Search

THE SCHOOL POLITICS OF TWO COMMUNITIES WERE REPORTED. RANDOM-SAMPLE SURVEYS WERE CONDUCTED FOR BOTH THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS OF EUGENE AND SPRINGFIELD. INTERVIEWS WERE MADE WITH 703 RANDOMLY SELECTED ADULTS IN EUGENE AND 528 IN SPRINGFIELD. ATTITUDE OR ORIENTATION MEASUREMENTS WERE OBTAINED FOR VARIOUS ASPECTS OF THEIR PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEMS. THESE MEASURES WERE OBTAINED 4 YEARS LATER, AFTER THE NEW TECHNIQUES HAD BEEN INITIATED IN THE SCHOOL SYSTEMS. THE FINDINGS INDICATED BOTH PROGRAMS HAD A VISIBLE IMPACT UPON CITIZENS, BOTH IN THEIR CONVERSATION AND THEIR REGARD FOR THEIR SCHOOLS. (RS)

A random sample of the population in each of five Oregon cities was interviewed in 1964 and 1966, to assess the impact on citizen support for the schools of a series of innovative educational programs for the culturally deprived. In general, a change to more favorable attitudes toward the programs was found among both the citizens at large and the program participants during the 3-year research period. The magnitude of this change was found to vary according to the respondents' information level, community involvement level, degree of alienation toward the governmental process in general, personal interests, socioeconomic class, and race. Educational decision makers concerned with the current "taxpayers' revolt" should be aware of these findings, which suggest that educational improvements for the culturally deprived may often increase rather than erode citizen support for the schools. (JH)

FACTS ABOUT RACE AND THE SCHOOLS IN PORTLAND, OREGON, ARE PRESENTED. QUESTIONS WERE ASKED OF WHITE AND NEGRO RESIDENTS. ANSWERS GIVEN BY NEGROES INDICATE THAT THE NEGRO FEELS THAT HE IS EQUAL TO THE WHITE, THAT HE SHOULD LIVE IN INTEGRATED RATHER THAN SEGREGATED NEIGHBORHOODS, AND THAT NEGRO CHILDREN SHOULD ATTEND PREDOMINANTLY WHITE SCHOOLS. SLIGHTLY MORE THAN ONE-HALF OF THE NEGROES EARNED LESS THAN $4,000 PER YEAR AND ONLY 10 PERCENT ATTENDED COLLEGE. NEGRO INVOLVEMENT IN SCHOOL AFFAIRS COMPARED FAVORABLY WITH THAT OF WHITE CITIZENS. HOWEVER, THE NEGRO FEELS HE WOULD LIKE TO BE MORE INFLUENTIAL. ANSWERS GIVEN BY WHITES INDICATED THAT 72 PERCENT REGARD NEGROES AS EQUAL TO WHITE IN INTELLIGENCE, BUT ONLY 50 PERCENT WANT INTEGRATED HOUSING. AS AGE INCREASED, WHITE CITIZEN PREJUDICE TOWARD NEGROES STEADILY INCREASED. WHITE CITIZENS WITH PRESCHOOL-AGE CHILDREN WERE THE LEAST PREJUDICED, AND THOSE WITH CHILDREN IN ALL-WHITE SCHOOLS WERE THE MOST PREJUDICED.