University of Central Florida STARS Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2004-2019 2004 Effective School Characteristics And Student Achievement Correlates As James Doran University of Central Florida Part of the Curriculum and Instruction Commons Find similar works at: https://stars.library.ucf.edu/etd University of Central Florida Libraries http://library.ucf.edu This Doctoral Dissertation (Open Access) is brought to you for free and open access by STARS. It has been accepted for inclusion in Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2004-2019 by an authorized administrator of STARS. For more information, please contact [email protected]. STARS Citation Doran, James, "Effective School Characteristics And Student Achievement Correlates As" (2004). Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2004-2019. 182. https://stars.library.ucf.edu/etd/182 EFFECTIVE SCHOOL CHARACTERISTICS AND STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT CORRELATES AS PERCEIVED BY TEACHERS IN AMERICAN STYLE INTERNATIONAL SCHOOLS by JAMES ANTON DORAN B.S. Florida State University 1971 M.S. University of Miami 1978 A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Education in Curriculum and Instruction in the College of Education at the University of Central Florida Orlando, Florida Fall Term 2004 Major Professor: Kay Allen ©James A. Doran ii ABSTRACT The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationships between effective school characteristics and norm referenced standardized test scores in American-style international schools. In contrast to schools in traditional effective schools research, international schools typically have middle to high SES families, and display average to above average achievement. Eleven effective school characteristics were identified and correlated with standardized test scores for grades 4, 6, and 8 and high school SAT scores. Data was gathered from an online teacher questionnaire designed for this study. All eleven characteristics were present in high performing international schools while frequent analysis of student progress, high academic expectations and positive school environment were more prominent. Positive school environment, high academic expectations, strong instructional leadership and cultural diversity were chosen as important characteristics of an effective international school. Learning time is maximized was the only characteristic that was significantly correlated with achievement and only in grades 4, 6 and 8. There was no statistically significant relationship found between norm referenced test scores and the aggregate effective school characteristics score. iii This dissertation is dedicated to my amazing wife and best friend, Vickie. Without her support, suggestions, critiques, editing, patience, and love this project would have been impossible. iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS After spending many years in education as a student, teacher, principal, and director I went into the doctoral program at UCF with a “show me” attitude. Could university professors really teach me anything? I was lucky enough to have Dr. Kay Allen as my professor in my first class in the doctoral program; her quick smile, candid discussions, enthusiasm for life, and distain for bureaucracy alleviated my misgivings and shattered my conceptions of the ivory tower professor. I quickly realized that I was starting on a new road of discovery guided by kindred spirits who were dedicated to enhancing the lives of children by improving the knowledge of educators in the field. Dr. Allen became more than an advisor, she became my friend. Kay kept me on track and even went to bat for me when the system threw curve balls. She has earned a prominent place in my list of “Most Unforgettable People”. Through Dr. Bill Gaudelli’s tutelage I discovered the writings of Paolo Freire and Nel Noddings and rediscovered John Dewey. He encouraged me to reflect on my own educational experiences through the eyes of great philosophers, both modern and ancient. I found that although so much seems different today it is all so much the same. Dr. Larry Holt brought his joy and enthusiasm about children and teaching to life in his classroom. His animated discussions, varied teaching techniques, and vast knowledge of instructional practice made every session special. He also made each of his students feel important as we learned from each other and he learned from us. Dr. Holt models the life-long learner. v Educational researchers live in a world of extraordinary people; people who endeavor to make some quantitative and qualitative sense out of the complexities of human interaction. Dr. Sivo is one of those extraordinary researchers. I am in awe of his enormous understanding of statistical analysis, yet even more importantly, I am in awe of his uncanny ability to break the process into digestible chunks for us mere mortals. Dr. Ron Clifton’s friendship spans some twenty five years and three continents. His offer to help him launch a new educational venture for Stetson University three years ago also provided me with the opportunity to return to the U.S. to complete my long held ambition of earning a doctorate in education. Ron’s insights into the writing process, questions about my research, and critiques of my conclusions were vital to the success of this venture. I will always be grateful for his support. There are so many others to thank. My life is blessed with wonderful friends, family and colleagues. Dr. Cindy Hutchinson came to my aid both when I was applying for the program and when I became a doctoral candidate. Without the almost continuous help and eclectic knowledge of my friend and colleague Seth Ober I would still be struggling with web page set- up, data base calculations, and technology needs. And, even though there was much on her plate, Dr. Deb Touchton has always been there with both moral and collegial support. How do I properly acknowledge my family? They have been so supportive as Dad hid away night after night and weekend after weekend. Jeff and Jill, I appreciate your sincere attempts at showing interest in my long winded explanations of the research. The writing of a dissertation can be a lonely and isolating experience, yet it is obviously not possible without the personal and practical support of numerous people. Thus my sincere vi gratitude goes to my family, my friends, my colleagues, both in the U.S. and abroad, and to my advisors for their support, patience and faith over the last few years. vii TABLE OF CONTENTS List of Tables ............................................................................................................................ xii List of Figures..........................................................................................................................xiii Chapter One: Statement of Problem .......................................................................................... 1 Introduction............................................................................................................................. 1 Definitions............................................................................................................................... 4 Delimitations........................................................................................................................... 7 Limitations .............................................................................................................................. 7 Assumptions............................................................................................................................ 8 Significance of the Study........................................................................................................ 9 Research Questions............................................................................................................... 11 Population ............................................................................................................................. 11 Background........................................................................................................................... 16 Chapter Two: Literature Review and Conceptual Framework................................................ 21 Introduction........................................................................................................................... 21 Theoretical and Societal Basis.............................................................................................. 22 Effective Schools Research................................................................................................... 23 Concerns with External Validity....................................................................................... 28 Determining School Effectiveness.................................................................................... 30 Statistical Attempts at Determining Effectiveness ........................................................... 32 Defining Effective School Characteristics........................................................................ 35 Effective Schools Characteristics Grid ............................................................................. 44 viii American Style International Schools .................................................................................. 48 Funding ............................................................................................................................. 48 Academic Expectations and Peer Influence.....................................................................