A COMPARISON OF INTERVIEW AND QUESTIONNAIRE TECHNIQUES IN ASSESSING THE CHARACTERISTICS OF EFFECTIVE SCHOOLS

Date of Completion

January 1986

Keywords

Education, Administration

Degree

Ph.D.

Abstract

Research has shown that school characteristics that differentiate more effective schools from their less-effective counterparts in terms of student achievement can be identified. School-based, school effectiveness characteristics consistently associated with effective schools have been constitutively and operationally defined in this study. These characteristics include: a safe and orderly environment, a clear school mission, instructional leadership, frequent monitoring of student progress, opportunity to learn and student time on task, high expectations, and positive home and school relations.^ The purpose of this study was to develop reliable and valid instruments for assessing a school's status in relation to these school effectiveness constructs and to compare school profiles derived from these instruments to determine the extent to which similar information resulted. The School Effectiveness Interview and School Effectiveness Questionnaire were developed for these purposes.^ Initial instrument development activities including pilot-testing and instrument revision procedures were described. Reliability and validity procedures and findings for both instruments were presented. Recommendations and specific administration procedures for use of the SEQ and SEI were also detailed. A multitrait-multimethod matrix was developed to analyze the construct validity of the measured constructs and an exploratory factor analysis was carried out with data collected with the SEQ in order to further study the relationships among the school effectiveness constructs. Ten school effectiveness assessment profiles derived from data collected with both the SEQ and SEI as part of the Connecticut School Effectiveness Project assessment process were compared using the Spearman rank-order correlation coefficient.^ The results indicate that: (1) The SEQ and SEI are reliable and valid school effectiveness data collection instruments when used and administered as recommended. (2) Although construct validity cannot be inferred from a single study, this study has extended the construct validity of the seven identified school effectiveness characteristics by linking psychometric findings with a theoretical model (Gauthier, 1983). (3) Data collected with the SEQ and SEI will result in similar school effectiveness profiles for a school and therefore provide consistent and reliable information for school improvement planning. ^

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