The problem of the study was to describe the development, implementation and evaluation of an alternative approach to learning for a selected group of students within the Kingsport, Tennessee City School System. Literature was reviewed, researched, and presented the reader with information concerning options in public education. An intact group consisting of 11 students enrolled in the Alternative School, Kingsport, Tennessee from August, 1979 through May, 1980 comprised the sample of this study. The students' ages ranged from 12 years through 15 years. All students were exposed to the program design. A program was developed which was based upon objectives designed to meet the needs of the subjects involved in the study. The objectives and needs were established through psychological and vocational valuations (pretests). Upon admittance to the program, an M-Team meeting was held in order to develop an individualized educational plan (IEP) for each student. At the conclusion of the year the subjects were posttested to determine the effects of the program on learning. Eight hypotheses were tested for significance at the .05 level. The t-test for non-independent samples was utilized to analyze the data collected in the study. Analyses of the data indicated that: (a) there was positive change in students' attitudes toward school, but not at the .05 level of significance; (b) a positive but not statistically significant change of attitude toward self developed; (c) the mean gain scores of academic achievement were found to be lower than predicted; (d) the number of discipline referrals was significantly decreased at the conclusion of the program; (e) there was a significant reduction in suspensions/expulsions during the second semester; (f) there was a significant decrease in absenteeism during the second semester; (g) a positive, but not statistically significant, improvement was found in the analysis of data of potential dropouts; and (h) the subjects in the study showed a significant mean gain score of the potential salable skills. Based upon the findings of this study, the following conclusions were drawn: (a) evidence based on the study indicated that the Alternative School program in Kingsport, Tennessee should be continued; (b) a significant gain in the mastery of academic skills appears to be of secondary importance in alternative programs for disruptive students; (c) token economies permit students to meet requirements for success; (d) support services constitute an important element in ensuring student success; (e) alternative programs which contain career orientation provide a sense of responsibility and dignity to the students; (f) alternative programs provide supportive, accepting environments where students may succeed; (g) students appear to be happier in alternative schools and have more positive attitudes toward school; (h) alternative programs offer the expelled or suspended student an opportunity to continue his/her formal education; and (i) more positive attitudes are demonstrated by lower absentee rates, lower discipline referral rates and lower dropout rates. Recommendations for future research were offered.

Problem. The problem of this study was to determine the importance of competencies within critical administrative task areas as perceived by selected elementary school principals. Methods. Participants for the study were randomly selected from a total population of 429 elementary principals serving schools containing kindergarten through grade six in the state of North Carolina. A questionnaire was mailed to the 250 principals selected to participate in the study. Of the returned instruments 187 were complete and used for statistical analyses, with the data being analyzed using the SPSS Statistical Package for the Social Sciences. Fourteen null hypotheses were formulated and tested at the .05 level of significance. Each hypothesis was related directly to a demographic variable specified on the questionnaire. These hypotheses were then tested using the Kruskal-Wallis statistic, a nonparametric one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). ANOVA's were performed across each demographic variable for each competency within the five established critical administrative task areas. Findings. The findings of the study indicated the following information. No statistically significant difference in mean ranks was found in the following demographic variables: sex of the principal, age of the principal, geographic population of the school, school's level of student enrollment, principal's level of educational attainment, date principal's latest degree was earned, time served in the elementary principalship, principal's level of activity in professional organizations, and the occupational goals of principals. A statistically significant difference in mean ranks was found to exist overall between perceptions of the importance of competencies within critical administrative task areas held by principals who devote different amounts of time to professional growth weekly and by principals with different levels of membership in civic organizations. Conclusions. Significant differences were found in two of the demographic variables used to test the hypotheses for the study. Principals who devote more time to professional growth and those principals more involved in civic organizations tend to perceive these competencies as more important than other administrators in the state of North Carolina.

The problem of the study was to describe the development, implementation and evaluation of an alternative approach to learning for a selected group of students within the Kingsport, Tennessee City School System. Literature was reviewed, researched, and presented the reader with information concerning options in public education. An intact group consisting of 11 students enrolled in the Alternative School, Kingsport, Tennessee from August, 1979 through May, 1980 comprised the sample of this study. The students' ages ranged from 12 years through 15 years. All students were exposed to the program design. A program was developed which was based upon objectives designed to meet the needs of the subjects involved in the study. The objectives and needs were established through psychological and vocational valuations (pretests). Upon admittance to the program, an M-Team meeting was held in order to develop an individualized educational plan (IEP) for each student. At the conclusion of the year the subjects were posttested to determine the effects of the program on learning. Eight hypotheses were tested for significance at the .05 level. The t-test for non-independent samples was utilized to analyze the data collected in the study. Analyses of the data indicated that: (a) there was positive change in students' attitudes toward school, but not at the .05 level of significance; (b) a positive but not statistically significant change of attitude toward self developed; (c) the mean gain scores of academic achievement were found to be lower than predicted; (d) the number of discipline referrals was significantly decreased at the conclusion of the program; (e) there was a significant reduction in suspensions/expulsions during the second semester; (f) there was a significant decrease in absenteeism during the second semester; (g) a positive, but not statistically significant, improvement was found in the analysis of data of potential dropouts; and (h) the subjects in the study showed a significant mean gain score of the potential salable skills. Based upon the findings of this study, the following conclusions were drawn: (a) evidence based on the study indicated that the Alternative School program in Kingsport, Tennessee should be continued; (b) a significant gain in the mastery of academic skills appears to be of secondary importance in alternative programs for disruptive students; (c) token economies permit students to meet requirements for success; (d) support services constitute an important element in ensuring student success; (e) alternative programs which contain career orientation provide a sense of responsibility and dignity to the students; (f) alternative programs provide supportive, accepting environments where students may succeed; (g) students appear to be happier in alternative schools and have more positive attitudes toward school; (h) alternative programs offer the expelled or suspended student an opportunity to continue his/her formal education; and (i) more positive attitudes are demonstrated by lower absentee rates, lower discipline referral rates and lower dropout rates. Recommendations for future research were offered.

The problem of this study was to determine if significant differences existed between teachers and school board members in two school districts in Kentucky in their perceptions of 35 selected educational issues and procedures. The population studied included all teachers and board members in the two selected school districts. A study of the county school district in Kentucky was conducted in 1973 and in 1982. Study of the city school district in Kentucky was only conducted in 1982. Chi-square statistics were used to analyze the data. Fifteen null hypotheses were tested in this study. Attitudes of 1973 county teachers and board members were compared with those of 1982 county teachers and board members. Attitudes of 1982 city teachers and board members were compared with those of 1982 county teachers and board members. Attitudes of 1982 teachers were compared based upon the sex of the teachers, the age of the teachers, the formal training of the teachers, and the number of years teachers had taught in the school district. It was concluded that teachers and board members in both school districts studied perceived more items congruently than divergently when a broad range of issues and policy development procedures are considered; that county teachers and county board members in 1982 perceived issues and procedures more congruently than did city teachers and city board members; that county teachers and board members in 1982 perceived issues and procedures more congruently than their 1973 predecessors; the trend toward more congruent attitudes between teachers and board members appears to be more the result of change in the attitudes of the teachers than in the attitudes of the board members; and that board members in the selected school districts are more congruent in their attitudes than teachers in these same school districts. Analysis of the relationship of predictors with the NTE-WCET scores revealed that sex and teaching level did not correlate significantly. ACT composite scores, CAT Reading scores, CAT Math scores, CAT English scores, teacher education admission grade-point averages, and Professional Education sequence grade-point averages correlated significantly at the .0001 level. ACT composite scores and CAT Reading scores shared the greatest common variance with NTE-WCET scores at 74.23 percent and 61.88 percent respectively. Analysis of a significant correlation between the NTE-WCET scores and a combination of all eight predictors showed a significant correlation at the .0001 level. Analysis of the significance of each predictor to the R('2) increase showed that ACT composite scores, CAT Reading scores, and CAT English scores were significant at the .05 level.

The purpose of this study was to determine the extent that public school principals in Tennessee perceived their jobs as stressful, to identify the major sources of job-related stress within the school environment, to determine the coping strategies most often used by principals to manage occupational stress, and to relate the findings to certain demographic characteristics. The need for stress management education among the principals was also ascertained. The data collected in this study revealed that a majority of the principals (78%) perceived their jobs as moderately to extremely stressful, and approximately 70% of the principals indicated that 70% or more of their total life stress was attributed to their jobs. The results of this study revealed there were situations in school organizations that created stress in principals. Of the 35 situations used in the study, the job-demands related to Administrative Constraints and Interpersonal Relations were perceived as most stressful. "Trying to resolve parent/school conflicts" received the highest mean frequency among the principals. The results of this study indicated that certain coping strategies were employed more frequently than others by principals in their attempt to manage stress. Strategies related to Consulting Techniques and Extra Work Activities were more often preferred by principals with four of the five highest-ranked strategies coming from these two areas. Demographic variables of the respondents were used to determine if there were relationships between stress level, stressors, and coping strategies; significant relationships were found to exist. Additionally, analysis of multiple linear regression revealed that the culminating effect of the principals' demographic characteristics contributed no more than 16% to the prediction of the principals' level of occupational stress, sources of stress, and coping preferences. The data in this study indicated there was a need for stress management education among principals in Tennessee with 91% of the principals reporting a need for stress management education. Of the principals surveyed, 95% had received little or no stress management education, and a majority of the principals (85%) were employed by school districts that did not provide any structured stress management seminars for its personnel.

The problem of this study was to compare perceived training needs of public school administrators at two points in time and to analyze those needs as to age, sex, educational degree, and experience of respondents. The survey population consisted of public school principals in the 14 systems of the First Educational District in Northeast Tennessee. A descriptive research design was chosen for the study. A follow-up questionnaire was developed based on the 1986 Brown Survey which surveyed the same population for demographic and professional characteristics in addition to the perceived training needs of principals, superintendents, and school board members. Respondents prioritized training needs from most beneficial to least beneficial. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used in answering five research questions which directed the study. The statistical analyses revealed the following: perceived training needs remained stable during the 2 year period, clusters of training needs consistently appeared in the top five and bottom five interest areas, and various approaches were utilized by First Educational District principals to address their perceived training needs. Curriculum and Instruction was identified by all groups of respondents as their top priority for additional training, indicating a recognition of need for more training in the fundamentals of teaching and learning. Others included in the top five training needs were Staff Evaluation, Leadership, Staff Development, and Effective Schools. Those consistently reported in the bottom five training needs included Organizational Governance, Organizational Communication, Law/Policy, Budget, and Problem Solving. The results of this study should prove useful to institutions of higher education in planning programs and courses of study for school administrators. An abundance of opportunities exists to provide much needed advanced training for principals in Northeast Tennessee.

The purpose of this study was: (a) to determine if a significant difference exists between leadership behavior of principals in effective schools when compared to leadership behavior of principals in less effective schools as perceived by teachers, (b) to determine if a significant difference exists in teacher morale in effective schools when compared to less effective schools, and (c) to determine if a significant difference exists in the comparison of the correlations between leadership behaviors of principals and factors contributing to teacher morale in effective schools when compared to less effective schools. A total of 158 teachers returned completed questionnaires. Leadership behavior of principals and teacher morale were measured by 83 teachers in effective schools and 75 teachers in less effective schools using the Leader Behavior Description Questionnaire, Form XII (LBDQ) and the Purdue Teacher Opinionnaire (PTO). A significant difference was found between effective schools and less effective schools in the leader behavior persuasiveness. Significant differences were also found in the correlations between teacher rapport with principal and initiation of structure and consideration. No significant differences were found in the total mean scores of leader behavior, total mean scores of teacher morale, or the correlation between the total mean scores of leader behavior and teacher morale. No significant differences were found in leader behavior dimensions of representation, demand reconciliation, tolerance of uncertainty, initiation of structure, tolerance of freedom, role assumption, consideration, production emphasis, predictive accuracy, integration, or superior orientation. No significant differences were found in teacher morale dimensions of teacher rapport with principal, satisfaction with teaching, rapport among teachers, teacher salary, teacher load, curriculum issues, teacher status, community support of education, school facilities and services, or community pressures. No significant differences were found in the correlations between teacher rapport with principal and representation, demand reconciliation, tolerance of uncertainty, persuasiveness, tolerance of freedom, role assumption, production emphasis, predictive accuracy, integration, superior orientation; rapport among teachers and demand reconciliation, initiation of structure, role assumption, integration; curriculum issues and tolerance of freedom; teacher status and consideration; or school facilities and services and production emphasis. Recommendations based on the findings were given.

The problem of this study was to determine whether a relationship exists between situational leadership effectiveness of administrators in hospitals and principals in high schools in a selected geographical area. The data-gathering instruments were the Leader Effectiveness & Adaptability Description (LEAD-Self) and a one-page demographic sheet. The LEAD-Self provides a measurement of situational leadership style and leadership effectiveness based upon responses to 12 administrative decisions. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the data gathered, with the Eta and Pearson's product-moment being the correlation studies used. Six research questions were explored, dealing with the relationship between the effectiveness score and the following variables: age, number of employees reporting directly to the administrator, educational level of respondents, number of hours of monthly inservice or continuing education related to administration, years of administrative experience, and job position (hospital administrator or high school principal). The descriptive analysis of the study warranted the following conclusions: (1) The Pearson's correlational studies revealed little or no relationship between effectiveness and respondents' age, number of employees reporting directly, monthly inservice/continuing education, and years of administrative experience. (2) The Eta correlational studies revealed little to no relationship between effectiveness and respondents' position or educational level.

The problem of this study was to identify existing factors affecting professional personnel of Johnson City and Washington County, Tennessee, public school systems and to project the effect merger would have on these factors. Subproblems consisted of identification of the criteria for maximum professional personnel performance, present approaches for meeting the needs of professional personnel in event of merger, and the factors involved in successful and unsuccessful merger attempts to determine what effects merger had on professional personnel. Professional personnel employment conditions would be altered after merger of the two systems. Projections could be made of these conditions. The information presented to the Metro-Joint Committee would be helpful in its study. The background research was limited to a review of the literature related to the subject. The study focused on the Johnson City and Washington County, Tennessee, school systems but presented data from other Tennessee systems where merger had been considered. The study employed the descriptive method of research. Items identified as having to be adequately supplied for maximum professional personnel performance were salary and fringe benefits, instructional materials and equipment, physical facilities, extraclass activity duty, planning time, research, in-service, negotiations, para-professional help, additional 100 percent funded personnel, and administrative positions. In the successful mergers of Nashville-Davidson County and Clarksville-Montgomery County the advantages of merger were noted as being: better use of qualified personnel at higher pay on the salary scale; more efficient management in purchases, warehousing, and inventory control; improved curriculum and up-dated curriculum guides; new facilities and higher level of maintenance; removal of duplicated functions; improvement of supervisory practices; maximum utilization of classroom facilities; elimination of disruption of county schools by annexation; increased effectiveness of in-service programs; additional aides, clerical help, and locally funded support personnel; greater effectiveness in methods of obtaining state and federal funds; growth of cohesiveness and unity of city and county areas; extension of programs for exceptional children; equalization of educational opportunities; reduction of waste, inertia, and petty politics; and extension of experimentation and research. Johnson City spent approximately one-third more per pupil than the county system. All expenditures of the city system exceeded those for the county system. County personnel would benefit from the merger. Inequality existed in Washington County and Johnson City school systems for both students and professional personnel in all areas. The city provided higher salaries, additional instructional materials, more 100 percent locally funded personnel, additional Title I aides, and adequate physical facilities above the county system. Annexation was not the solution for the school systems' problems. Inequality existed among the county schools in the amount of extraclass activities required of the professional personnel, planning time provided, and facilities supplied. It was impossible to predict actual cost of equalizing educational opportunities offered in the event of merger. The benefits were impossible to compute in dollar amounts.

This was a two-phase study designed to identify intuitive principals and then to determine if there were common elements of their decision making. The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator was used to identify intuitive principals, and then a sampling of these principals were interviewed. The results showed that the principals with the highest preference scores for intuition differed from the principals with lower preference scores in that they came from supportive environments, were more conscious of using and developing their intuition, drew from experience but combined that with a future orientation, and were more comfortable with risk-taking and change. Recommendations included the suggestion that inservice and preparation programs should include the identification of intuitive thinkers and an environment conducive to the development of intuition.