Identifying the dimensions of environmental press at the elementary school level : Afactor analysis of beta press

This document gives a detailed report of the advancement of an instrument for assessing the elementary school educational environment of young children. Fifty-four public elementary schools (grades K-6) in Massachusetts were randomly selected. Educational environment was assessed in the sampled schools by having 5,412 fifth- and sixth-grade students respond to two forms of the Elementary School Environment Survey (ESES) consisting of 40 statements each concerning conditions and happenings characteristic of elementary schools. Students were asked to respond to each statement in ESES as a true or false description of their elementary schools. These responses were subjected to factor analysis and rotated along oblique axes. Six emerging factors were reviewed by 12 judges and contextually named: alienation, humanism, autonomy, morale, opportunism, and resource. A procedure for assessing environments and ways in which environmental information might be used are suggested. A 14-item bibliography is included.