Center for Social Organization of Schools records

Record Group

Identifier: RG-08-070

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

The records of the Center for Social Organization of Schools span the years 1966 to 1985, with the bulk of the materials dating from 1966 to 1980. These records consist mostly of draft and reprinted articles written by CSOS researchers. The articles dating from 1966 to approximately 1972 tend to focus on racial relations in schools and racial-determinants of academic performance. The articles from later years cover a variety of topics including the educational uses of microcomputers and the employment patterns of graduates. The record group is divided into five series: (1) Research Reports, 1966-1985; (2) Reprints, 1968-1984; (3) Papers, 1966-1984; (4) Internal Reports, 1968-1969; (5) Newsletters, 1967, 1983-1984; and (6) CDS Reports, 1991-1994.

Dates

Creation: 1966-1985

Creator

Center for Social Organization of Schools, The Johns Hopkins University. (Organization)

Conditions Governing Use

Single copies may be made for research purposes. Researchers are responsible for determining any copyright questions. It is not necessary to seek our permission as the owner of the physical work to publish or otherwise use public domain materials that we have made available for use, unless Johns Hopkins University holds the copyright.

History

The Center for Social Organization of Schools (CSOS) was founded in 1966 under the aegis of the United States Office of Education. The long-term goals of the Center were to study the effects of the social and administrative organization of schools on the learning process and to use the results of these studies to develop innovations in school curriculum and organization. The CSOS pursued its objectives through five programs: academic games, social accounts, talents and competencies, school organization, and careers and curricula.

In the first few years of its existence, CSOS focussed almost exclusively on the effects of desegregation on schools, teachers, and students. After the mid-1970s, the range of the Center's research broadened to include studies of educational microcomputers, gender-based determinants of school performance, and students' employment patterns after graduation.

The Center's staff consisted of 15 interdisciplinary senior researchers and approximately the same number of support staff. The senior researchers included educational sociologists, social and clinical psychologists and computer specialists. The first director of the CSOS was Dr. Edward L. McDill. McDill was succeeded around 1971 by Dr. John Holland. In 1977, McDill returned to become co-director along with Dr. James McPartland.

Bibliography:
Anonymous, "Accomplishments and Capabilities in Educational Research," circa 1974.
McDill, Edward, et al, "Second Annual Report, Section One, Narrative One," 1968.

Extent

6.84 Cubic Feet (18 letter size document boxes)

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Provenance

Reports from the years 1978 to 1979 were transferred from the Milton S. Eisenhower Library by Pierre Berry. Later reports were received from CSOS as they were released. The Provenance of earlier records is unknown.