A CASE STUDY OF THE EFFECT OF YEAR ROUND EDUCATION ON ...

A CASE STUDY OF THE EFFECT OF YEAR ROUND EDUCATION ON ATTENDANCE, ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE, AND BEHAVIOR PATTERNS

By MILDRED B. SEXTON Submitted to the Faculty of the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of

Doctor of Education In

Educational Leadership and Policy Studies Approved By:

Travis W. Twiford, Co-Chair Mary Yakimowski-Srebnick, Co-Chair

Billy Cannaday, Jr. Claire Cole-Curcio Stephen R. Parson

April 17, 2003 Blacksburg, Virginia Keywords: Achievement, Attendance, Behavior, Year-Round

A CASE STUDY OF THE EFFECT OF YEAR ROUND EDUCATION ON ATTENDANCE, ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE, AND BEHAVIOR PATTERNS

MILDRED B. SEXTON

Abstract

Given that standards are legislated through the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 and the Standards of Learning have been implemented in the Commonwealth of Virginia, educational reforms call for extended learning opportunities and a requirement that leaders implement programs that are scientifically research-based which concentrate on the achievement of all students. Year round education is scientifically research based.

The purpose of this study was to compare year round and traditional education at an urban middle school on attendance, academic performance, and behavior patterns. The school had both year round education and traditional education from 1998-2001. This is a unique factor to this study, as no one has compared year round education and traditional education on attendance, academic performance, and behavior patterns in an urban setting with both year round education and traditional education in the same building.

The population in this quantitative quasi-experimental study was 113 grade 8 year round education (87) and traditional education (26) students from one urban middle school in southeastern Virginia, who had been in the programs for three years (grades 3-6). The overriding research questions were: (1) does year round education make an impact on attendance as measured by grade 8 attendance data after controlling for initial differences in grade 5 attendance? , (2) does year round education have an impact on academic achievement as

measured by the SOL after controlling for grade 5 Degrees of Reading Power (DRP)? , (3) does year round education impact students'behavior patterns as measured by grade 8 out-of-school suspensions (OSS) and in-school-suspensions (SIPS) data?

Two one-way ANCOVAs, two chi squares, and t-tests were conducted to determine the statistical significant differences in attendance, academic performance, and behavior patterns (the first time placements in in-school suspension and out-of school suspension) of year round education and traditional education students with a pre-determined alpha of .05. The results indicated no statistically significant findings.

The conclusions and implications in this study were limited by the size of the sample, lack of random student assignment, students interacting with each other, and students having the same teachers. Year round education provides an educational option for students and families.

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Table of Contents

Abstract ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ..... ... . ii

List of Tables ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... .... ... ... . vii

List of Figures ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ..... ... ... ix

Acknowledgements... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... .....

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Dedication... ... ... ..... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... .... ... . ix

Chapter I The Problem and Its Context ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... .... . 1

International Context ... ... ... ... .... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... .... 1

National Context ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 1

State Context ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... . 3

Statement of Problem ... ... ... ... ... .... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 4

Purpose of the Study ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ....

4

Significance of the Study ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... .... . 5

Definition of Terms ... ... ... ... ... ... .... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... .... ... . 5

Limitations and Delimitations ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... .... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... .... . 8

Conceptual and Operational Models ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... .... 11

Research Questions ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 12

Summary... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... .... 13

Chapter II Review of Literature ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...... ... ... ... ... 14

Theoretical Framework. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... .... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... .... .. 15

The History of Year Round Education ... ... ... ... .... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... .... 16

Why Implemented ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... .... ... 22

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Models of Year Round Education ... ... ... ... .... ... ... ... ... .... ... ... ... ... ...... ... ... 22 Intersession... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... . 24 Research Studies of Impact on Effectiveness in Year Round Education... ... ... ... ... ... ... 25 Advantages of Year Round Education ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...... .... ... ... ... ... ... .... . 25 Disadvantages of Year Round Education ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... .. 27 Cost and Year Round Education ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ....... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 30 Attendance and Year Round Education ... ... .... ... ... ... ...... ... ... ... ... ... ... .... ... 31 Academic Performance and Year Round Education ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... .... 33 Behavior Patterns and Year Round Education ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... .. 47 Summary ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 51 Chapter III Methodology ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... .... 51 Setting and Context ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 51 Sample ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... .... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... .... ... . 52 Instrumentation ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... .... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... .... 53 Student Attendance ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 54 Standards of Learning ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 54 Degrees of Reading Power .... ... ...... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... .... ... 55 Behavior Patterns... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... .... ... .. 55 Data Collection Procedures... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... .... ... 56 Student Attendance ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... 56 Student Academic Performance ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... .... 56 Behavior Patterns ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... .. 56 Variables... ... ... ... ... ... .... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... .... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... .... ... ... .. 56

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