4—The Daily Collegian Thursday, Nov. 5, 1981
Strikes affect student reading, math achievement
By MARY BETH HORWATH
Daily Collegian Staff Writer
Two studies conducted by a University
professor have linked teacher Strikes in
Pennsylvania to declines in students'
attendance and math and reading
achievement.
William E. Caldwell, associate profes
sor in the College of Education's division
of educational policy studies, conducted
a study examining student achievement
on Educational Quality Assessment tests
after teacher strikes. He was assisted by
Michael D. Moskalski, principal in the
Selinsgrove School District.
The EQA was given to students in the
fifth, eighth and 11th grades, and was
used to collect achievement and attitudi
nal information in a variety of areas.
"We selected reading and math be
eline they are the most highly recog
nized achievement areas," Caldwell
said. "We did look at some of the attitudi
nal results but nothing is published yet."
Caldwell and MOskalski found that
strikes did affect achievement, especial
ly in math.
"Fifth- and eighth-graders had signifi
cantly lower math scores," Caldwell
said. "Eleventh-graders had lower
scores also, although not significantly
lower."
The reading results were not similar.
"Eighth-graders had significantly low
er reading scores, • but fifth- and 11th
graders had lower scores," Caldwell
said.
Caldwell said he expected the results
"You have to think that there will be a
difference if you think schools have any
effect at all. I would have been disap
pointed if the results had been different,"
he said.
Moskalski agreed: "I would think both
teachers and parents would be glad that
this proves that school does have a great
effect."
* : r (... ... :
r.
. 0
•,:•,, . :, 111: 1 ; •
.„.•t,
~.,„:„.,..,,.„,....:.,...,,...,.,,,,..„..,.
0
f
- •0 • ~: ,
~ 4.?
.„,II gettino
Hills® Brand thermals for the • entire family All at low prices
every day. Men's thermals, ladies', boys', girls', junior boys', and
junior girls' too. Even print or solid white thermals for
ladies. All lab-tested for performance-proven quality, so
Hills° Brand thermals will never leave you cold
We're the Anti-hdlation Deparbnent Stove.
When the EQA was designed and ad
ministered in the 1973 period, it was
voluntary, Caldwell said. The test was so
acceptable that the state made it manda
tory between the 1974 and 1976 academic
years. This was the only period in which
the test was administered by every
school district in Pennsylvania, he said.
Following the period in which the test
was made mandatory, the state revised
the EQA, and again made it voluntary
after 1977, Caldwell said. So they had
EQA measures from all Pennsylvania
districts that would be comparable be
cause of the mandatory testing period.
They discovered that 46 districts had
teacher strikes bet Ween the first admin
istration of the EQA and the second
voluntary administration.
They then analyzed each district by
size (number of pupils), wealth (money
spent per student) and geography.
Eighty-eight comparable non-strike dis
tricts were selected. The districts were
matched very closely by size, wealth and
geography.
The second dimension studied by Cald
well and Moskalski was the time period
between the strike and the second EQA
testing, or how far away the strike oc
curred from the re-test. Caldwell said
this period ranged from six months to
three years.
"The year of and the year following the
strike there was a significant decline in
both reading and math scores," he said.
"But two and three years after the strike
the achievement started to catch up."
The third dimension studied was the
length of the strike. The teacher strikes
were divided into categories of length:
one to six days, seven to 13 days, etc.
Caldwell said for strikes up to 12 days,
no large difference in scores was ob
served.
"But once (the strike) crossed over the
13-day mark, there was a significant
..„% k ,
siAli c '
le Ir. r<, ,13 ,•;
;,. t.,, - (..
.--., ,i , .. ,
4P P 44
kt ii:q: •t.-.
.I . ff.,'
V . , <: .r
sr.l,4i '
....“ .
ti,,.;.,,, C.
""1 1, ;',
.: I ,:3''"•ii'
.„...f„ , ,..-A
~...t.
<et,
t ,
I‘`'
r:7 , 444.0.'v•
T,t5.... , ..,Ak." - ••••••••••• • :
-
I fs l l l oel
c l 4l.l t 4 i i
ISSAt if
' 11, 1 1 4, 0t't1
'. %Wei
• oN t i l l t rix
• 101 l fitii / A
'4l.oill'itifll i
l 44AJ'l'i'lv tit
i o i 1 a I § 0
T l l9/ 1 1 { 10
. WhYll/ 1 1 1
l y,l4 l i f t t,
~
' as i I
o l yit I , i , ~.,
'h i /4 1, 4 1 1T
f t l j tj ~I
4 i rf 5 ..se
Pl l l l , l l l l ,','''.
i k i t l l l l * 4 l li '':'',/
14 4 04 1 1 1 1 '1!I
1 ~,,
F A * ~, is, i •,'A
1 1 1 1 r tl , l
It./ 1 013
, 11 .k/ 4 1 1 1 I
: it , f /
' hiljiltl lt,
;fel j 44
1 / I i 4,
E j 4 1 1.14
{ f 1 li
titkif
fi
(4.1 4
.. il
'T:4I I
, i
[mg
'f i; c •
ff;
'l4°'
~:.: S. :,
I.', ..
1 ,.,:.. ',?4
~,: e r ilk
Y.' ni
.';;',. hiv;
,:,,....
i .
.
L'.l,
I ii
State College: Hills Plaza - South Atherton St. (Rt. 322 E) & Branch Rd.
Store Hours: 10-10 Monday-Saturday/12-5 Sunday
decline in all levels in math, and some
levels of reading," he said.
Surprisingly, the longer the strike, the
more the reading scores returned to
normal, although they were still signifi
cantly lower, according to the study.
"That statistic shows how much influ
ence the home has," Caldwell said.
"Math is much more school-oriented, so
it shows the greater effect. of conflict.
"Families are more likely to help a
youngster to read, and he would be
reading at church or in clubs," he said.
"Reading is reinforced in a number of
areas. But he wouldn't be likely to do
math problems at church or in a club."
Caldwell also conducted a study with
Robert P. Miller; a principal in the Cum
berland Valley School District, examin
ing student attendance.
That study concluded that while no
differences existed in student attendance
in comparable districts prior to a strike,
attendance decreased significantly fol
lowing a strike. Forty-nine districts
Strike s not canceled teaching practicums
By LESLIE K. ZUCK
Daily Collegian Staff Writer
University seniors majoring in education have been "This one took us by surprise, in effeCt, because it we would experience any serious placement problems,"
affected by the 50-day-long Philadelphia teachers wasn't a contract year," he said. he said.
strike, but none have been denied a practicum because "Our prime responsibility," Sharp said, "is to place
of the strike, Robert F. Neuhard, University coordina- the students in the best possible school for their majors.
tor for the Office of Clinical Experiences, said. It's a very important term for them.
About 16 special education, majors who were original- "1 . have all my students placed in Delaware and
ly assigned placements, or student teaching positions, Chester counties, which isn't unusual," he said: "Sec
in Philadelphia city schools Fall Term were reassigned ondary, elementary and special ed students are Already
to schools outside the city the day after Labor Day, said placed for Winter Term and it's business as usual."
Martin W. Sharp, University coordinator/supervisor for "I have one student with a double major who we had
student teaching. trouble placing Winter Term because she needed hear
" All our people got to do their practicums," Neuhard ing impaired and elementary education, but we got her
said. "I can't say they weren't affected, though, be- a position at the Philadelphia School for the Deaf, which
cause in some cases we had to move them.", is what she wanted," he said.
He said strikes cause extra work for the education Neuhard said no student at the University has ever
:ill •
.. 11'1 1. : 110,1.
lii !:•:* Yiilit:ititil
4.ii. I . ' , ilvi. l'
liiirtiili! i i ] . 104 / I !!
fiiiilliai t , u l , ,111
!iliii•liiiU I , '•':1! il iiii l l
iciliv p ~. till ill
loidnldi„i 1 !.i t • ! 1! 1, !
•illlo4 o ' l'4li ' tl 0 toil ! '
Jirli lilil too i !! i 1111! Y 1
111 ,Till ll' i) 1 :i` Ir.liti
1 1
i 4)11 pili I I *: ii q : NI! i
1 - ..: .. •
_,.: • • doi i
.._,....:::, . 7 ....
. t ,it
l ' iii Firli.iii tilonii
~ .11110 ii!giiiio,.. i l,tio
1 ill is ii Ai!iiiituit lildi
11.11 1 0 4 !m i ptl l lii l lti
4 i l l i ilihli tl i vql llol,,i i ,
loop 111. ril l il'O i
li i iii ill Ito i%i .
i ~,mini, I 1 lil t
Iliniltiiih•• .liiiltilil l , d
. i•riiihio .:( i. )iii.
ii i l l I li tilh 1;i
thiwill. 111 ioi
'lllilioLl 111,1il i
!.10, 1 ) ! !ii t ol l
initio..! !Ili lii
. iiilip
.1) i. l
0
NM.' 1 ill
11! ,Iy,
,
ill
iii
li!#li .
1(0 i. T o li
litilhi !hot
ILliii 1111 ii,
sii,
E ; : ?111 1
011141
iiii ,•,.
r i iip s,t.o
`ol'.'
Edlq
which did not experience strikes were
compared to 49 districts which did expe
rience strikes.
"The depressing thing about that sta
tistic is that student attendance has de
clined steadily over the last 10 years, but
it declines faster after a strike," Cald
well said.
Miller speculated that the reason at
tendance declines after a strike may be
because students attitudes are affected.
"The kids see the teachers aren't in
school, and services are stopped, and
they think 'why should we go?,' " he
said.
Strikes cause a very negative situation
in a school district, and one way to
encourage student attendance after a
strike is to encourage enthusiasm among
the teachers and administration, he said.
"You have to get the staff back togeth
er and get the 'esprit de corps' again," he
said.
Caldwell said other studies have been
done which show that more students drop
department because the coordinators sometimes have been denied a placement because of a strike.
to find replacement practicums for students. "It would take a massive shut-down statewide before
.- 4 ..„ ,
.t. .
.4pc b .. ::..
...),
'
.. ~.....
} . 1...>1
• - rk,
~ ! a: 4.,
... 1 - le
Y.d....,
e
f ilf, o•
'34 ) ,,114
j .. *..t,7
e
-61 Y
AS4
*
• L
out of school following a teachers' strike.
"If anyone in education thinks about it
long enough, they have to support the
opinion that strikes affect achievement,
and that it may affect the teacher-pupil
relationship," he said.
Seven states allow teachers the right to
strike, and strikes have increased in
those states since the legislation was
passed, Caldwell said.
Public school teacher strikes are not
new to Pennsylvania. The state has aver
aged 31 teacher strikes each year since
1970. The Philadelphia School District
ended a 51-day strike last week, and
another school district has not started
school yet this year. Teachers in two
other districts are threatening to strike.
One reason Pennsylvania has so many
strikes may be because it has so many
districts, Caldwell said.
"The state of Hawaii allows teachers to
strike, .but they have only one district.
Pennsylvania has 505," Caldwell said.
"The more both sides feel they are right
411
111,11 1
1 1 1t i tiM
tVi l t l l i t i
M I 1 1 4 1
11 1 1 1 1 1 11 1 ft (
1.11 4 4 6 1 0 1 1 .
1 1 1 1 1 1 1
361 1 1 ,
Ittt 1
1/k 4l
0 1
II ) 11 1 1
,1
qt l i f t I L I
114:1 1111 1 :1 1 :
5 1 4 t i
i• 4 I I I t
1111 4 1 1
tiltllll
• ~„1 .„
„,
111111,„
ok .
,„,
. „:„„
i t I .I
ty 1 11!
'1 ti'
trelV it
WI 1 % )
,
11111 •
.11ti l t l i •
4 1 1,4 1,1
•
hl l l /10. s i
Otltt,i',l
itt
V
4 4 0
I
/L.
Sharp said all of the institutions in Pennsylvania,
including Penn State, Temple University and Cheyney
State College, have experienced a large decline in
education enrollment in the last three years, so there
are fewer students to place.
Sandy Cohen (11th-elementary education), said Penn
State students were not affected nearly as much as
students from Philadelphia colleges.
Cohen, who is student teaching this term in a Philadel
phia suburb, said many students from Temple Universi
ty and other colleges in the Philadelphia area who
usually receive placements in the city were reassigned
to parochial and private schools.
1. ti.
' ill
liii
OHM
.o' ll \l'Ni
itt l llll9ol l l
lit litili,
:110:itic
1 , 11 , 111
ill q iit
i 111 1 1
1 ilyil.
it h'.l
'Olll I
1 111 " 1
. 1 10 1
1. till
1 1 1 1 hill;!.
o, l l'o,l\i
ill l ~1
illill 1
Ili i I
'III ii
.
I , 1
....1.
about the issue, the more likely a strike is
to occur."
When asked if the study might act as a
deterrent on potential teacher strikes,
Moskalski said he hoped it would.
"I would like to say it would, but once
people's emotions get .to the point where
a strike might occur, they need more
information than the study," he said.
Miller said the Cumberland Valley
School District had a teachers' strike in
1975, and although it lasted only about
four days, it had a significant impact.
"It had a big impact on the attitude of
the central offices toward the teacherS,"
he said.
Caldwell said he thinks new alterna
tives to strikes must be found.
"When the conflicts are so harsh, it
does affect the kids," he said.
"You can parallel it to a family situa
tion," Caldwell, added. "Two people with
a family don't always agree on every
thing, but they work the disputes out
without affecting the kids."
a. 4
4c,
PARTNERS
IN CRIME
For YOU at the
*.iregOo' 04Z - `
74-... q 111 1 / 2 E. Beaver
NO COVER! ,
0 Happy Hour 0
Prices 11l 10:30
THE PHYRST BOTTLE SHOP
HAS YOUR BRAND AT A
PLEASING PRICE!!!
**
I SHALL
RETURN!
If you're hungry as the whole Fifth
Army, march out to Toftrees'
Thursday Evening Buffet. Capture
the custom•carved Prime Rib,
wade into gourmet entries that
vary each week, like Sole
Florentine, or rich Rack of Lamb,
or savory Veal Picata. Conquer,
like Caesar, the fields of salad.
Advance through lines of
vegetables, over mountains of
fresh fruit and hot crusty breads.
Our chef will never call retreat ...
and it won't take the Pentagon to
_pay for it. Just $12.50, for as long
as you can counter-attack.
Toftrees
country country club and lodge
one country club lane. tottrees
• 237-4877
*Thp
)(e , • .
SNOW.
BEAR)
1"
.'• .
hPitt .—*
ve Lei \Ail
mirth 16 &lye - ri o
r e AR.
Aorromp •
~K 4 swiried
i>,ll
ice cream.
Mted wlrFi nut/leg.
(Cor d til *tra:allslt.- ffginlVnl
Wader
country Tavern
83 cricidetiOddrlYe-tftet5.237:1049
12,500 hoagie
rolls, please
To handle baking for 12,500 University Park students the
bakery uses more than five tons of flour, 1 1 / 2 tons of sugar,
eight tons of shortening and 180 lbs. of dry yeast a week.
Much of this goes into the more than 285,000 loaves of bread
baked a year. The rolls made yesterday are part of the 275,-
000 dozen rolls made annually.
The dough is made in a big mixer with a capacity for 640
loaves, above left. It is then formed into little balls, right, and
shaped into rolls for the final rising. After rising they are
baked, above. Finally, they are automatically dumped onto
cooling conveyors which snake through the bakery, bagged,
and sent out.
IS LAW SCHOOL FOR YOU?
A DISCUSSION WITH
Sandra Weckesser
Admissions Officer
Temple University School of Law
Virginia Eisenstein
Attorney
Ben Novak
Attorney
Edward Keynes
Professor of Political Science
Thursday, November 5
301 HUB 7:30-9:30
Sponsored by Dept. of Political Science
Trip a journalist today. a 0;
Today's dining hall meal of meatball sandwiches was in the
making yesterday at the Food Services bakery. The bakery,
housed in the Food Stores building near the bus station,
supplies most of the pastries, cookies, rolls and breads for the
HUB food operations, dining halls at Uniyersity Park and
often Commonwealth campuses. Occasionally, baked goods
are even supplied to the Nittany Lion Inn, Bill Curley,
director of food services, said.
Photos by Janis Burger
~...v,v ,' ,. ;' 7. ' ' • • .
, .
. ,
,
•
. .
..
. .
. „, .. .
- -fiN ':71 41/ .4
• ..5, . k . ' ' ; ' . l. l '; , ', •;-,-
' 1‘.,5;•,.
1 . ' -: ...:1.."
4
4., '`. ' 7
:. •':. ' • ''••: ,'' ~ i ;' , .a . -1,•• "
•
• . • •
.•
..
''' ;;•:•,
.. . ,
. , • - -..:A•:1,1
..
• -le,
. . . . . . .. , .
B• . .
• . . . .. ..
. .
Nbre.' .:. re .. . 4ri
a
..e elk ....Lt... u _... $ I . 5 0
•
• - ...irk:: : • ......-.. ...
- ,• • •• • • Director: Michael Some
hrR Cast: Raquel Welch, Mac West.
John Huston Res Reed
• 94 minutes
1970 R
• . '.. ':' •.' .. - ,\. -‘,..)
‘ ; \ . • a... . Myra flreckinridge is on out.
t - )i 4 \
.. i . ...: , . til rogeous adaptation of Gore
, zk voors bestselling novel about
ill' s . :: ,),5,*`•,. . .
_.-4 .- • / . trt n transsexual who becomes a
• . '1
J .
;ne:7A'4' 4.,,,,i
. ‘. .'5k. , . , wAV It
,
~.,,, ..-
4 ' 7', , . k , -:,
*rri
•
. —.lea .
; . - %.) . c ,„ >
_ pr.z.xygouuzn...n..wh,on..d
...h.,. 1. alto, his sex, Raquel
Welch stars as the Amazon he
becomes and Moe West Is the
coon eating Intent agent Racy.
. Z L.
CD risque. and oh-so. clever. Myra
Oreckinridge takes Vidor
•
• Ns. - . CO
• 0 nal chic hurnol and stretches this
audacious material to the limit
141111 '
!'t
- "'"i . ' .f . 4 \ .:.:,.,4„ ....,r-
L NG
.-• . .
. ,
. .
,A. . • •
',::\ If
i . - . . •
, . .
• i•
1 .c
. . 41 4 1 H . ' . " . • . . 1"--
4-- . .
f I
New York Times
The Daily Collegian Thursday, Nov. 5, 1981-5