Degree Name

Education Specialist (EdS)

Semester of Degree Completion

1977

Thesis Director

Donald W. Smitley

Abstract

The purpose of this field experience was to examine and compare student and teacher opinions concerning the shortened school day in the Charleston Community Unit School District No. 1.

On January 5, 1977, the Charleston School Board of Education voted to enforce a five-hour school day schedule effective January 24, 1977. In this study the writer wanted to poll student and teacher opinions in regard to the shortened school day. Comparisons were then made in relation to their opinions.

Data was collected from four groups of students and three groups of teachers. The four groups of students were: (1) fifth and sixth graders, (2) seventh and eighth graders, (3) ninth and tenth graders, and (4) eleventh and twelfth graders. The three groups of teachers were from every level in the Charleston School District, (1) the elementary, (2) the junior high, and (3) the high school.

Data collected was analyzed to compare student and teacher opinions taken from an evaluation sheet containing ten specific statements. These ten statements were rated from a scale of one to five, (5) being excellent reasoning, (4) good reasoning, (3) reasonable, (2) poor reasoning, and (1) not reasonable.

Results showed that both students and teachers felt that the shortened day was an improvement over the regular school day, and that both students and teachers felt that their school morale had improved.

Students in all four groups rated the ten statements from the evaluation sheet in the following order: (1) got out early, (2) had more time to do homework, (3) students were better behaved in class, (4) because it saved district money, (5) shortened day was to help get next referendum passed, (6) period length was right for my attention span, (7) upset established normal routines, (8) lab classes too short to get work finished, (9) gave me more time to talk with teachers, (10) students did not receive time needed to complete course requirements. Teachers in all three groups rated the ten statements from the evaluation sheet in the following order: (l) had more time to plan effectively, (2) period length more in tune with student attention span, (3) used time for conferences, (4) discipline was easier to maintain, (5) because it saved district money, (6) shortened day was to help get next referendum passed, (7) got out early, (8) upset established normal routines, (9) lab classes were too short to accomplish adequate skills, (10 students did not receive time needed to meet course requirements.

The only statement that both groups rated exactly the same was that students did not receive time needed to meet course requirements. However, both groups rated that last. Ironically, it seemed that the reason the Charleston Board of Education reversed its earlier decision and went back to the regular school day was because the State Board of Education said the district was not meeting the minimum daily student/teacher contact hours.

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