The importance and implementation of the middle school program criteria in the state of Georgia as perceived by principals in urban, suburban and rural middle schools

Abstract

The primary purpose of this study was to describe the perceived importance of the middle school program criteria and the extent to which the criteria are implemented in middle schools in the state of Georgia as reported by urban (inner city), suburban, and rural middle school principals. The middle school program criteria is the set of procedures, requirements, and guidelines developed by the Georgia Department of Education for the operation of a middle school in the state of Georgia (Georgia Department of Education, n.d.). The stud y also explored differences in perceptions about the importance of the middle school program criteria and their degree of implementation among middle school principals in urban, suburban, and rural school districts. Finally, the study evaluated the relationship between middle school principals’ perceptions of the importance of the middle school program criteria and middle school principals’ perceptions of their degree of implementation.|A descriptive research design was employed. The researcher-developed Middle School Program Implementation Survey was used to collect data. The target population for this study was all (N = 388) middle school principals in Georgia. Two hundred twenty four principals responded to the mailed survey for a return rate of 57.73%.|Major findings were as follows: 1. Middle school principals indicated a high degree of implementation of the middle school program criteria.|2. Middle school principals’ perceptions reflected a very high degree of importance attached to key characteristics of the middle school.|3. Middle school principals in three school district types (urban, suburban, and rural) differed significantly in their perceptions regarding the degree of implementation of the middle school program criteria. The mean ratings of the degree of implementation of the middle school program for urban principals (M =3.58, SD =.21) were significantly higher than the mean ratings of the degree of implementation of the middle school program for rural principals (M = 3.45, SD = .25).|4. Middle school principals in three school district types (urban, suburban, and rural) did not differ significantly in their perceptions regarding the importance of the middle school program criteria.|5. There was a positive relationship between the perceived importance of the middle school program criteria and their degree of implementation in middle schools.