Television and educational reform in El Salvador, report on the third year of research

THIS SCHOOL YEAR, 1971, WAS AN "ABNORMAL" YEAR FOR THE REFORM FOR CHIEFLY TWO REASONS: THE ELIMINATION OF TUITION FOR THE THIRD CYCLE (SEVENTH THROUGH NINTH GRADE, DURING WHICH ITV IS USED) AND A BITTER, TWO-MONTH TEACHERS" STRIKE. LINGERING BAD FEELINGS AND DISORGANIZATION AFFECTED ITV AND ACCORDINGLY ITS RESULTS. ITV WAS DISCONTINUED DURING THE STRIKE IN THE NINTH GRADE AND NEVER RESUMED, AND WAS OUT OF PHASE IN MANY SEVENTH AND EIGHTH GRADE CLASSES. SPECIFICALLY, GAINS IN ALL SUBJECTS WERE LOWER IN THE SEVENTH AND EIGHTH GRADE CLASSES THAN IN 1970. HOWEVER, ITV SEVENTH GRADE CLASSES GAINED MORE IN SCIENCE AND SOCIAL STUDIES THAN NON-ITV CLASSES. NINTH GRADE ITV CLASSES MAINTAINED THEIR LEADS IN SCIENCE AND MATHEMATICS, BUT BY THE YEAR"S END, NON-ITV CLASSES IN SOCIAL STUDIES WERE AHEAD. BOTH STUDENTS" AND TEACHERS" ATTITUDES WERE LESS FAVORABLE DURING THIS SECOND YEAR OF THE REFORM, ATTRIBUTED PRINCIPALLY TO THE STRIKE. ALTHOUGH THIS YEAR MUST BE VIEWED IN PERSPECTIVE, IT IS SEEN AS A LOW POINT IN THE FOUR-YEAR EVALUATION STUDY. IN ADDITION TO THE COLLECTED DATA ON AND ANALYSIS OF THE ABOVE, MATERIALS AND FINDINGS FROM THE ADMINISTRATIVE HISTORY OF THE REFORM HAVE BEEN INCLUDED.