been made of this in Chapter
II of this investigation under the item "definition of terms*” Suffice it to say, that McKown made it very clear that there can never be anything in school practice which is truly self 35 government* The regulation of school affairs are the legal
34 35
Mcfcown, Marry C. - Extra Curricular Activities Macmillan Company, New York, 1939 (Sec* Edition, p x Preface) McKown, Harry G. - Extra Curricular Activities, Macmillan Co* New York, p.91
29 responsibility of the principal of the school and cannot therefore be given to students, even if the school principals were so minded*
The second reference which is of specific
significance here relaies to the principles underlying student council organization*
According to McKown, every good
student council must be organized according to the following principles: 1*
The council must be demanded by the school* This is putting the matter somewhat more for^cefully than it was put by Fretwell when he said, "that it must be wholeheartedly accepted by the faculty*,f McKown would not accept any such super-imposition by faculty upon students* He would insist that it is the students, themselves, who must feel the need* "No principal, faculty, or even interested group of students can force a council upon a school* The consent of the governed is basic to any form of democratic l i v i n g ..........this consent and support will never be unanimous, but it should be a solid majority* Without it any council will fail."37
2*
Participation should be introduced gradually. Democracy is a way of living which must be learned and education is a slow process*
3*
A study of objectives should precede any attempt at definite organization* This principle refers back to the first in that it requires that students should know what they are seeking before they start out*
J5 37
Op. 6it* pp*99-100 Op. Git. p. 95
30 4*
The council should represent the school as a whole* A small group may direct but the whole group must understand and support.
5#
The average student should feel that he is represented# The importance of this principle seems obvious. One must "belong” before he can assist in any organization#
6#
Both student body and faculty should be fairly repre sented. According to McKown, both students and faculty must "belong.” Faculty representatives should be elected by the faculty just in the same way that the students are elected by the students. \ The council should not be too large. This principle, of course, is set up in the interests of "getting thing( s done.”
7#
3.
The council should have definite powers and duties# A council which meets to talk but not to act is of little value.
9*
The council should not be considered a dumping-ground# That is, the council is not the notans designed to perform all the menial tasks or to dispose of the disagreeable discipline problems.
10.
The head of the school should retain the veto power* This principle has already been amplified# Summary*
The review of materials which have been
offered in this chapter has been limited to studies which actually bear upon the problem of this investigation#
As has
already been stated, there was no great volume of material in the field, Magazine articles have been avoided because they were descriptive or testimonial in nature, rather than scientific in approach#
The two large studies which were of
recent writing were doctoral dissertations by Vanderlip on the "Standards of a Good Student Council” and Nancarrow on "The
31 Student Council in P e n n s y l v a n i a Both were excellent studies, although neither one is specific to student councils in the State of California* The Twenty-Fifth Yearbook of the National Society for the Study of Education was cited*
The work was basic but too
old to be of more than historical value at this time* The text book contributions of Fretwell and McKown were analyzed and criticized*
In a general way, both were valuable
to the larger aspects of student participation* Several masters theses have been reviewed*
These had
the advantage of being investigations which were made in California, but each one was limited to a narrow segment within the student council* It therefore seemed appropriate that a study which was predicated upon the principal problems of a majority of the high schools of the state of California would have a definite place and would fulfill a definite need#
The California
Association of Student Councils was only four years old, and there had been nothing written on it as yet*
The part of this
study which relates to the California Association of Student Councils, then, is a pioneer study, and it is hoped that it will prove of real value to the young people and the sponsors of this great State organization*
CHAPTER III PROCEDURE In attacking the several problems already enumerated concerning student participation, the first step to be under taken was that of finding the present status of the student council in the senior high schools of the state of California* In order to obtain this information, the cooperation of the California Association of Secondary School Administrators and the California Association of Student Councils was sought* 4Sr* Robert Hicks, the president of the California Association of Secondary School Administrators, and -Dr. Fred Heisner, the State Chief Sponsor of the California Association of Student Councils, offered the assistance of their organizations and asked the "thoughtful assistance" of the high school principals of the State* A questionnaire, a copy of which, appears in the appendix, was submitted to the principal of each school in the state*
The tabulation of this questionnaire brought much
information concerning what the principals were doing and thinking with respect to student council activities*
A study
of the results revealed (1) The degree of faith California high school principals were placing in student participation, student courts, student control organizations, etc. scope of the movement.
(3)
(2)
The
The problems being undertaken by
33 students*
(4) What devices were employed as learning activit
ies in the mastery of the techniques of student legislation * and controls#
(5) A profile of the kinds of organizations
which were typical of the California high schools, which ones were patterned after the national government, which after the state, and which after the city#
(6) Something of the general
philosophy of education held by California high school educa tors*
(7) The role of student participation in the improve
ment of leadership in the schools, and finally,
(3) The
learning values which the principals believed to be the most important in student participation# The second phase of this study was concerned with a careful examination of the California Association of Student Councils*
The constitution of the new Association was
critically examined in terns of its (1) structure, (2) the philosophy of education implied in it, (3) its effectiveness as an instrument for cooperative interaction, (4) the grants of power therein, (5) provisions for specialization of function, (6) officer and sponsorship controls and, finally, (7) its consistency with the American theory for democratic action* The California Association of Student Councils was only four years old, yet it afforded some history#
An attempt was
made to set forth the points of view held by the founding Committee of high school principals who wrote the original
34 draft of the constitution*
The question of what they had in
mind and how well the principals of the state believed the Association was realizing those ends, was believed to be worthy of careful study* The statistical handling of the data was done as simply as possible.
Inasmuch as the opinion of the principal only
was being asked, there was no need for studies of correlation* Only objective types of response were requested, the yes, no, or check mark - and the five-point evaluation scale*
An
effort was made to make the major part of the study quite objective.
The yes, no, response, or the check mark response,
lent themselves to clear-cut decisions.
Either a practice
existed or it did not - a school participated in an activity or it did not - an item appeared in a budget or it did not. Only two sets of questions elicited evaluations. *^(1)
They were:
Those with respect to learning values inherent in student
council participation, and (2)
those which call for the
appraisal of the "Activities11 usually practiced in student council organization. The five-point appraisal scale was used because of its universality*
A seven-point scale was at first considered
because of a desire for closer discrimination in degrees of difference.
There are many who object to the long step which
exists, for instance, between the average rating n31sf and the definitely superior rating of the "27 or the definitely inferior
35 rating of the n4n*
Nevertheless, it was decided that be
cause, in California at least, school people are so accust omed to the five-point scale for student marks, it would be better to reject the shorter step and theoretically more exact scale in favor of the five-point scale in which the values are better understood#
Numbers and percentages of
response tables were used to present the purely objective data and frequency distribution graphs were employed to picture the evaluation data.
Interpretation, when required,
was presented in verbal form# The content of the questionnaire furnished the basis for separate chapters in the study with each chapter being utilized in the presentation, analysis and evaluation of the problem underlying each set of questions. Distinction on Size of Schools#
One of the problems of
research procedure involved in the handling of the returns of the questionnaire, was that of whether the data could be handled as a whole or whether distinction should be made in terms of the sizes of schools#
High schools vary in
enrollment in California from the smallest, Death Valley High School with an enrollment of 12 students, to the largest, Bakersfield with an enrollment of 4,930 students.
The question
raised was, do the principals of small schools believe in practices with respect to student participation which are consistently different from the practices espoused by the
36 principals of large schools?
If that is the ease, general
izations derived from the study of the whole group would not necessarily hold for any particular class of schools*, If, on the other hand, the same question seemed to evoke the; same pattern of responses from the principals of small schools as from the principals of medium size and large schools, it ?
would seem unnecessarily burdensome and serve no purpose to consider the schools in separate classes* The matter of consistency of response as related to schools of a particular size, was first studied in connection with those parts of the questionnaire which had to do with acceptance or rejection of a particular practice* questions were of a survey nature*
These
The first question of
the questionnaire, "Does your high school have a student council?" brought the following answers: 313 Yes; 7 No*
Of the
seven "no" responses, two were from small schools, three were from medium size schools and, strangely enough, two were from large schools*
To the question, "Do you have a written
constitution under which your student council operates?" only 14 principals out of 313 answered no*
Of the "No" answers,
five were principals of small schools, five were principals of medium size schools and four were principals of large schools*
So it went throughout the survey questions*
The most
consistent thing about the replies seemed to be that differ ences of opinion were typical of all schools, but as between
classes of schools no characteristic differences could be shown* Reference was finally made to the last two sections of the questionnaire*
In these questions, responses were called
for according to a five point evaluation scale* er degree of discrimination was demanded* of opinion were expressed*
Here a great
Wider differences
With a greater degree of refinement
of judgment, perhaps consistent differences would be discovered which would correlate with the sizes of schools being studied*
With that end in mind, a pilot study was
initiated* Pilot Study*
In order that the relationship between the
kinds of responses being made by the principals of the different sizes of schools might be obtained, a survey of the enrollments of all of the schools responding was undertaken Three hundred forty schools out of the four hundred five schools to which the questionnaires were sent, actually replied*
Of these, seven reported they had no student councils
These were discarded as being unusable for the purpose of studying the student council in the schools of California* Twenty questionnaires were incomplete*
These, too, were
discarded in order to avoid statistical confusion where per centage figures were being used*
3a Humber of Schools in the Study*
After discarding the
schools without student councils and those which returned incomplete questionnaires, it was found that 313 high school principals had responded with questionnaires completely filled out with one minor exception* do with the student body budget#
The exception had to
Only 70 school principals
filled in the figure on the amount of the school budget# Subsequent attempts to obtain figures on the budget met with failure*
Some of the principals objected to divulging
such information while others indicated that student council budgets were indeterminate as to amounts*
It was concluded
that the issue should be passed for purposes of the investi gation and that whatever trends might be shown in the seventy budgets returned would suffice.
In any case, the 313
schools made up 77*2j| of the entire group contacted, an exceedingly satisfactory percentage.
The questionnaire was
lengthy and had required, according to the testimony of some of the principals, as much as three to four hours to complete* It is a fine compliment to the professional standing of the principals, that such a large proportion offered their thoughtful cooperation#
Many of the principals indicated that
in spite of the time required, they considered the problem of such prime importance that they were glad to make a contri bution, provided they might share in the results*
Geograph
ically the schools studied covered the length and breadth of
39 the state as indicated in figure I. Distribution of Schools in Terns of Size*
The schools
being studied were distributed by size according to one hundred enrollment intervals: Group I, 0 to 99, Group II, 100 to 199, and so on through 2,500 and up*
Figure II shows in
graphic form, the number of schools in each enrollment group ing*
It is enlightening that the most typical high school in
the state of California, ranges between 200 and 299 in enrollment*
The second most numerous group ranges between
100 and 199, while the third largest group includes those schools having enrollments between 12 and 99*
Roughly, one
third (103) of all of the high schools of the state fall within the category of the "teall* school*
The large schools
category was set arbitrarily as those with enrollments of 900 or more.
Of this group, there were 102*
Between 300 and
&99 there were 10B schools which for the purposes of this study, were classified as medium size schools* Learning Values in Small. Medium and Large Schools* In order to determine the amount of consistency, or lack of consistency, in the responses of principals of small, medium or large schools, the device of the index number was used* Each fifth response to the sixty questions in sections 9 and 10 of the questionnaire was tabulated and weighted according
FIGURE 1 LOCATION OF CALIFORNIA HIGH SCHOOLS IN THIS STUDY*
♦ 9
%•
*Each of the dots on this map indicates the approximate location of one of the 313 high schools included in this study* In the City of Los Angeles, the number of schools is indicated by the figure 37«
FIGURE 2 NUMBER AND DISTRIBUTION ACCORDING TO
m rH O o X! o CO
THEIR ENROLLMENT OF THE CALIFORNIA HIGH SCHOOLS IN THIS STUDY
40.
o u 0) X § 3 35
Group I Group II Group III
30
MEDIAN SIZE HIGH SCHOOL 535 STUDENTS MODAL OR TYPICAL SIZE 200 TO 300 STUDENTS
103 schools 10$ schools 102 schools
12 to 296 students 313 to 999 students 1006 to 4930 students
65
30
23 24
20
17 15 14
13
10,
11
10
6 7
3
1
4
4 2
0
I I I I I I I I I I I IO I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I w X p O O O O O O OOOOOOOO OO OO OO OOOOOOOOOO OOOO OO OO OO OOOO OO OO OO OOOO uO OO OO O O OOOOOOOO OO OO OO 0 0 X 3 ( ^ 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 OOOO rH rHCM CM ^ ^ UHT\CNOt>-Cs- ‘C0 t )0O OO OHrH CMCMOVH C^-CMX) tO O OO OrH rHCMCMr°\ \0 O- O-tO A r s J L
H H H H rH H
rHrHrHiHrH H rH rH H H H H C M CMCM CMCMCM CMCMCM CMCM CMCM CMCMCMCM
ENROLLMENT INTERVALS
2900
0
4
4
2699
3
42 TABLE I ENROLLMENT AND NAMES OF HIGH SCHOOLS IN GROUP I Same of school
Enrollment
Name of school
Enrollment
GROUP I (0-99) Death Valley Downieville Elk Creek Big Pine Pescadero Tahoe Meadow Lake Potter Valley Garden Gate Owens Valley Sutter Union Big Valley (Adin) Middletown Union Round Valley (Covelo) Hoopa Valley Sommerville Union
12 24 33 35 33 41 42 43 45 46 49 50 56 53 71 72
Surprise Valley Douglas Maxwell Union Anderson Valley (Booneville) Loyalton Kemville Templeton Laytonville Joint Union Sone Union Cambria Wheatland Princeton Jt# Union Upper Lake Coast Union (Cambria) Hamilton Union
73 75 75 76 76 30 30 31 32 33 33 34 92 95 93
43 TABLE II ENROLLMENT AMD NAMES OF HIGH SCHOOLS IN GROUP II Name of school
Enrollment
Name of school
Enrollment
GROUP II (100-199) Julian Union Lower Lake Mendicin© Union Biggs Union East Nicolaus Mt* Empire Etna Union Calistoga Jackson Union Los Molinos Alpaugh Esparto Smola Davis Joint Union Ramona Union Calipatria
100 107 109 111 115 115 121 124 12$ 126 133 135 136 150 150 153
Clear Lake Winters Joint Union Avalon South Fork Union Ferndale Union Capistrano Union Lone Pine Greenville Fall River Joint Union Maricopa San Jacinto Tehachapi Dunsmuir Joint Union Big Bear Tranquillity Union Carpentaria
155 156 160 160 162 166 175 179 162 162 164 165 166 167 196 199
44 TABLE III ENROLLMENT AND NAMES OF HIGH SCHOOLS IN GROUP III Same of school sc
Enrollment
(tame of school
Enrollment
GROUP III (200-299) Brea Olinda Nevada City Live Oak Gonzales Union Courtland Colusa Santa Inez Weed Ripon Union Portola Sutter Creek Linden Union Valencia Modoc Union Tustin Atascadero Union Calaveras Union Caruthers Union Carmel
201 206 209 212 215 216 216 213 220 221 223 227 234 242 243 245 245 245 247
Lindsey Patterson Union Folsom Union Avenal Lincoln Union Holtville Union Wm. S. Hart (Newhall) Los Banos Bishop Union Vacaville Elsinore Union Benicia McFarland Union Anderson Union Glenn Co. Le Grand Union Burroughs Claremont Barstow Union
249 250 252 253 256 260 260 262 266 263 269 270 277 234 236 237 292 293 296
45 TABLE IV ENROLLMENT AND NAMES OF HIGH SCHOOLS IN GROUP IV Name of school
Enrollment
Name of school
Enrollment
GROUP IV (300-399) St. Helena Perris Hill (San Bern1©) Calexico Union Hughson Union Woodlake . Hemet Quincy Del Norte U. (Crese. City) Puente Union Escalon Palm Springs
301 306 307 312 313 315 317 321 322 325 325
Dr* Joseph Pomeroy (l .a .)Orland Joint Union Emery Union Armijo Union (Fairfield) Perris Union Palo Verde Andrew Jackson (L.A.) Gridley King City Shaft©r San Jose Tech Sonoma Union
326 333 334 335 355 365 377 379 3$2 390 395 395
46 TABLE V ENROLLMENT AND NAMES OF HIGH SCHOOLS IN GROUP V Name of’ school
Enrollment
Name of school ,
Enrollment
GROUP V (400-499) Liberty Union Bonita Union John Swett (Crockett) Coronado Lemoore Union Paso Robles Westwood Lompoc Union Nordhoff Gilroy Union Arroyo Grande
403 404 40& 420 420 421 421 425 433 439 440
Bell Gardens Sr. Ft. Bragg Vista Union San Luis Obispo Laguna Beach Corona Union Jacob Ries (L.A.) Livermore Union Sonora Healdsburg Exeter Chowchilla Dinuba
446 450 45$ 459 463 433 433 4&4 435 437 43S 439 491
47 TABLE VI ENROLLMENT AND NAMES GF HIGH SCHOOLS IN GROUPS VI AND VII Name of school
Enrollment
GROUP VI (500- 599) Selma Garden Grove Pealuma Areata Union San Dieguito Union Oceanside-Carlsbad Wasco Fortuna Union Livingston Red Bluff Grass Valley San Benito Central Union (Fresno) Pittsburg Elk Grove Los Gatos ♦
« '€ *it
512 529 529 530 534 535 548 550 551 562 575 575 581 581 589 594
Name of school
Enrollment
GROUP VII (600--699) Lassen Union Live Oak (Antioc) Coalinga Citrus Union Victorville Manteca Torrance Brawley Union Clovis Orange Union Tuba City Analy Union (Sebastopol) Tracy Union Santa Paula
601 607 616 633 638 650 650 651 652 676 683 “
689 691 697
43 TABLE VII ENROLLMENT AND NAMES OF HIGH SCHOOLS IN GROUPS VIII, IX, X AND XI of school
Enrollment
GROUP VIII (700-799) Central Union Schneider Washington Union Sangor Chula Vista Dos Palos Reedley Union Santa Clara Union Woodland Delano Chino Acalones Eureka Palo Alto
714 729 741 753 753 755 755 757 776 779 730 734 793
GROUP X (900-999) Huntington Beach Campbell Union Oroville Turloc Union Jefferson Union (Daly C.) Oakdale Joint Union Monerey Union
Name of school
Enrollment
GROUP IX (300-399) Abraham Lincoln (San Jose) Santa Cruz Newport Harbor Fillmore Antelope Valley Jt. Union Taft Union Placer Union Redlands Union
314 317 313 340 355 356 332 395
GROUP XI (1000-1099) 906 914 913 937 952 991 997
Galileo (S.F*) San Juan (Fair Oaks) San Mateo Union Pomona Montebello Anaheim Beverly Hills So* Pasadena Colton Union Mt. Diablo Union (Concord) Hanford Joint Union
1006 1007 1010 1012 1030 1036 1041 1049 1052 1063 1034
49 TABLE VIII ENROLLMENT AND NAMES OF HIGH SCHOOLS IN GROUPS XII, XIII, XIV AND XV Name of school
Enrollment
GROUP XII (1100-1199) \
La Jolla Oxnard Union Shasta Union
1126 1131 1194
GROUP XIV (1300-1399) Eagle Rock (L.A.) David S. Jordan (Long Beach) Leuzinger Hi Lodi Union
1330 1352 1372 13&7
Name of school
Enrollment
GROUP XIII (1200- 1299 T* A. Edison (Fresno) Covina Union Santa Rosa Tulare Union Downey Union Fullerton Union Santa Ana Merced Union Watsonbille Canoga Park (L.A.)
1207 1209 1214 1214 1219 1220 1259 1261 12S0 12&7
GROUP XV (1400-1499) South Gate 1400 Franklin (L.A.) 1410 J* Burroughs (Burbank) 1420 Portersville Union 1425 East Bakersfield 1430 H.S. of Commerce (S,F.) 1450 Verdugo Hills 1460 Chico 1475 San Pedro (L.A.) 1475 Juvenile Hall (L.A. ) 147# Washington Sr. (S.F .)1490 Santa Barbara 1493 Fresno Sr. 1496
50 TABLE IX ENROLLMENT AND NAMES OF HIGH SCHOOLS IN GROUPS XVI, XVII, XVIII AND XIX Name of school
Enrollment
GROUP XVI (1500-1599) El Cerrito (Richmond) Castlemont Sr* (Oakland) Polytechnic (S.F.) A. Lincoln (S.F.) Gardena (L.A.) Narbonne (Lomita)
1511 1524 1542 1560 1573 1576
GROUP XVIII (1700-1799) Banning (L.A.) Bell (L.A.) Herbert Hoover (San Diego) Belmont (L.A.) Glendale Polytechnic (L.A.)
1713 1713 1726 1749 1793 1796
Name of school
Enrollment
GROUP XVII (1600-1699) A. Lincoln (L.A.) San Mateo Tamalpais Union Herbert Hoover (Glendale) Woodrow Wilson (L.A. Santa Monica W. Wilson (Long Beach)
1609 1623 1634 1635 )1640 1671 1630
GROUP XIX (1300-1399) Huntington Park (L.A.) Excelsior Visalia Union John Marshall Mission Sr* (S.F.) Susan Dorsey (L.A.)
1324 1326 1360 1374 1395 1396
51 TABLE X ENROLLMENT AND NAMES OF HIGH SCHOOLS IN GROUPS XX, XXI, XXII AND XXIII Name ot school
Enrollment
GROUP XX (1900-1999) University Hi (L.A* Salinas Union Burbank Garfield (L.A.) T. Roosevelt (Fresno) Hollywood (L.A.)
1912 1934 1969 1973 197$ 1932
GROUP XXII (2100-2199) Fairfax (L.A.) Mark Keppel (Alhambra) Whittier Union Jordan (L.A.) San Leandro Jefferson (L.A.) Hamilton (L.A.)
2117
2146 2147 2153
2156 2164 2173
of school
Enrollment
GROUP XXI (2000-2099) No. Hollywood (L.A.) 2025 Polytechnic (Riverside) 2091
GROUP XXIII (2200-2299) Alhambra H.S. Grossmont Union
222$
2290
52 TABLE XI ENROLLMENT AND NAMES OF HIGH SCHOOLS IN GROUPS XXIV, XXV, AND XXVI Mame of school
Enrollment
GROUP XXIV (2300-2399) and GROUP XXV (2400-2499) San Diego Hi Manual Arts (L.A.) San Fernando (L.A.) Berkeley Sequoia Union Sacramento Sr* Redondo Union
2302 23 5& 2359 2450 2450 2472 24S1
Name of school
Enrollment
GROUP XXVI (2500 and Over) San Bernardino Sr* Los Angeles Sr* Hayward Union T* Roosevelt (L.A.) Washington (L*A*) J.C. Fremont (L.A*) Richmond Union Van Nuys (L.A.) Inglewood El Monte Bakersfield
256? 2600 2622 2644 2684 2751 2740 2975 2996 3088 4930
53 TABLE XII RECAPITULATION OF HIGH SCHOOLS INCLUDED IN THIS STUDY ORGANIZED BY ENROLLMENT GROUPS £ize
CM ©
*4 * -4 *
1599 1699 1799 1899 1999 2099 2199 2299 2399 2499 2599 2699 2799 2899 Up
H
1500 — 1600 1700 — 1S00 — 1900 — 2000 — 2100 — 2200 — 2300 2400 2500 — 2600 — 2700 — 2S00 — 2900 -
-4-
30 35 3£ 23 24 17 15 14 £ 7 11 3 10 4 13
so oi C"-CM (A
99 199 299 399 499 599 699 799 £99 999 1099 1199 1299 1399 1499
Number
Size
ts. Es_sO vQ
0 — 100 — 200 300 400 500 600 700 £00 900 1000 1100 1200 1300 1400 -
Number
to the following scale: Rating wl*n
Learning experiences rated as equal or superior to the finest learning oppor tunities afforded in school life were weighted at 4*
Rating *2.™
Those learning experiences rated as comparable to superior classroom experiences were weighted at 3»
Rating "3***
Those rated as comparable with the 11run of the mill learning experience" were weighted at 2*
Rating w4*n
Those experiences which were rated as of . only slight value were given the weight of 1*
Rating w5*tt Those rated of no value were assigned the weight of 0 (zero)# Rating
In section X which calls for an evalu ation of the value of certain activities, a sixth column was allowed for those activities which were not provided for in the school*
The weight of zero was
given to those in this category, too, on the assumption that if the principal of the school had considered it worth while /
he would have provided for it*
55 Group distribution tables were set up as shown in Tables 13 through 2&.
Question I was tabulated separately
for group I, small schools; for group XI, medium size schools, and for Group III, large schools, to ascertain the number of ,fIff ratings for each group, the number of II ratings for each group, etc.
This same thing was done for
each fifth question in sections Ix and X of the questionnaire. Following the tabulations, weighting was done as described above with the totals in each rating for each classification group.
The results were compared and ranked from high to
low, according to the index numbers for each of the three groups.
Index numbers were computed for the total group
on the same basis and these were ranked from high to low* The purpose here was to determine the relative stand ing of each of the questions as indicated by all of the principals and to compare those standings with the ratings given by the principals of the small schools, the medium sized schools and the large schools.
It was assumed that if
a question were given a low index number by group I and a high index number by group II or III, there would be a lack of consistency with respect to opinions of the principals of group I as compared to the other two.
On the other hand,
questions which received a high index number for the total group and a high index number for each of the three groups, were assumed to indicate a high degree of consistency as
56 between groups and for the total group. The results of these group comparisons are presented in Tables 13 through 2&* almost incredible degree*
Consistency is indicated to an Comparison of the rankings of the
questions from section IX indicate a complete agreement with identical rankings for each question as between the total group, and each of the separate groups with but one exception* In the case of the small schools, questions 5 and 25 showed an inverse ranking as compared to the medium, large and total groups*
Even here, the index numbers were close to the same
size and it was assumed that the discrepancy was negligible* Consistency of Ranking in Section 10*
With respect to
the rankings of the questions from section X, the same consistency obtained*
In only two places was there any lack
of agreement in ranking*
In questions V and XXX, the index
score was identical for both questions for the total group* In grouj) I, question XXX ranked one step higher than question V, whereas in groups II and III these rankings were reversed* This reversal was not surprising in view of the identical index number for these questions in the total group*
Similarly,
question XXXV ranked fourth for the total group and for group IV, but fell to fifth for groups I and II*
Here again
the change in position was a change of but one step and could hardly be regarded as sufficient to challenge the relative rankings of the ”all schools” group*
57 TABLE XIII GROUP COMPARISONS OF EVALUATION OF LEARNING VALUES IN STUDENT COUNCIL PARTICIPATION
H
fo
HI
fo
I?
fo
V
W
Student Participation helps to develop the techniques of leaderGroup
I
Group
II
Group III All schools
(
1-299)
70 68.1
24 23.3
4 3.9
5 4.9
00
(300-899)
70 65.2
25 23.1
4 3.6
6 5.5
2 1.9
(900
75.73.3
21 20.5
6 5.8
11
00
215 68.6
70 22.3
14 4.4
up)
12 3.8
2
.6
•
i
53 TABLE XIV GROUP COMPARISONS OF EVALUATION OF LEARNING VALUES IN STUDENT COUNCIL PARTICIPATION
“
—
■ "
~
x%m~
urw
“ ~
T
r
“ T
‘~
v
”
t~
Student Participation helps to develop respect for law and order# Group
I
C 1-299)
41 39.3
37 35.9 17
16.5
7 6.7 1 .9
Group
II
( 300-399)
43 39.3
43 33.9 13
16.6
4 3.7 0 0
Group III
( 900-up )
39 33.2
42 42.1 17
16.7
3 2.9 1 9
123 39.3
122 39.2 52
All schools
16.6 14 4.3 2 .6
59 TABLE XV GROUP COMPARISONS OF EVALUATION OF LEARNING VALUES IN STUDENT COUNCIL PARTICIPATION T ~ jo —
n— a— nnt— »nr " n
Student participation helps to develop tolerance for the rights of other races, points of view, social groups, creeds, etc# Group Group
I C
1-299)
II ( 30Q-S99)
Group III ( 900-up ) All Schools
29 23.1
47 45.5
22 21.3
5 4.9
0 0
32 29 #6
46 42.6
24 22.2
6 5*5
0 0
27 26.4
46 45.1
IS 17*6
7 6.9
4 3*9
23*1
139 44*4
64 20.4
IS 5.7
4 1.4
60 TABLE XVI GROUP COMPARISONS OF EVALUATION OF LEARNING VALUES IN STUDENT COUNCIL PARTICIPATION
I
"lit*
IV
V
Student participation helps to increase respect for academic standards and good grades. Group
I
Group
7 6.6
39 37.6
51 49.5
II
(300-399) 10 9.2
40 37.0
Group III
(900-up ) 10 9.6 27 6.6
All schools
( 1-299)
5
4.9
1 .9
44 40.7
11 10.2
3 7.7
42 41.1
39 36.2
11 10.7
00
121 36.6
134 42.6
27
4 1.4
6.6
61 TABLE XVII GROUP COMPARISONS OF EVALUATION OF LEARNING VALUES IN STUDENT COUNCIL PARTICIPATION
—
— — ---- —
n
—
it-
't it
%—
iv jo—
r r 1
Student participation helps to teach that authoritarianisms are the antithesis of rule by reason, com promise and coopera tion. Group
21 20.4
43 42.1
2? 26.2
10 9.7
2 1.9
II
(300-699) 26 24.0
40 37.0
27 25.0
1513.9
00
Group III
(900-up ) 23 22.5
37 36.2
31 30.4
9 S.S
2 1.9
120 36.3
65 27.1
3430.6
4 1.5
Group
I ( 1-299)
All schools
70 22.3
62 TABLE XVIII GROUP COMPARISONS OF EVALUATION OF LEARNING VALUES IN STUDENT COUNCIL PARTICIPATION
Student participation helps to develop the "We" feeling. Group Group
1-299)
40
3$.#
3# 36.g
21 20.3
4 3.9
0 0
II (300-S99)
40
36.1
42 39.0
19 17.6
7 6.5
0 0
36
35.3
42 41.1
19 1&.6
4 3.9
1 9
I C
Group III (900-up ) All 'schools
116
37.0 122 39.0
59 1S.S 15 4.S
1
.
63 TABLE XIX RELATIVE EVALUATION OF LEARNING VALUES OF STUDENT PARTICIPATION COMPARED BY GROUPS OF SMALL, MEDIUM AND LARGE SCHOOLS AS RELATED TO THESE SAME .. VALUES FOR ALL SCHOOLS RANKED IN THE ORDER OF THEIR IMPORTANCE AS INDICATED BY INDEX NUMBERS Group I Group II Group III All Schools 12--296 Enroll. 313-399 Enrol* 1006-4930.Enrol. Ques-- In Ques-- In Ques- In Ques In Rank tion dex Rank tion dex Rank tion dex Rank tion dex No. No. No. No. No. No. No. No. 1
1
1110
1
1
365
1
1
369
1
1
376
2:
5
936
3
5
316
2
5
351
2
5
319
3
25
963
2
25
320
3
25
331
3
25
312
4
10
915
4
10
306
4
10
320
4
10
289
5
20
344
5
20
277
5
20
293
5
20
274
6
15
766
6
15
252
6
15
259
6
15
255
A comparison of the results of questionnaires from small, medium and large schools with the total group indicates an identical ranking in every case except one* In the case of the small schools, questions 5 and 25 showed an inverse rank ing as compared to the medium, large, and total groups* Even in this case the index figures are very close to each other* (316 as compared with 320)
64 TABLE XX EDUCATIONAL VALUE OF STUDENT COUNCIL ACTIVITIES IN PLANNING OF SPECIAL EVENTS, SUCH AS SCHOOL DANCES, FOHENSIC CONTESTS, MUSIC FESTIVALS, ETC. In dex No.
I
$
II
*
III
IV
$
#
V
Jt
0
fo
Group I
339
52 50.5
40 38.8
5 4.7
1
.9
0
0
5
4.7
Group II
369
54 50.0
46 42 •6
7 6.5
1
.8
0
0
0
0
Group III
327
50 49.0
37 36.2
6 5.8
4 3.0
4
1.9 1
.9
All schoolsl035 156 49. S 123 39.3 18 5.7
6 1.9
4
1.4 6
1.9
65 TABLE XXI EDUCATIONAL VALUE OF STUDENT COUNCIL ACTIVITIES IN PROVIDING DISCIPLINARY CONTROLS In dex No.
I
Group I
197
14 13.6
23 22.0
33 32.0
6
5.8
5
4.9 22 21
Group II
229
16 14.8
26 24.0
40 37.0
7
6.5
7
6.5 12 11
Group III
204
16 15.7
21 20.6
36 35.3
5
4.9
6
5.7 18 17
All schools 630
46 14.6
70 22.3
109 34.8
18
5.7
IS
5.7 52 16
*
II
*
IV
III
fo
V
*
(> 5
66 TABLE XXII EDUCATIONAL VALUE OF STUDENT PARTICIPATION IN THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH OF STUDENT GOVERNMENT In dex No*
I
Group I
245
40 36. 6
Group II
270
Group III
%
IV
22 21.3
9 6.7
1
46 42•6
22 21.1
10 9.2
235
34 33.3
27 26.4
6 7.6
All schools 750
120 36.3
71 22.7
27 6.7
fo
II
*
III :
*
V
.9
3 2.9
2S 27.1
0 0
4 3.7
26 24.0
2 1.9
2 1.9
29 23.4
.9
9 2.6
63 26.5
3
%
0
%
67 TABLE XXIII EDUCATIONAL VALUE OF STUDENT PARTICIPATION IN FORUMS In dex No.
I
Group I
262
29 28.1
40 38.8
10
9.7
6
5.8
0
0
18 16.7
Group II
27S
34 31.5
33 35.2
11 10.1
6
5.5
0
0
19 17.6
Group III
267
30 29.4
37 36.3
15 14.7
6
5.3
0
0
14 13.7
36 11.5 18
5.7
0
0
51 16.3
All schools 807
fo
II
fo
93 29.7 115 36.7
III :
fo
IV
fo
f>
V
0
fo
6S TABLE XXIV EDUCATIONAL VALUE OF STUDENT PARTICIPATION IN APPRAISAL OF SCHOOL CURRICULUM THROUGH CONFERENCES WITH PRINCIPAL AND FACULTY In dex No.
i
$
II
*
III
IV
$
V 6
Group I
92
5 4.3
10
9.7
18 17.4
6
5.8
Group II
9$
7 6.5
9
8.3
19 17.6
5
4.6
Group III
116
3 7.8
13 12.7
21 20.6
3
2.9
3
All schools
306
20 6.3
32 10.2
53 18.2 14
4.4
26
0
#
5.8
58 56
12 11.1
56 51
7.4
49 48,
8.3 163 52
69 TABLE XXV EDUCATIONAL VALUE OF STUDENT PARTICIPATION IN SCHOOL SAFETY AND THE SAFE DRIVING PROGRAM In dex No*
I
Jf
II
fo
III $>
IV
*
V
fo
0
fo
Group I
155
11 10*6
26 25.2
15 14.6
3 2.9
5 4.6
43 41.
Group II
170
15 13.9
20 18.5
21 19.4
8 7.4
4 3.7
40 37.1
Group III
153
10
9.6
24 23.5
18 17.6
5 4.9
3 2.9
42 41.
All schools
47#
36 11.1
70 22.3
54 17.2
16 5.1
12 3.6 125 40
70 TABLE XXVI EDUCATIONAL VALUE OF STUDENT PARTICIPATION IN SERVICE ON GROUND "CLEAN UP" COMMITTEES In dex No*
I
$
II
%
III
$
IV
*
V
%
0
%
Group I
229
21 20.4
27 26.2
30 29.1
4 3.9
3 2.9
16 17
Group II
201
17 15.7
27 19.4
32 29.6
6 5.5
4 3.7
26 26
Group III
200
20 19.6
20 19.6
2$ 27.4
4 3.9
3 2.9
27 26
All schools
630
5# 13*5
63 21.7
90 26.7
14 4.4
10 3.2
73 23
71 TABLE XXVII EDUCATIONAL VALUE OF STUDENT PARTICIPATION IN INTERCULTURAL ACTIVITIES In dex No.
I
*
II
i
III
%
IV
%
V
*
0
fo
Group I
210
16 15.5
34 33.0
20 19.4
4 3.9
2 1.9
27 26.
Group II
22?
19 17.6
34 31.5
22 20.3
5 4.6
4 3.7
24 22.
Group III
211
17 16.7
34 33.3
13 17.6
5 4.9
2 1.9
26 25.
All schools
6^3
52 16.6
102 32.6
60 19.1
14 4.4
3 2.5
77 24.
72 TABLE XXVIII RELATIVE EDUCATIONAL VALUE AS INDICATED BY INDEX NUMBERS, OF STUDENT PARTICIPATION IN CERTAIN RANDOMLY SELECTED ACTIVITIES.COMPARED BY GROUPS OF SMALL, MEDIUM AND LARGE SCHOOLS AS RELATED TO THE RELATIVE EDUCATIONAL VALUE OF THESE SAME ACTIVITIES RANKED IN THE ORDER OF THEIR IMPORTANCE H H