Assessment

MPLS Elementary Citizenship Program, Building a Caring Community

Assessment Summary

Full text of Price Laboratory School Citizenship Program: A Qualitative Assessment, by Lynn Nielsen (*PDF)

In 1998, Dr. Lynn Nielsen, former elementary principal at Price Laboratory School, conducted a qualitative assessment of the PLS Elementary Citizenship Program. His study focused on exploring these specific questions: 1) What is a good citizen? 2) To what degree do PLS students display good citizenship? 3) In what areas do PLS students need to improve in demonstrating good citizenship? 4) To what degree is the PLS Citizenship Program an effective tool in building citizenship behaviors in the lives of students? 5) What classroom qualities reinforce these citizenship ideals? (Nielsen, 1998)

Dr. Nielsen used parent, teacher, and student paper and pencil surveys with open-ended questions as his primary qualitative methodology. He also conducted interviews with one parent and five teachers.

Some conclusions this study reported are:

80% of the students surveyed described a good citizen as a person who cares, is respectful, or is responsible.
Both teachers and parents definitions of "good citizenship" were more clearly delineated in 1998 than 1993.
Data from this study suggests teachers perceive students as more respectful and responsible in 1998 than in 1993.
Data from this study suggests that aspects of the PLS Elementary Citizenship Program reinforce and focus on the importance of adults in the school being positive role models for the students.

Full text of Price Laboratory School Citizenship Program: A Qualitative Assessment, by Lynn Nielsen*

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For more information contact:
Michelle Swanson at michelle.swanson@uni.edu (319-273-2600)
Clare Struck at clare.struck@uni.edu (319-273-6189)
Kim Miller at kim.miller@uni.edu (319-273-3127)