A Comparative Analysis of the Values That Are Predominant in Private Schools, Public Choice Schools, and Public Attendance-Zone Schools in San Antonio, Texas

Carrie Ausbrooks

Abstract

Public concern with respect to declining traditional values, character, and family structure in the midst of increased crime, violence, and drug use have brought American education into the political arena and under intense scrutiny.  The purpose of this study was to investigate whether or not differences exist in the values fostered in private schools, public choice schools and public attendance-zone schools and whether or not there are differences in the values that are identified by students as compared with teachers.  The theoretical framework for the study is based upon the beliefs that values form the foundation of human behavior and that schools influence the values of societies in which they exist.

In this study, values were defined as internal guides or standards by which people make decisions and organize their lives publicly and privately.  The study was guided by five research questions: (1) What institutional values are identified by students who attend private, public choice and public attendance-zone schools as emphasized in the instructional program? (2) Do student responses regarding values differ by ethnicity, gender and grade level? (3) Are there differences in the values that are identified by these students relative to the type of schools they attend? (4) What institutional values are identified by private, public choice and public attendance-zone schools teachers as emphasized in the instructional program? (5) Do these values differ among the students and teachers in these schools?

The sample comprised 1866 students in grades 6-8 and 114 teachers in nine schools.   Frequency distributions, means and bivariate analysis of the percentage distributions were used to provide descriptive findings, and the chi-square statistic was used to test the significance of the hypothesized relationships.

The findings from the student data indicated that when all factors are considered; i.e., gender, grade level, ethnicity and type of school, there were more similarities than differences between the values identified by students and teachers in the nine schools studied.  Private schools emphasized spiritual and educational values, and public schools emphasize educational values.  When all data sources were taken into account for all three types of schools, educational values were found to be predominant, followed by moral and personal values.