ATHLETIC EQUITY AND PROPORTIONALITY: CLASSIFICATION OF HIGH SCHOOLS IN STATE ATHLETIC ASSOCIATIONS FOR BOYS BASKETBALL AND FOOTBALL TOURNAMENT PLACEMENT A Dissertation Submitted to the Faculty of Argosy University Twin Cities College of Education In Partial Fulfillment of The Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Education by Wade E. Labecki September, 2010 ii ATHLETIC EQUITY AND PROPORTIONALITY: CLASSIFICATION OF HIGH SCHOOLS IN STATE ATHLETIC ASSOCIATIONS FOR BOYS BASKETBALL AND FOOTBALL TOURNAMENT PLACEMENT Wade E. Labecki © 2010 All Rights Reserved iii ATHLETIC EQUITY AND PROPORTIONALITY: CLASSIFICATION OF HIGH SCHOOLS IN STATE ATHLETIC ASSOCIATIONS FOR BOYS BASKETBALL AND FOOTBALL TOURNAMENT PLACEMENT Abstract of Dissertation Submitted to the Faculty of Argosy University Campus College of Education in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Education by Wade E. Labecki Argosy University Twin Cities September, 2010 Chair, Paulette Reikowski, Ph. D. David Lange, Ph. D. Allen Schmieder, Ph. D. Department: College of Education iv Abstract The study examined the use of enrollment adjustments used by state high school activity and athletic associations to nonpublic high schools for classification and placement of high schools in state tournaments. Adjustments such as multipliers, reducers, or separate divisions (or classes) in the sports of boys basketball and football were examined. The basketball and football directors of state associations of the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) were surveyed and archival data was collected from Wisconsin and neighboring states during July of 2010. Surveys were sent to 51 basketball directors, 48 of them responded and 40 of 51 football directors of the NFHS state associations responded to the surveys. Concerns over recruiting of high school athletes and the effectiveness of the adjustments were surveyed. Archival data was reviewed for a 5 year period between 2005-2010 for Wisconsin and neighboring states. While the enrollment adjustments of Illinois and Minnesota appeared to provide proportionality to membership winning state championships, the study could not eliminate other factors such as program tradition as reasons for success. v ATHLETIC EQUITY AND PROPORTIONALITY: CLASSIFICATION OF HIGH SCHOOLS IN STATE ATHLETIC ASSOCIATIONS FOR BOYS BASKETBALL AND FOOTBALL TOURNAMENT PLACEMENT A Dissertation Submitted to the Faculty of Argosy University Campus in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Education Wade E. Labecki Argosy University Twin Cities September, 2010 Dissertation Committee Approval: ________________________________ ___________________________ Chair, Paulette Reikowski, Ph. D. Date ________________________________ David Lange, Ph. D. ________________________________ ___________________________ Allen Schmieder, Ph. D. David Lange, Ph. D. Date vi TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE OF TABLES ............................................................................................ viii TABLE OF FIGURES ............................................................................................ x TABLE OF APPENDICES .................................................................................... xi CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION ...................................................................... 1 Definition of Terms ............................................................................................. 4 Purpose .............................................................................................................. 8 Need for the Study ............................................................................................. 9 Research Questions ......................................................................................... 11 Additional Questions ........................................................................................ 11 Research Hypothesis ....................................................................................... 11 Methodology ..................................................................................................... 12 Access Plan ..................................................................................................... 12 Sample Population ........................................................................................... 13 Participants ...................................................................................................... 13 Directors ....................................................................................................... 13 Limitations of the Study .................................................................................... 14 Ethical Limitations ......................................................................................... 15 Credibility ......................................................................................................... 16 Triangulation .................................................................................................... 16 Feasibility ......................................................................................................... 17 Validity and Reliability ...................................................................................... 17 Transferability ................................................................................................... 18 Study Significance ............................................................................................ 19 CHAPTER TWO: REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE ........................................... 21 Athletics and Achievement ............................................................................... 22 The Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association ......................................... 23 The National Federation of State High School Associations ............................ 27 Classifications and Divisions Begin in WIAA Basketball .................................. 28 Competitive Equity and Proportionality ............................................................ 30 Nonpublic High School Student Populations .................................................... 32 Transfer Rules Adopted by State Associations ................................................ 39 Legal Challenges to Transfer Rules ................................................................. 42 Arizona ......................................................................................................... 42 Indiana .......................................................................................................... 43 Michigan ....................................................................................................... 43 South Dakota ................................................................................................ 43 Solutions to Competitive Equity or Proportionality ........................................... 44 Multipliers ..................................................................................................... 45 Separate Divisions ........................................................................................ 49 Recent Changes in State Associations of the NFHS ....................................... 51 Legal Challenges to Enrollment Adjustments .................................................. 52 Wisconsin’s Open Enrollment .......................................................................... 52 vii Milwaukee Parental Choice Program ............................................................... 54 WIAA Process to Change Rules ...................................................................... 56 Wisconsin Combines Public and Nonpublic in the WIAA ................................. 57 Merger Begins to Take Place ....................................................................... 59 Recruiting in Wisconsin .................................................................................... 60 The WIAA Transfer Rule .................................................................................. 63 Transfer Rule ................................................................................................ 64 Waivers ......................................................................................................... 64 Discussions of Nonpublic High Schools in the WIAA ....................................... 65 Focus and Action Begin in Wisconsin .............................................................. 68 Summary .......................................................................................................... 85 CHAPTER THREE: METHODOLGY .................................................................. 87 Instrumentation ................................................................................................ 88 Survey .......................................................................................................... 88 Archived Data ................................................................................................... 88 Limitations ........................................................................................................ 89 Procedures ....................................................................................................... 90 Data Collection ................................................................................................. 90 Data Processing and Analysis 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