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School assemblies: The purposes, practices, and values as perceived by principals in California public high schools

Author

Flora Ann Mae Young, University of the Pacific

Date of Award

1992

Document Type

Dissertation - Pacific Access Restricted

Degree Name

Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)

Department

Education

First Advisor

Dennis P. Brennan

First Committee Member

Marilyn E. Draheim

Second Committee Member

Rudolph Crew

Third Committee Member

Linda S. Kochler

Fourth Committee Member

Robert D. Morrow

Abstract

Purpose. The purpose of this study was to determine the current practices and perceptions of public high school principals in California with regard to school assemblies. It also investigated the relationship between each school's frequency of assemblies and the variables: school enrollment, dropout rate, minority enrollment, and school performance. Procedure. Principals of all public comprehensive high schools in California with a student enrollment of 1,100 or greater were surveyed by mail. Data collected were statistically analyzed to yield frequency, rank, means, and standard deviation. The variables were analyzed by a Pearson Product Moment Correlation. Findings. Analysis of the data indicates that students in California public high schools, as reported by 88.3% of the respondents, are interested or enthusiastic about school assemblies. According to the respondents, an average of four assemblies per year and one pep/sports rally per month were held. Principals indicated that building school unity/enhancing student and faculty relationships was ranked first among the purposes of the assembly program, and the greatest benefits of school assemblies were to provide student recognition, build relationships, increase multicultural appreciation, and develop good audience behavior. The lack of money, time, and assembly facilities was reported to be the greatest obstacles in presenting assemblies. Principals confirmed that there has been a trend towards fewer assemblies. Conclusions and recommendations. School assemblies are a valuable administrative tool for promoting school unity, recognizing students, and extending classroom learning. The obstacles of time, assembly funding, and inadequate assembly facilities can be overcome with skillful planning and by the utilization of resources within the school and community. School assembly development should be an integral part of teacher and administrator training at the universities and in the school districts. Recommendations for future research include: development of a school assembly model for implementation, organization, presentation, and evaluation of a yearlong school assembly program; a comparison study between schools that have well-designed assembly programs and schools that do not; the replication of this study for elementary and middle schools; a similar survey of students' and teachers' perceptions of school assemblies.

Pages

182

Recommended Citation

Young, Flora Ann Mae. (1992). School assemblies: The purposes, practices, and values as perceived by principals in California public high schools. University of the Pacific, Dissertation - Pacific Access Restricted. https://scholarlycommons.pacific.edu/uop_etds/2933