This study was undertaken to determine selected principals' perceptions of the importance of the NPBEA's initially recommended seven foundational areas of learning and associated topics to be included in doctoral programs for preservice preparation of principals. A secondary purpose of the study was to determine the amount of coverage of the foundational areas and associated topics in the preparation programs of the selected principals. National samples of U.S. public elementary and secondary school principals were surveyed over a 14 week period. Except for four topics, both groups of principals perceived the areas and topics to be important. Both groups perceived an additional eight topics to be less important than the other topics. There was no significant difference between the elementary and secondary school principals' perceptions of the importance of the areas and topics. Except for two areas and one topic, both groups of principals did not perceive the seven foundational areas and associated topics to have been covered in their preparation programs. Both groups perceived an additional seven topics to have been covered more than the other areas and topics. Generally, the principals perceived the areas and topics to be important, but a corresponding high degree of coverage for the areas and topics in the principals' preparation programs had not been perceived. Conclusions of the study indicated that NPBEA had correctly identified a large number of topics that practicing principals perceive to be important and that should be included in one core curriculum for preparation of principals. Additionally, more detailed investigations should be completed to determine why principals perceive the topics concerned with demographic changes, organizational theory, and research to be of lower importance than the other NPBEA topics. In support of claims in the literature, preparation programs of both elementary and secondary school principals are not relevant and are inadequate in many instances because the programs do not cover to the required degree the NPBEA's foundational areas and associated topics that the principals perceive to be important.

The problem was to determine whether a significant relationship existed among the present positions, career goals, and results of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator using selected college and university personnel administrators in the Southern Region of the College and University Personnel Association (CUPA). Literature was reviewed in order to determine the previous research of Myers-Briggs Type Indicator as it applies to college and university personnel administrators. The standard Myers-Briggs Type Indicator was chosen as the personality inventory instrument. Colleges and universities surveyed were selected using the Southern Region of the College and University Personnel Association (CUPA) as the group. The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator was administered to one hundred personnel administrators either in person or through the mail. Personal data and demographic data were reported in tables. Nonparametric statistics were utilized to analyze the degree of relationship among the ordinal level data obtained from the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. Agreement was tested intra-group by Kendall's coefficient of concordance, and agreement between groups was tested by the Spearman rank-order correlation. The .05 level of significance was applied in all cases using the two-tailed test. Data was analyzed according to the results of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, the demographic data, the career position, and the career goal. The results indicated a significant relationship between the present position and Myers-Briggs, age and Myers-Briggs, sex and Myers-Briggs, location of institution and Myers-Briggs, career goals and Myers-Briggs, and between the present position and career goals.

The purpose of this study was to examine relationships between the variables of (1) sex, (2) attitudes toward mathematics, (3) college grade point average (GPA), (4) American College Test (ACT) mathematics scores, (5) number of mathematics courses taken, and the variable of (6) mathematics computation scores on the California Achievement Test (CAT) Form 6 - Level 19. A population of 220 applicants for admission to teacher education at East Tennessee State University were available for the study. Academic records of the students were searched for the following information: (1) sex of the subjects, (2) college grade point average, (3) ACT mathematics scores, (4) number of previous high school mathematics courses, (5) number of previous college mathematics courses, and (6) CAT mathematics computation scores. Attitudes toward mathematics was measured utilizing the Revised Aiken-Dreger Mathematics Scale. The following relationships were examined: (1) difference between the CAT mathematics computation scores of males and females, (2) correlation between the variables of attitudes toward mathematics and CAT mathematics computation scores, (3) difference between scores of males and females on the test of attitudes toward mathematics, (4) correlation between the variables of college grade point average and CAT mathematics computation scores, (5) difference between the college grade point average of males and females, (6) correlation between the variables of ACT mathematics scores and CAT mathematics computation scores, (7) difference between the ACT mathematics scores of males and females, (8) correlation between the variables of weighted number of mathematics courses taken and CAT mathematics computation scores, and (9) difference between the weighted number of mathematics courses taken by males and females. The findings of the study revealed that: (1) There was no statistically significant difference between the CAT mathematics computation scores of males and females. (2) There was a statistically significant correlation between the variables of attitudes toward mathematics and CAT mathematics computation scores. (3) There was no statistically significant difference between scores of males and females on the test of attitudes toward mathematics. (4) There was a statistically significant correlation between the variables of college grade point average and CAT mathematics computation scores. (5) There was no statistically significant difference between the college grade point average of males and females. (6) There was a statistically significant correlation between the variables of ACT mathematics scores and CAT mathematics computation scores. (7) There was no statistically significant difference between the ACT mathematics scores of males and females. (8) There was a statistically significant correlation between the variables of weighted number of mathematics courses taken and CAT mathematics computation scores. (9) There was no statistically significant difference between the weighted number of mathematics courses taken by males and females. Based upon the findings of the study, the following conclusions were warranted: (1) The study failed to support the hypotheses that differences existed between male and female teacher education applicants in regard to their (a) CAT mathematics computation scores, (b) attitudes toward mathematics, (c) college grade point average, (d) ACT mathematics scores, and (e) weighted number of mathematics courses. (2) The study revealed that in regard to teacher education applicants there existed a definite correlation between the variables of (a) attitudes toward mathematics and CAT mathematics computation scores, (b) ACT mathematics scores and CAT mathematics computation scores, (c) college grade point average and CAT mathematics computation scores, and (d) weighted number of mathematics courses taken and CAT mathematics computation scores.

This study compares the value systems of public school principals and middle managers in manufacturing industries in four counties in Upper East Tennessee. The purpose of the study is to provide information for persons involved in planning policies and providing funds for public school education programs. This is a descriptive study which uses data gathered from the administration of the Rokeach Value Survey to principals and managers selected for the study. The data presented include comparisons of median scores of individual values in terms of their relationships and differences by main research groups as well as sex and age subgroups. With a few exceptions, the value systems of principals and managers were found to be similar and overlapping. Conclusions of the study indicate a need for cooperative planning for and implementation of educational programs which relate to the common value systems of the leaders of educational and manufacturing institutions.

The purpose of this study was to determine the preferences of Tennessee public school superintendents and school board chairpersons regarding school-based management and to determine the differences between both groups' preferences regarding the following aspects of school-based management: each identified approach or model, school-based budgeting decisions, personnel decisions, curriculum decisions, function(s) of school-based management councils, and district level planning prior to implementing school-based management. Demographics were reported regarding superintendents' and school board chairpersons' preferences regarding school-based management. When a significant difference was determined between the two groups' preferences regarding any of the identified facets, the demographics were analyzed. The method of study was survey. Surveys were mailed to all of Tennessee's public school superintendents and school board chairpersons. Of the superintendents and school board chairpersons surveyed, 71.0% of the superintendents and 63.0% of the school board chairpersons responded. Null hypotheses were stated for the different aspects of school-based management. Demographic information was reported. A significant difference was determined between the preferences of the two groups regarding the function(s) of school-based management councils at the.05 level.

The problem of this study was to determine if differences existed in the supervisors' perceptions of the importance of specified supervisory competencies. A list of thirty-six competencies which had been developed and validated by Ben M. Harris was adopted. Competencies were defined as any combination of knowledge and skill that is adequate for accomplishing some specified outcome. Included in the study were supervisors at the state department level in nine Southeastern states which were as follows: Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia. Forty supervisors at the state department level were randomly selected from each state. Thirty-six null hypotheses were formulated to be tested at the .05 level of significance. Each hypothesis concerned a specific competency. Competencies were grouped according to task area. The analysis of variance was used as the first step in data analysis. This yielded an F ratio which indicated whether or not a significant difference existed. If a significant difference was revealed a follow-up test was conducted to determine where specific differences lay. The Newman-Keuls procedure was used for this purpose. Significant differences were revealed in only eight of the thirty-six hypotheses tested which were concerned with the following competencies: (A-3) Developing and adapting curricula; (C-2) Recruiting and selecting personnel; (C-3) Assigning personnel; (F-3) Designing in-service training sessions; (F-4) Conducting in-service training sessions; (G-1) Informing the public; (H-1) Developing educational specifications; (I-4) Analyzing and interpreting data. Thus, the null hypothesis was rejected for hypotheses 3, 8, 9, 19, 20, 27, 30, and 36. Major conclusions indicated that generally supervisors from the nine states did not differ significantly. This was not consistent with the diversity of roles and perceptions of supervisors as proclaimed by the literature. Even when significant differences existed specific differences between states were minimal. The F probability in seventeen competencies exceeded the 0.2500 level which indicated little difference and possibly some correlation existed. Recommendations included future research in supervision, clarification of supervisory roles and job descriptions, and implications for universities with graduate programs in supervision.

The purpose of this study was to determine the administrative structure, staff qualifications, and staffing patterns of selected school-age child care projects administered by public school districts; and to develop guidelines for planning future projects. Nine research questions were considered to be relevant to the study: (1) What types of administrative structure were demonstrated by after-school child care projects? (2) Did the projects surveyed require similar staff qualifications for initial employment? (3) Did the projects surveyed utilize similar staffing patterns? (4) Did the literature indicate prescribed staff qualifications? (5) Did the literature state prescribed staff qualifications in behavioral terms? (6) What was the adult/child ratio of projects surveyed? (7) Did the projects surveyed utilize a staff development program? (8) Which of the states included in the study required prescribed standards for after-school projects administered by public school districts? (9) Were there similarities among states of prescribed standards for after-school projects administered by public school districts? By contacting the child care licensing agents of the Departments of Human Services, and/or the Departments of Education of the states of Kentucky, West Virginia, Virginia, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia, after-school child care projects administered by public school districts were identified. The directors of these projects were mailed a validated survey instrument along with a cover letter requesting their participation in the study. In addition, on-site visitations to three communities having after-school child care projects administered by public school districts were conducted. A total of 19 directors representing 45 projects responded to the survey instrument of which 42 projects were found to meet the research limitations imposed on the study. Project directors from five of the seven selected states participated in the study. Data from the survey instrument responses were analyzed. Guidelines for school-age child care projects administered by public school districts were developed from the survey of related literature, analysis of survey responses, and on-site visitations. Recommendations based on the findings were given.

This study examines the phenomenon that although 8,900 educators have obtained Career Ladder Levels II and III, there are 27,620 in Tennessee who are eligible for the upper levels of the Career Ladder, but have not obtained these levels. The purpose of the study was to identify the barriers, as perceived by eligible educators in Tennessee, which discourage them from attempting to gain upper level Career Ladder status. The research design was descriptive and utilized data from a survey instrument constructed by the researcher. A pilot test of the instrument was conducted, reliability coefficients calculated, and survey items retained, modified, or deleted based on the results. The final survey contained 62 statements (grouped into 11 subscales) and a demographic section. A total of 575 surveys were sent to eligible educators in the public schools of the seven districts of Tennessee; of those, 426 were returned, and 404 responses were used. Other variables studied were age, gender, race, job classification, years of teaching experience, educational attainment, future plans to attempt upper levels, previous attempts at the upper levels, information sources concerning the program, and overall opinions of the Career Ladder program. Findings include: The most problematic barriers in rank order from greatest to least were Personal Obstacles, Teaching Professionalism, Evaluation Procedures, Political Facet, Participation Process, System Improvement, Financial Considerations, and Individual Role Professionalism; three of the barriers were found to be non-problematic, these are Teacher Morale, TEA Support, and Administrative Support; significant differences regarding the barriers exist in all demographic areas included in the study except for job classification; the majority of respondents had a negative overall opinion of the Career Ladder, however, the opinion varied with the source of information about the program. Educators who received their information from official sources had a more positive opinion of the program than those who got their information from informal sources. It appears that the barriers identified in this study may be factors in keeping eligible educators from participating in the upper levels of the Career Ladder.

The purpose of this study was to compare principals', teachers' and secretaries' perceptions regarding selected aspects of the school secretary's role in administering the public schools. A questionnaire, developed by the researcher, was sent to 465 principals, teachers, and school secretaries in the First Tennessee Development District, in Spring, 1991. Three hundred ninety-one questionnaires were returned for a response rate of 84%. Six null hypotheses were tested for significance at the.05 level. The one-way analysis of variance and the Student-Newman-Keuls statistical procedures were used to test the responses of the three groups of participants for significant differences. All the null hypotheses were rejected. The findings of the study were as follows: (1) The position of the typical school secretary in the First Tennessee Development District is a full-time position. Of the 137 secretaries surveyed, 97% reported they worked 35 or more hours per week. (2) Secretaries perceived that they assumed a greater administrative role in the school than the principals or teachers perceived. (3) Secretaries perceived that they assumed more of a public relations role in the school than principals or teachers perceived. Principals perceived that school secretaries assumed more of a public relations role than teachers assumed. (4) Principals and secretaries perceived that secretaries were more involved in the school operation than teachers perceived. (5) Secretaries perceived that they were more involved with clerical tasks than principals or teachers perceived. (6) Secretaries perceived that they were more involved with human relations tasks than principals or teachers perceived. (7) Principals perceived that secretaries participated more in professional development activities than teachers perceived.

The purpose of this study was to analyze the characteristics of school board members in the public school systems of North Carolina in order to obtain a profile of the typical board member and compile the suggested qualifications as a basis for possible change in the legal requirements for membership on local boards of education. A researcher-designed questionnaire was mailed to all school board members in North Carolina. Responses were received from 309 board members. A descriptive profile of board of education members in the public school systems of North Carolina was developed; determination of legal requirements for board membership was made; and a list of desirable qualifications for board membership as identified by board members was compiled. In testing for significant differences between county boards and city boards, it was concluded that the city board members have a higher level of education, higher income, and are more likely to be members of a minority group than county board members. County board members have lived longer in the community than city board members. There was no significant difference between the number of male and female board members with children in the school system. Recommendations based on the findings suggested that additional study be conducted, utilizing a forced-type of questionnaire.