IMPACT ON PUPILS\u27 ATTITUDE AND ACHIEVEMENT FOLLOWING TRANSFER RESULTING FROM CLOSING A SCHOOL

This study was primarily initiated to determine if a significant change occurred in academic achievement scores in math and reading of elementary students in grades one through three who moved into a new school setting compared to similar students who did not move. In addition, the degree of correlation between attitude and achievement for the experimental group was determined. The subjects for this study consisted of 236 students in grades one through three. Of this group, 97 students were relocated because of the closing of a school. The variables utilized in the study consisted of two dependent variables, achievement, as measured by the Stanford Achievement Test, and attitude, as measured by the School Attitude Measure. The main independent variable was school condition with grade and sex treated as independent attribute variables. Results of the univariate analysis of data (ANOVA) indicated that for the study population the closing of a school and subsequent relocation of students did not affect the achievement scores of the students nor did it affect their attitude toward schooling. Although the analysis showed a difference by grade level in both math and reading achievement, this could not be attributed to the closing of a school, but, in all likelihood, to history and maturation. A significant correlation between achievement and attitude could not be established in this study and yet the attitude toward schooling measure for both the experimental and control groups was positive. Since there were no significant declines in achievement, it could be concluded that attitude did not contribute negatively to achievement. The implication of the results of this study rests in the argument that can now be made. This argument in effect suggests that the relocation of students because of school closing does not adversely affect student achievement