ERIC Number: ED548610
Record Type: Non-Journal
Publication Date: 2012
Pages: 104
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: 978-1-2673-2942-4
ISSN: N/A
EISSN: N/A
A Study of Selected Factors in the Judgment of Role Priorities by Elementary and Middle School Principals
Cole, Steven W.
ProQuest LLC, Ed.D. Dissertation, Roosevelt University
The basic purpose of this study was to determine the extent of differences regarding the importance of role priorities among principals with different levels of administrative experience. As an extension of a previous investigation (Decman, 2005), a study involving principals with one, three, and five or more years of experience with an examination of three additional factors was conducted. The other moderator variables considered for the study were the type of school (elementary or middle) that one leads, years as a principal in the current school, and level of student achievement with respect to the No Child Left Behind Act mandate of meeting Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP). An anonymous 47-item survey was sent to principals electronically. It required respondents to rate 33 priorities established by previous studies that fell into five distinct categories associated with the principalship, and then to select the top two priorities within each of these categories. Four questions solicited demographic information: number of years as a principal, number of years as a principal in the current school, type of school, and if the school was making adequate yearly progress for the 2007-2008 school year. Participants were selected from a public listing of school districts' websites that provided information about individual schools along with the names of their respective principals and e-mail addresses. Data collection ran for 11 weeks. A three-way ANOVA was used to test the null hypotheses involving the aforementioned factors. As predicted, there was a significance difference in overall experience, and also as predicted there was no significant difference in years as a principal in the current school, level of school, and making or not making AYP. The relationships between these ratings and the aforementioned moderator variables were measured. The rankings of the top two priorities disclosed the importance of instructional leadership. Recommendations for actions were offered to carry out this role, with the possibility that they could serve as a resource for principals, individuals involved with providing in-service programs regarding leadership skills, and for preparation programs for those seeking leadership roles. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]
Descriptors: Principals, Administrator Characteristics, Administrator Qualifications, Experience, Elementary Schools, Middle Schools, Academic Achievement, Surveys, Needs Assessment, Statistical Analysis, Hypothesis Testing, Institutional Characteristics, Educational Indicators, Instructional Leadership, Leadership Qualities, Leadership Training
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Publication Type: Dissertations/Theses - Doctoral Dissertations
Education Level: Elementary Education; Middle Schools; Secondary Education; Junior High Schools
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A