Graduate Thesis Or Dissertation
 

An analysis of the ability and achievement of students in career cluster programs compared to students not in career cluster programs

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  • Purpose The purpose of this study was to compare the ability and achievement of students in career cluster programs to the ability and achievement of students not in career cluster programs. The cluster programs included in this study were Distributive Education, Health Careers, Mechanical, Food Services, Metals, Child Care, Construction, and Office Occupations. Procedure This study gathered data with which to compare the achievement and ability of students in cluster programs with those of students in other academic areas. Through personal contact with the principals and counselors at the schools, access was secured to the cumulative folders, which included compilations of each student's records upon graduation. The data transferred from these folders to the recording form included sex, clusters completed, Differential Aptitude Test scores, and grades received in the minimum graduation requirement classes. From the data on the recording form, means were computed for both the male and the female students in each cluster, In addition, means were computed for all the cluster students and all the noncluster students of each sex. Significant differences were determined by comparing each cluster group's mean Differential Aptitude Test scores and GPA with the means for the non-cluster group of the same sex. Findings There were 1890 students included in this study of which 372 were cluster students and 1518 were non-cluster students, The mean DAT scores and GPA's of the cluster students were respectively compared to the mean DAT scores and GPA's of the non-cluster students. An analysis of variance was made between these groups and an F-value was established. An F-value greater than 3.84 is significant at the . 05 level. An F-value greater than 6. 63 is significant at the 01 level. An F-value greater than 10.83 is significant at the . 001 level. In most cases, there was a significant difference between the cluster and non-cluster students' DAT scores and GPA's. Respectively, cluster students as a group were found to be of lower ability and achievement than non-cluster students, according to the measures used. Six conclusions were drawn from this study and five recommendations developed. Conclusions The six conclusions that were drawn from this study are: 1. Students in cluster programs are generally lower in potential ability and academic achievement. 2. There is no significant difference between the DAT scores and GPA's of Health Cluster boys and the DAT scores and GPA of non-cluster boys. 3. There is no significant difference between the GPA of Office Occupation girls and the GPA of non-cluster girls. 4. There is no significant difference in seven out of the eight DAT scores and GPA for boys in the Child Care cluster compared to non-cluster boys. 5. It appears that students in Mechanics, Construction, and Metals clusters are being channeled into the appropriate clusters, as there is no significant difference between the mechanical reasoning and space relations mean DAT scores compared to non-cluster boys' mechanical reasoning and space relations mean DAT scores. 6. The sample size in many cases was not large enough to enable the drawing of any valid conclusions. Recommendations Further studies are needed to: 1. Reveal how cluster students are performing in their specific cluster areas, Z. Determine in five years if the addition of new clusters attracts higher ability students. 3. Identify from higher ability and higher achieving students why they are not in cluster programs. 4. Ascertain if the lower ability and lower achieving students are being channeled into new courses added to the school curriculum. 5. Measure academic ability and achievement by a means other than reading.
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