[Keys to the Elementary School Environment (with Subgroup Reference Norms): How Children Perceive Their School Environment.]

The objective of the study was "to determine how the elementary school child evaluates his school environment through a comparison of the school as he sees it with how professional education intends it to be." The "Keys to Elementary School Environment," an instrument designed to measure the environmental press as perceived by elementary school pupils, was administered to over 5,000 fifth- and sixth-grade pupils in 43 Texas schools. Ten series of statements were utilized to represent aspects of school environment which would contribute to the following 10 areas of press: intellectual improvement, health and physical fitness, social relationships, moral and spiritual values, home-school relationships, vocational aspirations, civic responsibility, aesthetic appreciation, acceptance and emotional security, and independence. Scores of the subjects on the 120 questions were subjected to factor analysis which yielded 10 rotated factors that accounted for approximately one-half of the variance. Comparisons were made between pupil responses by grade, ethnic group, sex, participation or nonparticipation in Title I programs, and ability group. The document contains Form E of the instrument used and directions for its administration; tabulations of pupil responses and press differences; a table on percentages of teachers, administrators, and total pupils reflecting press; and subgroup reference norms and instructions for plotting profiles to enable comparison of responses with previously collected data. (JH)