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Goal ranking congruence and academic achievement--focus : Mexican, Mexican American and Chicano Middle School students, their parents and teachers

Author

Margarita Dolores Escobedo Wulftange, University of the Pacific

Date of Award

1982

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)

Department

Education

First Advisor

Frank Ciriza

First Committee Member

J. Marc Jantzen

Second Committee Member

Bruce La Brack

Third Committee Member

Graciela de Urteaga

Fourth Committee Member

Augustine Garcia

Fifth Committee Member

Randall Rockey

Abstract

The literature sees community members of Mexican ancestry as persons who are denied full participation in matters of school policies and practices. It also cites that forty percent of children of Mexican ancestry who enter school drop out before they graduate from the twelfth grade. In view of these perceptions, this study was designed to examine what relationship existed among three factors: (1) the goals of a school district; (2) student academic achievement as indicated by GPA; and (3) the intra- group variability among Chicano, Mexican American and Mexican students.

This study assumed that if students, parents and teachers prioritized goals congruently, students would do better in school than if there was not a congruity of ranking. However, data results revealed that the existence or nonexistence of goal -ranking congruence among students, parents and teachers made no practical significant difference in student GPA. The research sample included 267 middle school age students of Mexican ancestry, their parents and 74 teachers.

The three groups of students, that is, Chicano, Mexican American and Mexican, each ranked communication, work skills, logical thinking, critical thinking skills, study of one's own heritage and other ethnic groups, and accomplishing one's own potential among the seven most important goals.

It is recommended that school districts develop their goals with representative input from the total community and that goals be coherently and consistently publicized among professional and lay people in order that the purpose and consistency of school practices be underscored.

Pages

168

Recommended Citation

Wulftange, Margarita Dolores Escobedo. (1982). Goal ranking congruence and academic achievement--focus : Mexican, Mexican American and Chicano Middle School students, their parents and teachers. University of the Pacific, Dissertation. https://scholarlycommons.pacific.edu/uop_etds/2070