CHANGING THE SCHOOL YEAR: THE TEXAS EXPERIENCE IN MOVING TO A TWELVE-GRADE ACADEMIC PROGRAM A Dissertation by KATHRYN PHEND WATLINGTON Submitted to the Office of Graduate and Professional Studies of Texas A&M University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY Chair of Committee, Lynn M. Burlbaw Committee Members, Dominique T. Chlup Janet Hammer Larry J. Kelly Head of Department, Yeping Li August 2014 Major Subject: Curriculum and Instruction Copyright 2014 Kathryn Phend Watlington ABSTRACT Today’s American public school student begins schooling with the anticipation of kindergarten, and perhaps some preschool, followed by twelve grades. The senior year is the twelfth grade, the traditional exit year for most students in most states. However, in the state of Texas, this tradition is younger than that of other states because in Texas, before 1946, there were only eleven grades. While official adoption of the twelve-grade system occurred in 1946, the statewide transition from eleven to twelve grades took nearly 20 years, beginning in 1927. This qualitative study used explanatory history to answer the following research questions: What were the issues and conditions of the educational community in Texas between 1925 and 1950 that influenced the decision by school districts and eventually the State Department of Education to change from eleven to twelve grades? How did districts make the transition from eleven to twelve grades when they adopted the twelve-grade program? Under the leadership of Superintendent George Sims, Port Arthur, Texas, acted upon a recommendation from a school survey conducted by George Strayer, making Port Arthur the first Texas school district to move to a twelve-grade system. From there, the movement spread slowly across individual districts throughout the state. As discussion and debate over the change grew, the educators on the ground in the state of Texas—teachers, administrators, superintendents, and educational researchers, not state level authorities or the legislature—were the ones who eventually called for statewide change. The Texas State Teachers Association officially supported the twelve-grade ii system and requested that the State Department of Education supply firm instructions for implementation. When the State Department of Education finally addressed the change to twelve grades, it did so gradually; after over five years of developing guidelines and encouraging state schools to make the change, the State Department of Education made twelve grades a requirement of Texas schools in order to receive accreditation. With the twelve-grade tradition currently undergoing national challenge, a review of the history of adding the twelfth grade seems to be a relevant issue to investigate. iii DEDICATION I dedicate this project to my parents, Buddy and Patsy Phend. Their encouragement and confidence inspired me to begin my degree, and their account of their own transitions from eleven to twelve grades sparked my interest in this topic. iv ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would like to thank my best friend and husband, Chris, for his constant support no matter what was going on in our lives. He listened to me talk about my dissertation more than anyone should ever have to. I appreciate his selfless generosity that empowered me to finish this degree. Thank you to my son, Keaton, who reminded me never to give up and thank you to my son, Jack Callen, who consulted his Magic Eight Ball and told me that I was going to pass. I would like to thank Dr. Lynn Burlbaw, my adviser and guide, for his thorough knowledge and passionate interest in my topic and in the history of the time period surrounding it. I didn’t know I was interested in history until I met him. I truly am grateful for the many hours of time he invested in me. I thank my committee members – Dr. Dominique T. Chlup, Dr. Janet Hammer, and Dr. Larry J. Kelly – for their guidance and support. I appreciate their help and patience with me. (“Really?”) I would like to thank Rhonda Brinkmann for her time spent editing my original drafts. Her sharp eye for formatting and her attention to the details of APA style were much appreciated. I would like to acknowledge the excellence of the staff at the Texas A&M library. Their “Get It For Me” service was invaluable. v NOMENCLATURE CETE Committee on the Economy of Time in Education CRSE Commission on the Reorganization of Secondary Education DMN Dallas Morning News NEA National Education Association SDE State Department of Education TASA Texas Association of School Administrators TSTA Texas State Teachers Association vi TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ABSTRACT .......................................................................................................................ii DEDICATION .................................................................................................................. iv ACKNOWLEDGMENTS .................................................................................................. v NOMENCLATURE .......................................................................................................... vi TABLE OF CONTENTS .................................................................................................vii LIST OF FIGURES ............................................................................................................ x LIST OF TABLES ............................................................................................................ xi CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................... 1 Background .................................................................................................................. 1 Early Graduation Programs .................................................................................... 2 Need for Review ..................................................................................................... 3 Literature Review ......................................................................................................... 3 Overview of Schools Today ................................................................................... 4 History of Age-Grading ......................................................................................... 5 Organization and Number of Grades ..................................................................... 6 Grades and Distribution in Texas Schools ............................................................. 7 Statement of the Problem ............................................................................................. 9 Statement of the Purpose .............................................................................................. 9 Research Questions ...................................................................................................... 9 Limitations ................................................................................................................. 10 Theoretical Perspective Used for Research ................................................................ 11 Qualitative Research ............................................................................................ 11 Historical Research .............................................................................................. 11 Explanatory History ............................................................................................. 13 Description and Collection of Data ............................................................................ 14 Analysis of Data ......................................................................................................... 16 Organization of this Dissertation ................................................................................ 18 vii CHAPTER II BELOW THE RADAR ............................................................................ 19 Background of the Existing Twelve-Grade System ................................................... 19 Texas Schools ....................................................................................................... 21 Texas Moves to Twelve Grades ................................................................................. 26 Surveys and Efficiency ............................................................................................... 28 Strayer and Sims ......................................................................................................... 32 From Eleven to Twelve Grades: Port Arthur ............................................................ 37 From Eleven to Twelve Grades: Pioneer Schools ..................................................... 42 Summary .................................................................................................................... 48 CHAPTER III FERMENT .............................................................................................. 50 The Debate ................................................................................................................. 50 Southern Connections .......................................................................................... 51 Complacency versus Advocacy ........................................................................... 53 The Catalyst: The 1930 Reduction in School Starting Age ....................................... 55 Shifting Gears: Preparing for the Class of 1941 .......................................................