Carvin L. Brown

The prevention of sexual abuse: Examination of the effectiveness of a program with kindergarten-age children

The purpose of the present study was to evaluate a program designed to teach skills to young children in order to prevent child sexual abuse. Seventy-one kindergarten children from a rural, low, and lower-middle class environment served as subjects and were assigned to either the prevention program or a placebo control group. Subjects in both groups were seen for three 1/2-hour sessions in groups of approximately 20 children. The children receiving the sexual abuse prevention program were taught basic knowledge about sexual abuse and how to avoid and report such abuse. Instructions, modeling, rehersal, and social reinforcement were utilized as teaching procedures. Children in the placebo control group were read stories and saw a film, none of which were related to sexual abuse. Relative to the control group, at both a three-week posttest and a seven-week follow-up, children participating in the prevention program demonstrated more knowledge about preventing abuse and performed better on simulated scenes involving sexual abuse. The results indicate that children as young as kindergartenage can be taught skills to prevent sexual abuse.

The Use and Abuse of Control Groups in Program Evaluation.

The selection of a control or contrast group is of utmost importance when designing methods to evaluate programs.

The Principal's Influence on Student Achievement

Factors that affect learning are concisely packaged in this article. The authors then take the subject a step further by pointing out how the school principal as an educational leader can influence the improve ment of learning.

Superintendent Turnover and School Board Member Defeat: A New Perspective and Interpretation

The study investigated popular election results regarding the relationship between the variables of county board member defeat or re‐election and the reappointment or dismissal of county school superintendents, in the state of North Carolina, within a one, two, three or four year time frame. All 100 county school districts were studied over a 12‐year period of time in which an ex post facto quasi‐experimental research design was used to determine the relationship between incumbent board member defeat and superintendent turnover following six general elections. Results of the study show there was stability in both superintendent reappointment and incumbent school board member re‐election. These findings do not support previous research regarding the dissatisfaction theory in that previous studies found significant differences between superintendent turnover and incumbent school board member defeat. This study, unlike others, focused on county public superintendent turnover and county board member election ...

The Relationship of School Size and Rate of School Plant Utilization to Cost Variations of Maintenance and Operation

The effects of school size and school plant utilization on pupil costs of maintenance and operation (M & O) in a large city school system in the South were investigated. School size is significantly and negatively related to pupil costs of M & O. Utilization rate has a similar and stronger cost impact.

ATTITUDES OF GEORGIA PUBLIC SCHOOL TEACHERS TOWARD TEACHING AS A PROFESSION

This study examined the professional aspects of teaching and assessed differences in the attitudes of 1,436 Georgia public school teachers in 88 rural and 55 urban schools at the elementary (K-5), middle (6–8), and secondary (9–12) levels. Significant differences in attitude were noted by school level but not location.