Problems involved in implementing early childhood centers into the public schools of Texas as perceived by state legislators, chief school administrators, and child development specialists

The purpose of the study was to determine if legislators, chief school administrators, and child development specialists held different perceptions relating to the problems involved in implementing early childhood centers into the public schools of Texas. It further sought to establish a relationship between certain demographic characteristics and perceptions within the groups of respondents. An instrument was developed for the respondents to rate their perceptions of the problems. The instrument contained 32 problems which were obtained through personal communication with administrators of public school early childhood centers throughout the United States and from a search of related literature. The instrument was mailed to 80 chief school administrators, in Texas, 22 members of the education committees of the Texas House and Senate, and 36 professors of-Child Development in Texas colleges and universities. One hundred fourteen were returned, yielding a response rate of 83% for the study. [...]