This document summarizes an empirical study that analyzed the mission statements of 267 educational institutions across four levels (elementary, middle, secondary, and post-secondary). The study used content analysis to identify 10 major themes in the mission statements. The results showed that the focus of missions shifts from emotional development in early schooling to cognitive development in college. Mission statements varied greatly both within and between school levels, with most emphasizing four themes. The document provides relevant policy implications and suggestions for further research.
Comparative education involves comparing educational philosophies and practices across countries. Harold Noah was a leading scholar in this field from the 1960s onward, advocating for the use of empirical social science methods. Some of Noah's most notable works analyzed the Soviet education system and its financing. He collaborated extensively with Max Eckstein on books that helped establish comparative education as a rigorous academic discipline. The objectives of comparative education include describing education systems, assisting other countries' development, highlighting links between education and society, and establishing cross-country generalizations about education.
This document discusses the history of educational psychology in teacher education. It notes that educational psychology has long been a part of teacher preparation programs, though its role and content have varied over time. The document analyzes textbooks and research from different eras to show how educational psychology has shifted from a focus on theory and laboratory studies toward greater relevance and application to classroom teaching. It also discusses recurring themes in recent reforms like emphasizing student learning, integrated studies, and school collaboration - and how these themes could impact the future role of educational psychology in teacher education.
Craver’s Historical Overview of the Changing Instructional Role of.docxfaithxdunce63732
Craver’s Historical Overview of the Changing Instructional Role of the High School SLMS, 1950–1986
Craver’s (1986) overview of the evolving instructional SLMS roledemonstrates the gradual change in attitudes and practices taking place between the socially complacent 1950s and the disillusioned 1980s when societal problems affecting students seemed overwhelming and unsolvable. With the launching of Sputnik in the early 1950s, anti-intellectualism in America quickly gave way to concentrated efforts directed toward high educational achievement. During this decade, as educators noticed that children appeared to have individual learning styles, they came to realize that multiple information sources could nourish each of their unique intellects. This made the library a natural focal point in the school and contributed to two gradually evolving librarian roles: assistance with curriculum development (albeit limited) and initiation of course-integrated library instruction. With increasing use of course-integrated audiovisual materials during this decade and the decline of the library as study hall, the more passive librarian role of housing and providing materials slowly transformed into an active instructional role. This gradual transformation was recognized by the American Association of School Librarians (AASL) in their 1956 official statement acknowledging that librarians were becoming “coordinators, consultants and supervisors of instructional materials on each level of school administration” (Gates 1968, 235, as cited in Craver 1986).
In the turbulent 1960s, as school curriculum expanded to include such diverse new subject areas as communication, fine arts, and the humanities, students spent more time in school than previous generations had, and instructional methods became increasingly varied and creative. At the same time, federal funding became available for the development of schools, libraries, and the purchase of diverse library materials. As these education reform initiatives evolved, so did the instructional role of the school librarian, who was described as a “team teacher, learning expediter and media programming educator” (Davies 1963, 158, as cited in Craver 1986). In the latter part of the decade, research into the role of the school librarian was carried out through the School Library Manpower Project. Its publication, Occupational Definitions for School Library Media Personnel showed that overall the scope and nature of the job was evolving into “an active teaching role in the instructional program of the school through instruction in the effective use of media and equipment” (School Library Manpower Project 1971, 10, as cited in Craver 1986).
The early seventies saw further educational change as the system moved from students passively receiving teacher-delivered material toward projects and activities that engaged students in their own learning more than did lectures and tests. But by the latter part of the decade, as national .
This phenomenological study explores how eight students from different worldviews understand and describe spirituality. The students represented Agnosticism, Atheism, Buddhism, Hinduism, Judaism, Muslim, Protestantism, and Roman Catholicism. Data was collected through photo elicitation where students took photos to represent spirituality, and semi-structured interviews to discuss the photos and their understanding of spirituality. The study aims to develop a description of spirituality based on these diverse student experiences and perspectives.
Definition and purpose of comparative education.mogana arumungam
1. The document provides an overview of comparative education, defining it as the analytical study of education systems across national borders to identify similarities and differences.
2. It discusses various definitions of comparative education provided by different scholars and the objectives and scope of comparative education, including description, understanding education systems, evaluation, and aiding education planning.
3. The rationale for comparative education includes using other countries' experiences to evaluate and improve one's own education system, and satisfying intellectual curiosity about other education systems.
Definition and purpose of comparative education.Iffat rafiq
Comparative education examines education systems across national borders to identify similarities and differences. It aims to describe educational practices, assist development, highlight relationships between education and society, and make generalized statements about education. Comparative education has been defined in various ways by scholars, but generally focuses on analyzing factors that influence different countries' education systems and how societal forces shape these systems over time. The field provides insights to improve one's own education system by studying variations in other societies.
This document provides an overview of the educational philosophies of Essentialism and Perennialism. Essentialism, developed by William Bagley, emphasizes teaching core curriculum content and skills to promote democracy. Perennialism, influenced by philosophers like Plato and Aquinas, focuses on teaching enduring concepts and questioning ideas to transform student thinking. Both philosophies emphasize traditional content and teacher-centered approaches. The document analyzes how these philosophies influence students, teachers, and administrators by shaping classroom environments and expectations in ways that could help or hinder learning for different students. It argues teachers should understand the philosophies guiding their practices in order to meet student needs.
Comparative education involves comparing educational philosophies and practices across countries. Harold Noah was a leading scholar in this field from the 1960s onward, advocating for the use of empirical social science methods. Some of Noah's most notable works analyzed the Soviet education system and its financing. He collaborated extensively with Max Eckstein on books that helped establish comparative education as a rigorous academic discipline. The objectives of comparative education include describing education systems, assisting other countries' development, highlighting links between education and society, and establishing cross-country generalizations about education.
This document discusses the history of educational psychology in teacher education. It notes that educational psychology has long been a part of teacher preparation programs, though its role and content have varied over time. The document analyzes textbooks and research from different eras to show how educational psychology has shifted from a focus on theory and laboratory studies toward greater relevance and application to classroom teaching. It also discusses recurring themes in recent reforms like emphasizing student learning, integrated studies, and school collaboration - and how these themes could impact the future role of educational psychology in teacher education.
Craver’s Historical Overview of the Changing Instructional Role of.docxfaithxdunce63732
Craver’s Historical Overview of the Changing Instructional Role of the High School SLMS, 1950–1986
Craver’s (1986) overview of the evolving instructional SLMS roledemonstrates the gradual change in attitudes and practices taking place between the socially complacent 1950s and the disillusioned 1980s when societal problems affecting students seemed overwhelming and unsolvable. With the launching of Sputnik in the early 1950s, anti-intellectualism in America quickly gave way to concentrated efforts directed toward high educational achievement. During this decade, as educators noticed that children appeared to have individual learning styles, they came to realize that multiple information sources could nourish each of their unique intellects. This made the library a natural focal point in the school and contributed to two gradually evolving librarian roles: assistance with curriculum development (albeit limited) and initiation of course-integrated library instruction. With increasing use of course-integrated audiovisual materials during this decade and the decline of the library as study hall, the more passive librarian role of housing and providing materials slowly transformed into an active instructional role. This gradual transformation was recognized by the American Association of School Librarians (AASL) in their 1956 official statement acknowledging that librarians were becoming “coordinators, consultants and supervisors of instructional materials on each level of school administration” (Gates 1968, 235, as cited in Craver 1986).
In the turbulent 1960s, as school curriculum expanded to include such diverse new subject areas as communication, fine arts, and the humanities, students spent more time in school than previous generations had, and instructional methods became increasingly varied and creative. At the same time, federal funding became available for the development of schools, libraries, and the purchase of diverse library materials. As these education reform initiatives evolved, so did the instructional role of the school librarian, who was described as a “team teacher, learning expediter and media programming educator” (Davies 1963, 158, as cited in Craver 1986). In the latter part of the decade, research into the role of the school librarian was carried out through the School Library Manpower Project. Its publication, Occupational Definitions for School Library Media Personnel showed that overall the scope and nature of the job was evolving into “an active teaching role in the instructional program of the school through instruction in the effective use of media and equipment” (School Library Manpower Project 1971, 10, as cited in Craver 1986).
The early seventies saw further educational change as the system moved from students passively receiving teacher-delivered material toward projects and activities that engaged students in their own learning more than did lectures and tests. But by the latter part of the decade, as national .
This phenomenological study explores how eight students from different worldviews understand and describe spirituality. The students represented Agnosticism, Atheism, Buddhism, Hinduism, Judaism, Muslim, Protestantism, and Roman Catholicism. Data was collected through photo elicitation where students took photos to represent spirituality, and semi-structured interviews to discuss the photos and their understanding of spirituality. The study aims to develop a description of spirituality based on these diverse student experiences and perspectives.
Definition and purpose of comparative education.mogana arumungam
1. The document provides an overview of comparative education, defining it as the analytical study of education systems across national borders to identify similarities and differences.
2. It discusses various definitions of comparative education provided by different scholars and the objectives and scope of comparative education, including description, understanding education systems, evaluation, and aiding education planning.
3. The rationale for comparative education includes using other countries' experiences to evaluate and improve one's own education system, and satisfying intellectual curiosity about other education systems.
Definition and purpose of comparative education.Iffat rafiq
Comparative education examines education systems across national borders to identify similarities and differences. It aims to describe educational practices, assist development, highlight relationships between education and society, and make generalized statements about education. Comparative education has been defined in various ways by scholars, but generally focuses on analyzing factors that influence different countries' education systems and how societal forces shape these systems over time. The field provides insights to improve one's own education system by studying variations in other societies.
This document provides an overview of the educational philosophies of Essentialism and Perennialism. Essentialism, developed by William Bagley, emphasizes teaching core curriculum content and skills to promote democracy. Perennialism, influenced by philosophers like Plato and Aquinas, focuses on teaching enduring concepts and questioning ideas to transform student thinking. Both philosophies emphasize traditional content and teacher-centered approaches. The document analyzes how these philosophies influence students, teachers, and administrators by shaping classroom environments and expectations in ways that could help or hinder learning for different students. It argues teachers should understand the philosophies guiding their practices in order to meet student needs.
Dr. William Allan Kritsonis, Educational PhilosophyWilliam Kritsonis
This document summarizes Ayn Rand's philosophical views on selfishness from her book The Virtue of Selfishness. It discusses how Rand believes that ethics guide one's choices and actions in life. The purpose of the essay is to discuss when selfishness can be considered right or wrong according to the circumstances. It explores Rand's philosophy of "Objectivism" which holds that reality exists independently of consciousness and that individuals can pursue their own rational self-interest through laissez-faire capitalism. The essay aims to show that people have a right to be selfish depending on their situation as long as it is not at the expense of others' well-being.
Dr. William Allan Kritsonis, Educational PhilosophyWilliam Kritsonis
This document summarizes Ayn Rand's philosophical views on selfishness from her book The Virtue of Selfishness. It discusses how Rand believes that ethics guide one's choices and actions in life. The purpose of the essay is to discuss when selfishness can be considered right or wrong according to the circumstances. It explores Rand's philosophy of "Objectivism" which holds that reality exists independently of consciousness and that individuals can pursue their own rational self-interest through laissez-faire capitalism. The essay aims to show that people have a right to be selfish depending on their situation as long as it is not at the expense of others' well-being.
William Allan Kritsonis, PhD, EDUCATIONAL PHILOSOPHYWilliam Kritsonis
This document summarizes Ayn Rand's philosophical views on selfishness from her book The Virtue of Selfishness. It discusses how Rand believes that ethics guide one's choices and actions in life. The purpose of the essay is to discuss when selfishness can be considered right or wrong according to the circumstances. It explores Rand's philosophy of "Objectivism" which holds that reality exists independently of consciousness and that individuals can pursue their own rational self-interest through laissez-faire capitalism. The essay aims to show that people have a right to be selfish depending on their situation as long as it is not at the expense of others' well-being.
This document provides an overview of learning and discusses the need for new approaches to education. It notes that while college enrollment is high, many students lack important general knowledge and reasoning skills. Studies show current teaching methods are not effective and students often do not retain what they learn. There are calls from employers, educators, and organizations for graduates to have skills like teamwork, communication, problem solving and lifelong learning. The focus of education is shifting from teaching to learning, with teachers taking on more of a facilitator role. The ultimate goal of higher education should be developing students' ability to learn on their own through their lives.
The document discusses how different ideas and ideologies shape curriculum in various ways. It provides two examples - one from a school in Australia and one from the United States in the 1950s - to illustrate how social and historical factors influence curriculum. The document also outlines three ways of knowing or interpreting the world (conventional, interpretive, reflective) and how these influence curriculum development and implementation.
The document reviews literature on personality traits, teaching skills, instructional materials, interest, and study habits. It discusses several theories of personality from prominent researchers like Myers-Briggs, Cattell, Allport, and Eysenck. It also examines research on effective teaching strategies like differentiation, facilitation, and assessment. Studies investigate factors influencing student achievement, attitudes, and development, as well as the role of media, technology, and literature in learning.
This document provides a summary of learning, how people learn, and the importance of lifelong learning. It discusses that while many students and teachers assume learning is occurring simply through teaching and memorization of facts, recent studies show college graduates often lack critical thinking skills. It also outlines how views of learning have changed, emphasizing developing skills like communication, teamwork, and being an intentional learner. The document discusses Bloom's taxonomy of cognitive levels of learning and introduces the concepts of different types of knowledge and the importance of the affective domain in learning. The overall message is that learning requires active engagement and reflection, and should be a lifelong pursuit beyond formal education.
Cosee manuscript for national journal on teacher learningWilliam Kritsonis
Dr. William Allan Kritsonis, PhD - Editor-in-Chief, NATIONAL FORUM JOURNALS (Established 1982). Dr. Kritsonis earned his PhD from The University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa; M.Ed., Seattle Pacific University; Seattle, Washington; BA Central Washington University, Ellensburg, Washington. He was also named as the Distinguished Alumnus for the College of Education and Professional Studies at Central Washington University.
This is a Trident University course (MAE522), Module 1 Case, Theorist of Adult Education: Malcolm S. Knowles. It is written in APA format, has been graded by an instructor (A), and includes references. Most higher-education assignments are submitted to turnitin, so remember to paraphrase. Let us begin.
Critique” PromptThis essay should reach between 1000 and 125.docxMARRY7
“Critique” Prompt
This essay should reach between 1000 and 1250 words (that’s 4-5 pages double-spaced). Be sure that you have enough to say, and that the substance of the essay, when organized appropriately, doesn’t run away with you.
Format the essay according to MLA guidelines, or the guidelines appropriate to your discipline (indicate which documentation style you use). Neither “Title” nor “Analytic Essay” are appropriate titles (snore). Use your title to establish at least some general expectation in your reader about the essay’s content. Pages must be numbered, right-side-up, and in the proper order. The essay should not be printed on construction paper, toilet paper, fly paper, or paper-maché. Save trees: do not include a title page.
Analyze the structure of claims, evidence, and assumptions in either (not both) of the following articles (in the “Readings: Education” folder on Moodle):
Elliot, Brian and David MacLennan. “Education, Modernity, and Neo-Conservative School Reform in Canada, Britain and the US.” British Journal of Sociology of Education, 15.2 (1994): 165-85.
Parameters:
1. Your analysis should involve the four operations as critical activities: analysis, interpretation, synthesis, and evaluation.
2. Bring to bear what you know about patterns of development and rhetorical appeals, but focus your analysis on testing the validity of the author’s principal assumptions/inferences/premises, evaluate the clarity and validity of claims, and address the sufficiency, relevancy, validity, etc, of the evidence in supporting those claims.
Here are some guidelines for getting started:
i. Review the material from lectures and our handbook.
ii. Remember that this is not an opinion piece. You are not simply to convey a response to your reader, but rather you are to make a claim (via a clearly articulated thesis) about the efficacy and value of the text, and analyze/interpret its parts in support of that claim. Flights of fancy and baseless, subjective opinions will be duly and publicly ridiculed.
iii. Many of the skills you have developed in summary will come in handy here. As a pre-writing activity, summarize the article for gists, and separate out the high-level ideas from the specific details. Review the general structure of the article for function/organization. Examine the connections the author makes between points, and engage critically with the logic and soundness of those connections.
On final note: this assignment is intended as a hybrid of analysis and persuasion. I will expect, therefore, that your analysis (all four operations logically, appropriately presented) will be persuasive.
Education, Modernity and Neo-Conservative School Reform in Canada, Britain and the US
Author(s): Brian Elliott and David MacLennan
Source: British Journal of Sociology of Education, Vol. 15, No. 2 (1994), pp. 165-185
Published by: Taylor & Francis, Ltd.
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/1393225 .
Accessed: 08/10/2014 12:00
You ...
This document summarizes a literature review on experiential teaching methodologies in secondary English education. It finds that experiential methods like project-based learning, place-based learning, and service learning can increase student motivation and engagement compared to traditional teaching focused on standardized tests. The review examines programs that used experiential methods and identifies crucial components of effective experiential curriculum design, such as incorporating student autonomy, competence, and relationships. The purpose is to provide a foundation for teaching English experientially and addressing the needs of 21st century students.
The document discusses politics in education and curriculum development. It defines politics of education as using strategy to gain power or control through education. It also discusses that education is inherently political since curriculum advances political ideologies. Special interest groups like the NAACP and ACLU influence education policy. The document then discusses curriculum, defining it as the knowledge, skills, and attitudes to be transferred to learners. It explains foundations of curriculum and the process of curriculum development based on political, social, and cultural contexts. The Malaysian curriculum is given as an example, developed based on its National Philosophy of Education to produce balanced and harmonious citizens.
A Comparative Study Of Cultural Values In Chinese And American Parenting Refl...Martha Brown
This document compares cultural values in Chinese and American parenting as reflected in the novel The Joy Luck Club. It begins by providing context on the study of parenting in China and the US. It then reviews literature on parenting studies in both countries as well as comparative studies between Chinese and American parenting. The document outlines two key questions addressed: 1) What are the differences between Chinese and American parenting? 2) How do cultural values and national culture models influence parenting styles in each country? It aims to analyze parenting ideas, content, and methods between China and the US from the perspective of cultural values.
Dr. William Allan Kritsonis & Steven Norfleetguestfa49ec
Dr. William Allan Kritsonis & Steven Norfleet
In 2004, Dr. William Allan Kritsonis was recognized as the Central Washington University Alumni Association Distinguished Alumnus for the College of Education and Professional Studies. Dr. Kritsonis was nominated by alumni, former students, friends, faculty, and staff. Final selection was made by the Alumni Association Board of Directors. Recipients are CWU graduates of 20 years or more and are recognized for achievement in their professional field and have made a positive contribution to society. For the second consecutive year, U.S. News and World Report placed Central Washington University among the top elite public institutions in the west. CWU was 12th on the list in the 2006 On-Line Education of “America’s Best Colleges.”
Dr. William Kritsonis, Dissertation Chairguestfa49ec
This dissertation examines the relationship between African American student experiences with school practices deemed important to achievement and performance in developmental education mathematics courses. A mixed methods approach was used, including administering a survey to 98 students measuring their experiences with seven correlates of effective schools. Qualitative interviews were also conducted with 34 students in focus groups. The study aimed to identify school leadership practices that resonate with African American learners and inform efforts to close achievement gaps.
The document provides a rationale for organizing social studies instruction around the study of human groups, suggesting questions for students to investigate about what causes groups to form and change, how groups express their shared beliefs and values through art and rituals, and how groups acquire and maintain control. It argues that studying these types of questions about various human groups requires students to use cognitive skills like observation, classification, hypothesis testing, and determining relationships.
This document presents a case study of Arnulfo, a first-year school principal in Baja California, Mexico. The study aims to understand the challenges Arnulfo faced in his role. Arnulfo participated in an interview and focus groups to discuss his experiences. He also kept a journal of incidents from April to July 2006. The researchers found that the burden of paperwork was Arnulfo's most serious challenge. Analyzing the challenges through Bolman and Deal's four frames, the political frame fit Arnulfo's strengths best as he advocated for the school and formed alliances. The analysis could help improve principal preparation programs if confirmed by broader studies.
Educational essentialism is a philosophy that believes students should learn core academic subjects thoroughly through a back-to-basics approach aimed at instilling students with the accumulated wisdom of civilization. Essentialism ensures traditional disciplines like reading, writing, history and science are passed from teacher to student. It promotes a teacher-centered approach where teachers lead the classroom through discipline and interpreting the core lessons while keeping order and controlling students with rewards and penalties.
The document provides a 5-step process for requesting writing assistance from HelpWriting.net:
1. Create an account with a password and valid email.
2. Complete a 10-minute order form providing instructions, sources, deadline, and attaching a writing sample.
3. Review bids from writers and choose one based on qualifications, history, and feedback and place a deposit.
4. Review the completed paper and authorize final payment if pleased, with free revisions available.
5. Request multiple revisions to ensure satisfaction, with plagiarized work resulting in a full refund.
IELTS Academic Essay Writing Tips For A Better ScoreJeff Brooks
The document provides tips for getting a better score on the IELTS Academic Essay Writing exam. It outlines 5 steps: 1) Create an account; 2) Complete an order form providing instructions, sources, and deadline; 3) Review bids from writers and choose one; 4) Ensure the paper meets expectations and authorize payment; 5) Request revisions to ensure satisfaction and get a refund for plagiarized work. The document stresses choosing HelpWriting.net for high-quality, original content and customer satisfaction.
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This document summarizes Ayn Rand's philosophical views on selfishness from her book The Virtue of Selfishness. It discusses how Rand believes that ethics guide one's choices and actions in life. The purpose of the essay is to discuss when selfishness can be considered right or wrong according to the circumstances. It explores Rand's philosophy of "Objectivism" which holds that reality exists independently of consciousness and that individuals can pursue their own rational self-interest through laissez-faire capitalism. The essay aims to show that people have a right to be selfish depending on their situation as long as it is not at the expense of others' well-being.
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This document summarizes Ayn Rand's philosophical views on selfishness from her book The Virtue of Selfishness. It discusses how Rand believes that ethics guide one's choices and actions in life. The purpose of the essay is to discuss when selfishness can be considered right or wrong according to the circumstances. It explores Rand's philosophy of "Objectivism" which holds that reality exists independently of consciousness and that individuals can pursue their own rational self-interest through laissez-faire capitalism. The essay aims to show that people have a right to be selfish depending on their situation as long as it is not at the expense of others' well-being.
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This document summarizes Ayn Rand's philosophical views on selfishness from her book The Virtue of Selfishness. It discusses how Rand believes that ethics guide one's choices and actions in life. The purpose of the essay is to discuss when selfishness can be considered right or wrong according to the circumstances. It explores Rand's philosophy of "Objectivism" which holds that reality exists independently of consciousness and that individuals can pursue their own rational self-interest through laissez-faire capitalism. The essay aims to show that people have a right to be selfish depending on their situation as long as it is not at the expense of others' well-being.
This document provides an overview of learning and discusses the need for new approaches to education. It notes that while college enrollment is high, many students lack important general knowledge and reasoning skills. Studies show current teaching methods are not effective and students often do not retain what they learn. There are calls from employers, educators, and organizations for graduates to have skills like teamwork, communication, problem solving and lifelong learning. The focus of education is shifting from teaching to learning, with teachers taking on more of a facilitator role. The ultimate goal of higher education should be developing students' ability to learn on their own through their lives.
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The document reviews literature on personality traits, teaching skills, instructional materials, interest, and study habits. It discusses several theories of personality from prominent researchers like Myers-Briggs, Cattell, Allport, and Eysenck. It also examines research on effective teaching strategies like differentiation, facilitation, and assessment. Studies investigate factors influencing student achievement, attitudes, and development, as well as the role of media, technology, and literature in learning.
This document provides a summary of learning, how people learn, and the importance of lifelong learning. It discusses that while many students and teachers assume learning is occurring simply through teaching and memorization of facts, recent studies show college graduates often lack critical thinking skills. It also outlines how views of learning have changed, emphasizing developing skills like communication, teamwork, and being an intentional learner. The document discusses Bloom's taxonomy of cognitive levels of learning and introduces the concepts of different types of knowledge and the importance of the affective domain in learning. The overall message is that learning requires active engagement and reflection, and should be a lifelong pursuit beyond formal education.
Cosee manuscript for national journal on teacher learningWilliam Kritsonis
Dr. William Allan Kritsonis, PhD - Editor-in-Chief, NATIONAL FORUM JOURNALS (Established 1982). Dr. Kritsonis earned his PhD from The University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa; M.Ed., Seattle Pacific University; Seattle, Washington; BA Central Washington University, Ellensburg, Washington. He was also named as the Distinguished Alumnus for the College of Education and Professional Studies at Central Washington University.
This is a Trident University course (MAE522), Module 1 Case, Theorist of Adult Education: Malcolm S. Knowles. It is written in APA format, has been graded by an instructor (A), and includes references. Most higher-education assignments are submitted to turnitin, so remember to paraphrase. Let us begin.
Critique” PromptThis essay should reach between 1000 and 125.docxMARRY7
“Critique” Prompt
This essay should reach between 1000 and 1250 words (that’s 4-5 pages double-spaced). Be sure that you have enough to say, and that the substance of the essay, when organized appropriately, doesn’t run away with you.
Format the essay according to MLA guidelines, or the guidelines appropriate to your discipline (indicate which documentation style you use). Neither “Title” nor “Analytic Essay” are appropriate titles (snore). Use your title to establish at least some general expectation in your reader about the essay’s content. Pages must be numbered, right-side-up, and in the proper order. The essay should not be printed on construction paper, toilet paper, fly paper, or paper-maché. Save trees: do not include a title page.
Analyze the structure of claims, evidence, and assumptions in either (not both) of the following articles (in the “Readings: Education” folder on Moodle):
Elliot, Brian and David MacLennan. “Education, Modernity, and Neo-Conservative School Reform in Canada, Britain and the US.” British Journal of Sociology of Education, 15.2 (1994): 165-85.
Parameters:
1. Your analysis should involve the four operations as critical activities: analysis, interpretation, synthesis, and evaluation.
2. Bring to bear what you know about patterns of development and rhetorical appeals, but focus your analysis on testing the validity of the author’s principal assumptions/inferences/premises, evaluate the clarity and validity of claims, and address the sufficiency, relevancy, validity, etc, of the evidence in supporting those claims.
Here are some guidelines for getting started:
i. Review the material from lectures and our handbook.
ii. Remember that this is not an opinion piece. You are not simply to convey a response to your reader, but rather you are to make a claim (via a clearly articulated thesis) about the efficacy and value of the text, and analyze/interpret its parts in support of that claim. Flights of fancy and baseless, subjective opinions will be duly and publicly ridiculed.
iii. Many of the skills you have developed in summary will come in handy here. As a pre-writing activity, summarize the article for gists, and separate out the high-level ideas from the specific details. Review the general structure of the article for function/organization. Examine the connections the author makes between points, and engage critically with the logic and soundness of those connections.
On final note: this assignment is intended as a hybrid of analysis and persuasion. I will expect, therefore, that your analysis (all four operations logically, appropriately presented) will be persuasive.
Education, Modernity and Neo-Conservative School Reform in Canada, Britain and the US
Author(s): Brian Elliott and David MacLennan
Source: British Journal of Sociology of Education, Vol. 15, No. 2 (1994), pp. 165-185
Published by: Taylor & Francis, Ltd.
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/1393225 .
Accessed: 08/10/2014 12:00
You ...
This document summarizes a literature review on experiential teaching methodologies in secondary English education. It finds that experiential methods like project-based learning, place-based learning, and service learning can increase student motivation and engagement compared to traditional teaching focused on standardized tests. The review examines programs that used experiential methods and identifies crucial components of effective experiential curriculum design, such as incorporating student autonomy, competence, and relationships. The purpose is to provide a foundation for teaching English experientially and addressing the needs of 21st century students.
The document discusses politics in education and curriculum development. It defines politics of education as using strategy to gain power or control through education. It also discusses that education is inherently political since curriculum advances political ideologies. Special interest groups like the NAACP and ACLU influence education policy. The document then discusses curriculum, defining it as the knowledge, skills, and attitudes to be transferred to learners. It explains foundations of curriculum and the process of curriculum development based on political, social, and cultural contexts. The Malaysian curriculum is given as an example, developed based on its National Philosophy of Education to produce balanced and harmonious citizens.
A Comparative Study Of Cultural Values In Chinese And American Parenting Refl...Martha Brown
This document compares cultural values in Chinese and American parenting as reflected in the novel The Joy Luck Club. It begins by providing context on the study of parenting in China and the US. It then reviews literature on parenting studies in both countries as well as comparative studies between Chinese and American parenting. The document outlines two key questions addressed: 1) What are the differences between Chinese and American parenting? 2) How do cultural values and national culture models influence parenting styles in each country? It aims to analyze parenting ideas, content, and methods between China and the US from the perspective of cultural values.
Dr. William Allan Kritsonis & Steven Norfleetguestfa49ec
Dr. William Allan Kritsonis & Steven Norfleet
In 2004, Dr. William Allan Kritsonis was recognized as the Central Washington University Alumni Association Distinguished Alumnus for the College of Education and Professional Studies. Dr. Kritsonis was nominated by alumni, former students, friends, faculty, and staff. Final selection was made by the Alumni Association Board of Directors. Recipients are CWU graduates of 20 years or more and are recognized for achievement in their professional field and have made a positive contribution to society. For the second consecutive year, U.S. News and World Report placed Central Washington University among the top elite public institutions in the west. CWU was 12th on the list in the 2006 On-Line Education of “America’s Best Colleges.”
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An Empirical Approach To Understanding And Analyzing The Mission Statements Of Selected Educational Institutions
1. DOCUMENT RESUME
ED 442 202 EA 030 488
AUTHOR Stemler, Steve; Bebell, Damian
TITLE An Empirical Approach to Understanding and Analyzing the
Mission Statements of Selected Educational Institutions.
PUB DATE 1999-04-00
NOTE 37p.; Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the New
England Educational Research Organization (NEERO)
(Portsmouth, New Hampshire, April 9, 1999).
PUB TYPE Reports Research (143) Speeches/Meeting Papers (150)
EDRS PRICE MF01/PCO2 Plus Postage.
DESCRIPTORS Coding; *Content Analysis; *Educational Objectives;
*Educational Philosophy; Elementary Secondary Education;
*Institutional Characteristics; *Mission Statements;
Postsecondary Education; World Wide Web
ABSTRACT
Content analysis was used to examine the mission statements
of 267 educational institutions over 4 clusters (elementary, middle,
secondary, and postsecondary). In selecting the sample, the practical
population was defined as all of the American K-12 schools and colleges whose
Web sites were linked to one of two comprehensive sites (one for K-12
schools, one for colleges). Ten major themes emerged from the data. The
relative frequencies of each major theme were computed across the sample. The
results of the study indicate that the purpose of school shifts from
emotional development in the early levels of schooling to cognitive
development at the college level. In addition, mission statements vary
greatly both within and between school levels with most schools emphasizing
four different themes in their mission statement. Relevant policy
implications and suggestions for further research are discussed. (Contains 15
references.) (Author/MLF)
Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made
from the original document.
2. Analysis of School Missions I
Running Head: Understanding School Mission Statements
An Empirical Approach to Understanding and Analyzing the Mission Statements of
Selected Educational Institutions
Steve Stem ler and Damian Bebell
Boston College
Paper Presented at the Annual Conference of the New England Educational Research
Organization (NEERO): Portsmouth, New Hampshire, April 9, 1999
Descriptors: mission statements, content analysis, emergent coding, purpose of school,
philosophy of education
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Office of Educational Research and Improvement
EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION
CENTER (ERIC)
&This document has been reproduced as
received from the person or organization
originating it.
Minor changes have been made to
improve reproduction quality.
Points of view or opinions stated in this
document do not necessarily represent
official OERI position or policy. 1
PERMISSION TO REPRODUCE AND
DISSEMINATE THIS MATERIAL HAS
BEEN GRANTED BY
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3. Analysis of School Missions 2
ABSTRACT
In the present study, content analysis was used to examine the mission
statements of 267 educational institutions over four clusters (elementary,
middle, secondary, and post-secondary). Ten major themes emerged from
the data. The relative frequencies of each major theme were computed
across the sample. The results of the study indicate that the purpose of
school shifts from emotional development in the early levels of schooling to
cognitive development at the college level. In addition, mission statements
vary greatly both within and between school levels with most schools
emphasizing four different themes in their mission statement. Relevant
policy implications and suggestions for further research are discussed.
3
4. Analysis of School Missions 3
INTRODUCTION
What is the purpose of schooling in American society? How do educational goals
differ across levels and how do they reinforce one another? Present controversies in
admissions policies in such cases as Wessmann v. Boston Latin at the high school level,
and Hopwood v. Texas on the post-secondary level have served to rekindle the dialogue
about the purpose of schooling. Both of these major cases address the tension between
policies that use race as a factor in admission vs. policies that are based entirely on test
scores. Each policy reflects a different perspective on the purpose of school. An analysis
of mission statements will provide a framework for understanding the range of themes
emphasized across American educational institutions.
Before advancing any further, let us stop to examine the nature of our underlying
premise. The assumption that underlies the question "What is the purpose of schooling"
is that there is only one purpose. Before the educational community can proceed with a
discussion about what the dominant purpose of education should be, it would be useful to
know the variety and range of mission statements of educational institutions as they
presently stand. Therefore, the primary purpose of this study is to examine the extent to
which educational institutions vary in their expressed purposes found in their mission
statements.
Because much of the groundwork relating to the purpose of the American
schooling has been laid in the philosophical realm, it is necessary to summarize some of
this vast literature. The philosophical debates revolving around the purpose of schooling
are old and varied and the brief review presented in this paper is far from comprehensive.
The purpose of this cursory review of the literature is to provide the reader with some
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5. Analysis of School Missions 4
context that will both justify the relevance of the current study and aid in the
understanding and the interpretation of the results.
Philosophical perspectives
It seems reasonable to expect that actions taken in the school ought to follow from
the school's statement of purpose. Tyler has noted that, "If the faculty examines the
things that are taken for granted in the points of view of staff members, in the rules and
regulations and practices of the school, it is often possible to modify those markedly so as
to develop a more unified environment that will help to emphasize social attitudes."
(1949, p. 77). Airasian concurs when he suggests, " . that any particular view of the
purpose of education leads to a unique set of organizational, instructional, and assessment
practices." (1997, p. 64). Furthermore, "It is certainly true that in the final analysis
objectives are a matter of choice, and they must therefore be the considered value
judgments of those responsible for the school. A comprehensive philosophy of education
is necessary to guide in making these judgments." (Tyler, 1949, p.4). Over time, several
comprehensive philosophies have been advanced.
Tanner & Tanner point out, "In the 1830's and 1840's moral education permeated
the entire curriculum. The subject matter of textbooks was heavily flavored with
morality, and teachers gave lessons in morals and character building." (1990, p. 38).
Marrietta Johnson adds that, "The school has always claimed its chief purpose to be the
development of a fine moral sense, a good character. But in spite of this claim, we note
that pupils are always promoted on mental attainment and achievement. Many people of
splendid morals have been refused graduation." (1996, p. 166). Indeed, one of the oldest
5
6. Analysis of School Missions 5
and most recurrent philosophical arguments is that the purpose of school is to foster
emotional development.
Yet, by the 1880's, the focus of schools had shifted dramatically. They add that
in that era the dominant view was that, "The purpose of education was not to learn a
method of investigation, said the conservative; it was to occupy the mind with the
recorded wisdom of the human race." (Tanner & Tanner, 1990, p. 91). Furthermore, the
doctrines of laissez-faire and individualism had a profound impact upon the vision of
schools in American society. "Faith in the individual and the power to get ahead were
(and still are) familiar American doctrines. The idea implicit in laissez-faire is that
nothing should limit or impede the free action of the individual; success or failure
depends on self-effort . and helping the unfit to become fit by curriculum adaptation
is out of the question: it would only defeat the purpose of the system, which is to weed
out those unable to profit from a curriculum aimed at developing intellectual power."
(Tanner & Tanner, 1990, p. 106). Thus, the 1880's introduced a second philosophical
perspective, that the purpose of school was solely to foster cognitive development.
"In 1909 historian Ellwood P. Cubberley pointed out that well before 1900 the
school had experienced a shift in purpose and direction. Said Cubberley: 'The task is
thrown more and more upon the school of instilling into all a social and political
consciousness that will lead to unity amid diversity, and to united action for the
preservation and betterment of our democratic institutions."' (Tanner & Tanner, 1990, p.
113). Indeed, "Jefferson wanted to create state primary schools to make loyal citizens of
the young. In addition, many early theorists wanted a national university to prepare and
legitimate elites for leadership." (Tyack in Jaeger, 1988, p. 35). At the same time,
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7. Analysis of School Missions 6
Benjamin Franklin had begun to champion the notion that the school curriculum should
become more utilitarian, serving to prepare students for their future vocation (Tanner &
Tanner, 1990). Here we are confronted with yet another perspective, that the purpose of
school is to promote effective citizenship and vocational preparation .
In the 1930's we begin to find another twist on the citizenship theme emerging.
"The Educational Frontier, the defining philosophical statement of education in the
1930's held that, 'The aim of education was still to enable human beings to understand
their environment so that they could control it rather than being controlled by it and, in
their control, make a better world with each succeeding generation."' (Tanner & Tanner,
1990, p. 218). Here we are introduced to the idea that schools should instill social
responsibility, an element of effective citizenship that also implies mature social
development.
The notion of effective citizenship can also be connected with the idea of
community pride. Berliner and Biddle point out that, "In response to the progressive
agenda, American schools are also likely to provide services for the wider community
to assume responsibility for some forms of public entertainment, community
enlightenment, and the creation of community spirit." (1995, p. 262 emphasis in original).
R.M. Latanision argues that the purpose of school is "to make it possible for individuals
to live together in amity, working for common purposes." (quoted in Holton & Goroff in
Daedalus, 1995, p. 5). Given the diversity of students coming from various backgrounds,
community pride was strengthened through participation in social activities, school
government, and athletics (Tanner & Tanner, 1990). With this goal in mind, "the more
differentiated the curriculum, the more important the student's social mingling." (Tanner
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8. Analysis of School Missions 7
& Tanner, 1990, p. 122). Here we encounter a more recent perspective, that the purpose
of school is to foster social development and community involvement.
In summary, it is clear that there are varying opinions about the primary aims of
American education. Furthermore, the majority opinion on this issue has shifted over
time. We have heard arguments stating that the purpose of school is to foster emotional
development, cognitive development, citizenship and vocational preparation, social
development, and community pride. Many of the philosophical differences are so
striking that it would be inconceivable for a school to espouse all points of view. It is
here that the crux of this paper lies. If differences are found to exist between schools
regarding their beliefs about the primary function of schooling in American society,
shouldn't this be reflected in the school's mission statement?
By examining the fundamental purpose of school through their mission, we hope
to stimulate dialogue concerning role of colleges and K-12 schools in America. To this
end, we have constructed an empirical framework for understanding and analyzing
educational mission statements.
Using Mission Statements
There has been a great deal of speculation regarding the relevance of a school's
mission statement and the meaning (or lack thereof) contained by such statements (see
Flake, 1997). In response to this controversy, there have been prior studies designed to
systematically examine the nature of school mission statements. A study by Harvanek
and Berleur (1997) examined the mission statements or related documents of 52 Jesuit
universities throughout the world. The authors used both an inductive and a deductive
8
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9. Analysis of School Missions 8
approach to coding their statements paying particular attention to those traits that are
assumed to be characteristic of Jesuit universities. The methodology focused on such
objective measures as word and phrase count in the various mission statements. A study
by Strobel (1997) also used the technique of content analysis to analyze a sample of 120
mission statements published by colleges and universities accredited by the Middle States
Association of Colleges and Schools. The methodology used in this study went beyond
word and phrase count to incorporate major themes found across the universities. Each
of these studies examined the mission statements of post-secondary institutions.
Prior studies of educational mission statements have been time consuming and
expensive given the traditional problems that accompany obtaining written
documentation from a large sample of educational institutions. In the present study, the
introduction of the world wide web (WWW) has opened up new possibilities in the arena
of data collection by giving researchers access to a variety of school documentation on-
line. With the proliferation of technology, more and more schools are posting relevant
school documentation on-line, a trend that will only continue to increase in the future.
This method of obtaining documents is not without its own limitations, but it does
provide many benefits. Documents can be obtained quickly and easily on-line without
any mailing or phone costs. Another benefit is that the researcher is empowered to take
an active role in obtaining the documentation rather than having to wait for the
appropriate officials to respond to their written or verbal requests.
9
10. Analysis of School Missions 9
Research Hypotheses
The current study was designed to assess the variability of selected themes
incorporated into school mission statements. The study was also designed to detect
differences between the frequency of these thematic elements across four clusters:
elementary, middle, secondary, and post-secondary institutions. After reviewing the
literature on educational philosophy, the authors fully expected to find differences
between schools reflected by their mission statements. Specifically, the authors expected
that these differences would vary systematically over the different levels of American
education.
This study examines two seemingly innocuous hypotheses. The first hypothesis is
that not all post-secondary institutions are attempting to accomplish the same things.
Stated differently, the first hypothesis is that there is significant variability between
schools in both the kind and the number of themes they are emphasizing in their mission.
The second hypothesis is that there is a systematic difference between the mission
statements of elementary, middle, high schools, and colleges in American society. While
the hypotheses themselves are rather simple, the implications of the findings should
influence the multiple dimensions of the experience of formal schooling in the United
States.
METHODOLOGY
Operational Definition
In order to conduct an investigation into the purpose of school, it was necessary to
establish an operational definition of "the purpose of school". For this study, the
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11. Analysis of School Missions 10
researchers chose to operationally define the purpose of school as the views expressed in
a school's mission statement. Although there were many documents that could have been
used in conducting our analysis, for the sake of consistency only documents that were
listed on school websites and labeled "mission statement" were used.'
Population and Sample
The theoretical population we were interested in studying consists of all of all K-
12 schools in the United States (n108,000) schools and all four-year colleges in the
United States (n1900) (Peterson, 1999; American School Directory, 1999). Practically
speaking, however, it was necessary to take a sample from that population. In
approaching the issue of sampling, we first needed a practical population from which to
draw our sample. Three criteria were used for selecting our practical population.
The first criterion was that the practical population should represent a relatively large
number of schools. The second criterion was that schools from all 50 states be
represented. The third criterion was that these schools could be accessed via a master
website containing active links to a large number of schools with websites. Clearly, not
all schools in the United States have web sites. Therefore, the practical population was
defined as all of the American K-12 schools and colleges whose websites were linked to
one of two comprehensive sites (one for K-12 schools, one for colleges).
The Gleason-Sackman page (http://www.gsn.org/hotlist/) met the selection
criteria for the current study and was the most exhaustive list of elementary, middle, and
secondary school websites at the time. The Gleason-Sackman site also included a
I When analyzing the college mission statements, statements of purpose were substituted in the rare
instances (n=4) where the mission statement where unavailable.
11
12. Analysis of School Missions 11
cumulative index page listing the number of schools linked to their website. At the time
the population was drawn (Spring 1997), there were a total of 2020 K-12 schools in the
United States linked to the site. When selecting the college sample (Spring 1998), a non-
commercial site (http://www.clas.ufl.edu/CLAS/american-universities.html) was found
which alphabetically listed approximately 1500 public and private four year universities
across the United States. Thus our practical population consisted of the elementary,
middle, secondary, and post-secondary educational institutions listed on these two sites.
A random sample was taken from each of the four populations. The procedure
used to carry out the sampling involved three steps.
Electronically copy, state by state, the schools listed in the relevant cluster and
paste the names of those schools into a Microsoft Excel file.
The schools listed in the file were then assigned a random number by Excel.
The schools were sorted by random number in ascending order for each
cluster creating 4 separate randomly sampled databases: elementary, middle,
secondary and college.
Yield Rate of Mission Statements
After the sample was constructed it was then necessary to collect our data. In
elementary schools, 254 sites were searched and 59 (23%) had mission statements readily
available2. In middle schools, 254 sites were searched and 49 (19%) had mission
statements readily available. In secondary schools, 267 sites were searched and 59 (22%)
had mission statements readily available. In post-secondary schools, 187 sites were
searched and 100 (53%) had mission statements readily available. It is notable to consider
that college websites generally exhibited mission statements that were more easily
2 The authors resolved to search the school websites for the mission statement only for an amount of time
they felt was reasonable. In some cases it is possible that some of the websites visited did actually list a
mission statement that the author's may have overlooked because it was not in a predominant place on the
web site. Other concerns detailing the sample are included in the discussion.
12
13. Analysis of School Missions 12
available and apparent than elementary, middle and high schools. It is estimated that as
internet technology continues to grow, school websites will become more developed,
undoubtedly increasing the yield rate of mission statements. Table 1 displays the yield
rates across clusters.
Table 1: Yield rates of mission statements per cluster
Cluster Total sites visited Number of sites
with mission
statements
Yield Rate
Elementary 254 59 23%
Middle 254 49 19%
High 267 59 22%
College 187 100 53%
Total 962 267 28%
Procedure
A coding scheme was developed using the technique of emergent coding. The
process of emergent coding is described in detail by Fierros, Gulek, and Wheelock
(1997). The main methodological steps as applied in the current study are detailed
below:
1. A random sample of school mission statements was selected from each
cluster.
2. An initial list of 60 mission statements (15 per cluster) was used to develop
the coding scheme. The two researchers independently extracted the
dominant themes that emerged from the sample of statements.
3. The two researchers met and reached a consensus as to the major themes.
From these themes, an explicit coding scheme was instituted. Specifically, it
was decided that the coding scheme would be dichotomous in nature and
would contain 10 major themes each with a varying number of thematic
elements (Table 3).
4. The rater agreement (reliability) of the newly devised coding scheme was
assessed using inter-rater and intra-rater agreement measures (reported
below).
5. The authors then proceeded to independently code the remaining 247 mission
statements (total = 267) between the two of them.
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14. Analysis of School Missions 13
Computing the rater agreement across major themes
The purpose of establishing the reliability of the coding scheme used in this study
was not to measure whether raters came to the "correct" conclusion about the presence or
absence of major themes. Rather, the purpose was to assess the extent to which the raters
agreed when attempting to apply the themes to various school mission statements (i.e.
rater agreement). In the current project we have attempted to document the rater
agreement of the major themes in the developed coding scheme by specifically analyzing
the:
1. inter-rater agreement amongst the principal researchers (n=2),
2. inter-rater agreement amongst independent participants (n=4), and
3. intra-rater agreement over an 8 week period.
There are a number of ways to quantitatively report the agreement ratings for inter-
rater and intra-rater agreement. In attempting to assess the reliability of a coding scheme,
the simplest measure of rater agreement would be the overall percent agreement. This
technique is limited for this analysis, however, because there is a substantial difference in
the proportion of ratings between the dichotomously coded categories (theme not present
vs. theme is present). Because it is quite likely that the number of themes not present will
greatly exceed the number of themes present in any given mission statement, Cohen's
Kappa was used to adjust for an inflated coefficient that would result from using a simple
percent agreement. It is important to note that Kappa is interpreted differently than a
traditional reliability coefficient. "It should be noted carefully that K = 0 does not mean
that the decisions are so inconsistent as to be worthless. K = 0 may be interpreted to
mean that the decisions are no more consistent that decisions based on statistically
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15. Analysis of School Missions 14
independent scores...A kappa value of .2 can be interpreted to mean that 20% of the total
possible increase over chance consistency was observed for the decisions..." (Crocker &
Algina, 1986, p. 201). Kvalseth (1991) suggests that a kappa coefficient of 0.61
represents "reasonably good" overall agreement.
At this point the researchers looked to an outside audience to further validate their
coding scheme. Specifically, this was done to guard against any shared meaning the
researchers may have generated amongst themselves that would yield the coding scheme
highly reliable between the two researchers yet unreliable to the outside world
(Krippendorff, 1980).
The inter-rater agreement amongst the research participants was carried out using
5 randomly selected mission statements for each cluster. Both the principal researchers
(n=2) separately coded the mission statements using the major themes developed through
the emergent coding. When the researchers compared their findings it was found that
their overall inter-rater agreement (kappa) of the major themes was .76 (n=200)3.
Specifically, the reported agreement (kappa) for the major themes of elementary, middle,
high school and college mission statements was .72, .91, .55 and .86, respectively.
The inter-rater agreement amongst the independent participants was also carried
out using 5 randomly selected mission statements for each cluster. Four independent
participants were given detailed written instructions and were asked to separately code
the mission statements using the major themes and elements developed through the
emergent coding. When the 4 independent participant's codes were compared, it was
found that the overall inter-rater agreement of the major themes was .65 (n=200).
3
Note that the n=200 refers to the number of categories coded. Twenty mission statements were coded,
each of which contained a potential of 10 themes, 10*20 = 200.
15
16. Analysis of School Missions 15
Specifically, the rater agreement for the major themes of elementary, middle, high school
and college mission statements was .69, .77, .49 and .63, respectively.
The intra-rater agreement was carried out using 2 coding sessions (approximately
8 weeks between them) for 5 elementary and 5 middle school mission statements. When
the researchers compared the two coding sessions it was found that the overall intra-rater
agreement of the classification of mission statement themes was .80 (n=100).
Specifically, the intra-rater agreement for the major themes presented in elementary and
middle schools was .68 and .91, respectively. Table 2 illustrates the various agreement
ratings reported for the coding scheme of mission statements.
Table 2: Cohen's kappa for agreement ratings of major themes in mission statements across clusters
Reliability Type Elementary Middle High College
Inter-rater
(2 researchers)
.72 (n=50) .91 (n=50) .56 (n=50) .86 (n=50)
Inter-rater
(4 independent participants)
.69 (n=50) .77 (n=50) .49 (n=50) .63 (n=50)
Intra-rater .68 (n=50) .91 (n=50) -
After consulting the literature, we feel confident that our coding scheme is
reliable enough to make meaningful and accurate empirical quantifications of school
mission statements.
Coding Scheme
Table 3 illustrates the coding scheme developed for use in this study. Through
the techniques of emergent coding and content analysis, the researchers extracted ten
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17. Analysis of School Missions 16
major themes along with their corresponding thematic elements articulated in mission
statements. Note that each thematic element represents a measurable construct.
Table 3: The mission statement coding scheme
A) COGNITIVE/ACADEMIC
0 Misc.
1 foster cognitive development/academic
skills
2 problem solving skills
3 develop/promote/instill creativity
4 research
F) SCHOOL ENVIRONMENT
0 Misc.
1 safe environment
2 consistent environment
3 person centered environment
4 technological environment
B) SOCIAL
0 Misc.
1 promote social interaction
G) SPIRITUAL COMMUNITY
0 Misc.
1 provide religious education and
environment
C) CITIZENSHIPNOCATIONAL
0 Misc.Nocational
1 productive citizen
2 responsible citizen
3 public service
H) LOCAL COMMUNITY
0 Misc.
1 Promote community
2 Community partnership
D) PROMOTE PHYSICAL
0 Misc.
1 promote physical development
I) GLOBAL COMMUNITY
0 Misc.
1 appreciation for diversity/culture
2 instill global awareness
3 adaptive students in a diverse society
E) ATTITUDENALUES/EMOTIONAL
DEVELOPMENT
0 Misc.
1 positive student attitudes
2 ethical consciousness/morality
3 joy for learning
4 life-long learning
5 self-sufficient students
6 self-discipline
7 reach potential/discover won talents
8 emotional skills
9 promote confidence/self-esteem/self-worth
10 spiritual development
J) FACULTY/STAFF
0 Misc.
1 challenging environment
2 nurturing environment
3 provide engaging work/develop active
learners
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18. Analysis of School Missions 17
RESULTS
Table 4 lists the results of the content analysis across clusters. Using the
framework developed through emergent coding and tested for reliability, the researchers
systematically coded 267 mission statements. By separately analyzing each cluster, it
was possible to compare the percentage of categories present amongst each type of
school. Tabulations were made on the frequency of occurrence for each of the ten major
themes. This is listed as the "Total" for each category in Table 4 and represents the
number of unique occurrences of any major theme in a mission statement. In addition to
the total tabulation, the researchers also recorded the occurrence of various thematic
elements within each of the ten major coding themes. Because a school may have a
mission statement containing multiple thematic elements, the "Total" for each major
theme reflects the number of schools that listed one or more of the elements. In this case
the term "Total" refers to the overall occurrence of a particular theme in a mission
statement, not the sum of the elements. Table 4 illustrates the percentage of major
themes as well as thematic elements present in the mission statements of elementary
schools, middle schools, high schools and colleges.
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19. Analysis of School Missions 18
Table 4: Major Themes with thematic elements by school level
Elementary Middle High College
N=59 N=49 N=59 N=100
PERCENT PERCENT PERCENT PERCENT
COGNFIVE/ACADEMIC = A
0 Misc.
1 foster cog. dev.
2 problem solving
3 creativity
4 research
Percent of Total
2 10 7 10
66 67 32 70
14 16 8 12
5 8 2 19
0 2 0 27
69 76 38 83
SOCIAL = B
0 Misc.
1 social interaction
Percent of Total
8 14 3 4
15 18 3 15
24 33 5 19
CITIZENSHIP / VOCATIONAL = C
0 Misc.
1 productive
2 responsible
3 public service
Percent of Total
7 8 7 17
10 14 17 16
19 24 15 21
0 0 2 35
36 39 35 68
PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT = D
0 Misc.
1 physical dev.
Percent of Total
2 6 2 0
15 16 5 11
17 22 7 11
ATTITUDES/VALUES/EMOTION = E
0 Misc.
1 pos. attitudes
2 ethical morality
3 joy for learning
4 life-long learning
5 self-suffucient
6 self-discipline
7 reach potential
8 emotional skills
9 promote confidence
10 spiritual dev.
Percent of Total
20 27 12 16
12 20 7 4
7 6 8 12
8 8 3 3
31 18 18 25
2 0 3 2
3 2 3 0
27 20 17 9
2 2 0 0
24 14 7 1
8 0 5 27
81 76 52 62
SCHOOL = F
0 Misc.
1 safe
2 consistent
3 person centered
4 technological
Percent of Total
10 8 7 9
12 35 10 3
3 8 0 0
2 4 0 9
5 2 0 6
24 47 15 24
SPIRITUAL COMMUNITY = G
0 Misc.
1 religious ed/env.
Percent of Total
0 0 0 1
10 0 8 31
10 0 8 32
LOCAL COMMUNITY = H
0 Misc.
1 promote comm.
2 comm. Partnership
Percent of Total
5 4 7 9
7 8 7 18
19 24 18 23
27 35 32 43
GLOBAL COMMUNITY = I
0 Misc.
1 appreciation diversity
2 global awareness
3 adaptive students
Percent of Total
2 4 0 8
17 8 7 36
7 2 5 10
7 20 17 6
31 33 27 47
FACULTY/STAFF = J
0 Misc.
1 challenging env.
2 nurturing env.
3 provide engaging work
4 faculty qualifications
Percent of Total
15 14 15 15
5 18 8 6
20 20 10 5
12 8 7 3
5 6 3 12
41 51 32 34
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20. Analysis of School Missions 19
Table 5 illustrates how the frequency of the major themes shifts across the four
clusters. This table ranks the major themes from those occurring most frequently in the
mission statements to those occurring least frequently. Notice that Emotional
development is the dominant purpose of school for the sample of K-12 schools analyzed.
Also note how the focus shifts as children progress in their schooling. The higher levels
of schooling tend to emphasize academic development and good citizenship in their
mission statements, while the lower levels of school focus more upon emotional
development.
Table 5: Most frequently occurring themes across clusters (n=267)
Frequency
Most Frequent
Least Frequent
Elementary Middle High College
(n =59) (n =49) (n = 59) (n = 100)
Emotional
Academic
Faculty
Emotional
Academic
Faculty
Emotional
Academic
Citizenship
Academic
Citizenship
Emotional
Citizenship
Global Comm
Local Comm
School
School
Citizenship
Local Comm
Global Comm
Local Comm
Faculty
Global Comm
School
Global Comm
Local Comm
Faculty
Spiritual
Social
Physical
Spiritual
Social
Physical
Spiritual
Spiritual
Physical
Social
School
Social
Physical
Applying the coding scheme, it was found that there was a great deal of
variability across schools regarding the number of themes incorporated in their mission
statement. To use colleges (n=100) as an example, the number of themes incorporated by
a college in its mission statement approximates a normal distribution with a mean of 4.23
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21. Analysis of School Missions 20
and a standard deviation of 1.7 (see Figure 1). In other words, very few schools are only
emphasizing a single theme or 9 different themes in their missions.
Figure 1: Frequency by number of themes
25
20
O 15
Frequency chart showing the number of unique
themes found per college mission statement
10
21
10
2
15 15
1
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Number of themes found per mission statement
2
8
1
9
To better illustrate the inherent richness of the mission statement we have selected
4 examples of college mission statements to present. These statements are taken from 4
very different colleges used in our analysis and, as such, highlight the range of content
found throughout the sample of mission statements drawn. Additionally, by including the
codes that were applied to the mission statement it is possible for the reader to develop a
better understanding of how the coding scheme was applied. The coding themes
extracted are shown in parentheses after the keyword that triggered the code. Note that
some sentences have no code and some sentences have several codes.
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22. Analysis of School Missions 21
Illustrative Cases
Example #1
Appalachian State University
http://www.appstate.edu/www docs/depart/irp/factbook/asumssn.html
Mission Statement
Appalachian State University is a public comprehensive university,
offering a wide variety of degree programs at the baccalaureate, master's,
and intermediate levels as well as the Ed.D. in Educational Leadership.
With a distinctively residential campus and a faculty and staff
(JO)characterized by high quality and broad diversity of professional
skills, Appalachian takes as its mission the practice and propagation of
scholarship (Al). This is accomplished particularly through instruction
(JO), but also through the research (A4), creative (A3), and service
activities (C3) of the university community. Appalachian is committed to
excellence in its undergraduate and graduate educational programs, while
continuing to serve as a center of cultural and professional activity within
its state and region (H1).
Coding: Al, A3, A4, C3, HI, JO
Example 1 illustrates a very typical college mission statement. The statement emphasizes
four of the most frequently occurring major themes. Upon reviewing the mission
statement for Appalachian State University, the reader should get an idea for why the
particular coding categories listed were chosen. Coding theme A represents the cognitive
factor and elements 1, 3, and 4 represent a mention of "fostering cognitive development",
"creativity", and "research" in particular. Category C3 is the citizenship/vocational
theme and in particular the "public service" element. Category HI represents a reference
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23. Analysis of School Missions 22
to "community involvement" and category JO represents a miscellaneous reference to the
"faculty".
Examples 2 and 3 illustrate how school mission statements can vary greatly across
institutions.
Example #2
Geneva College
http://www.geneva.edu/graphics/whoweare/index.html
Mission Statement
The mission of Geneva College is to educate and minister to a diverse
community of students for the purpose of developing servant-leaders,
transforming society for the Kingdom of Christ (E10). We accomplish this
through biblically-based programs and services marked by excellence and
anchored by the historic, evangelical, and reformed Christian faith (G1).
The curriculum is rooted in the liberal-arts and sciences, vocationally
focused (CO), and delivered through traditional and innovative programs.
Coding: E10, Gl, CO
We can see from example #2 that Geneva College places a strong emphasis on the
religious component of the college experience that their institution is able to offer. This
school is emphasizing the emotional development theme with a specific focus on the
element of spiritual development. The school also seems to be trying to convey the
message that students will be exposed to a spiritual community. Thus, even as students
are encouraged to grow spiritually as individuals, they will find support from a spiritual
community. Notice that there is no explicit discussion Of fostering cognitive
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24. Analysis of School Missions 23
development, though it may be implied. The focus of the school mission centers upon
spiritual development.
Contrast the mission of Geneva College with the mission statement of the
University of Phoenix, listed in Example #3. The emphasis of the University of Phoenix
mission is upon the cognitive/academic component.
Example #3
University of Phoenix
http://www.uophx.edu/uop/ourunive.htm#OUR MISSION
Our Mission
The University of Phoenix is a private, for-profit higher education
institution whose mission is to provide high quality education to working
adult students. The University identifies educational needs and provides,
through innovative methods including distance education technologies,
educational access to working adults regardless of their geographical
location. The University provides general education and professional
programs that prepare students to articulate and advance their personal and
professional goals.
The University's educational philosophy and operational structure embody
participative, collaborative, and applied problem solving strategies (A2)
that are facilitated by a faculty whose advanced academic preparation and
professional experience help integrate academic theory with current
practical application (JO). The University assesses both the effectiveness
of its academic offerings and the academic achievement of its students
(Al), and utilizes the results of these assessments to improve academic
and instructional quality.
Coding: Al, A2, JO
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25. Analysis of School Missions 24
It is interesting to note that the University of Phoenix mission statement places a
heavy emphasis on distance learning, which is not surprising since this mission strongly
emphasizes the cognitive domain. Specifically, the school mission statement emphasizes
"fostering cognitive development" as well as "problem solving skills".
Finally, Example #4 is intended to illustrate that although some college mission
statements are highly specialized, on rare occasions (less than 10%, see Figure 1),
colleges incorporate a large number of major themes in their mission statement.
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26. Analysis of School Missions 25
Example #4
Johnson C. Smith University
http://www.jcsu.edu/purpose.html
The mission of Johnson C. Smith is to provide an outstanding education
for a diverse group of talented and highly motivated students from various
ethnic, socioeconomic, and geographical backgrounds (I1). Johnson C.
Smith offers a liberal education in conjunction with concentrated study in
specialized fields in preparation for advanced study and specific careers.
The University endeavors to produce graduates who are able to
communicate effectively, think critically, learn independently as well as
collaboratively, and demonstrate competence in their chosen fields (Al).
Further, it provides an environment (FO) in which students can fulfill their
physical (D1), social (B1), cultural, spiritual (E10), and other personal
needs in which they can develop a compelling sense of social and civic
responsibility (C2) for leadership and service (C3) in a dynamic,
multicultural society. Likewise, the University embraces its responsibility
to provide leadership, service, and lifelong learning (E4) to the larger
community (H1). Regarding teaching effectiveness as paramount in its
educational enterprise, Johnson C. Smith has a commitment to the
recruitment and retention of an outstanding faculty (JO). To this end, the
University promotes faculty development, encourages faculty involvement
in research and other creative activities, and endorses the principles of
academic freedom. To insure the integrity and stability of its status and
the perpetuation of its rich legacy, Johnson C. Smith University has a firm
resolve to maintain the fiscal and human resources requisite to be a truly
distinctive institution--a hallmark of excellence in its students, faculty,
staff, administrators, academics and other programs, facilities, operations,
and environment.
Coding: Al, Bl, C2, C3, D1, E4, E10, FO, H1, 11, JO
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27. Analysis of School Missions 26
In short, the mission of John C. Smith University emphasizes multiple facets of
the college experience. It is interesting to note, however, that the only one of the ten
themes not included in this mission statement was the spiritual community theme. The
statement mentions the spiritual needs of students, but does not attempt to present the
school as a spiritual community.
In reading through these mission statements, ask yourself, does the mission seem
congruent with the school practices? What type of student you would expect to find at
each of these colleges? What role do admissions factors play in shaping institutional
identities? Would you be surprised to find that each of these schools requires applicants
to take the SAT in order to gain admission?
DISCUSSION
Popular opinion has suggested that little "real" information about a school can be
found in a school mission statement (Flake, 1997). Consequently, many people have
dismissed mission statements as containing nothing more than empty rhetoric. If this was
the case, a study of mission statements would find nearly all mission statements saying
basically the same things. This study has found quite the opposite: mission statements
are a unique as well as a systematic statement reflecting the school's ideals and
operations. Furthermore, mission statements present an easily and publicly available
window into the stated purpose of school.
The current research study has examined 267 mission statements from
elementary, middle, high school and colleges. Through the technique of content analysis
via emergent coding the researchers found that school mission statements generally
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28. Analysis of School Missions 27
emphasized one or more of ten major themes. Using these themes, we have analyzed the
extent to which mission statements are similar and the extent to which they are different.
This study also investigated the extent to which the major themes change over the levels
of schooling.
Major findings
The first major finding is that schools within and between each cluster vary in
both the number and the types of themes that were incorporated in their mission
statement. Thus we can reject the first null hypothesis that all schools are saying the
same thing in their mission statements. Although most schools tended to emphasize four
or five different themes in their mission statement', the majority of school mission
statements focused specifically upon cognitive development, emotional development, and
fostering effective citizenship/vocational preparation. The frequency of the number of
themes in mission statements approximated a normal distribution in each cluster.
Although there were dominant themes that cut across all schools, each school
seemed to have a unique character as a result of the number and combination of themes
emphasized in their mission statement. There were several different combinations of
purpose found in this analysis but the bottom line is that different schools employed
different combinations of purpose that reflected their own particular values system.
Thus, the first major hypothesis of this study (that schools vary on their stated purpose)
was confirmed by the empirical data.
4 The researchers evaluated mission statements that varied in length from a few sentences to several pages
and found that the length of the statement did not necessarily impact the number of themes emphasized.
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29. Analysis of School Missions 28
Remarkably, often touted educational catchphrases such as "life-long learner",
"public service", "community partnership", "appreciate diversity", and "research" each
occurred in less than 36% of the college mission statements. This further counters the
argument that college mission statements are all stating the same things. Also, it is worth
considering that perhaps what is not being stated in a school mission statement is equally
as important as what is being stated. The fact that a particular school mentions every
major theme except spiritual community is indeed quite revealing.
With regard to our second hypothesis, that schools mission statements will differ
somewhat systematically over school levels, the results of our analysis strongly suggest
that this is the case. The results of this study suggest that the purpose of school, as
evidenced by mission statements, shifts from emotional development to cognitive
development as students progress through school. In particular, elements of emotional
development are emphasized in 81% of elementary school mission statements, however,
only 62% of colleges are incorporating elements of emotional development into their
mission. Conversely, elements of cognitive development are mentioned in 69% of
elementary schools, yet 83% of college mission statements emphasize some element of
cognitive development. Middle schools tend to bridge the gap in that 76% of middle
schools mentioned emotional development as a major theme and 76% of middle schools
mentioned cognitive development as a major theme.
In fact it is quite interesting to note how these terms are incorporated into school
mission statements through the different levels of school (see Table 1). These findings
lead the researchers to conclude that these educational terms are not just throw away
phrases that schools incorporate into their mission statements without much thought. If
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30. Analysis of School Missions 29
that was the case, then the sample would be saturated with such statements. Rarely (n=2)
did any one element exist in over 50% of the mission statements (exceptions were "foster
cognitive development" and "faculty").
Differences in the thematic elements over clusters were also observed. One such
example of this type of finding is within the emotional development theme. Specifically,
when comparing college mission statements to the other clusters, we witness a dramatic
increase in the occurrence of "spiritual development" while concepts of "reaching
potential" and "promotion of confidence" show linear drops from elementary school to
college. This shifting of the various elements of the emotional theme across clusters is
illustrated in Figure 2.
Figure 2: How elements of emotional development shift across clusters
30
25
Elements of Emotional Development
20
15
4.1
" 10
0
pos. attitudes ethical
morality
reach promote spiritual dev.
potential confidence
Thematic Element
Elementary
El Middle
o High
College
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31. Analysis of School Missions 30
Other between groups differences were observed amongst the clusters by the
researchers (citizenship, environment, etc.) but are not further discussed in this paper for
the sake of brevity.
Limitations
At this point, it is worth noting some of the limitations of this study. One clear
criticism that may be advanced is the way the authors chose to operationally define the
purpose of school. We acknowledge that using a school mission statement may be an
overly simplistic approach, particularly given that there is marginal evidence that schools
themselves all view their mission statements as a reflection of their beliefs about the
purpose of school. Nevertheless, we believe that there is something to be gained from
using a common yardstick for measurement, and a mission statement at least has face
validity.
A second limitation of the study is that it gives no insight into the degree to which
schools are emphasizing certain themes. The coding scheme developed for this study is
dichotomous in nature and therefore does not give the coder the discretion to comment on
the degree to which certain elements are emphasized in the mission statement. The
researchers intended this analysis as a step toward the empirical documentation and
analysis of educational mission statements. Further studies may follow in which the
degree of presence or absence is investigated as it has been determined that variation does
indeed exist between schools.
A third limitation stems from the fact that the rater agreement (see Table 2) solely
addresses the inter-rater and intra-rater agreement of the 10 major themes. After the data
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32. Analysis of School Missions 31
was collected it was found that the various thematic elements were also illuminating in
further understanding the mission statement. In future studies it would be beneficial to
document the rater agreement of these elements which provided such insight into the
final data analyses.
Other limitations are concerned with the sample which may in fact be truly
described as schools and universities with developed web pages. We did not look at
mission statements for schools which did not have web sites and of the group sampled,
we only could analyze the mission statements of the schools in which we found missions..
Although in the methodology we report relatively low percentages on the number of
schools from which we found mission statements (Table 1), this number is the product of
many of factors. For instance, some of the schools listed in our sampling pool had bad
links or server problems. Other schools did not post a mission statement, but did post
other similar documents such as school statements, objectives, or goals which were not
included in our analysis. It is worthwhile to compare the yield rate of mission statements
obtained via the world wide web to the study by Harvanek and Berleur (1997) in which
the mission statements and related documents were requested through the mail. These
researchers obtained a response rate of only 38%. Thus, the yield rates from the present
study (23% elementary, 19% middle, 22% high school, and 53% college) are not far from
the prior research in the area, especially considering that a more stringent criteria was
applied to the current study (only mission statements were analyzed).
Despite many of the limitations that accompany the present study, we feel that we
have contributed to the methodology of computer-age research while providing insight
into a current issue in the field of education. Utilizing the web as a research tool is a new
32
33. Analysis of School Missions 32
possibility for researchers and one that we have used effectively. The future potential for
web-based research seems promising.
Conclusions
The Introduction to this paper outlined several different philosophical positions
regarding the purpose of school. In the past, four major themes have tended to dominate
the discussion emotional development, cognitive development, social development, and
citizenship/vocational preparation. It was noted earlier that none of these four themes has
remained dominant as the sole purpose of school for any extended period of time. In
other words, the purpose of schools and schooling in America means different things to
different people and tends to shift over time.
The results of this study suggest that these differing views are still present at all
levels of schooling from elementary through college. The results illustrate that these
dominant themes can be extracted from the mission statements of schools. As stated
earlier, the most dominant theme of K-12 education in the present era (as reflected by the
mission statements) is emotional development. Again, the college mission statements
emphasized intellectual development as their primary purpose with emotional
development less prevalent. Based upon the current analysis, it is apparent that there is a
shift in the emphasis of K-12 to colleges from generally being emotionally-based to
academically-based.
Interestingly, current policy discussions in the educational world have shifted
away from emotional development and towards cognitive and academic development in
the K-12 clusters. This phenomenon is easily evidenced through observing the academic
BEST COPY AVAILABLE
33
34. Analysis of School Missions 33
standards movement and the widespread development and proliferation of state testing
programs. Similarly, many states are now requiring students to pass graduation exams in
order to get a diploma, signaling the changing tide in the main emphasis of K-12 schools
moving away from emotional development and closer to cognitive and academic
development. These developments have yet to dominate what we have found schools to
have stated as their "mission". It will be of great interest to replicate an analysis of K-12
mission statements in the future to further document this recent and widespread shift.
Contributions
The usefulness and meaning found in mission statements, coupled with their ease
of availability and brevity, make them a useful document for empirically examining the
purpose of schools. If the current research has done nothing else, it is our hope that we
have taken the first steps to "demystify the mission statement" by illustrating the
descriptive characteristics of the mission statement. Furthermore, the present study has
demonstrated that the analysis of mission statements through content analysis with
emergent coding strategies can be done with an acceptable degree of rater
agreement/reliability.
The findings of the present study lead to a host of interesting policy questions.
Some of these questions enter into context of college admissions. For instance, if the
mission statement of an institution is a statement describing the kind of person they
would like to attract, what variables do schools use to assess whether or not a given
student fits into the culture of their school? If a mission statement is a statement of what
kind of students the school wishes to produce, then what indicators should schools use in
34
35. Analysis of School Missions 34
order to measure this and insure that the school is fulfilling its mission? And finally,
what does it mean to directly compare schools who have different missions? Consider
the U.S. News and World Report rankings for a moment. Is it advisable to attempt a
ranking of all colleges when it is unclear whether or not these schools are trying to
achieve the same ends? The results of this study suggest that it may be more logical to
evaluate the extent to which a particular school is fulfilling its stated purpose and to
compare only schools who share a similar mission.
The results of this study suggest that it is indeed possible to take a school mission
statement out of the realm of the rhetorical and place it into the realm of measurement.
Using empirical methods such as content analysis, we can keep watch over the changing
purpose of school in American society and use this evidence to generate a discussion
about the direction American education should be going. This study provides an
empirical basis that will inform such a discussion.
35
36. Hill.
Analysis of School Missions 35
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37
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